For those of you who are US Airways’ passengers, you woke up this morning to a little Valentine’s Day surprise.

And not of the good variety.

Damn, where are those chocolate-covered strawberries when you need them?

The airline sent out email missives today outlining two major changes to its frequent flyer program. One, the airline is now going to award actual miles, and not the minimal 500 mile credit, when a flight is flown.

Secondly, if you want to make a frequent flyer reservation less than 14 days in advance — it’s going to cost you $50.

Speaking of changes to frequent flyer mile programs, I got burned this weekend when I went to use a Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards ticket for an upcoming flight. This was the first time I have tried to redeem a RR ticket since the changes Southwest put into effect to their RR program last fall.

You know, those changes that didn’t get nearly the same press coverage as the airline’s new “Business Select” roll-out. Except for here. We did talk about them.

But talking about them, and experiencing the changes are two different animals.

So this weekend, I knew that I had a flight coming up and I knew I had two RR tickets that were expiring in the next two months. So I figured, well, at least I can use one of them.

Wrong.

Using the airline’s new “availability” chart system to find out if there were any flights available on the days I wanted to fly (another rant for another day), the chart said yes, there was availability. The only problem is that the flights I wanted were NOT available. This is definitely a flaw in the airline’s new system. I don’t want to waste me time looking for avails if, after then going the extra distance to look at specific flights on specific days that supposedly have flights, that no, not ALL flights are available. Not sure how they could set it up differently, but it’s very frustrating. Or maybe it’s just frustrating because the whole time you’re in the middle of this mess you keep thinking about how easy it used to be to use a RR ticket. You called Southwest. You made a reservation. If there was a seat on the plane you got a seat. Period.

So now it appears that for the flights that are not two stops, and/or the longest in duration for the day I want to fly, I have to use not one, but two of my RR tickets — exchanging them for what is euphemistically called a “Freedom Award.”

If this is a “Freedom Award” why does this process leave me feeling so shackled?

Okay, so after stomping around for a bit, I decide, “Okay, the tickets are going to expire anyway, I’ll just use both of them and get a “Freedom Award” ticket on the flights I want.”

Go through the whole process again. This time I get a message that says I don’t have enough tickets to convert to a “Freedom Award.”

Investigating further, I realize that last year I did use one segment of one two-segment RR ticket when I had to come home earlier than expected.

So now I have three segments, not four. And I can’t get a “Freedom Award” RR ticket for the dates and flights I need.

At this point I decide, okay, I give up. I’ll buy a damn ticket.

Now, considering that there is only one airline that flies nonstop to where I want to go on this particular trip, and that airline is Southwest, I go back to the home page and start over.

But when I get to the fare page, I blanched.

“Business Select” round trip fare across the board, nonstop or one or two stops? $798.

Cheapest fare using two one-stop flights? $402.

I don’t think so. Not so fast.

Off I go to Continental Airlines‘ website.  They can fly me where I want to go. On the day I have to leave. I just have to connect in Houston. Not one of my favorite activities, but hey, there is a point of diminishing disadvantage in this exercise.

About 10 minutes later, I have a round trip for $322 total, and short connect times in Houston on both ends. Oh, and yes, I have reserved aisle seats on all four segments.

Granted, passengers have been kvetching about the airline industry and its members’ continued attempts to reduce the actual “value” of frequent flyer tickets for years. Today’s announcement by US Airways is just the latest in a continual devaluation in the actual “value” of a frequent flyer ticket on American, United, Delta, Northwest, name your airline.

But through all that screaming and yelling in the past, I would just sneer. After all, I was a Southwest Airlines’ Rapid Rewards flyer. I enjoyed the best FF program in the industry. My tickets were actually worth something. They were, in a way, the chocolate covered strawberries of the frequent flyer world.

Something to be savored. Enjoyed. Cherished. A tangible reflection of my LUV’s affection.

Alas, no more.

Cupid has apparently decided he has to be more, dare I say it, productive.

Ticker: (NYSE:LUV); (NYSE:LCC), (NYSE:CAL)