Tips to make your Air Miles count!

It's well known that many airlines treat those with Air Miles with a degree of disdain - they have only minimal seats available for Air Miles purchases and these seats always seem to disappear in the blink of an eye. But here are three tips to help you get the most out of your Air Miles:

• Telephone the airline when you are booking, don't use the Web site - this way, you can negotiate; ticket agents have the authority to make deals - web sites don't!

• Complain! Airlines sometimes give seats to valued passengers who complain.

• Accumulate air miles through credit card purchases. Those miles often don't expire and more seats are available those customers.