Aligning Yourself with an Airline

• The best way to accumulate frequent flyer miles is to align yourself with an airline. This should be an airline with which you wish to frequently travel. You will designate that your miles go into your personal account. If you do not already have a frequent flyer account, all airlines will offer you the opportunity to open an account when you fly with them. Once you get your frequent flyer card, keep it in a safe place for future use.
  
  

Find a Credit Card Where Purchases are Rewarded with Miles

• Many credit cards now offer the opportunity for you to earn points based on the amount of your charges. Finding a credit card that offers miles is key to accumulating miles in addition to the miles that you will receive for air travel. Credit card companies are usually very generous with awarding points, so it will be easy to get miles in your account. You can really rack up miles by transferring a balance from another credit card.
  
  

Redeeming Frequent Flyer Miles

• Have your frequent flyer number with you and contact the airline frequent flyer customer service to redeem your miles. Although some airlines let you book frequent flyer travel online, the majority still have travelers call in to book with a live person. Many airlines let you book 365 days in advance with your miles. As a result, many people call at exactly that time to book travel with frequent flyer miles. Know that every airline has blackout dates and limited seats for frequent flyer travelers, so be ready to be very flexible with the days that you want to travel. Be prepared to pay. It is helpful to know that most airlines charge a fee now for frequent flyer mileage redemption, and in some cases, you will have to pay taxes. Each airline is different, so carefully read the literature that you are provided with when you sign up for your account. Frequent flyer miles can also be redeemed for upgrades into first or business class during a flight where you already have purchased a ticket, depending on the class of airfare that you purchased. This is a great way to fly first class without the high cost.
  Finally, you can sometimes redeem frequent flyer miles for retail gift certificates. This is a way to use the miles that you have accumulated if you are unable to travel.