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Wise Mile Spending

You scrimped and saved for years to take vacations to various destinations.  Now, you’ve finally accumulated enough frequent flyer miles to redeem a cushy reward.  So, do you blow those precious miles on a free ticket or do you use them to upgrade to first class? Travel experts say the key to using award travel miles is to research your options before settling on a prize.   In other words, before you cash in your hard earned miles, consider where you’re going, how much a ticket there costs, and how challenging it will be to claim your reward. For example, if … Continue reading →

Loyalty Pays

When it comes to scoring travel deals it pays to be loyal. Reward programs offered by hotels, airlines and car rental agencies can yield amazing savings for frequent travelers.  Basically, the more you patronize a company the larger the award.  In some cases, you can accumulate bigger bonuses when companies partner with one another. For example, last week, Starwood Hotels and Delta Airlines announced that they’re planning to team up in order to give their top customers major money-saving perks.  The new “Crossover Rewards” program will be the travel industry’s only program that allows frequent travelers to earn VIP privileges … Continue reading →

Playing the Frequent Flyer Game

Years ago, I enrolled in multiple frequent flyer programs with the hope that I would accrue enough miles to earn free flights.  Nearly two decades later, I’ve scored roughly eight round-trip tickets at no charge thanks solely to miles earned by flying.  Not by staying at select hotels, purchasing meals at participating restaurants, or sending flowers to loved ones using a company affiliated with an airline’s loyalty program. I prefer to earn miles the old-fashioned way: by flying. There has been a growing trend among frequent flyer programs to reward travelers with miles if they patronize companies affiliated with an … Continue reading →

Are Airline Rewards Programs Worth Joining?

I have been a member of American Airlines Advantage club for more than a decade and recently tried to redeem my miles for a free flight. Easier said than done. I’m not saying that the rewards are not worth the effort, but I will say that I had no luck finding a flight home to Hawaii without redeeming more than 70,000 miles to do so. So is it worth being an AAdvantage member? Here’s what you need to know: You can redeem miles for free flights, but you can also get vacation packages, magazine subscriptions, hotel stays and various merchandise. … Continue reading →

Fly for Free on Delta

You got me Delta. After seeing your commercial for Delta SkyMiles for the 100,000th time in less than five days, I finally acquiesced and decide to get the lowdown on this much hyped frequent flyer program. Here’s what I discovered: You need to accrue 25,000 miles in order to get a free domestic travel award. However, miles can also be used toward upgrades, hotel stays, magazine subscriptions and merchandise, such as Montblanc pens, from Delta’s SkyMiles Marketplace. One of the bonuses of Delta’s frequent flyer program is that it is not too hard to accumulate miles, thanks in large part … Continue reading →

Pros and Cons of Being a JetBlue Fan

Membership has its privileges. At least that’s what the folks at JetBlue want you to think. The discount carrier is offering select holiday bonuses to individuals who are members of its TrueBlue frequent flyer rewards program. What’s more, JetBlue is on the brink of entering into a partnership with American Airlines, so additional changes, and possibly more perks, are on the horizon for members. Those unfamiliar with JetBlue’s TrueBlue program may be surprised to learn that it doesn’t function in the same capacity as traditional frequent flyer programs. Rather, after spending $834 on airfare at jetblue.com, you’ll qualify for the … Continue reading →

Advantages of Being a Frequent Flyer

I am a member of several frequent flyer programs. Some are better than others. Recently, I read an article by a leading travel expert, who is also a member of the multiple frequent flyer awards program club, though his top pick was different from mine. In this blog, I’ll share his and will follow up with a post about my favorite airline rewards program. Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards If you are a frequent flyer on discount carrier Southwest, then it pays to be a member of its Rapid Rewards program. The program is about as simplistic as they come: After … Continue reading →

Can You Really Fly for Free?

Silly me. Here I thought flying to from Hawaii to Wisconsin and back a couple of times a year would help me accrue enough miles for a free frequent flyer award ticket—-before I turned 80. What was I thinking? Most airlines now demand more miles before you qualify, and they expire quicker than ever — typically 18 months. So how does one pile up points if he or she doesn’t fly on a weekly basis? Here are some ideas that I uncovered in my quest to score a quasi-free ticket home: AIRLINE CREDIT CARDS Having an airline-affiliated credit card is … Continue reading →

Tips for Redeeming Frequent Flyer Miles

In my last rant… I mean blog… I mean rant… I shared my frustration regarding airlines’ frequent flyer programs. Specifically the hassles involved with trying to redeem miles for an award seat on a flight that’s bound for a destination you actually have a desire to visit. That blog didn’t offer much in the way of helpful tips so I hope to redeem myself in this one. In fairness to the airlines there are ways you can use your miles before they expire provided you don’t mind reading the fine print and following stringent rules that came about when carriers … Continue reading →

The Nightmare of Redeeming Frequent Flyer Miles

Well, it has been for me anyway. I rack up frequent flyer miles on two airlines (I’ve given up on the others) by eating at select restaurants, staying at designated hotels, and by flying back and forth from Chicago to Hawaii. All I ask in return is to be able to redeem my miles every once in a while for a seat (okay, seats for my entire family) from the airport of my choice to the destination of my preference. Why that is seemingly asking the impossible is beyond me. I’m no stranger to frequent flyer programs and by now … Continue reading →