Pretty much everyone has a credit card. Most people know that they can collect air miles using their credit card, but don’t really pay much attention to it except when they are checking to see if they can afford a free flight. A few people are air miles experts, constantly checking out new cards and special deals to make sure that they get the most possible miles for their money.
I’m not big on spending my days hunting for the super air miles deals. I have better things to do. However, there are a few things that I (and you can) do to significantly increase air miles earnings. Mostly they revolve around choosing a credit card that will give you the most awards and then using it well.
Different credit cards have different rewards systems. Some of them offer ‘points’ rather than ‘miles’. For the sake of simplicity, I’m going to refer to them all as miles.
When first shopping for a credit card most of us will look for the cards with the lowest annual fees or the lowest interest rates. These things may save you money if you’re only goal is to keep your credit card costs as low as possible but, if you’re goal is to collect as many miles as possible, you need to look at a different set of criteria when choosing a credit card.
There is no single best card for collecting miles because different offers suit different lifestyles and buying habits. Read on to learn how to choose and use the card that will get you the most miles for your money.
Most credit cards will offer a large one-time sign up bonus. These bonuses are often around 25,000 to 30,000 miles. Some cards that are associated with specific airlines and hotels have even offered up to 100,000 miles just for signing up.
Credit cards will occasionally run special sign-up bonuses that are even bigger, so make sure that you look at all the options when you are choosing a card. Some cards might offer significantly larger bonuses than others.
Watch the Fees
Credit card fees vary. Annual fees usually range from around $50 – $100. I don’t concern myself too much with these fees because they are only paid once a year. Overseas transactions and currency exchange fees differ greatly from card to card. If your card charges a lot for these services and you are using it frequently overseas these charges can add up.
I think its worth it to pay a bit extra on the annual fee for a card that will accrue a lot of miles but, if you’re spending a lot of time overseas, you should watch your currency and transaction charges. Its important to make sure your card is suited to your travel style.
Check Out The Affiliated Shops
A few credit cards will only give you miles at specific stores or shops. These tend to be brand-affiliated cards. I don’t like these cards because I’m not on-the-ball enough to remember to use the right cards at the right shops.
I prefer a card that will give me miles no matter where I use it. Most cards have online stores and affiliate partners who will give you extra rewards for shopping with them. Find out what stores are affiliated with the card that you are considering. Look for a card that is affiliated with brands and stores you already shop at. This makes you more likely to receive bonus miles without changing your shopping habits at all.
Special Cards for Small Business Owners
Some small business credit cards have their own airmails programs that will enable you to collect miles while buying business-related products. This is a fantastic way to rack up charges and miles and is definitely something small business owners should look into.
Get the Newsletter
Credit cards are constantly offering extra miles for buying certain products or shopping at certain affiliate stores. These deals are usually listed in the credit card’s email newsletter. Sign up for it and read it religiously. Last month my card was offering ten times the normal points for items purchased from Ebay and Apple. I picked up a coupled of camera lenses that I’d had my eye on from Ebay. If I’d been in the market for a new laptop I would have earned about half of a domestic flight with just one purchase!
As with any project you undertake, it’s always smart to keep track of your progress so that you can see when you are doing things right and recognize when you re falling short of your goals. Collecting air miles is no different. Fortunately, the Internet has seen fit to offer a tool for making this complicated task easer. It’s called Award Wallet. Award Wallet is a website that enables you to keep track of multiple rewards programs all in one place.
The easiest way to get miles is by signing up for a credit card with a specific airline and using the card for everyday purchases. When you fly on that airline (or any other airline within the same alliance), input your frequent flyer number so that you earn miles for that flight.
Here's how most people get trapped in credit card debt: You use your card for a purchase you can't afford or want to defer payment, and then you make only the minimum payment that month. Soon, you are in the habit of using your card to purchase things beyond your budget.
Free flights in business or first class start at around 15,000 miles and climb to well over 400,000 miles one-way. In most cases, the cost of a round-trip flight is approximately double.
Key takeaways. Travel credit cards can offer significant rewards and benefits for travelers, like complimentary checked baggage, airport lounge access, bonus points and elite status. Some travel cards come with high annual fees, but you can offset the fee if you earn rewards, travel often and tap into your benefits.
Yes, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is worth it, especially if you travel frequently. It's an ideal card if you're looking to get a travel card without spending hundreds of dollars per year on fees, and the benefits it offers can easily offset the $95 annual fee if you take full advantage of them.
If you love a VIP experience and globe trot regularly, then the Amex Platinum is a fantastic option. But if you're not overly fussed about luxury travel or only travel a few times each year, the Amex Gold offers better value and more rewards-earning opportunities.
Alaska Airlines offers the most rewarding domestic airline program, in terms of the value of miles earned. Both Alaska and Hawaiian still grant reward miles based on the number of miles flown versus flight cost.
To make the most of your frequent flyer points you should use them on less popular flight routes. Airlines will often discount the most popular routes, so you are already saving money on these flights. You should use your points on flights less likely to go on sale, to make them go further.
Summary. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines offer loyal customers multiple ways to earn miles that do not expire. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan and HawaiianMiles also do not have expiration dates. Other airlines will keep your miles from expiring if you sign up for a credit card.
Earning frequent flyer miles can land you free flights, upgrades, and other travel perks. The most basic way to earn points is to fly often and with the same carrier. You can earn points without flying by signing up for a rewards credit card and using it and shopping with program partners.
Airlines might offer you special deals or discounts as a reward for your loyalty. So yes, frequent travelers often do get discounts on flights as a way for airlines to say thank you for choosing them over and over again.
Some airlines have eliminated expiration dates entirely—but not all. You can usually expect your miles to expire one to three years after you've earned them—though sometimes they're easy enough to extend.
Is a frequent flyer program worth it? For frequent flyers, absolutely. If you're loyal to a single airline and fly often, you'll quickly collect miles (the airline term for rewards currency, not the distance you fly) that you can apply towards free flights.
75,000 Capital One miles are worth up to $750 depending on how you redeem them. You can redeem Capital One miles for a statement credit, check or gift cards, for example, though you will get the best redemption value by using the miles to pay for Travel expenses such as airfares, hotels, car rentals and tours.
Frequent flyer credit cards allow you to earn points on your eligible everyday spending. Credit cards are linked to airline programs such as Qantas and Velocity frequent flyer. You can earn points per dollar spent using the credit card.
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