The Lowdown on Frequent Flyer Miles, Airline Points, and Snagging a (possibly!) Free Vacation

Racking up frequent flyer miles and points via trips and airline credit cards takes a lot of hard work. Then trying to keep all those points and miles organized can be another challenge, but it’s worth it, because when you manage your points correctly, the benefits are huge!

To clarify: miles are what you earn through your airline companies, and points are earned through hotels, car rentals, and credit cards – although these three often give out miles as well.  (Click here to understand the difference between miles and points).  In any case, the number one rule is to make sure that all of your hotel, car, and airline accounts are linked up so that you get the most out of your miles/points.

Must-Do’s for the Road Warrior

Since people want to maximize this bonus aspect of travel, on day 1 of your new road warrior job, take these important steps:

• Make absolutely sure to sign up for frequent flyer numbers with all of the major airlines (Southwest, Delta, United, American Airlines).
• Next, sign up for at least two hotel chains, while at the same time tying in all of your frequent flyer numbers with your hotel accounts.
• You should also sign up for “preferred” car rental status, because these companies allow you to earn double miles or bonus miles certain times of the year.
• The fourth step is to ensure that your own personal credit card offers miles or points for your airline of choice. You will want to use this credit card if your company doesn’t have a mandatory policy regarding personal credit card usage. The credit card(s) can then be used for meals, plus other miscellaneous travel expenses, so that you continue to rack up more miles/points.
• You could even go all out and get a separate credit card that racks up miles/points for each of the four major airlines (so four credit cards in total).  It’s whatever you feel comfortable with, but this method gives you more opportunities to earn miles/points.

A Vital Bonus Step for Travelers

The next step is to sign up for a website to manage all of your accounts, such as points.com or awardwallet.com.  These websites allow you to trade points with other people if yours are about to expire. You can use your miles/points towards gift cards or discounts, move points from one account over to another, and you can even buy additional points if you need them.  (If you are feeling generous, you can also “pay it forward” by giving your miles/points to someone not as fortunate.)

These websites notify you when your miles are about to expire, and some even issue “bonus award bulletins” to keep you in-the-know about upcoming bonus deals. In addition, some of the sites go as far as searching for available award seats and booking them for you. However, just be aware that some of these sites are free, while others are not.

Frequent Flyer Know-How

It’s also best to redeem your miles online through an airline’s frequent flyer program, because most of the airlines will charge a fee if you call and have their operator assist you.

You must also be smart about how you spend your miles:

• A general rule of thumb is that you should spend two cents per every frequent flyer mile ($500=25,000 miles).
• Don’t use up 25,000 miles on a flight that’s less than $500, because you could purchase a ticket cheaper than the miles you’ve racked up.
• Instead, you should use it towards a domestic flight that costs more, or even save those miles for an international flight, should you be planning on traveling before the points  expire.

Now that you have all of your accounts managed, and know how to successfully use your miles/points, just think of the options: you can use them towards a huge family vacation or even a fun trip with your girlfriends. The best part is that the summer vacation you are currently planning could, with some smart preparation, actually be free (car, hotel, and airfare)!