A Guide To Frequent Flyer Miles That Answers All Your Questions

We’re on a mission to simplify travel reward programs for the masses. A recent study revealed that most Americans believe airline loyalty programs are confusing. There is also a vast majority that things hotel loyalty programs are not easy to understand. We thought a guide to frequent flyer miles was necessary in order to demystify frequent flyer miles for frequent flyers and make traveling less expensive.

Read: Using Frequent Flyer Miles When Traveling With Family

1. Credit Card Rewards & Frequent Flyer Miles

In the world of airline miles, you can earn miles two ways: by signing up to an airline loyalty program or a credit card that offers reward miles. There are some credit cards that work with pretty much any airline, their others that are co-branded and only work with specific airlines. Both types of credit cards have their pros and cons, but the good news is that you can use both at the same time.

Every airline has its own frequent flyer program, also referred to as the airlines’ loyalty program. Their programs are 100% free and can help you accumulate points by flying with specific airlines. There are three different airline alliances that you can sign up with an earn frequent flyer miles for most flights.

Read: Frequent Flyer Miles Hacks That Only Few Flyers Know

The three big airline alliances are:

• Oneworld
• SkyTeam
• Star Alliance

Once you’ve signed up for an account, you’ll be given an account number that will hold all your airline miles. You can also use this account for any flight purchases as well. The process is very simple: you earn airline miles for every flight that you take, and once you’ve accumulated enough, you can redeem them for a reward seat. The airline miles in your account don’t expire as long as there is some sort of activity in the account.

Read: The Smart Way To Get First Class Tickets With Frequent Flyer Miles

2. When You First Sign Up

Don’t worry if you regret not signing up sooner and not earning all the miles you could have earned if you were a loyalty member. Airlines let new loyalty members redeem miles for old lights as well. The grace period for this is between 3 months to a year, depending on the airline policy. Even though it’s a hassle going through all the old tickets, it’s worth it in the end if you’re serious about collecting frequent flyer miles.

3. Other Ways To Collect Frequent Flyer Miles

Flying and using credit cards aren’t the only ways to earn and collect airline miles. In fact, loyalty members have the freedom to collect airline miles through shopping, eating out and more. if you’re short on miles and don’t have enough time to earn the required number, then you can also buy airline miles.

Read: Understanding The Real Worth Of Frequent Flyer Miles

Below are some just some of the surprising ways you can earn miles:

• Earn miles through airline affiliated dining program.
• A lot of airlines have bonus shopping options, and you use their shopping portal for your purchases you can easily earn thousands of miles depending on your purchase.
• Frequent flyer miles can also be purchased from mileage brokers, who sell miles at the lowest possible price. It’s easy, and pretty convenient.