Q: How can I earn miles by doing things other than flying?
A: There are many ways to earn miles on the ground. The airline programs have expanded the universe of mile-earning opportunities to include just about any transaction.
For example:
- You can earn one mile for every dollar charged on a credit card linked to a frequent flyer program. Besides airline flights, this is the most popular means of building mileage balances. Since you can charge just about anything, you can earn miles for just about any purchase.
- Several mortgage and investment companies have partnered with airline programs, allowing members to earn miles for home loans and stock market trades.
- Long distance providers also award miles for monthly phone charges.
Other opportunities include staying at hotels, using dining programs, renting a car, and shopping at many online and offline stores. Just be sure to provide your frequent flyer member number so the miles will be credited to your account.
To find out more ways to earn miles within a given program, or to see the airline programs in which a given transaction can earn you miles, visit SmarterTravel.com's Mile Finder.
