What to do With Your Frequent Traveler Miles

Have you racked up 10,000, 20,000 or 50,000 frequent flier miles and find yourself repeatedly hitting brick walls when trying to cash them in for a free flight? Due to the many changes in the airline industry (by the way, did you hear JetBlue is now charging $7.00 for a pillow and a blanket, geesh!), carriers are making fewer and fewer seats available for redemption by frequent fliers. So, what's a person to do with those points? Well, we have a few suggestions for you to consider.

First, an interesting factoid: Members of frequent-traveler programs worldwide (this includes hotels, airlines, car rental firms and credit card companies) earn in excess of 650 Billion (yes, that's Billion with a "B") miles and/or points each every year. Here's the really interesting fact, slightly less than ¾ (75%) of these travel awards are ever used! If you are in the 25% of folks who want to do "something" with the miles/points you've accumulated, you've come to the right place - please keep reading.

Bundle your points - By combining the points you've earned on airlines, with hotels and rental car companies, you will have a larger number to work with. Not all of these entities will accept "partner points" but many do. Visit the websites to find out who works with whom. For instance, American Airlines partners with Hilton Hotels and will allow you to convert air miles to HiltonHonors points. This does not solve the problem of getting a nearly impossible-to-find airline seat, but it does open up other opportunities. Combining as many points as you can, you may be surprised that you have accumulated enough points to cover the cost of a hotel room in London for a week.

Trade them - Points.com works with an expansive network of frequent customer programs and over 3,000 retailers around the globe. It is free to join, but there are fees assessed for each exchange you make. You can merge points or miles, or turn them into gift certificates at any one of their retail partners (which include Home Depot, Red Lobster, Macy's and Target to name just a few). To date, this is the only independent company offering this service. For some frequent travelers, who don't mind paying a service fee, this may be an excellent option to consider.

Donate them to charity - If you have no interest in redeeming your miles/points, why not donate them to a worthy charitable organization? If you don't have one in mind, you might consider the "Make a Wish Foundation". This is a group which grants wishes for terminally ill children; many of the kids express a desire to visit Disney World, etc. and your points would certainly be put to good use. There is also a website dedicated to collecting donated miles for charitable distribution, you can find out complete details at MileDonor.com. The American Heart Association, the Arthritis Foundation, Junior Achievement and many others will also gladly accept donated miles.

Give them away - From time to time some air carriers will allow you to transfer your miles to a family member (sometimes this is extended to include friends also). The period during which you may transfer is usually off-season and definitely during a designated period of time. This is not a regular practice of all air carriers, however; and this (like everything else in the travel industry) can change at any time. Still, it is worth considering as an option

You can sell them - Please be advised, this is not an endorsement of that practice. It is only illegal in one state (Utah) to sell points to a second party; however, the air carriers have strict regulations in place which prohibit this practice. If you are caught in this type of transaction, your points will be confiscated and you may also be fined and your membership cancelled.

So, there you have it. For heaven's sake, don't be a part of the 75% who never redeem their miles. If we've still not convinced you to turn in your miles, maybe you'll be more likely to when you think of all the extra charges airlines are piling on ….. Checked baggage (from $15-$100 per bag), a can of soda pop costs you $2.00, oh and don't forget the $7.00 charge for a pillow and blanket!

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