Some things have changed … some are still the same … but new opportunities and good values abound.

Here’s your mantra for 2007: More options than ever. And that’s a good thing because it means you might not have to get stuck with one carrier offering fading elite status perks. So say it with me:
. Okay, now you’re ready to review them with a calm mind. Here are the 12 ways to stay ahead of the game.

Know which flights have the best seats. This is the seat-upgrade era in the airline business, especially in Business Class. But seat rollouts can often take a few years to complete, so you have to know which routes (and sometimes which planes) have the new seats. Some airlines not in the middle of a rollout will try to mix you up as well. Take Continental, which offers multiple seat types on a single route. The airline services London with both B757s and B777s, and the fares are the same. But the seats are not: Business Class on B777s recline to 170 degrees, but the B757s only recline to 156 degrees. Big difference in comfort.

Keep track of new routes. It takes time for consumers to take note of new service. That’s why on new routes there are very often mileage award seats up for grabs. Keep track of new routes via airlines’ frequent flyer program newsletters, OAG (www.frequentflyer.oag.com), and First Class Flyer.

Know the right time to book travel. So when is the right time? Now! Don’t wait. If a fare war should erupt, see if you can cancel (many Business Class fares allow it or charge a nominal fee) and rebook. If you know your travel schedule well in advance, take advantage of the fact that most airlines release mileage seats 330 days before the departure date.

Know your loyalty program’s redemption options. Review your mileage and alliance partners before making plans. Starwood has 30+ partners; Amex Membership Rewards, 14; American, via its Oneworld Alliance, 8, and another 12 via non-alliance partnerships. Remember, you’re competing against multitudes around the world for mileage seats. I often find seats on partner airlines when the primary carrier has none.

Know your loyalty program’s elite-earning options. Although I’m currently seeking elite status credit with United, I haven’t been flying the carrier that often. Why not? Because United’s Star Alliance partner, US Airways, has had much lower domestic First Class fares out of my preferred airports. I’d rather lock in a lower, confirmed First Class seat than play the odds with United’s elite-upgrade roulette only a few days before departure. The good part: either way I earn United miles and elite status credit.

Don’t rely on your elite status card for domestic First or Business Class. The odds just aren’t in your favor (especially on major business routes), as they were in years past. The strategy now is to hedge your bets by also booking a heavily discounted First Class fare on your primary carrier’s partner, or (worst case) on a second-choice carrier. It’s your fallback if the elite upgrade doesn’t come through. In the end you just cancel the ticket you don’t end up using, and the value (minus your change fee—$100 at most) is there for use during the next 12 months.

Forget about earning miles and playing the elite status game altogether unless you really need it. With mileage-purchase strategies abounding these days, you can buy your way into the mileage game overnight. See First Class Flyer Dec. 2006, Page 7 and other back issues for some examples. Just make sure you check availability and hold the seats before you buy the miles!

Know how to work award-chart discrepancies. Although most airlines are members of alliances, that doesn’t mean they’ve standardized their mileage-redemption requirements for awards. Sometimes the airline operating a flight will charge one rate for a mileage award ticket while one of its partners will charge a different rate—for the exact same flight and class of service. One of my favorite examples: Business Class round-trip from the US to London on British Airways costs 100,000 miles; book the same seat on the same BA flight using Cathay Pacific miles and it costs only 60,000, from most US cities. Amex Starwood credit card holders are best positioned to take advantage of this and many other discrepancies since they can dump miles into more than 30 airline award programs.

Know your aircraft. Choose the one with the most Business Class seats. If it’s a choice between a 747 and another widebody, go with the 747 because it almost always has a bigger Business Class cabin. Lufthansa, for example, offers both B747 and A330 service from New York to Frankfurt. The 747 has 50%+ more Business Class seats. With more seats, the odds of cancellations increase, an advantage for those on the upgrades wait-list.

Take the indirect route. Yes, it takes more time, and I know time is money. But if you’ve got the time, you can save the money. Flying Business Class from New York to Frankfurt on short notice, for example, will cost $6,800+, whereas going via Madrid can cost as low as $3,283. Even with the separate Madrid–Frankfurt ticket, you’re saving a lot of money. Newcomers like MAXjet are a great option to Europe with sub- $1,500 fares that don’t require an advance purchase or Saturday-night stay.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Old-school thinking taught us it was mandatory to build miles in one airline loyalty program. That’s ancient history. Today the name of the game is diversification wherever possible: earn miles in multiple programs and in different alliances. Then you won’t have to take what you can get.

Stay current. The landscape is changing rapidly. Deals come and go. New seats pop up all the time. Fare wars still surface in premium classes. Alliance and partnerships are evolving. Make sure to sign up for airline mileage and fare alerts, and read First Class Flyer for little-known ticketing strategies detailed nowhere else.

Happy New Year!