Tips and tricks for collecting air miles

With the price of plane tickets soaring, cash-strapped globetrotters might be looking for ways to travel for less. Air miles could be one option. 

Air miles are “loyalty points programmes aimed at frequent travellers”, explained The Times Money Mentor. 

In the same way that earning points on your supermarket shopping can help you get discounts later on, collecting air miles helps travellers get money off flights and other travel perks, the website said. 

These benefits might include access to exclusive lounges or upgrades. The “air-miles-obsessed” will do whatever it takes to “achieve the privileges that go with airline status”, said Radio 4 in Four, from the BBC.

However, you have to “know the system well” to see the real benefits of air miles, The Times Money Mentor said. So what are some tricks of the trade?

Airline loyalty schemes 

Travellers can earn air miles by joining an airline’s frequent flyer scheme. For example, British Airways runs the Avios scheme, while Virgin has its Flying Club. 

By joining a loyalty scheme, said The Points Guy, “every time you fly or stay in a chain hotel, you could be earning chunks of miles and points, which can be used towards future free flights or hotel stays”. 

Make use of reward credit cards 

Airlines have partnerships with credit card companies that can help you gain points towards air miles.

By using airline credit cards, said MoneySavingExpert, “you earn airline points doing your normal everyday spending and when you’ve collected enough, they can be converted into flights, though you still need to pay taxes and charges”. 

Different reward credit cards will help you gain points towards different travel schemes, explained The Money Edit. If you are determined to fly with a particular airline, “then it makes sense to focus on the credit cards that correlate with that scheme”, the financial website said. 

There are some potential drawbacks to consider when choosing a rewards credit card for air miles, like fees and limits on where the card will be accepted. 

For years, the only way to collect Avios points was with an American Express credit card, said MoneyWeek. “The issue with that has always been that many retailers don’t accept Amex,” the site said. “But now you can collect your Avios points with a Mastercard.” 

Article source: https://www.theweek.co.uk/business/personal-finance/959790/tips-and-tricks-for-collecting-air-miles