The airlines spent a lot of time and money this holiday trying to market me. They sent excited e-mail messages saying that could I give airline gift cards to friends and family. Now I think that sending someone a gift card for airline tickets is like sending them a leaky bucket. I mean, a $50 gift card (and seriously, who’s going to spend more than that?!) isn’t going to go far in terms of paying off modern airfares. Besides they most likely won’t work on anything but full fare coach anyway.
So what I’m wondering is do you find giving gift cards for airline tickets a good idea? Personally, I’d rather buy someone an upgrade for a flight they’ve already booked. They’ll get a larger seat, better service, and perhaps, even, a meal!