Frequent flyer miles are awesome.
Use them correctly and youll save a ton of money on traveling.
But theyre not always easy to use, and getting started may seem more confusing than its worth.
Lets demystify airline miles and figure out how to use them.
What are airline miles?
you’ve got the option to then use these miles to buy more tickets.
Thats simple enough on the surface, but airline miles arent that cut and dried.
Some credit cards work on any airline, while others are for specific airlines only.
Both have advantages and disadvantages.
Either way, the good news is that you’re free to use both at the same time.
Every airline has their own frequent flyer program, usually billed as a loyalty program.
Credit card rewards with airline miles work a little differently.
But how much theyre worth depends on the credit card.
As with many rewards credit cards, youll often have to deal with annual fees.
If you fly a lot, its worth also considering a credit card that rewards you with bonus miles.
Picking the right one can be pretty tricky, though.
Often, credit cards provide double (or more) miles if you make specific types of purchases.
If you eat at a lot of restaurants, this helps you get more miles than other cards.
You have to book through the airline itself to get any extra miles or points the card might offer.
This isnt the case with airline frequent flyer programs though, just credit card miles.
First, youll head to the airline where you have a frequent flyer account.
If you dont have enough points to redeem for your whole trip, youll need to book separate flights.
This post originally ran in 2014 and was updated on January 5, 2021 to include more current information.
