How to maximise airline mileage
• Check for partnerships that airlines have with retail and dining outlets. Many offer preferable purchase-to-miles ratio.
• Apply for credit cards – some of the perks are worth the while. Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Master Card for instance grants you 40,000 bonus miles upon spending US$3,000 or more within the first 90 days of getting the card, on top of the basic two miles for every dollar spent.
• Subscribe to loyalty programmes’ social media pages on platforms such as Facebook or Twitter. Many offer periodic competitions for a chance to win miles. Cathay Pacific recently held a, "Variety is the Spice of Life" contest on Facebook, awarding 1,000 Asia Miles to the first "fan" able to guess correctly the central theme of a group of three abstract pictures.
• Learn about possible partnerships between airlines and hotels. Garuda Indonesia has just partnered with Hilton Worldwide to allow members of both GarudaMiles and Hilton HHonors to earn points and miles whenever they stay at any Hilton Worldwide property.
• Some airlines offer bonus miles for passengers flying on new routes. American Airlines launched services between its base in Dallas/Fort Worth to Hong Kong and Shanghai on June 24 and, until December 6, is offering passengers flying on these new routes 5,000 to 20,000 bonus miles, depending on the ticket type.
• Consider getting a subsidiary credit card if it offers you bonus miles. In Hong Kong, Bank of China has a product called BOC Singapore Airlines Visa Platinum Card, which offers 2,500 bonus Kris Flyer miles for every successful application of an additional card (up to nine for every main card). The cards also come with a perpetual waiver of annual fees. The same hold true for the British Airways American Express card that awards the principal cardholder an extra 500 Avios for every successful supplementary card.
How to maximise hotel points
• Some loyalty programmes offer you bonus points for bringing in new members. Marriott Rewards, for example, grants you up to 50,000 points as part of its "Refer a Friend" scheme if your introduction results in paid stays.
• Some hotels offer apps with which you can book your next stay and earn bonus miles along the way. Starwood Preferred Guest, for example, awards users 500 bonus Starpoints for bookings made through the SPG App for stays at participating hotels in Australia, New Caledonia and Fiji.
• Loyalty does pay and sticking with the same hotel group allows you to rise up the tier ladder more quickly. A higher premium status means you can rack up more points for every stay. For instance, Best Western’s Diamond Elite membership comes up with 30 per cent bonus points per stay, while Gold Elite and Platinum Elite enjoy an additional 10 per cent and 15 per cent respectively.
• Similar to air miles, applying for selected credit cards could provide you with hotel points as part of the welcome package. The Choice Privileges Visa Signature Card for instance awards you with 8,000 points (after a valid first purchase), available for use at any Choice Hotels International property. Cardholders can also earn a further 24,000 bonus points whenever they use the card to pay for a stay at any Choice Hotel – that’s enough for up to four free nights!
• Check on your favoured hotel’s website for any ongoing offers. Some hotels give bonus points to customers who stay at selected properties within their portfolio. Club Carlson currently has a promotion that awards customers that stay at selected Radisson hotels with 10,000 bonus points.
Sponsored by Oasia Hotel Singapore
