Taking off Travel blog

Here is what you need to know about frequent flyer programs.

This continues our short series on Frequent Flyer Programs. Read Part 1 here.

Check Out The Fine Print

While many people skate over the fine print, this is a mistake when selecting a frequent flyer program. This will have details of how miles are calculated, what restrictions there are on travel, when you can’t use miles (known as blackout dates), fees, taxes (you didn’t think you would escape those, did you?) and the policy on flight cancellations. These issues will determine whether a particular program really suits your travel habits.

Other Benefits Of FFPs

When you have racked up thousands of miles, you may get other benefits, in addition to discounted travel. For example, you might get preferential treatment for check-in or boarding, access to a special lounge, flight upgrades, additional free tickets or a reduction in blackout dates. Whether you are just starting out with a frequent flyer program or already have your airline’s gold card, redeeming the miles is simple. All you need to do is have your frequent flyer number ready when booking. Check to make sure that you are really getting value for money. The fine print may tell you what those miles are worth in cash, so make sure you wouldn’t be better off just paying for your ticket.

Hot Tip: Double Dipping

Double dipping means getting double the reward for your spend. Since many airlines and hotels have their own co-branded credit cards, using these cards to book travel can result in earning miles for both the travel and the spending. You can also do this with certain charge cards, credit cards and debit cards. Check out your credit card program to see if this is possible and stack up those miles even faster.

Frequent Flyer Program Resources

OK, so now you have the scoop on frequent flyer programs, how do you go about choosing one? There are plenty of resources online to help you. FrequentFlier.com has a list of programs to get you started, as does WebFlyer. InsideFlyer gives you news on frequent flyer programs and FlyerTalk has forums on miles and points and other aspects of travel. These resources should be enough to get you started. And if, like many people, you sign up for more than one frequent flyer program, consider signing up with Points.com to manage your miles and other rewards.

Got any tips on frequent flyer programs? Please share them in the comments section.

(Photo:tomboy)

Tags: air miles, frequent flyer programs, travel, Travel Tips

This entry was posted on Friday, December 26th, 2008 at 4:47 am and is filed under Travel Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.