3 Ways to Earn Bonus Miles for Year-End Shopping

After 20 years working in the travel industry, and 15 years writing about it, Tim Winship knows a thing or two about travel. Follow him on Twitter @twinship.

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All shopped out?

If not, and if there are still items on your wish list that can be purchased online, three of the largest airline e-shopping portals are offering bonus miles for purchases at any of their hundreds of participating online merchants.

Alaska Airlines

Between December 26 and January 8, Mileage Plan members can earn up to 1,000 bonus miles when shopping at the Mileage Plan Shopping mall, as follows:

500 bonus miles after spending $150
1,000 bonus miles after spending $300

American

Between December 26 and January 3, AAdvantage members can earn up to 1,000 bonus miles when shopping at the AAdvantage eShopping mall, as follows:

500 bonus miles after spending $150
1,000 bonus miles after spending $300

United

Between December 26 and January 6, MileagePlus members can earn up to 1,000 bonus miles when shopping at the MileagePlus Shopping mall, as follows:

500 bonus miles after spending $150
1,000 bonus miles after spending $300

So, with the exception of a slight variation in the end dates, the promotions are identical. Pick the program you’re most in need of miles in, or take advantage of all three offers.

As always, when shopping via an airline’s mileage mall, you must first stop at the mall’s landing page to log in with your loyalty-program credentials. Thereafter, purchases at any of the mall’s hundreds of participating merchants can be tracked and credited to your account.

Deal or No Deal

If you’re not earning miles by shopping at the airlines’ mileage malls, you should be.

There’s no reason not to; the prices are the same. And by making your purchases through the airline’s portal, you’ll be earning miles—typically between one and 10 miles per $1 spent—that you don’t get when dealing direct through the merchant.

Making a good deal even better are the periodic bonus promotions, like these, that amp up the mileage-earning. Those promotions generally proliferate around Christmas and other heavy buying periods, although recently the airlines have used back-to-school shopping and other recurring events as the hook to hang their promotions on.

So, if you’re going to be shopping online anyway, it always makes sense to do so through an airline’s mileage portal, to earn miles for the purchases. And when there are extra bonuses in place, it makes even more sense.

Reader Reality Check

If you’re not shopping through an airline’s mileage mall, why aren’t you?

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After 20 years working in the travel industry, and 15 years writing about it, Tim Winship knows a thing or two about travel. Follow him on Twitter @twinship.

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