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[C199]Card With Air Miles

by Jodi Bennett, Jod

Most credit cards offer different type of reward bonuses for their consumers. Some credit card companies offer double points for certain purchases or air miles for frequent flyers. This is part of their marketing strategy in order to attract more clients to use their credit card services. For people who travel a lot because of their work or business needs, having a credit card that offers air miles as a frequent user or frequent flier reward bonus is a necessity. Aside from getting good deals in airline tickets, they can also save money from the air miles points they earn each time they use their credit cards to purchase airline tickets. The air miles that you earn as points each time you purchase an airline ticket can be converted into free flights. Credit cards offering air miles may have different point systems being used in the rewards system so it is important to know how the points are earned.

There are two types of cards offering air miles, the regular over-all credit card and the airline card. Both credit cards offer air miles as a reward bonus, the only difference is that with airline cards, you have to stick to one airline in order to gain air miles points. This is good if you travel frequently to one destination or the airline operates on multiple airports. But if your business travel requires you to visit other airports that the airline may not be operating in, you cannot use the airline card or claim any air miles points from purchases. For those who travel to different airports and may use different airlines for their flights, the regular credit card will do.

Some regular credit cards also offer air miles for purchases. Learn about this rewards promotion from your credit card company in order to know which purchases qualify for the air miles rewards points. These purchases may be regular shopping purchases, product purchases or restaurants.

Also check on the interest rate of the credit cards offering air miles. Some of these credit cards may require an annual fee and may have higher interest rates. Check if the credit card company allows balance transfers so that you have an option to transfer the balance to a card that offers a lower interest rate if needed.

It is also important to check the terms and conditions of the air miles rewards points. There are some credit cards companies that only bank the points for a certain period of time and that you need to redeem it right away; otherwise the air miles points may get forfeited. Also check which trips may qualify for the air miles. There are some trips or flights that may not qualify, like peak seasons on vacations or holidays. In redeeming the air miles points to be converted to free flights, it is important to know how many points should qualify for the redemption of this reward. This will allow you to plan ahead and gauge how many points more you need in order to convert your air miles to a free airline ticket.

If you are a frequent air traveller, and you aren't earning any air miles or loyalty points by doing so, you could be handing over money for air fares that could be put to better use. But with so many frequent flyer programmes out there to choose from, you might be so bewildered that you avoid the issue altogether. However, if you allow this state of affairs to continue, you are literally throwing your hard earned cash away. Here are some hints and tips to help you navigate the maze of options that present themselves when you decide to go down this road.

If you were to add up the combined value of all the unclaimed air miles in the world, dating back to the beginning of air travel, it would amount to a larger amount of money than exists in the world today. Now that would be quite a tab to pick up, so in order to prevent the airline industry imploding on a daily basis, air miles were fitted with expiry dates. So if you pick up air miles from a variety of different operators, you may not be able to cash any of them in before they expire. The trick is to consolidate your miles by sticking with the one airline, or pick a programme that includes your most frequently used airlines.

Every airline loyalty scheme has a different logic and set of circumstances that determine the way in which points are earned. These can, nonetheless, be divided into three distinct categories: per trip, mile for mile, and per currency unit.

Mile for mile is by far the most common arrangement, and the most flexible and transferable. However, they are often the poorest value, with five or more trips being required for each freebie, as opposed to the four or even three that are required by more rigid loyalty schemes.

If you are making the same journeys again and again, schemes that operate on a per trip basis can often represent the best value. Many airlines have sharing agreements with other airlines when it comes to their loyalty programmes, so it's worth finding out which airlines have these agreements, and whether those agreements are appropriate your own specific travel needs.

Per currency frequent flyer programmes are the most recent addition to the airline loyalty landscape. With these, you can earn points proportionate to your total outlay with operators participating in the scheme. These schemes are thought by many to represent the future of the airline loyalty scheme scene, as they are not subject to the time and usage restrictions of competing models.

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Both Jodi Bennett & Derek are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

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