Travelers who fly frequently and value cheap fares, whether cheap airplane tickets or discount travel packages, reap the benefit of accumulating frequent flier miles that depending on the airline can be redeemed for most types of travel as well as many types of merchandise.
The following is a recap of mileage earning options, in addition to simply flying with the airline whose frequent flier program you belong to:
Identify and fly on airlines partnered with your frequent flier program. American has over 20 partner airlines in its AAdvantage program. United has 35 in its Mileage Plus program. Delta has 22 in SkyMiles. Even Alaska Airline, the nations eighth biggest airline, has 15 airline partners.
Hotel stays are another great way to earn airline miles. Even though most major hotel chains run their own frequent visitor programs, many also participate in airline programs. 500 miles per qualifying stay is the usually rate, though some vary with the dollars spent during a stay.
Car rentals from major rental car companies often earn airline miles which tend to average 50 miles for every day a car is rented.
Major airline frequent flier programs have one or multiple company branded credit cards tied into their mileage programs where customers earn miles for expenditures. Cardholders usually earn one airline mile for every dollar spent.
Most of the major airline and hotel frequent traveler programs now offer mileage malls where miles can be earned from purchases made through online retailers participating in these malls.
Given the frustration many frequent flier members have experienced trying to redeem their miles, most airlines have come out with unrestricted travel awards, not limited by availability or blackout dates, for double the normal required number of miles.
For real frequent fliers airline miles true value is often not the ability to purchase future airline tickets for free, rather it is redeeming them for upgrades, priority boarding, expedited luggage handling and enhanced customer service. www.cheapfares.com