The High Miles Club
Pick A Program
If your local airport, or the airport to which you travel most, is the hub of a major carrier you will most frequently fly with that airline. Another key factor is the type of traveler you are, business or leisure. If you are a business traveler who flies multiple times in a month, then your goal is probably not a free flight but the perks and service that come with your elite traveler status.
Leisure travelers, on the other hand, may only travel once or twice a year, meaning that elite status is out. Leisure travelers are often in the market for that promised free flight. One important condition that leisure travelers should keep in mind is the expiration date on their mileage programs. Most of the major carriers have eliminated expiration dates as long as there is some activity on the account every couple of years. Less frequent travelers should pay close attention to any expiration dates when considering a program.
Alternate Mile Earners
Another way to build out miles is with a card such as American Express or Diner’s Club that awards points for each purchase. These points can then be converted to miles for participating airlines. You might get better interest rates and your annual fee may be less, but you also may have to pay your balance in full each month. The points you earn will not count dollar for dollar as they do for airline affiliated credit cards, but they do offer more flexibility among airlines, so if you do have multiple frequent flyer accounts you can distribute them accordingly.
What You Get for Your Miles?
Start Adding Miles
The Breakdown
Airline
|
Free US Flights |
Elite Status |
Expirations |
Airtran |
8 flight credits |
10 flight credits in 90 days or 25 flight credits in 365 days |
Expires after 1 year |
Alaska |
Restricted: 20,000
Unrestricted: 40,000 |
MVP: 20,000 miles/30 segments per year
MVP Gold: 40,000 miles/60 segments per year
MVP Gold 75K: 75,000 miles/90 segments per year
|
Expires after 2 years of inactivity |
American |
Off-peak: 12,500
Unrestricted: 40,000 |
Gold: 25,000 miles/30 segments per year
Platinum: 50,000 miles/60 segments per year
Executive Platinum: 100,000/100 segments per year |
Expires after 18 months of inactivity |
Delta |
Off-peak: 12,500
Unrestricted 40,000 |
Silver: 25,000 miles/30 segments per year
Gold: 50,000 miles/60 segments per year
Platinum: 75,000 miles/100 segments per year
Diamond: 125,000 miles/140 segments per year |
Never expires |
Frontier |
Starting at 12,500 miles |
Ascent: 15,000 miles/20 segments per year
Summit: 25,000 miles/30 segments per year |
Expires after 2 years of inactivity |
JetBlue |
Starting at 5,000 miles |
15,000 |
Expires after 1 year of inactivity |
Southwest |
Business select: 120 points per dollar
Anytime: 100 points per dollar
Wanna get away: 60 points per dollar |
A-List: 35,000 miles/25 segments
A-List Preferred: 70,000 miles/50 segments
Companion Pass: 110,000 miles/100 segments |
Expires after 2 years of inactivity |
United |
Off-peak: 12,500
Unrestricted: 40,000 |
Premier Silver: 25,000 miles/30 segments
Premier Gold: 50,000 miles/60 segments
Premier Platinum: 75,000 miles/90 segments
Premier 1K: 100,000 miles/120 segments |
Expires after 18 months of inactivity |