Seriously? How much did that failed attempt cost you?
For any future mileage expiration extension needs, check if the airline has an online shopping portal (Flying Blue does, as do most of the major airlines) and just order anything from one of the linked stores. You should be able to find something for under $5 shipped..
Go now and sign into all your accounts and make a spreadsheet with all the expiration data listed (or use AwardWallet which can pull that data automatically) and do this shopping "trick" for any accounts that are within 3 months of expiring.
You're welcome!
Seriously. $67.85 to get there. 7500 BA Avios plus about $45 to get back.
Here's how I found the flight: On matrix.itasoftware.com, on the One-way tab, I entered the airports I was willing to depart from in the first box, I pasted the North America airport list from forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=45539.0 into the destination box, chose the option to see calendar of lowest fares and entered / alliance skyteam into the routing codes box. I looked for the lowest number on the calendar, then reversed the route and looked for the lowest number on the calendar again, then chose the lowest of the two. The mistake was that I did not repeat the search using O:DL,AM in the advanced routing codes box after seeing that Delta and AeroMexico service the area. That would have limited my search to flights operated by SkyTeam member airlines.
I wish extending the expiration was as easy as transferring some more miles from Chase or Citi, shopping through a portal, or ordering a magazine, but for Flying Blue, you have to fly.
