Late in the year, usually in the fall, it’s common for airlines to offer special promotions – and they do this for a number of reason:

• Peak summer travel has ended, so their planes are usually not as full and they’re trying to entice passengers to book.
• Frequent travelers who earn elite status with the airlines are likely aiming to re-qualify for elite status again for the following year.  Often times, they’re just a few flights short of reaching the threshold for elite status, so these double mileage promotions are very attractive offers.

United, Southwest and Alaska Airlines have all announced promotions with varying restrictions:

Southwest
Southwest was the first to announce a double mile promotion this year (although in their rewards system, their currency is “Points,” and not “Miles.”).  Travel must be booked and flown between October 21 and November 21 (so unfortunately, if you booked your trip prior to October 21, it won’t be eligible).

United
United is offering double miles for travel that is purchased and completed between October 21 and November 21.  It’s only valid on certain fares (fare classes F, A, J, C, D, Z, P, Y, B, M, E, U, H, Q, V, W and S), which means that most of the cheapest fares would not be eligible.

If you do have any upcoming travel that you’ll be booking on United, you’ll need to Register for the promotion before your trip.  If you need help deciphering the Fare Class of your ticket, feel free to let me know!

Alaska
Alaska Airlines has a relatively limited promotion – it is only valid on certain routes, but the positive is that it’s valid for travel between now and May, 2014.

The valid routes are between Seattle and Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, and Santa Rosa.  Again, you’ll have to Register prior to travel.

Moral of the Story
At any given time, airlines can be running various bonuses and promotions that can make your trips really add up.  Make sure to check back here or with the individual airline websites to see their current promotions before booking your next trip.