Save Your Money on Flights

What should you do if you don't have quite enough cash in the bank or miles in your frequent flyer account to get you to your destination? You may want to consider cash-and-miles promotions as an option. Members of Alaska Mileage Plan, American AAdvantage, Continental OnePass, and Midwest Miles can take advantage of ongoing cash-and-miles programs to purchase regular or last-minute airfare.
Instead of paying the regular published fare or redeeming the normal amount of miles for economy award travel (usually 25,000 miles), all four airlines let you redeem a reduced amount of miles on some routes, with a co-pay starting at $29 (or, in Alaska's case, a 50 percent discount off the full fare). The amount of cash and miles you spend depends on either the distance you plan to travel, or the total price of the fare.