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Don’t let your points expire! It’s a great idea to get and hoard as many miles as possible, but make sure to know the rules of your particular program as they can all go to waste if you don’t meet minimum activity requirements…
As I am sure everyone knows, stick to one airline to get miles and sign up for a miles credit card from the airline (if possible)to rack up the miles. I had to learn this the hard way when I was the travel coordinator (with no experience) for a busy CEO. He had 6 airlines he traveled with and not enough miles to do anything with. After I found FlyerTalk I learned the ropes and within one year I got him to Platinum on AA.
Approximately every 3 years my husband and I use our award for annual Mexico trip.
Have a great day!
Take advantage of websites that are middle men for purchases (such as MyPoints) and web sites that issue surveys (Harris Polls), as points earned in those programs can be converted to miles or hotel points.
I have a friend that put all of his work related purchases on his personal credit card that earned points. He would then just request the reimbursement, and pay it off right away. He also pays all the bills through the same card. I have known him to put the entire food bill on his card (and take our cash, of course) just to get points. He and his wife travel from the east coast home to Texas at least once for free every year.
Promotions have many time periods for points to expire.Log the miles you earn by experation date as well as airline. Don’t lose them because you lost track of them!
If you find you are getting “spun” by the hotels and airlines when you try to use your points/miles, write directly (and nicely) to the CEO of the company (registered mail), with all the facts and details, enclosing all relevant documents. We had hundreds of thousands of points and miles but couldn’t use them for one reason or another for years… UNTIL I did that. We were contacted Immediately and got to have the honeymoon of our DREAMS, and the hotels and airlines treated us like GOLD! I have used this technique effectively with CEOs from several major corporations (inc. Marriott and Delta) to resolve a variety of issues. As my dad said “You don’t ask, you don’t get”! But ask Nice!
I tell my husband to buy lots of stuff on our rewards card and then I use the rewards for trips!