Getting the Most Out of Frequent Flyer Programs
A few years back when Northwest Airlines decided to re-vamp their frequent flyer program it turned out to be a boon for me. I had a lot of Northwest miles racked in their World Perks frequent flyer program. There was a wonderful opportunity to go to China. When I called them to check out what I could do with my credits they told me that because of the new changes I had enough to get me to Hong Kong with one intermediate stop either in Manila or Tokyo. I grabbed the chance to stop in Tokyo for a few days and then fly on to Hong Kong. From there, along with friends, I took another airline to Beijing. The trip consisted of the stuff that dreams are made of because I bothered to ask the right questions, and it saved a lot of money.
Frequent flyer programs were originally started by some airlines as a promotion, and they have evolved into standard features on most airlines. They include partnerships with foreign carriers, hotels, car rental companies and some cruise ship lines. For the avid traveler these programs are well worth it. I have a friend that got her credit card through a special program where miles were credited to her frequent flyer account. This helped when she wanted to visit family members across the country, and take trips to conventions.
Check and see if the hotel accommodations share a contract with any airline frequent flyer programs. If they do, your visit could give you more miles in a program. Also, some hotel perks might include late checkout, free breakfast, and in some cases an upgrade to a better room. Many car rental firms also have special considerations on frequent flyer promotions that could get customers a larger car without having to wait in long lines. It is good to check and find out exactly what is covered in the program.
Most programs are pretty good. Some, of course, are better than others. The best thing to do is find out where an airline flies. Do they go where you want to go? Business travelers may have different criteria because sometimes a company will send an employee to a lot of different places. Even if an airline does not fly to your preferred destination they may have a partner who is part of their alliances that do. Maybe an airline has alliances with several partners and the frequent flyer miles might be interchangeable. Airlines do make the rules regarding a frequent flyer program and they can change it any time they want to. So, it is good to periodically get updated information. Here are some other tips to remember about frequent flyer programs.
• I always keep my cards with me because I never know when I might need them. It is always good to have them on hand when checking in. When the reservation was made the agent should have made inquiries about a frequent flyer number. Make sure that it shows up on your itinerary or ticket when you check in.
• Check out all the alliances in the program including hotels and car rentals before you leave home.
• Redeeming miles is usually very simple, but keep in mind that there are blackout dates where the frequent flyer program cannot be used or unusual restrictions apply.
• If you can afford it, and a ticket is not too expensive, opting to spend the money and adding miles to the account may be the better way to go.
