As great as cheap airplane tickets and cheap vacation packages are, nothing beats free travel. If you want to earn more than one mile per dollar charged online (which is what most credit cards are offering these days), then you need to look into shopping online retailers via airlines online shopping portals.
Purchases made through airline online shopping malls are earning as much as four to ten miles per dollar and sometimes even more. Some retailers even let you earn miles by shopping in store or by phone rather than online. United Airlines is one of the airlines offering this option for users who register their credit cards with the store via Uniteds website.
Hundreds of online merchants are participating in bonus miles offers including Apple, Crate and Barrel, Drugstore, Overstock, Nordstrom, Old Navy and Walmart. Not all retailers participate in all airline online shopping malls.
Another benefit of airline mall shopping is that it is a painless way to keep your frequent flier miles from expiring, since every purchase, even a 99 cent song at iTunes extends your miles expiration date.
Shoppers should check multiple airline shopping malls prior to buying since often one airline offers more miles with the same retailer than another airline. Offers also change from time to time, so if you can delay your purchase, you might want to wait until your favorite airline is offering a double miles deal or better.
If you have recently visited an online retailers website directly through their URL, it is recommended that you clear your cookies and then enter the site through the airlines links to make certain you will earn the desired bonus miles. www.cheapfares.com