How to Get the Most Out of Frequent Flier Miles and Programs

October 8, 2018 0 0

With travel season fast approaching, now’s a fine time to learn how to get the most out of frequent flier miles and programs. Yes, you can still earn enough miles for a dream vacation or bucket list trip, if you maximize your rewards. So whether you’re looking to take those miles you’ve earned criss-crossing the country for business and put them towards a well-earned escape, or you want to maximize your airline credit card dollars to fund a family reunion, you may be surprised how far you can go. Read on to find ten ways to get the most out of your frequent flier miles and programs – and take yourself places you never even dreamed of going before.

1. Pick the best airline credit card for you. Unless your business takes you across the globe several times a year, miles won’t accrue by themselves. Look at different cards — and their amenities — and pick an option that works for you. Consider choosing a credit card from an airline that uses your city airport as a hub, and offers the most potential flights to destinations where you’d be headed. NerdWallet can help you compare choices and determine which makes the most sense.
2. Get a credit card for the signing bonus or bonuses. Just for signing up for a specific credit card, you might get anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 miles. Shop around, then sign up for one to get the most out of frequent flier miles and programs. Money Under 30 has a lead to which credit cards offer great bonuses – remember, you don’t necessarily have to use the credit card for any given amount of time, or at all, depending on the terms under which you sign up.
3. Purchase priority status. Many airlines allow you to outright purchase miles and purchase elite flier status. Doing so will often award priority seating, upgrades, bonus mileage, and other perks.
4. Challenge for status. While not advertised, some airlines will also allow you to challenge for status. You call an airline, declare that you’re a frequent flier (hint that you are on another airline and thinking of switching allegiance) and ask to be awarded similar status on the new provider. Note that you’ll likely have to purchase the privilege, and may have to fly a certain amount of qualifying miles or legs within a certain amount of time.
5. Enroll in awards programs. If you’re not signed up for the website’s loyalty program, you won’t get airline miles on that cheap flight you got on travel sites like Priceline or Expedia. But if you’re signed up ahead of time, then you can earn miles. Think about all the trips you booked using online sites… using airlines you don’t have credit cards for. You can earn privileges on the site itself, and eventually, you could get that free or upgraded flight.
6. Sign up for hotel rewards programs, too. Some hotel rewards programs also allow you to earn rewards for airlines, too. Make sure you use both your rewards numbers when staying in a hotel.
7. Monitor your emails from airlines, and check out their social media posts. Periodically, airlines will allow you to earn points by taking a customer service survey, buying flowers, or engaging in other activities (or participating in limited-time flash sales and discounts) and many of these offers are announced via email or on social networks.
8. Use your rewards — and make sure you’re making the best use of them. After all that’s said and done, redeeming miles for a flight can end up awarding you a vale of around $0.02 per mile. That’s not a lot, but those cents increase if you redeem a whole bunch of miles for an international flight with business or first-class seats, or leverage credit card loyalty or awards programs that give you bonuses when loyalty points are spent on travel.
9. Shop your way to extra rewards — by going through an airline-specific portal online. Different airlines have different shopping portals, and if you shop through them, you can earn more than one mile per every dollar spent (plus sometimes thousands of dollars in bonus miles if you spend more). For example, check out what shops can get you bonus points if you have a rewards membership with American Airlines.
10. Dine out — but dine at specific restaurants. Different airlines have different dining rewards programs – some of which award ample frequent flier miles for eating out. Check their programs out before traveling, especially if you eat out at specific types of restaurants regularly.

Cheat Sheet

Learn more about how to get the most out of your frequent flier miles and programs with the following guides:

• Money Under 30 — How To Start Travel Hacking: Fly For Little Or Nothing—Even in First Class! 
• The Points Guy — 21 Ways to Earn Airline Miles that You Might Not Know About
• The Penny Hoarder — You Don’t Need Credit Cards to Get Frequent Flyer Miles — Here’s Why

Tags: Entertainment, Top 10 Guides, Travel Categories: Entertainment, Top 10 Guides, Travel