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Last week, we finally deployed new software on the site that makes publishing new blog posts to Twitter a quick and simple matter.

So if you're not already doing so, use this link to follow us on Twitter and stay abreast of the latest in frequent flyer program news, opinion, and advice.

The Best of Everything, Travel-Wise

Planning a summer trip? Not sure which travel provider to choose? The editors at SmarterTravel, including the publisher of this newsletter, Tim Winship, have you covered! We live and breathe travel all day, every day, and this month we're unveiling our picks for the best of the best in 17 unique travel categories.

From Most Customer-Friendly Airline to Best Travel Rewards Card, our team of travel experts will steer you toward the best -- and far away from the worst. So before you book your next trip, look to our Editors' Choice Awards to find out which travel providers rate the highest in each category.

"Up Front" Blog Entries

Following are some of Tim's recent blog posts:

• And the World's Best Frequent Flyer Program Is ...
  Wondering why there was no "Best Airline Loyalty Program" on the SmarterTavel Editors' Choice Awards list? Tim Winship explains why we chose not to choose, and how you can pick the best program for yourself.
• With Rewards Credit Cards, Your Mileage May Vary
  These lucrative bonuses for Marriott and United credit cards weren't intended for you. Should you take advantage of them anyway?
• US Air Offers 50% Bonus for Car Rentals, Hotel Stays
  The new promotion from US Airways is just the latest in a long line of generous bonuses. Consumers have reason to wonder whether the miles are worth earning, however.
• Free Night After Two Carlson Stays - Best Summer Hotel Promo?
  Through August 31, members of the goldpoints plus program can earn a free night after two stays at Radisson, Park Plaza, Country Inns & Suites, and Park Inn hotels.
• United Waives Upgrade Co-Pays for Elites
  With the cash co-pay now waived, more United elites will opt to use miles for upgrades. But elites standing by for complimentary upgrades will find fewer first-class seats.

The FrequentFlier Forum - Hot Topics

As always, there's plenty of activity on the FrequentFlier Forum.

In the "Airline Programs" Forum, Max Bialystock contributed the following to the discussion of frequent flyer award availability:

"What happened to us when we booked an award flight last Fall to the Caribbean for a vacation this June/July is consistent with the statistics, I suppose: We redeemed Continental miles. But did Continental have a seat for both of us at the standard (35,000 miles) rate? No. Bait and switch: advertise the Caribbean for 35,000 miles, but then demand 70,000 miles when the time comes. And I was booking a long time in advance, too.

"From the Continental website, we were offered an Air Canada itinerary. Air Canada had room for us... As long as we were willing to accept an abominable itinerary on the return: overnighting in Montreal and then taking the first flight out the next morning for Toronto, and THEN a further connection to get back to PIT, where we'll be starting from and returning to. But PIT wasn't our first choice, either. It's clear that if you happen to live in some places served by the airline, they're just never going to have an award seat available FROM THAT PARTICULAR AIRPORT. (Live in NYC, more choices. Live in WV, NO choices. How do they get away with that?)

"I am deliberately using up my miles as soon as practicable and then tossing the whole effort behind me, and instead I'll be simply looking for the cheapest fare, going forward. All of us have to bust a gut just to accept what the airline told us to expect from our miles. I've reached my limit with the airlines at trying to excuse them for the constant, built-in misrepresentations about award flights. And then, even when you DO find a seat, the routing is arranged through Timbuktu and Tashkent, just to get a few hundred miles away from where you started."

Questions, answers, opinions? Post them to the Forum!

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Deal Alert from SmarterTravel.com

1) $2 Spirit Sale - Ends Tonight!

It's been a long time since we've seen one of these $2 sales from Spirit, and today's won't be around long. Members of the airline's fare club can travel on select dates this summer or fall to destinations including Atlanta, the Bahamas, Boston, Ft. Lauderdale, and many others. You'll have to act fast to get these fares, though: The sale ends at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday.

Travel at the lowest prices this June, September, or October, and remember to remain flexible with your travel dates. Book tickets before fares sell out or expire on Wednesday, May 26.

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2) $868 Air France Europe Sale

Europe fares are on the rise for travel this summer, but you may be able to snag a decent ticket with Air France's latest sale, featuring destinations such as Paris, Nice, and Valencia, among others. Flights start at $844 round-trip.

Travel is available from June through August. Purchase tickets by June 2 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

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Win a Trip for 2 to Florida, Hawaii, Colorado, or N. Carolina

Enter Norelco's "Deforest Yourself" sweepstakes by June 30 for a chance to win a six-day trip for two to one of the following: the Florida Keys; Colorado; North Carolina; or the North Shore of Hawaii. Trips include air, hotel, airport transfers, and $500 spending money.

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[Visit FrequentFlier.com for more travel sweepstakes -- Updated this week.]

Feedback from the Frontlines of Travel

We welcome reader feedback on issues related to travel generally and frequent flyer programs in particular. Please use this link to submit comments.

Delta's Bait and Switch Web Fares

"I have been a reader of the Crier for years and am frequent flyer who has earned over a million miles over my 25 year career.

"Following a story about a reader who had trouble with Delta's website price gouging when purchasing a ticket online (fare that comes up is often 2-3 times fare quoted), I filed a complaint with the DOT.

"The interesting story is that the DOT referred the complaint to Delta and that Delta actually just wrote back to me and ACKNOWLEDGED that they are aware of the 'malfunction' -- 'Please know this malfunction has been identified and will be corrected soon.'

"I bought my tickets on April 7 and now it is May 19, nearly 6 weeks later and Delta has still not corrected this malfunction.

"Because of the 'malfunction' and inconvenience, I asked for an upgrade to business class for this trip -- Delta said no dice.

"I then asked for a 5,000 mile bonus for my inconvenience and have yet to hear back.

"I would be interested to know if you have heard that Delta has acknowledged this 'malfunction' to anyone else. Do you know if they have given upgrades or miles to anyone else as compensation?

"Maybe we could publicly shame them into it?" [Mark L.]

[FrequentFlier.com replies - This is the first I've heard of Delta acknowledging that there is indeed a problem with their online booking application. One has to wonder how many consumers have been affected, and at what cost. As for shaming Delta into compensating victims, I'm not aware of their having done so.]

United's New Upgrade Fees (continued from last week)

"In response to Hal H. whereby he states that the new upgrade fee is better than the original program because you don't have to pay a higher fare now to use miles to upgrade, the gentleman obviously never flies United!

"The new program penalizes all levels of the Mileage Plus program by extorting fees that are now sometimes higher than the fare itself! Fares are also most definitely higher if you are seeking to use miles for your upgrade. The only time the fare isn't dramatically higher is if you are using a systemwide upgrade or a regional upgrade. United's new policies have also produced 1.5 billion dollars in added revenue since the inception of all the new charges. Not only do you have to fight to use all those miles you paid for by purchasing revenue tickets, you now have to PAY two different ways to use those 'loyalty' rewards!

"Not very rewarding is it?" [Bret J.]

Expiring US Airways Miles, Not

"About 6 months ago I got an email from Delta Airlines saying my miles were about to expire. I didn't have many -- 5,000 or so. The only thing I was interested in were magazine subscriptions. I didn't bother to see when the miles actually expired.

"A few weeks ago I got the same note from US Airways, saying my miles were about to expire. I knew for sure I had redeemed a Dividend Miles ticket within the past year. I wrote US Airways and they agreed. I'm wondering how the airlines can allow a vendor to blatantly lie in order to get me to use my miles? Is there any recourse?" [KH]

Hidden-City Ticketing

"I recently bought a ticket from Mexico City to Los Angeles via Phoenix for $231 and got off in Phoenix.

"Had I bought a ticket with Phoenix as my destination, the ticket would have cost double. Can I still be billed by the airline? I bought the ticket through Expedia." [Anonymous - Tucson, AZ]

[FrequentFlier.com replies - This is known as hidden-city ticketing. Obviously it's frowned upon by airlines. In fact, it's explicitly prohibited in the airlines' standard Contract of Carriage. American's policy, for example, is here. But while airlines routinely cancel any onward reservations when they detect a hidden-city "violation," I'm not aware of their going so far as to try to collect the difference between the fare paid and the fare to fly to the city where the passenger actually deplaned. They've probably determined that recouping the fare difference isn't worth the time and resources to do so.]

Until next week...