5 Ways to Rack up Frequent Flyer Miles -- Without Buying a Ticket
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Photo credit: Luis Argerich/Creative Commons
It's hard to be a frugal mama while married to an Italian guy. Especially when it comes to travel. Going back to see the in-laws is a required pilgrimage every one to two years, and while Italy is certainly no second-rate destination, my measly 401K sometimes wishes that summer vacations were more the minivan-and-cooler variety.
That's why I think frequent-flyer programs are the best travel invention in the past 30 years. I mean, who doesn't love a free ticket? Even though nothing will rack up points as fast as a round-trip to Rome, there are plenty of wallet-friendly ways to pile up miles.
Here are my favorite tricks:
1. Will fly for food
Check to see if your grocery store has a rewards program and bank points just for buying stuff you would anyway. Safeway and United Airline's Grocery Miles program ended last year, but Continental and ShopRite have a partnership; you can earn 1 mile for every 2 dollars you spend.
2. Know your numbers
Every time you rent a car or stay in a hotel, check to see if you can earn miles with an airline. Keep a list in your wallet of all of your frequent flyer numbers so you can register right away. It's much harder trying to collect miles after you've completed your trip.
3. Check in frequently
Check your main frequent flyer account's website for partnership programs. Stop in on a regular basis because programs change, and some benefits only work if you are a new customer. For example, you can earn 1,500 to 2,000 miles with Delta, American or United when you become a new Netflix member, or up to 6,500 miles with American when you buy a Dell laptop.
4. Give yourself some credit
Use a miles-earning credit card, all the time. However, be careful of cards that charge annual fees or high interest rates. By most estimates, one mile equals about one cent, so some cards may not be worth it. Check out nerdwallet.com for ratings and comparisons on a bunch of airline mile cards.
5. Go the extra mile
Don't chuck your airline's miles program newsletter. You can often find easy opportunities to earn miles, such 500 miles for signing up for e-mail alerts or for joining a hotel rewards program. For news about miles-earning opportunities on all the airlines, sign up for the FrequentFlier.com newsletter.
Yes, flying is expensive. But if you've got to do it, you might as well chip away at earning that free ticket -- just by living your life.
How do you collect miles without buying tickets? Have you earned a free ride?
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