Cheap traveloptions such as cheapairplane tickets, discounttravel deals, and cheap vacation packages, arebecoming all the more important as airlines make changes to their frequent flierprograms which make it harder to the average flier to earn reward points.
Many airline loyalty programs are changing such that whatfliers pay matters more than how much they fly. Delta recently became one of the first legacy airlines to announce itsrewards system going forward will be based on the cost of tickets vs. the milesflown.
Although many Delta loyalty members are unhappy with theairlines new approach to award miles, Delta claims that its program isequitable. Delta changed some of its upgradeavailability at the beginning of the year based on extensive feedback from ourcustomers.
A recent survey found that many passengers feel that the changingloyalty programs are disloyal to them. Increasingly air travelers do not trust airline programs to deliver ontheir promises. The programs are viewedas less trustworthy than banks, cable, and telephone companies. Passengers have long singled out Deltasfrequent flier program as the hardest one to redeem miles.
Reward programs create major revenue for airlines,generating billions of dollars yearly with the sale of miles to banks and otherpartners. Consumers in turn indirectlypurchase these miles via their choices to earn them over other rewards.
Airline experts are not surprised by the changing trend onhow frequent flier miles are earned. Airlines have come to realize that they had to fix their incentivesbecause they were not really rewarding their best customers.
Also, programs based only on miles flown have proven to betoo easily manipulated. Some fliers havebeen able to earn first class tickets by buying pudding boxes or U.S. Mintcoins while actually paying as little as possible for their seats.
United Airlines has switched to a hybrid approach thatrewards loyalty members based on a combination of miles and money spent. More airlines are expected to follow withchanges to their frequent flier reward policies.
The following are ways to continue to earn significantmiles while purchasing airline tickets that award miles based on the cost ofthe tickets:
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If youpurchase expensive tickets, you should participate in an airlines frequentflier program. Remember most reward programsgoing forward are rewarding the biggest spenders not the most frequent fliers.
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Focuson a single program. Do your best togive a single airline most, if not all, of your business. The most recent changes do not rewarddisloyal fliers.
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Go outof your way to earn points, particularly via airline affiliated credit cards(or cards that earn points that can be used to purchase airline tickets) andmake a point of using them to make as many of your purchases as possible.
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