A gift that goes a long way: frequent-flyer miles

Any road warrior who possesses a pot full of frequent-flyer miles can be forgiven if visions of free seats to an island paradise dance through his or her head, especially as the icy winds of winter launch out of Canada and blast Wisconsin with a teeth-rattling vengeance.

After all, those miles, if accumulated the old-fashioned way, were earned, and in recent years the weary traveler has more than paid the price for these freebies: Suffering through flight delays and cancellations, surly treatment at the hands of airline staff, overstuffed flights, tedious and invasive security checks, long hours slouched at gates that were either too busy or deserted, bankruptcy worries. (Will they or won't they file and what will my miles be worth if they do?)

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Let's face it: 2005 has been a forgettable, no, make that an awful year for frequent business travelers.

And wouldn't that sugary sand beach, the rustle of palm trees and a rhythmic swoosh of waves lapping the shore be a perfect antidote to the injustices of the past year? No question about it.

But I have another idea. In the ultimate gesture of the holiday season, give away your frequent-flyer miles instead.

That cache of hard-won miles can be an enormously powerful gift when directed to an organization that uses them to give aid and comfort to the distressed and endangered, bring to life the wishes of a terminally ill child, or send a doctor to a remote mountain village to perform life-changing surgery. And best of all, it's a gift that costs you nothing (beyond that forfeited trip to the islands).

There are millions who could use the help. The hurricane-pummeled Gulf Coast is months if not years away from recovery. Parts of Pakistan, India and Afghanistan were buried in post-earthquake rubble.

Children in their gentlest years lived through 2005 in countries and territories that struggled and failed to provide clean water and sanitation, life-saving medicine, better nutrition and education. Our own soldiers huddled in lonely isolation in the Middle East, longing for a visit home.

The world that in varying degrees we take for granted, the same world that provides us and our families with a superior lifestyle and the companies we represent and do business with - that world, one charitable organization at a time, can be helped by donations of frequent-flyer miles.

It's easy to donate miles, and you don't have to give away tens of thousands of them unless you choose to. Some airlines will accept donations of as few as 1,000 miles to their partner charities and at almost all airline Web sites you'll find instructions for contributing online or by phone.

Donated miles can be directed to such organizations as the American Red Cross, Make-A-Wish-Foundation, Hero Miles (bringing members of the military home for family visits), Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Research, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America, the American Cancer Society, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and many more.

Charity options are not limited to miles; hotels will work with you too. Best Western, Hilton, InterContinental, Marriott and Starwood all offer loyalty members the opportunity to donate hotel points.

For a general overview of the award donation process, including links to 80 charities that accept point donations from 17 frequent-flyer and hotel-loyalty plans, visit www.miledonor.com. This nonprofit site is provided by Frequent Flyer Services and its family of companies, headed by frequent-flyer guru Randy Petersen.

Major credit-card companies make it convenient to donate miles too. Rewards card Capital One, for example, will make a contribution to any of six organizations in the amount of $200, $250 or $300 for your donation of 26,700 to 40,000 accumulated Capital One miles.

Other sites that provide information on the efficiency and fiscal soundness of charitable organizations include www.charitywatch.org and www.charitynavigator.org.

This holiday season, give serious thought to the impact you can make through a donation of frequent-flyer miles or loyalty points. Your gift might mean you'll have to put off your dream vacation for another year, but in its place you'll have the satisfaction that comes with making a difference, somewhere in the world.