American Airlines One Way Flex Awards

I received a news release this week from a company called Colloquy that shows membership in travel loyalty reward programs has reached 556 million. The report says airline frequent flier programs account for more than 277 million members, up 9 percent from two years ago. But lately, many of these folks have been forced to cope with two-tier plans for redeeming frequent flier miles. In other words, the minimum number of miles frequently does not buy the trip for which you've been saving. Reward seats are scarce, and more airlines are doubling the minimums to ensure a ticket, then charging you for redemption.

So a second release that arrived the same day came as interesting news -- American Airlines has rolled out a new feature called One Way Flex Awards. For the first time, you can book a one-way fare instead of having to use mileage for a full trip. The program also allows you to combine rewards on the same trip: you can redeem for a first-class seat on the outbound flight and an economy seat coming home. American has set up an animated web demonstration to show you how their new calendar menu operates.

Here's hoping this is the start of a new trend allowing budget travelers to make better choices with their frequent flier miles.