There are so many ways through which you can earn miles and points – from flights to hotel stays to credit card purchases, these days it’s practically impossible to buy something and not earn miles for it (well, unless the only way to pay for it is with cash).
Earn Miles and Points for Purchases
The quickest way to earn more miles and points is by using a credit card that earns them for your everyday purchases. There are so many different credit cards out there and you’re bound to find one that works best for you.
From earning airline miles to hotel points to flexible and transferable points, credit card possibilities are endless. Many credit cards offer bonus categories – so you can earn multiple points per dollar spent on certain items, like gas or groceries, for example.
Also, when you open a new credit card there is often a sign-up bonus in points that you can earn after spending a certain amount within a certain timeframe. These bonuses can be as high as 200k+ points in some cases.
Earn Miles for Flights
You can obviously earn miles for your flights – some fare classes and certain Basic Economy tickets may be excluded for certain flights or airlines, but in most cases, you will earn miles for your flight.
The amount of miles you earn for a flight depends on either your fare or how far you fly. This factor depends on the frequent flyer program you’re crediting to and how they award miles.
Earn Miles for Hotel Stays
You can earn miles for most hotel stays – whether that’s because you book through the airline’s hotel portal or because you select earning miles instead of points as your preference in your hotel loyalty account.
Earn Miles for Car Rentals
You can earn miles for renting cars – you’ll probably earn more miles if you book the car rental through the airline’s travel portal because it will be based on how much you spend. If you book elsewhere, you’ll probably get a fixed amount of miles for every car rental. Many airline programs partner with many car rental companies so you can earn when you drive.
Earn Bonus Miles for Shopping
Lots of airlines have shopping portals and you can earn even more bonus miles just by clicking through the airline’s portal and getting redirected to your desired store. You can still earn miles with your credit card as usual, but you’ll also get a bonus by using the shopping portal with the airline.
Earn Bonus Miles for Dining
Airlines also have dining portals which allow you to earn additional bonus miles at participating restaurants by adding your credit card details to the airline’s dining portal and then paying for your meal using the same card. You can potentially earn lots of additional miles this way.
Earn Miles and Points Through Promotions
Airlines frequently offer promotions – whether it might be for flying a certain amount or for spending a certain amount, there is a lot of miles to be earned if there is a promotion involved. Always register for promotions even if you think your activity won’t qualify as there could always be a change in your plans which could trigger a bonus through a promotion.
Earn Miles for Subscriptions
You can even earn miles for subscribing to certain services – such as magazines, streaming services, memberships to certain clubs, and much more. Always check your frequent flyer program’s partnerships and have a look at what additional partners are available.
Earn Miles For Misc Items
Airlines offer a variety of misc ways to earn miles – from surveys to special offers, there are a variety of methods through which you can top up your mileage balance without having to do much. Sometimes a few clicks and typing can earn you thousands of miles!
Buy or Share Miles and Points
Lastly, remember that most airlines sell miles or allow you to transfer them between members if you’re short. Buying miles is usually not a great deal unless there is a promotion involved – in which case it may make sense. However, you should never buy miles without a specific use in mind as airlines frequently devalue their programs so you don’t want to buy a ton of miles and let them sit for a year, when they can be worth much less later on. Always buy and redeem quickly so you’re getting the best value from the program. Transferring miles between accounts is rarely worth it because of the high fees, it really only makes sense if it is a small amount of miles and the other member won’t use them any time soon.