The frequent flyer game

After flying in coach across the Atlantic, dreams of first class floated in my head. It seems that buying a coach ticket and then using miles to upgrade to first is a viable option. However, I'm wondering if doing that will allow me to earn miles on that flight?

My experience is most extensive with NWA, and I know that with their Cash and Miles flights, where you spend $199 plus 10,000 miles you do not earn FF miles for those flights, even though you are paying some cash for the ticket.

Surprisingly (?), NWA's website is not explicitly clear on the rules - I know I could call them but I thought I'd blog instead. The Wisdom of Crowds theory I guess...

This plan, of course, brings to mind the redeeming-miles-for-tickets versus paying-for-ticket-and-earning-loads-of-miles debate. I still use the $0.02/FF mile rule though many online sites have been saying they are worth even less because of the inability for people to use their miles when they want anyway. Life to date, I've only book a Cash and Miles award on NWA , and a free ticket on NWA - both I booked within 2 weeks of the flight because buying a ticket was muy expensive. Ooh, and I cashed in my reason-unknown 2,500 miles on US Airways for Star Magazine and some other magazine that hasn't showed up yet.

Other than this, I'm a redemption virgin tend to hoard my miles... I'd love to hear your strategies - sometimes I think the people on sites like FrequentFlyer.com are a little nuts and I like to think my friends are smarter :)

PS Time on my blog is accurate. I'm taking some time to adjust to CST.