Travel time is fast approaching and soon people will be making vacation plans. Everyone knows that by booking your flight early you can save a lot of money. However, joining frequent flyer programs is also another excellent way of saving money. Although with so many airlines and programs available how can you hope to find one that is perfect for your needs? Consider just a few of the frequent flyer program options open to you below. Then read the tips offered to help you choose a program that will meet your specific needs.
American Airlines - AAdvantage
This is the frequent flyer program that started all others. The program began about 25 years ago and is one of the largest frequent flyer programs today. Miles are earned on each eligible flight on American Airlines, American Connection, American Eagle or any of their 21 airline partners. An additional 25% of mileage is gained for business class flights and 50% for first class flights. In addition, mileage points can be gained by staying at hotel partners and using rental car companies in the program.
Delta Airlines - SkyMiles
For the Delta SkyMiles program you need to continue to earn miles through an accepted method of their program at least once every two years or you lose all points that you have accrued. You can earn miles by traveling on Delta flights or any of their airline partners. You can earn mileage by using their credit card from American Express. They also have a list of hotels, car rental agencies and magazine subscriptions that can help you earn mileage points.
Southwest Airlines - Rapid Rewards
This is one of the more unique programs available to frequent flyers. While offering you the opportunity to accrue mileage points through their preferred partners, you can also get mileage credit through their Visa card, car rentals and hotel reservations. Southwest Airlines also offers a free roundtrip Standard Award, valid to more than 64 destinations, when you fly eight roundtrips within 24 consecutive months.
Jet Blue Airlines - TrueBlue
Rather than accruing points, Jet Blue's program has you earn points determined by the length of the flight you take on their airline. A short flight is worth two points, a medium flight is four points and a long flight is six points. In addition, by being a member of their TrueBlue program you can get advanced notice of special promotions and fare sales.
Continental Airlines - OnePass
Continental Airlines offers their OnePass program which helps you claim miles for either reward travel or VIP packages through their online auction. For every flight you earn a minimum of 500 OnePass miles. You can also gain miles by booking with over 70 of their partners consisting of airlines, hotels, rental car agencies, cruise lines and shopping partners.
Frontier Airlines - Early Rewards
With Frontier Airlines Early Rewards program you can become an elite member with just 15,000 miles which is lower than most airlines. As a smaller airline, it can be more difficult to gain mileage points. However, Frontier Airlines allows you to gain mileage points by flying with them, shopping with one of their registered partners, using their MasterCard or simply by buying and transferring mileage points.
Choosing The Program That Is Right For You
When it comes to frequent flyer programs there are a lot more choices available to you than the few listed above. So how can you determine which is the best program for your needs? The most important factor to consider is how easy the program allows you to gain miles and how easy their claim process is. There are other factors you should consider before choosing a program as well.
First you need to consider the airlines that fly into your area. Then consider which cities those airlines fly to. This can often limit your program choices to two or three airlines. You don't want to select an airline program only to find out you can't fly to the destinations you really want.
Next it is important that you consider the health of the airline. With many airlines going bankrupt today this is a very important part of your selection process. Choosing a stable airline ensures you get to keep your points. Otherwise you can lose them all when an airline goes under.
Finally consider how you are going to use your mileage points. If you plan to save up and take a trip to Europe then you should go with a program that allows you to redeem points for that trip.
As with all programs it is important that you carefully check the details before joining. Read the small print and take the time to consider your options. This way you can be sure that you are joining the right frequent flyer program for your needs and not getting stuck in a program with worthless points.
