40% of Flyers Never Use Their Miles

A nationally recognized reporter, writer, and consumer advocate, Ed Perkins focuses on how travelers can find the best deals and avoid scams.

He is the author of "Online Travel" (2000) and "Business Travel: When It's Your Money" (2004), the first step-by-step guide specifically written for small business and self-employed professional travelers. He was also the co-author of the annual "Best Travel Deals" series from Consumers Union.

Perkins' advice for business travelers is featured on MyBusinessTravel.com, a website devoted to helping small business and self-employed professional travelers find the best value for their travel dollars.

Perkins was founding editor of Consumer Reports Travel Letter, one of the country's most influential travel publications, from which he retired in 1998. He has also written for Business Traveller magazine (London).

Perkins' travel expertise has led to frequent television appearances, including ABC's "Good Morning America" and "This Week with David Brinkley," "The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather," CNN, and numerous local TV and radio stations.

Before editing Consumer Reports Travel Letter, Perkins spent 25 years in travel research and consulting with assignments ranging from national tourism development strategies to the design of computer-based tourism models.

Born in Evanston, Illinois, Perkins lives in Ashland, Oregon with his wife.

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About 40 percent of people who accrue frequent-flyer credit never redeem it. According to the results of a study conducted in the U.K. by Collinson Latitude, “rewards seem to be beyond reach or are simply not attractive enough.”

I suspect that most folks covering this story conclude by offering some tips about how to avoid losing miles. My take is different: If you find you aren’t using your miles, stop accumulating them and find some other reward on your credit card.

Chances are, many—maybe most—consumers who don’t use miles don’t travel enough to accumulate meaningful balances. Instead, they get their miles mainly from their credit cards. If that’s your situation, you’re really better off getting a credit card that gives you one-and-a-half to two miles for every dollar you charge. Especially if you’re looking mainly for domestic travel in economy class, with all the problems scoring award seats, you’ll likely get more bang for your buck by applying the cash reward toward a ticket.

So unless you fly a lot, stick with a good rewards card and let the travel credit go.

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