Northwest, Midway and Continental airlines Friday joined thethree biggest domestic airlines in offering a new freebie forfrequent flyers that's aimed at business travelers.
The alacrity with which the airlines rolled out theirThreebie-Freebies reflects lots of unsold seats.
Delta Air Lines started the movement Tuesday in announcing itsfrequent flyers can earn a free trip by flying eight segments betweenDec. 15 and March 15. A segment is one leg of a trip so a personmaking one connection on both parts of a round trip would fly foursegments.
By Thursday evening, American and United airlines had toppedDelta's offering as they revealed that members of their frequentflyer programs could earn a free ticket with three (nonstop) roundtrips, the equivalent of six segments.
The big three carriers said free tickets had to be used betweenMay 15 and Dec. 15 or 31, depending on the airline, on flights withinthe 48 states and to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean. ButNorthwest sweetened its special by offering one free ticket to Europefor five round trips or 14 segments and a freebie to Hawaii for sevenround trips or 20 segments. And Continental said its flyers can earna free first-class ticket with nine roundtrip or 24 segments.
The other airlines said credits can be used for upgrades tofirst class and additional segments and round trips earn up to threefree tickets. Various restrictions including availability, a minimumone-way ticket price and Thanksgiving and Christmas blackouts apply.
The carriers admit they are trying to fill unsold seats in whatis traditionally the slowest quarter of the year.
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