We both have learned how to maximize the value we get
out of airline miles, hotel points, and bank points and rewards.
Lately I've found it difficult to get much more than 1 cent per point of value
out of airline miles for domestic air travel.
To get the most
out of airline miles, you really need to pay attention to things like what airline partners you can use with which miles, where to search for award seats, and how many miles is a «good» price to pay.
Not exact matches
In its survey, WalletHub also singled
out the Lufthansa credit card as the best for
airline rewards, due to its signing bonus
of 35,000
miles if you spend at least $ 1,000 in the first three months — a value
of about $ 780 in airfare, according to WalletHub's calculations — as well as the lack
of foreign transaction fees.
Out of these, four allow you to collect
airline miles, which you can redeem for airfare and other
airline rewards, three are cobranded hotel cards that offer hotel nights in exchange for your points and 21 are general rewards cards that offer a wide variety
of redemption options.
However, if you transfer those points to
airline miles, you can get more than $ 700
out of the introductory bonus.
Staggering credit card problems are hard to get
out of, and usually the trap was baited with
airline miles or cash back.
Even though you might have the down payment available in your checking account, you decide to whip
out your credit card because it just seems easier, or maybe you have visions
of thousands
of airline miles dancing in your head.
If a person with
airline miles chooses to do so, they can stretch
out the value
of a single
mile, beyond the estimates we based our above analysis on.
Additionally, the first class and business class experiences on partner
airlines (with low fuel surcharges) make United MileagePlus
miles some
of the best redemptions
out there.
Airlines and hotels often send
out emails to their loyalty program members promoting sales on
miles and points that offer 40 %, 50 %, and even 100 % bonus
miles on top
of the usual amount.
You didn't read this blog back when the Bank
of America Alaska
Airlines debit card was still available, so you missed
out on hundreds
of thousands
of free or cheap
airline miles.
The downside
of using the Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card over a Southwest branded one is that you will miss
out on all the
airline perks the latter comes with — including things like free checked baggage, and elite qualifying
miles.
Another downside
of using the
miles earned through this card to travel with other
airlines, is that you will be missing
out on interesting perks and loyalty benefits.
If you can answer YES to one
of them, then
airline miles are a good choice for getting the most
out of your card spending.
Yes, there are «no hassle» cards
out there that promise to avoid the rules and traps
of airline miles, but you'll often pay more in points if you use those cards, especially if you're flying on expensive international flights.
You'll get the most
out of your
miles on international flights, particularly in premium cabins, on American
Airlines or one
of their partners.
The best credit card to earn
airline miles will depend on your spending and travel habits combined with what you want to get
out of the card.
As a general rule, hotel points are considerably less valuable than
airline miles or transferrable points, so don't expect to get two cents or more in value
out of every redemption.
When using the
miles they earn, cardholders can check
out flights with a variety
of partners, including Aeromexico, China Eastern, Qantas, Japan
Airlines, Air France / KLM / Flying Blue, Malaysia
Airlines, Etihad, Jet Privilege and EVA Air.
The reward structure seems generous when compared to other
airline credit cards on the market, but the tight off - peak travel windows designated by Spirit
Airlines might make it tough to get the most
out of the
miles you accrue on it.
How to earn thousands
of airline miles while doing everyday things like eating
out and shopping online.
However, if you ever combine this card with another UR credit card, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve ®, you may have the ability to transfer your points to
airline miles or hotel points, getting much more value
out of them.
However, if you transfer those points to
airline miles, you can get more than $ 700
out of the introductory bonus.
Of course, there are a variety of airline mile cards out there, but be careful as many of them have restrictive rules which make actually redeeming the miles difficul
Of course, there are a variety
of airline mile cards out there, but be careful as many of them have restrictive rules which make actually redeeming the miles difficul
of airline mile cards
out there, but be careful as many
of them have restrictive rules which make actually redeeming the miles difficul
of them have restrictive rules which make actually redeeming the
miles difficult.
While there are dozens
of co-branded business rewards cards for those dedicated to specific
airlines or hotel chains, unaligned businesses can often get the most value
out of a travel rewards card with flexible points or
miles that can be used free
of brand restrictions.
(This means that one Membership Rewards point can be transferred to one
mile with
airlines like Delta, Air Canada, or Hawaiian — although some
airlines, like JetBlue or British Airways, require 250 points to receive 200
miles, which works
out to a transfer ratio
of 1.25:1.)
Flying on the
airline or its partners, booking award flights, shopping at the AAdvantage eShopping mall, eating
out with AAdvantage Dining and,
of course, using any co-branded American
Airlines credit card will keep your
miles from expiring.
All kinds
of other transactions — such as setting up an investment account with a specific company, taking
out a mortgage from a specific mortgage lender, signing up for a newspaper subscription or getting satellite television — may also qualify you for extra
airline miles when you follow the
airline's instructions.
See the legend underneath the table to find
out which types
of miles each
airline offers.
Click on an
airline below to find
out the exact amount
of miles you will earn for your flight.
Read on to find
out some
of the top ways to use your American
Airlines AAdvantage
miles for maximum value.
So you're savvy enough to collect points and
miles from
airlines and hotels, but did you realize that you might be missing
out on other perks by not signing up for some
of these lesser known loyalty programs.
As a general rule, hotel points are considerably less valuable than
airline miles or transferrable points, so don't expect to get two cents or more in value
out of every redemption.
If you buy the minimum
of 11,000
miles to receive bonus
miles, your total cost (including taxes and the processing fee charged by American
Airlines) will come
out to $ 343.95.
If you're someone who's comfortable travelling economy class, you'll need to shell
out only 40,000 MileagePlus
miles for booking a round - trip flight to and from Northern part
of South America on United or on any
of United's Star Alliance partner
airlines such as Copa Airlin
airlines such as Copa
AirlinesAirlines etc..
You will receive a bonus
of 5,000
miles for every 20,000 SPG points you transfer
out to an
airline.
Out of these four
airlines, Alaska is the only one who will let you keep your status the entire year, regardless
of the
miles you fly with them.
That's almost the same number
of British Airways
miles you'd need to shell
out for a domestic United
Airlines flight!
Out of these, four allow you to collect
airline miles, which you can redeem for airfare and other
airline rewards, three are cobranded hotel cards that offer hotel nights in exchange for your points and 21 are general rewards cards that offer a wide variety
of redemption options.
When an
airline sells
out of its saver inventory
of award tickets on any flight, the only option to book with
miles is to pay the higher standard or anytime price — which often can be tens
of thousands
of miles more.
Tips for booking holiday flights using
airline miles — The good news is you can easily fly home for the holidays without big
out -
of - pocket costs if you put your
airline miles and credit card points to good use.
While these changes to the Singapore
Airlines KrisFlyer program are significant, they appear to balance
out, especially if you have the means to earn a lot
of KrisFlyer
miles.
Singapore, the newest addition to the Ultimate Rewards family, has one
of the absolute best first class cabins
out there, and you can only get it with Singapore
miles not through partner
airlines.
Alaska
Airlines miles are some
of the most valuable
airline miles out there.
Also be sure to check
out my post on two unrelated Hilton promotions offering bonus
airline miles for stays
of 2 or more nights.
Holly Johnson, personal finance expert Favorite
airline card: Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard «While all three cards on the list are strong options for someone trying to rack up
airline miles, the Citi AAdvantage card pulls
out ahead in terms
of value.»
While the
miles you earn with your Hawaiian
Airlines World Elite MasterCard are fun to use for travel, don't forget to check
out some
of the security features
of the card.
But by sticking with the same card long - term, millions
of people could be missing
out on features
of newer cards, such as lower interest rates and more generous rewards including travel perks,
airline miles and cash back.
In comparison, if you assume
airline miles are worth 1.5 cents per
mile (only if you would get value
out of the partners available) then 2X on an Amex PRG is more like 3 cents per
mile.