Copyright (c) 2010 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. http://news.yahoo.com/travel/business-travel travel Business Travel en-us Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:20:10 GMT 5 142 18 http://news.yahoo.com/travel/business-travel http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/nws/th/main_142c.gif http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/airfarewatchdog/20100204/tr_airfarewatchdog/4286634xml airfarewatchdog/20100204/4286634xml Airfarewatchdog.com travel Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:20:10 GMT Airfarewatchdog.com - Airfarewatchdog.comIs upgrading with miles a wild fare chase?Thanks to new co-pays and rules, using your frequent flier miles to upgrade can be really confusing, impossible or not worthwhile. Confusing because the airlines have different rules, which seem to change at a whim; impossible because often there are no seats available for upgrading on popular routes, even if you plan months ahead; and not worthwhile because the major airlines often require that you buy one of their more expensive fares to be eligible and, to add to the insult, now levy expensive co-pays of up to $1000 round- trip, plus miles, to sit up front (that's in addition to the otherfrequent flyer fees they charge).Even so, sometimes the effort is worthwhile. Last year, I flew from New York to Los Angeles, and thought it would be pleasant to fly business class on one of Uniteds PS (as in Premium Service) nonstop flights. Searching on Expedia.com, I discovered that these flights carry a premium price: at the time, about $2050 round-trip compared to Deltas $1500 business class fares. But I also discovered that I had 30,000 miles in my MileagePlus account, just enough for a round-trip upgrade, and, using a site called ExpertFlyer.com, identified which United flights were eligible for upgrade.ExpertFlyer (membership starts at $4.99/month) works with several major airlines (regrettably, of the larger US carriers, only American and Delta, and no longer with United), which make their real-time upgrade inventory available to subscribers. The service allows you to figure out the lowest priced fare class eligible for upgrade, and shows which flights have upgradeable seats at that fare.The cheapest economy fare on my dates of travel was an economy fare of about $230, but only a fare starting at $450 was upgradeable. Still, I preferred &ldquo;spending&rdquo; 30,000 miles for $1600 of value rather than 25,000 miles for $230 of value (the price of the cheapest economy fare).But its not always that easy to snag an upgradeable seat at a reasonable fare. Over the last year or two, the major US-based airlines have been tinkering with their upgrade policies, changing mileage requirements, the eligible fare classes, and adding fees. Worse, theyve been eliminating flights, reducing seat availability. Heres an update of what to expect.AmericanAmerican levies a $100 round-trip co-pay plus 30,000 miles for non- Hawaiian domestic upgrades (half these amounts for one-way; all mileage requirements and co-pays in this article are based on round- trips); there is a $300 co-pay on Hawaiian routes. But virtually all American fare classes are eligible for upgrades. On international flights, most destinations require 50,000 miles plus $700 to upgrade from discounted economy fares (there are no co-pays from full fare economy fares). Fares booked in I, O and Q fare classes arent upgradeable for travel to Asia, Europe, India or South America; and those booked in I or O are ineligible for travel elsewhere as well.ContinentalContinental also requires co-pays, but allows all discounted fare classes to be upgraded, subject to inventory controls. Co-pays on flights offering BusinessFirst business class cabins (international flights and nonstops between Houston or Newark and Hawaii) range from $200 to $1000 round-trip; on flights where BusinessFirst isnt offered, co-pays range from $100 to $300, although B, M, H, and K fare classes are exempt (as are &ldquo;Elite&rdquo; frequent flyer members).DeltaDelta used to allow upgrades only on more expensive economy class fares, but they recently added less-expensive H, Q and K fare classes. However, other airlines generally offer more fare class choices, a situation mitigated only slightly by Deltas 25,000 mile upgrades on non-Hawaiian domestic routes (compared to the 30,000 required by other airlines). The good thing about upgrading with miles on Delta is that there are no co-pays. But for international travel, only the more expensive, slightly discounted, B and M fares are available for upgrades.UnitedEffective for award requests made on or after January 12, 2010, the good news is that upgrades on many routes require fewer miles and more fare classes will be eligible; the bad news is that youll have to fork over a co-pay of between $100 and $1000 (United had originally scheduled co-pays to kick in this past July, but had a change of heart). In the current (pre-Jan 12) scheme, on a flight from North America to international destinations you could only upgrade to business class from a fairly expensive M or H economy class fare for 60,000 miles, but with no co-pay. After January 12, that same trip can be upgraded from a much wider range of fare classes for just 40,000 miles, but with a co-pay of $500-$1000, depending on the fare class and destination. Prior to January 12 , fares booked in G class aren't upgradeable; for travel from North America, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and Central America to all other destinations United serves, E, U, Q, V, W, S, T, L, K, and G fares are non-upgradeable.On domestic US flights, starting in January, co-pays range from $100- $200 round-trip (when first announced, there was up to a $1000 co-pay for upgrading the cheapest fares to or from Hawaii, but United has backtracked on that ("we heard your feedback," they state on their web site) and now the co-pay is the same as for other domestic flights). But all fare classes will be upgradeable. So, while theres greater flexibility, the co-pays may make upgrading an expensive proposition, assuming that seats, which are inventory controlled, are even available. And keep in mind that those &ldquo;name your own price&rdquo; fares you bought from Priceline are also ineligible.US AirwaysAs of August 15, 2009, US Airways no longer required their Dividend Miles members to purchase a minimum fare (it had been $1400) to upgrade to business class. Theres currently no co-pay for domestic flights, even to Hawaii. For international travel, you pay 60,000 miles plus $600 ($800 to the Middle East). All fare classes are eligible for upgrade, but that doesnt mean that all seats and flights have seats available.Maybe you should just buy an upgrade?So which airline should you earn miles on if youre hoping to upgrade? Lets not bring your frequent flyer status into the discussion, because that would complicate things beyond the scope of this article. The truth is, its a complicated question, because all the miles and co-pay cash in the world amount to nothing if there are no seats available for upgrades when and where you want to fly, or if the only fares eligible are so expensive that when you add a co-pay, you might as well just buy a discounted business class ticket. Which airlines have the most seats available for upgrades at the lowest possible fares? No one really knows (if the aforementioned ExpertFlyer.com worked with all airlines, we might have a fighting chance at stabbing a guess). But thats the crux of the matter: what difference does it make how many miles you need, or what fare classes are eligible, or what the co-pays are, if the airlines, which are cutting flights and capacity in their premium cabins, really just want to sell you a business or first class seat and arent making enough available for upgrades? Basically, the only way to make sure you sit up front is to buy your way in. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100202/ap_on_bi_ge/us_airlines_sector_snap ap/20100202/us_airlines_sector_snap AP travel Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:31:49 GMT AP - Shares of U.S. airlines rose for the second straight day on Tuesday, as Continental Airlines Inc. reported a big jump in January traffic, further evidence of a recover in travel demand. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100128/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_airlines ap/20100128/us_earns_airlines AP travel Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:09:18 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100128/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_airlines"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100128/capt.6481e11fdfd14884ae931ab2b871e2af.earns_jetblue_flwl206.jpg?x=130&y=91&q=85&sig=EdxLYvVwo39EqIQIk8p7Qg--" align="left" height="91" width="130" alt="In this Oct. 26, 2009 photo, a JetBlue plane takes from Miami International Airport in Miami. JetBlue Airways Corp. on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010, joined just three other major U.S. airlines in reporting a profit for 2009, but the low-cost carrier could experience some turbulence this year.(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)" border="0" /></a>AP - Most major airlines aren't planning to grow much this year, even as their reservation systems show a rebound in business travel.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100128/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_airlines"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100128/capt.6481e11fdfd14884ae931ab2b871e2af.earns_jetblue_flwl206.jpg?x=130&y=91&q=85&sig=EdxLYvVwo39EqIQIk8p7Qg--" align="left" height="91" width="130" alt="photo" title="In this Oct. 26, 2009 photo, a JetBlue plane takes from Miami International Airport in Miami. JetBlue Airways Corp. on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010, joined just three other major U.S. airlines in reporting a profit for 2009, but the low-cost carrier could experience some turbulence this year.(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100128/bs_nm/us_airlines nm/20100128/us_airlines Reuters travel Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:06:00 GMT Reuters - US Airways Group and JetBlue Airways Corp's posted quarterly results that beat expectations and sent their shares higher, underscoring a recovery in the industry clobbered recently by sagging travel demand. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20100127/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_flight_plan_redeeming_rewards ap_travel/20100127/us_travel_flight_plan_redeeming_rewards AP travel Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:52:10 GMT AP - Airlines have been tinkering with their frequent flier programs to spur loyalty. Increasingly they're giving customers the option to buy more than plane tickets with their rewards, and that may offer more bang for your buck. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100127/lf_nm_life/us_travel_business nm/20100127/us_travel_business Reuters travel Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:00:26 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100127/lf_nm_life/us_travel_business"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20100127/i/r4140328398.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=0Ht51UmRhR7.bEhN55Gqng--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="A view of business class seating inside the Airbus A380 parked outside hangar 19 at JFK International Airport in New York March 19, 2007. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton" border="0" /></a>Reuters - Business travel in 2010 will match or surpass last year's levels and more executives will be opting for first class seats, according to a survey.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100127/lf_nm_life/us_travel_business"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20100127/i/r4140328398.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=0Ht51UmRhR7.bEhN55Gqng--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="photo" title="A view of business class seating inside the Airbus A380 parked outside hangar 19 at JFK International Airport in New York March 19, 2007. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (Reuters) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100127/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_ual ap/20100127/us_earns_ual AP travel Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:07:52 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100127/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_ual"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100127/capt.c98ebc65304c4e51ad8a3ef8563843e0.earns_ual_nybz120.jpg?x=130&y=62&q=85&sig=m731hmzBmwyDozdF8px44g--" align="left" height="62" width="130" alt="FILE - In this Dec. 23, 2009 file photo, passengers are silhouetted as they wait to check in for United Airlines flights at O'Hare International Airport, in Chicago. United Airlines said Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010, business travel is improving, echoing comments from rivals Delta and American, and its fourth-quarter loss was much smaller than a year ago.(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, file)" border="0" /></a>AP - United Airlines said business travel is improving, echoing comments from rivals Delta and American, and its fourth-quarter loss was much smaller than a year ago.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100127/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_ual"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100127/capt.c98ebc65304c4e51ad8a3ef8563843e0.earns_ual_nybz120.jpg?x=130&y=62&q=85&sig=m731hmzBmwyDozdF8px44g--" align="left" height="62" width="130" alt="photo" title="FILE - In this Dec. 23, 2009 file photo, passengers are silhouetted as they wait to check in for United Airlines flights at O'Hare International Airport, in Chicago. United Airlines said Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010, business travel is improving, echoing comments from rivals Delta and American, and its fourth-quarter loss was much smaller than a year ago.(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, file)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100127/bs_nm/us_ual nm/20100127/us_ual Reuters travel Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:17:56 GMT Reuters - United Airlines parent UAL Corp posted a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss as it cut costs to cope with declining travel demand and said revenue trends continued to improve, sending its shares up more than 3 percent. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100126/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_delta_air_lines ap/20100126/us_earns_delta_air_lines AP travel Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:27:19 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100126/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_delta_air_lines"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100126/capt.2dfe515e966744cebfe57e854ecba729.earns_delta_mips301.jpg?x=130&y=85&q=85&sig=1SsbNDUcQ2AknngNGR0P7g--" align="left" height="85" width="130" alt="In this photo made Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010, a passenger walks past a Delta Airlines 747 aircraft in McNamara Terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus, Mich. Delta Air Lines posted a $25 million net loss for the final three months of 2009, much smaller than a year earlier.(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)" border="0" /></a>AP - Delta Air Lines Inc.'s corporate travel demand is picking up, its trans-Atlantic business has rebounded and it is holding its own in Asia as it closes the books on a turbulent 2009.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100126/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_delta_air_lines"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100126/capt.2dfe515e966744cebfe57e854ecba729.earns_delta_mips301.jpg?x=130&y=85&q=85&sig=1SsbNDUcQ2AknngNGR0P7g--" align="left" height="85" width="130" alt="photo" title="In this photo made Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010, a passenger walks past a Delta Airlines 747 aircraft in McNamara Terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus, Mich. Delta Air Lines posted a $25 million net loss for the final three months of 2009, much smaller than a year earlier.(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100121/bs_nm/us_continental nm/20100121/us_continental Reuters travel Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:46:38 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100121/bs_nm/us_continental"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20100121/i/r3544279784.jpg?x=130&y=85&q=85&sig=otUuFCALIe__by7PJkJUVQ--" align="left" height="85" width="130" alt="A Continental Airlines airplane is refueled at its gate at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, March 29, 2009. REUTERS/Gary Hershorn" border="0" /></a>Reuters - Continental Airlines posted a surprise quarterly profit on Thursday and said travel demand, especially from lucrative business travelers, was improving modestly.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100121/bs_nm/us_continental"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20100121/i/r3544279784.jpg?x=130&y=85&q=85&sig=otUuFCALIe__by7PJkJUVQ--" align="left" height="85" width="130" alt="photo" title="A Continental Airlines airplane is refueled at its gate at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, March 29, 2009. REUTERS/Gary Hershorn" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (Reuters) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100120/bs_nm/us_amr nm/20100120/us_amr Reuters travel Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:49:34 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100120/bs_nm/us_amr"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20100120/i/r952438622.jpg?x=130&y=82&q=85&sig=EoCAEbKK0ZxXRR4QBwEALg--" align="left" height="82" width="130" alt="American Airlines jets taxi to and from gates at O'Hare International airport in Chicago, Illinois December 24, 2008. REUTERS/Frank Polich" border="0" /></a>Reuters - American Airlines parent AMR Corp posted a quarterly loss on Wednesday, capping a year of economic turmoil and weak travel demand that battered the industry.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100120/bs_nm/us_amr"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20100120/i/r952438622.jpg?x=130&y=82&q=85&sig=EoCAEbKK0ZxXRR4QBwEALg--" align="left" height="82" width="130" alt="photo" title="American Airlines jets taxi to and from gates at O'Hare International airport in Chicago, Illinois December 24, 2008. REUTERS/Frank Polich" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (Reuters) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20100115/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_continental_airlines_haiti ap_travel/20100115/us_travel_brief_continental_airlines_haiti AP travel Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:50:53 GMT AP - Continental Airlines Inc. said Friday it has set up a program for its frequent flier members to donate reward miles to charitable groups involved in the relief effort in Haiti. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100114/ts_nm/us_drugs_security_aviation_exclusive nm/20100114/us_drugs_security_aviation_exclusive Reuters travel Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:17:57 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100114/ts_nm/us_drugs_security_aviation_exclusive"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20100114/i/r2270905501.jpg?x=130&y=75&q=85&sig=p7WhG3UOT84_u2TFDccEpQ--" align="left" height="75" width="130" alt="A Gulfstream jet grounded by authorities in July 2008 after it was suspected to have been involved in a plot to transport more than 600 kilos of cocaine from Venezuela, is seen at Guinea Bissau international airport January 10, 2010. REUTERS/Tim Gaynor" border="0" /></a>Reuters - In early 2008, an official at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent a report to his superiors detailing what he called "the most significant development in the criminal exploitation of aircraft since 9/11."</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100114/ts_nm/us_drugs_security_aviation_exclusive"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20100114/i/r2270905501.jpg?x=130&y=75&q=85&sig=p7WhG3UOT84_u2TFDccEpQ--" align="left" height="75" width="130" alt="photo" title="A Gulfstream jet grounded by authorities in July 2008 after it was suspected to have been involved in a plot to transport more than 600 kilos of cocaine from Venezuela, is seen at Guinea Bissau international airport January 10, 2010. REUTERS/Tim Gaynor" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (Reuters) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100113/ts_nm/us_drugs_security_aviation nm/20100113/us_drugs_security_aviation Reuters travel Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:53:08 GMT Reuters - In early 2008, an official at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent a report to his superiors detailing what he called "the most significant development in the criminal exploitation of aircraft since 9/11." http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20100112/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_airliner_disruption ap_travel/20100112/us_travel_brief_airliner_disruption AP travel Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:43:25 GMT AP - An Oregon man who FBI agents say was angling for frequent flier miles has made his first court appearance on a charge of interfering with a commercial jetliner crew by filling out a comment card that talked about crashing into the ocean. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100111/ap_on_bi_ge/us_amex_rewards_program ap/20100111/us_amex_rewards_program AP travel Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:18:53 GMT AP - American Express Co. on Monday announced enhancements to the reward program for its payment card, including an option to use points toward paying off federal, state and local income taxes. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20100106/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_flights_suspended ap_travel/20100106/us_travel_brief_flights_suspended AP travel Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:23:26 GMT AP - Seemingly suspicious pieces of luggage delayed flights at two airports Tuesday, prompting evacuations in Minneapolis and closing a California airport where authorities discovered what turned out to be soft drink bottles filled with honey. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20091228/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_airline_attack_passenger_tolerance ap_travel/20091228/us_travel_brief_airline_attack_passenger_tolerance AP travel Mon, 28 Dec 2009 20:53:27 GMT AP - In-flight security rules have been eased after a two-day clampdown, airline officials familiar with the matter said Monday. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20091124/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_frequent_flier_miles ap_travel/20091124/us_travel_brief_frequent_flier_miles AP travel Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:52:26 GMT AP - The airline industry says there's no need to interfere with frequent flier programs despite U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer's request for a federal review to protect consumers. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/businesstravel/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20091123/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_frequent_flier ap_travel/20091123/us_travel_brief_frequent_flier AP travel Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:20:45 GMT AP - U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer is calling for a federal review of complaints by consumers that they are losing millions of frequent flier miles without notice in confusing agreements.