Many domestic airlines have quietly made a drastic change to their frequent flier programs. They’re now more likely to award points based on how much you spend鈥攏ot how far you fly. That means your typical economy-class ticket earns fewer miles than it used to, especially for long-distance travel.
So what’s the new secret to racking up thousands of miles? Sign up for credit cards that maximize your reward points. Here鈥檚 how to get the most out of your spending.听
Upgrade Your Rewards Card
Travel rewards credit cards earn points for every purchase you make. Those points act as currency that you can redeem for hotel stays, flights, and cash credit. But which offer the best deals? Check , a one-stop resource that compares annual fees and other member details, to find a card that fits your needs.
Just signing up for a card usually nets you a hefty introductory bonus. Among the best is the , which lands you 50,000 miles (or a round-trip flight to Europe or South America)听if you spend $3,000 within three months. and 听each give you 40,000 points once you鈥檝e charged $3,000 in purchases.听With Capital One, that鈥檚 worth $400 in travel credit; Chase gives you a $500 travel allowance. So 40,000 points equals $400 or $500 (in travel rewards) depending on which company you go with.听
Loyalty Has Its Rewards
If you live near an airline鈥檚 hub, get a card that earns points with that carrier.听You get more miles per dollar if you pay for the airline’s flight with its propietary card. Say you have and charge a $450 United ticket on that card. You鈥檒l earn 900 miles. Book the same flight on Delta with that card, and you鈥檒l only receive 450 miles.
Spend Wisely
After the introductory bonus, your purchases earn points per dollar spent. Capital One bestows the miles liberally, giving you two points per dollar no matter what you buy. But Chase distinguishes between travel and dining (two points per dollar) and everything else (one point per dollar).
To eke out maximum mileage, check to see if you can buy what you want through your credit card鈥檚 shopping portal (it鈥檚 an online store found on an airline鈥檚 website), which generally yields a bigger reward than buying direct from the retailer.
Most airline and reward credit cards make deals with certain stores to give shoppers multiple miles for every dollar spent, rather than the 1:1 you typically earn. On 听site, you can buy from brands such as Backcountry.com (three miles per dollar), Mountain Hardwear (three miles per dollar) and Nike (six miles per dollar). Electronics, sporting gear, pet supplies, newspaper subscriptions鈥攜ou can purchase almost everything on your list through shopping portals. Sign up for the Wall Street Journal through , and you get 1,400 reward points.
Be sure to browse the portal鈥檚 site for any holiday promotions. For example, from November 1 through November 23, 听is giving away 300 bonus points for every $175 you spend (up to 1,200 points max).