Frontier Airlines has launched a new feature for its frequent flyer program allowing elite members to redeem points for merchandise: the More Store.

Frontier Ascent and Summit Early Returns members (those who fly at least 15,000 miles a year) will be able to trade miles for jewelry, rounds of golf, restaurant meals, luggage, sporting events, overnights at the Brown Palace and tickets by visiting www.frontiermorestore.com

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The Web site also has an online auction feature, with items including a new Mercedes M- Class SUV with a starting bid of 10,000 miles.



More Store perks partners include restaurants such as Jax Fish House, Tamayo, Zengo, Panzano, Lola, Aix, Luca D’Italia, The Palm, Rioja and Opus.



Frontier frequent fliers can trade miles for rounds of golf at Bear Dance, Green Valley Ranch, The Raven, Pelican Lakes and Arrowhead, or get tickets to the Rockies, Crush, Nuggets, Avalanche, House of Blues Concerts or the Grand Prix.

Andrew Hudson, a senior-level marketing executive with Frontier, told Inside Flyer magazine (subscription required)

Our loyalty program did not stack up against other programs. It was not at the level it should be.

It isn’t often that a marketing executive is so candid. Perhaps they can be now, because from the little browsing I’ve done of their offerings it looks very impressive.

Most miles-for-merchandise offers are fairly low end or represent poor value for points. Here there are some reasonably priced offerings (such as a round of golf for 6000 miles) and a whole bunch of aspirational awards.

While much has been made of the Mercedes on auction, ‘starting at’ 10,000 miles (no one expected it to go for that!), I’m most impressed by the depth and quality of other things on auction, such as a Denver’s hotel’s presidential suite along with meal voucher. Frequent flyer programs are at their best when they offer otherwise-unattainable experiences. Hotel programs won’t generally allow members to access a presidential suite, but the More Store is auctioning one at the Brown Palace in Denver. It remains to be seen how competitive the final pricing is at the end of an auction, but kudos for making such things available.