8 Quick Tips to Earning More Credit Card Air Miles

By: Scott Stadler

Credit cards that reward their cardholders through air miles redeemable towards airline tickets are really popular today, especially among frequent travelers. Rewards can really add up quickly if use of the air miles credit card is maximized. Here are 8 quick tips to earning more credit card air miles that everyone can use...

1. Get the Best Card - Some air miles rewards credit cards are better than others. For example, some offer what amounts to one mile per dollar spent while others only give a mile for every two dollars spent. Comparing offers and choosing the best card to begin with is one of the easiest ways to earn more miles.

2. Look for Bonus Intro Offers - Again, when going through the process of picking the best credit card, look for cards that award a large bonus amount of miles just for signing up for their program. It's a great way to get the ball rolling.

3. Get More for the Money - Some air miles credit cards share their rewards in the form of cash rebates or credit towards a ticket purchase instead of just rewarding the ticket itself. This is usually preferable because it still lets the cardholder shop for a bargain on air tickets and get more from the miles earned.

4. Use the Card for Everything - To maximize the air miles earned, it's important to use the credit card and get rewards for every practical purchase possible. This might be groceries, gasoline, cable bills, phone bills, utilities, and even rent. Obviously, this strategy is only effective if the balances are then paid in full every month.

5. Keep an Eye Out for Promotions - Stay tuned to the account holder website to keep up with the latest promotional offers. Sometimes the credit cards offer double the miles or bonus miles on purchases that fit into one certain category or another. Take advantage of this.

6. Check Out Partnership Deals - While on the card's website, also check out any partnership deals offered with the miles reward program. For instance, sometimes by patronizing a certain car rental company or by staying at a choice hotel, extra miles can be earned if the bills are paid for with the card.

7. Don't Let the Balance of Miles Expire - This one should be fairly obvious, but it's often forgotten about. Sometimes it's easy to overlook the air miles accumulated before getting a chance to cash them in for air travel. Be aware of expiration dates and balances by checking the statement frequently and actually using the rewards instead of letting them go to waste.

8. Use One Reward Card Exclusively - Choosing the credit card with the best air miles rewards for your individual needs and sticking to that choice is the best way to rack up those miles in a hurry. Focusing on just one air miles reward program is the best way to actually make it pay off. By spreading the effort over several different cards, the progress will be diluted and balances will be more likely to expire before they can be cashed in for travel.

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