4. Learn which of your airline's partners allow you to redeem miles on their flights. It can broadly expand your options.

5. Use the phone. Most people book their awards online, but speaking to an agent who has both the training and the tools to find alternate routes, flights, and dates can be worth the time and trouble—even if there's a fee.

6. Book very early or very late. Booking early will always increase your chances of snagging a seat. Among the Big Six, booking is permitted as early as 352 days in advance on Northwest and 329 days on American. Conversely, some award seats open up within two weeks of departure, so booking late can also have its advantages.

7. Be flexible. Try to avoid the bottleneck of weekend travel; adjusting your itinerary by a day or two can help win you that hard-to-get award. Midweek travel is often the best time for cashing in miles.

8. Consider a stopover. Make the most of your award ticket by adding another city to your itinerary. The stopover won't cost extra.

9. Be the first. When your airline announces a new route, use miles to fly there, since there are sure to be empty seats available.

10. Make elite status a priority. The right big-ticket purchases or a few extra flights could bring shorter lines, easier upgrades, and superior service within reach.

11. Are your charge cards working for you? If they're not, they should be. Consider these first: American Express Starwood (31 partners), Diners Club (21 partners), and American Express Membership Rewards (14 partners).

12. Don't squander your miles. Save them for special trips or expensive flights—don't waste them on tickets you can buy for a few hundred dollars.

13. Save your upgrades for flights on which premium class is truly premium. Use them on long-haul routes, say, or to upgrade to first class on a three-class airplane.

14. Be a contrarian. Travel in the off-season or at off-peak times of the day.

15. Know your carrier's other partners—particularly the hotel and car rental companies—and stay loyal to them as well.

16. Buy miles only to top off your balance: At about 2.75 cents a mile, you're paying more than twice the accepted value.

17. Log on to the experts' Web sites. You'll find invaluable up-to-the-minute news, insights, and advice on webflyer.com, frequentflier.com, and firstclassflyer.com.

Four Wishes and 690,000 Miles
Mileage pro Ladonna Epler advised two editors on the best strategies for nabbing free tickets to their dream destinations

Editor 1
Deborah Dunn

Mileage Balances
American Airlines: 303,146
American Express Membership Rewards: 33,534
Continental: 34,317
Delta: 37,188
United: 80,202