4 Hacks to Help Earn Soaring Airline Miles—And Travel Points!

There are three primary airline alliances—Oneworld, SkyTeam, and Star Alliance—and many smaller ones.² The right alliance not only makes things simpler for travel and flight connections on partner airlines—including preferred seats and priority boarding—it can also magnify your rewards. This may include short flights in other countries that you might easily overlook. Not surprisingly, alliances aren’t all the same. Some include top-tier airlines with extensive routes in Europe, Asia or the Middle East, while others include smaller airlines with limited routes and schedules. If you use non-partner airlines, you may not receive as many miles.³ Bottom line: By reviewing the partner list within an alliance and matching it to where you expect to fly, it’s possible to concentrate bookings within an alliance—and build your points pool faster.

One of the most lucrative hacks I’ve found is the sign-up bonus for airline or travel credit cards—or an upgrade from a given card’s base level to increasingly more elite status levels. In some cases, this can net you 50,000 or more miles or travel points.⁴ If you’re looking to book a trip soon and a co-branded credit card can get you points on your desired airline and destination, the miles from that travel credit card may even generate a free ticket. However, it’s also important to look at factors such as the annual fee for a card, when the travel points are available, and what other benefits it offers. In addition, some cards offer two-for-one annual companion tickets that provide the equivalent of thousands of extra frequent flyer miles.⁵ Bottom line: The right travel credit card and bonuses can create a multiplier effect for your miles.

Most rewards programs offer hidden and overlooked ways to hack your way to extra travel points. For example, airline mile credit cards typically serve up two miles or points per dollar spent on a flight (versus the typical one mile per dollar).⁵ Another strategy for defraying the cost of travel is to use cards that accumulate hotel points, which can be redeemed for discounts and free nights.⁶ Still another highly effective hack I’ve used is to book vacations and cruises directly from the airline. Travelers sometimes overlook that many airlines operate their own travel agencies that package trips and tours. These may include exotic destinations like the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe, often at excellent prices. These bookings can net you additional bonus points/miles—along with other benefits. Bottom line: When booking a cruise or other vacation, it can be worth checking with your favorite airline to see if they offer a package deal—and bonus points/miles.

While double dipping may not be proper etiquette at social gatherings, it’s a smart way to load up on travel points. Frequent flyer programs and airline miles credit cards are often associated with shopping, dining, hotels, ride sharing services, and car rental providers.⁵ These and other programs can drop lots of miles into your account—even while they accumulate reward points of their own. Combined with a travel credit card, it’s often possible to feast on double or triple miles for a purchase. Bottom line: Incorporating partners into your purchases and using a co-branded travel points credit card to purchase tickets can help you soar.