We all want to travel more without draining our wallets, right? That’s where frequent flyer miles come in. By earning miles through airline loyalty programs and their partner networks, you can score free flights and even enjoy extras like lounge access, free checked bags, and priority boarding.
Sounds good? It gets better.
You don’t have to be a constant jet-setter to build up miles. Sure, flying helps, but everyday spending can boost your stash, too—especially if you’re using the right credit card. With a solid strategy, you can turn routine purchases into future trips.
If you’ve never dived into the world of frequent flyer programs, you might be wondering if they’re really worth it. The short answer? Absolutely.
This guide lays out how you can earn, redeem, and make the most of travel credit cards to get free flights faster.
Racking Up Frequent Flyer Miles: The Smart Way to Travel More
Want to stack up airline miles without changing your lifestyle? Good news—you don’t have to be constantly flying to do it. Plenty of everyday purchases can help you rack up miles faster, whether it’s booking flights, swiping the right credit card, or even shopping through airline-affiliated portals. Let’s break it down.
Earn Miles Every Time You Fly
If you want to earn miles the classic way—by flying—you’ll need to sign up for an airline’s loyalty program. And here’s the best part: most major airlines are part of bigger alliances, so the miles you earn with one can often be used across multiple carriers.
For example, United Airlines is in the Star Alliance, a network of 20+ airlines, including Air Canada, Lufthansa, and Air China. That means when you’re a United MileagePlus member, you’re not just earning miles for United flights—you can also redeem them with partner airlines under the same umbrella.
Other major airline networks include SkyTeam (think Delta, Air France, Aeromexico) and Oneworld (home to American Airlines and British Airways). Once you’ve signed up for a program, you’ll get a frequent flyer number, and every time you book a flight, make sure that number is attached—otherwise, you’re leaving free miles on the table. Some airlines let you add it after the fact, but it’s better to do it upfront.
If you fly often, hitting elite status unlocks some pretty sweet perks. Take Alaska Airlines, for example:
- MVP status after flying 20,000 miles in a year
- MVP Gold at 40,000 miles
- MVP Gold 75K at 75,000 miles
- MVP Gold 100K at, you guessed it, 100,000 miles
Higher status means better rewards—like free checked bags, early boarding, priority seat selection, and even lounge access.
Boost Your Miles With the Right Credit Card
Flying isn’t the only way to pile up miles—your wallet can do some of the heavy lifting, too. Travel credit cards (whether airline-branded or general travel rewards cards) let you earn miles on everyday purchases. Some offer flexible rewards, meaning you can use them with multiple airlines and hotels, while others lock you into one brand.
Rewards work differently depending on the card, but most will give you at least 1 mile per dollar spent, with some offering higher rates for specific categories.
Co-Branded Airline Credit Cards
These are ideal if you’re loyal to a specific airline. Take the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, for example:
- 2X miles on Delta purchases
- 2X miles on dining (restaurants, takeout, and delivery in the U.S.)
- 2X miles at U.S. supermarkets
- 1X miles on everything else
Since Delta is part of the SkyTeam Alliance, these miles can often be used with partner airlines, too.
General Travel Rewards Cards
If you’d rather keep your options open, a general travel rewards card might be the way to go. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, for instance, offers:
- 5X points on travel booked through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases
- 2X points on other travel spending
- 1X points on everything else
These points can be transferred to Chase’s airline and hotel partners at a 1:1 ratio, meaning you get full value when redeeming for flights or stays.
A big perk of travel credit cards? Welcome bonuses. Many offer a lump sum of miles or points if you hit a specific spending requirement within the first few months. Some cards even automatically qualify you for elite status, which means better perks from day one.
Just keep in mind—premium travel cards usually require good to excellent credit and a solid debt-to-income ratio. If you’re new to the game, it might be worth checking out beginner-friendly options first.
Extra Ways to Stack Up Miles Without Flying
While earning airline miles through loyalty programs or travel credit cards is the go-to method, there are a few more tricks to build your stash. Buying, transferring, or pooling miles can help you top off your balance when you’re just short of a free flight—but not all options give you the best value. Let’s break them down.
Buying Miles: Quick Fix or Bad Deal?
Most airline programs let you purchase miles directly if you don’t have enough for a reward flight. It’s usually a simple process—just log into your loyalty account, head to the portal, and buy what you need.
Now, here’s the catch: miles often cost more than they’re worth when redeemed for flights. So, while buying them isn’t the smartest way to accumulate rewards, it can make sense in a few cases—like when you’re just a few miles short of a free flight and don’t want to pay full price. Some programs also discount miles during promotions, making it a slightly better deal if you time it right.
Pooling Miles With Family & Friends
Got a group of people who travel under the same program? Some airlines let you combine miles into one account, which can make reaching a free flight way faster.
For example, Frontier Airlines has a Family Pooling option where up to eight people can merge their miles. That means if you and your travel buddies each have a small balance, you can combine forces instead of letting points go to waste. Not all programs offer this, but it’s worth checking if your airline does.
Earn More Miles Without Spending Extra
Aside from flights and credit cards, some airline loyalty programs offer shopping and dining rewards that let you rack up miles on purchases you were already planning to make.
Online Shopping Portals: Get Miles for Stuff You’d Buy Anyway
Airline shopping portals are an easy win. Programs like Southwest Rapid Rewards and Delta SkyMiles have online marketplaces where you can earn miles just for clicking through their links before making a purchase.
Here’s how it works:
- Go to the airline’s shopping portal
- Find the store or product you want
- Click through the portal to shop as usual
- Earn extra miles when you complete your purchase
You don’t even need an airline-branded credit card for this. Take American Airlines’ AAdvantage eShopping—anyone can sign up and start earning miles. That said, paying with a co-branded airline credit card lets you double-dip, stacking even more rewards.
Dining Programs: Get Miles for Eating Out
If you’re grabbing food at a restaurant, you might as well earn miles while you’re at it. Many airlines run dining rewards programs, where you can link a debit or credit card and earn miles automatically when you pay at participating spots.
Like shopping portals, these programs require a separate sign-up, but once you’re in, there’s nothing extra to do—just eat, pay, and watch the miles roll in.
Making the Most of Your Frequent Flyer Miles
Earning miles is exciting, but the whole point is using them to travel. The last thing you want is to hoard miles only to see their value drop over time. Airlines and hotels regularly devalue their rewards, so if you sit on your stash for too long, you might end up needing way more miles for the same flight. Having a solid redemption strategy ensures you’re getting the best value for your hard-earned rewards.
Airline vs. Credit Card Rewards
Travel credit cards generally offer more flexible redemption options than airline programs. With a general travel rewards card, you can use points for flights, hotels, rental cars, or even cash back and gift cards. Some cards also let you transfer points to airline and hotel partners, which can sometimes stretch their value even further.
Frequent flyer programs, on the other hand, are usually locked into travel redemptions. Miles earned through an airline’s program (or a co-branded airline credit card) typically have to be used for flights, seat upgrades, or in some cases, hotel stays within their network. Before committing to a specific program, check the redemption options to make sure they match your travel goals.
How to Cash in Your Miles for Travel
Booking Through an Airline’s Loyalty Program
- Log into your frequent flyer account
- Search for flights—you’ll usually see prices listed in both cash and miles
- Choose miles as your payment method when checking out
If you’re trying to book a flight with a partner airline (within the same airline alliance), you might have to call customer service instead of booking online.
Redeeming Miles Through a Credit Card Rewards Program
- Sign into your credit card account
- Head to the rewards portal, where you’ll find options for booking travel, cash back, gift cards, and more
- For travel, you can either book directly through your credit card’s travel portal or transfer points to a partner airline/hotel program
Transferring points can sometimes give you a much better deal. Airlines don’t all calculate miles the same way, so a flight that costs 50,000 miles with one airline might only be 40,000 with a partner. Before booking, it’s worth comparing options using award flight search tools to get the most bang for your miles.
Wrapping It Up: Earn Miles Without Extra Effort
If you’re already spending money, why not let it work toward your next trip? By signing up for an airline loyalty program or using a travel rewards credit card, you can rack up miles on everyday purchases without changing your routine.
The key is picking the right program—one that matches your spending habits and travel goals. Pair that with smart redemption choices, and you’ll be boarding a flight paid for with miles sooner than you think.
