You’ve been saving up those airline miles for a long time and you are ready to make all your effort and discipline pay off. Can you be sure you are getting a worthwhile deal when you cash those hard-won miles in?
In general, there are two kinds of miles collectors: those who want to cash in their miles in a practical way, using them to help pay for standard domestic flights, and those who want to use their miles to help fund a dream vacation to far-flung places.
The key for both, but especially for those planning their dream escape, is flexibility. How can you earn the most miles without restricting yourself to the prices and schedule of a single airline.
Airline alliances make it easier to earn frequent flier miles every time that you fly without having to rely on a single carrier. There are three major alliances, One World, Sky Team, and the Star Alliance. Member airlines of each alliance allow customers to earn frequent flier miles by flying on other airlines that are also alliance members. Almost always (though not 100% of the time), it is possible to earn the same amount of miles by flying on an allied airline as you would on the airline whose loyalty program you belong to.
It is best to sign up for the frequent flier program with the airline that you will use for your dream vacation. Which one should you choose? See the regional breakdown below. If your chosen airline has a no-fee, miles earning credit card, sign up for it. If there is a fee, you’ll have to decide if the benefits outweigh the yearly fee. If there is no card, or if the annual fees are unreasonably high, opt for an American Express or Discover card that earns at least one mile per dollar spent. If you plan to fly internationally, American Express cards are the safest option, as their miles are accepted by major international carriers.
The most common mistake miles-savers make is neglecting to keep track of their frequent flier account. Some fliers forget to input their number while booking or checking in, and others never check their statements to make sure that miles have been properly added to their account (mistakes are quite common).
Which airline should you choose to use its frequent flier miles? With 26 members, the Star Alliance is, by far, the most far-reaching alliance. Airlines operating under the Star umbrella include United, US Airways and Continental. Major industry players like Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, South African Airways and Air New Zealand are also part of the alliance, and give it a truly global reach.
That said, some of the largest airlines with the farthest reach are not part of the Star Alliance. In the end, your airline of choice depends on your destination.
Europe
There are plenty of choices for trans-Atlantic flights. European low-cost-carriers (such as Ryanair and Easyjet), which are even cheaper than their American peers, make it possible to fly between European cities easily. That means that it is not necessary to choose the national carrier of the country that you plan to visit. Air France and KLM are part of the Sky Team Alliance with Delta, the largest domestic carrier in the US. That means would-be Europe visitors can earn miles on domestic flights and apply them to their Air France or KLM tickets. Both Paris and Amsterdam (respective hubs of the two aforementioned carriers) are great entry points into Europe. Connecting flights on low-cost-carriers are cheap and easy to come by.
An alternative is Virgin Atlantic, which is currently not part of an alliance, but offers cheap flights to Europe (and beyond) and has a generous credit card that offers 1.5 miles per dollar spent, rather than the typical $1 per mile offered by other cards.
Africa
Virgin Atlantic also code shares with other airlines, making it possible to reach more remote destinations in Africa and the Middle East for reasonably low prices. It is a viable option, though Star Alliance airlines like South African Airlines and EgyptAir offer reasonably priced flights to the two most popular destinations on the continent.
Asia and Australia
Qantas Airlines, Australia’s national carrier, is part of the Oneworld Alliance, and is the best (sometimes the only) choice for people headed Down Under. As in Europe, low-cost-carriers are a part of the air travel landscape in East Asia. This means that traveling to entry points like Hong Kong or Singapore (on Cathay Pacific – Oneworld and Singapore Airlines – Star Alliance) will be the most expensive part of the trip. To make your miles go the farthest, use them on the trans-Pacific part of your journey, then rely on code-sharing flights or LCCs like AirAsia to get to your final destination.
Americas
Major gateways to the Caribbean and South America are Houston Intercontinental Airport and Miami International. These are major hubs for Continental Airlines and American Airlines, respectively. If you combine these airlines’ domestic frequent flier programs with their miles earning credit cards, they are the best bang for your buck if you want to travel anywhere in the Americas outside of the US.
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