Flying Free Is Easier Than You Think

I’m constantly amazed by friends and acquaintances who ask me, "Can you really get free travel? Doesn't it take years to get a free ticket?" Even more, I'm dismayed to hear them say, "Oh, we didn't bother to sign up for the miles – we don't travel enough," after they just made a trip, when they could have earned thousands of miles. Many people have bought into the idea that it's too hard to earn the miles, so they don't even try. I've heard this same story from several friends and family members in just the last few months, and it just isn't true. I'm here to tell you how and why you should maximize your miles. Instead of saying "it's too hard to get miles," I've taken five free trips in the last two years. You can too. Here's how.

The Cardinal Rule

Never fly anywhere on any airline without being in their frequent flyer program.

Even if you have one regular frequent flyer program, where you try to fly only them to maximize rewards, if you find yourself on a different airline, join their program. Even if you think you may never fly them again. You may find that a couple of years from now you have a life, job, or location change where those miles and that program will come in handy. This is the most important rule – don't waste any earning opportunity. Actually, there's a slight variation on this rule - never fly anybody without being in their or their partner's frequent flier program. Later I'll discuss airline alliances, and explain how these partnerships can work to your benefit.

There's a corollary to this rule: Never rent cars or stay in hotels without being in their programs and checking if they give airline miles. You can get a nice extra "pop" in mileage from making smart choices about hotels and car rentals, in almost every price range and budget. I'll let you know some of the best tips to get the most miles here too.