4 Ways to Earn Extra Miles for Holiday 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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It’s that time of the year when, in the run-up to Thanksgiving and Christmas, airlines traditionally offer bonus points for shopping at their online mileage malls.

Here are four such offers, featuring similar bonuses, all in effect through November 20.

Alaska

Through November 20, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members can earn up to 3,000 bonus miles when shopping at the Mileage Plan Shopping mall, as follows:

500 bonus miles for spending $150
1,500 bonus miles for spending $500
3,000 bonus miles for spending $1,000

American

Through November 20, American AAdvantage members can earn up to 5,000 bonus miles when shopping at the AAdvantage eShopping mall, as follows:

500 bonus miles for spending $150
2,500 bonus miles for spending $750
5,000 bonus miles for spending $1,500

Southwest

Through November 20, Southwest Rapid Rewards members can earn up to 3,000 bonus points when shopping at the Rapid Rewards Shopping mall, as follows:

500 bonus points for spending $150
1,000 bonus points for spending $500
3,000 bonus points for spending $1,000

United

Through November 20, United MileagePlus members can earn up to 5,000 bonus miles when shopping at the MileagePlus Shopping mall, as follows:

500 bonus miles for spending $150
2,500 bonus miles for spending $750
5,000 bonus miles for spending $1,500

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 Thanksgiving, 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

You are earning miles for online shopping, 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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