Should You Take Advantage of Frequent Flyer Programs?

Should You Take Advantage of Frequent Flyer Programs?

There are many ways that travelers can save money, and many of them go unnoticed. One of these is the many frequent flyer programs that are offered by many airlines, and you don't have to be a jet-setter to take advantage of them. Since its inception in 1972 by United Airlines it has grown to a huge industry, with many people who aren't really frequent flyers taking advantage of them.

The program was started as an incentive for travelers to fly a particular airline, and was born in a time when airlines were regulated. There wasn't a great deal of incentive at the time to fly a particular airline apart from when a flight was available. For example, if you had to be in New York by noon on Monday, you took any airline that would get you there at that time. The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 kicked off the change in how we would look to purchase our airline tickets, as price became a more important factor. But airlines found that frequent flyer programs were still a selling point, and business travelers loved them because they could fly on company expense but use the frequent flyer miles as a tax-free perk.

But how can the typical vacation traveler take advantage of frequent flyer miles offered by their favorite airline? When choosing who to use, consider the following:

1. Programs offer different advantages, so determine what program fits your needs best. If you are just an occasional traveler, check the program's mileage expiration. Many of the larger airlines have no expiration date while discount carriers will often cancel your miles after a period of time, perhaps one year of non-use.

2. Consider links to credit cards. Almost all airlines have a relationship with banks or credit card companies that when you use them you build up your frequent flyer miles. How you will use a particular card should factor into which card you choose.

Some of the major carriers will allow you to book hotels and buy groceries on the card, thus building miles even when you're not flying.

Once you've started accumulating some points, here are a few things to think about when you are looking to redeem them:

1. Book your longer flights with points. The comparative savings you will realize on a longer flight will give you more value than the shorter flight for the same number of points.

2. Consider using points to upgrade. Especially on the longer flights, you can often get better value by upgrading your flight to business class or first class and pay a reduced fare for a base ticket.

3. Keep track of your points. If they are about to expire, plan your trips wisely to take advantage rather than risk losing them.

In the article we talk about intermittent fasting. Read more about this by clicking here. Also, intense aerobic training has also been talked about recently as something that can help everyone's health. Rich Carroll is a writer and avid health advocate now living in Chicago.