Everyone knows air miles can translate to ticket upgrades and hotel room nights – but there’s much more to them than that, says Tiffany Sandrasageran
For many of us, frequent flyer programmes (FFP) have grown into an obsession of sorts, as we spend hours strategising how to rack up more points.
Previously this was dependent on how much a cardholder flew with an airline, but in recent years new ways to earn points have emerged, including airline branded credit cards. Online marketing engines also use air miles as a lure to get views and, in some cases, even dining at a restaurant or getting your dry cleaning done can benefit your FFP account.
The first modern FFP as we know it was created in 1979 by Texas International Airlines, which subsequently merged with Continental. Two years later it was followed by American Airlines’ AAdvantage programme, now the world’s biggest with 67 million members (BA’s Executive Club has seven million). In the decades since, such schemes have come a long way, offering members reward options that go way beyond free tickets and upgrades. With the growth of airline alliances Oneworld, Star Alliance and Skyteam, travellers can also earn and burn points across partner airlines.
Some have discovered that air miles can even put a roof over your head. In 2010, Jim Kennedy lost his job as a corporate development manager and his home was repossessed. He went on to live off his stockpile of around one million airline and hotel points, cleverly picking rooms that came with wifi (for sending CVs) and a microwave (so he could eat TV dinners). Combining this with the small amount of social benefit he received, he was able to survive official homelessness for months before landing a position as chief executive of an internet company.
Of course, you don’t have to be in such desperate circumstances to make use of your miles. Cashing them in can be frustrating at times, especially when you are faced with a string of conditions such as black-out dates, limited seat options and extra costs. But with a bit of patience and knowledge, the rewards can be great. Miles have evolved into a form of currency, allowing you to pay for a meal in a restaurant or shop online, both for everyday items and for more extravagant purchases such as exclusive heli-services or a limited-edition Louis Vuitton bag.
January saw United launch a new Mileage Plus online auction site, allowing members to spend their miles on once-in-a-lifetime experiences – a behind-the-scenes flight simulator experience can be had for a whopping 341,000 miles. Giving your miles up for charitable causes is also an option – Mileage Plus, Lufthansa’s Miles and More and Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles are among the programmes that have a list of charities to which members can make donations in the form of miles. Since 1996, United members have donated more than a billion miles.
You can even download songs using your miles. Finnair Plus members can use the Finnair Sony Music download store to buy tunes with their air miles, while Qantas’s Frequent Flyer scheme allows its members to download songs from the bandit.fm digital music store. Alternatively, you can use your miles to purchase an iTunes music voucher. Mileage Plus members who are musically gifted could take it a step further and redeem their miles on instruments, such as a Roland Supernatural Digital Piano for 290,000 miles.
With Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club, members can spend their miles with any organisation in the Virgin Group – for example, Virgin Experience, which organises 1,000 memorable activities, such as singing in a recording studio.
Wine can even be delivered to your doorstep with BA Executive Club and Qantas – 15,000 Avios gets you a trio of champagnes (Laurent-Perrier, Veuve Cliquot and Bollinger Special Cuvée), while 5,000 Qantas Frequent Flyer miles equates to a bottle of De Bortoli eight-year-old Tawny port.
Redeeming points on gifts is nice, but nothing is as good as getting cash back. From February, the Etihad Guest programme began allowing members to convert their miles into cash through the iPhone Points Pay app, making Etihad the first airline to allow members to transform their miles into money. Members can use the app to exchange their miles for cash directly on to their Points Pay Visa prepaid card either in-store or online. Now there’s an incentive to make the most of your miles.
- Click here for a handy table detailing what some of the main schemes offer…
Tips and tricks
- Monitor your miles through your phone: With an app on your phone – such as Flyertalk, Tripster or Mileblaster – you can access your accounts at any time. If you have a variety of loyalty programmes to track, you could use Awardwallet’s app to view all your frequent flyer miles, hotel and credit card point balances.
- Upgrade with miles: The miles required to upgrade from, say, premium economy to business are a fraction of the cost of a full business ticket. At quieter times of the year, many airlines offer discounted miles promotions.
- Bundle air miles and cash: By combining them, you can ultimately extend the longevity of your miles and redeem rewards at a faster pace.
- Redeem miles online: Many airlines offer discounts on flight ticket redemption rates when you redeem your flights or rewards online.
