You’ve earned those frequent flyer miles, so you should enjoy them to the max. Here are a few tips on maximizing your rewards in a legitimate manner:

• Fly one way on the airline and receive a point or points.
• Fly one way on business and earn a bonus point or two.
• Fly round trip on the airline and receive points.
• Fly round trip on business and receive more points.
• Use the credit card company the airline is partnered with for this frequent flyer program to pay for your ticket(s) and earn more points.
• Use that same credit card to shop and pay for purchases and earn more points.
• Rent a vehicle with the car rental company that is affiliated with the program and earn more points.
• Reserve and stay in an affiliated hotel or motel and earn more points.

The Benefits you can Enjoy

So just what do the points do for you? They provide you with free goods and services:
o The first frequent flyer programs allowed you to redeem points for tickets. You could (and still can) amass enough points to

• fly one way coach,
• fly round trip coach,
• fly one way first class, or
• fly round trip first class.

You can now also use frequent flyer points to upgrade. You may opt for a full class upgrade or just a better seat assignment, provided such is available.

Tips for Maximizing those Benefits

Depending on your level of involvement and how informed you are, you can get the best of your bonuses. Here are some of the extras you can enjoy if you do your homework:

• Airlines offer elite membership clubs with many tiers, or levels. If you travel by air often, join one, even if you start at the entry level. Of course, investigate your options, whether such benefits are available on your typical travel route, and whether the investment is worth it. When it is worth it, you will benefit by having the luxury to step to the front of the line for upgrades that become available. You will also be considered a priority when/if you get laid over or stuck unexpectedly—the airline staff will find you connecting flights and will get you unstuck sooner.
• Do a little homework and check more than one or two itineraries and flight schedules to find alternate routes that cost less and/or offer more bonus frequent flyer points.
• When you are scheduling flight plans, consider your first choice partners if your favorite airline is booked for the time you need to fly out. When you go with the primary airline’s partner, the primary airline will often give you more reward points to add to your collection.
• Make use of the hotel frequent flyer points by using one that participates with your airline’s plan.
• Use a rental car company that participates as a frequent flyer partner with your airline.
• And, of course, use the same credit card that is associated with the hotels and airline program. Frequent flyer miles participants use their affiliated cards more—six times more—than they use their non-rewards program credit cards. So it especially makes sense to use that card when purchasing your flight tickets…so you get double the points—those from the card and those from the airline.
• Read the materials the card companies and airline programs send you. Newsletters and sales marketing notes will often reveal specials.
• If you are a small business owner, take advantage of the benefits to save on travel expenses. Buy office supplies and equipment for the business and soon you’ll have enough free miles to take a business flight, stay in a hotel, and rent a car. In fact, some banks offer special small business credit cards—with the frequent flyer points advantage.

So if you are interested in making the most of your frequent flyer points and plan – if you stick with one program, if you are attentive and aggressive about racking up those miles and using them wherever possible – you should be enjoying what you’ve earned. Priority boarding, priority troubleshooting care, priority positions for upgrading, and priority treatment with free flights, rentals, and hotel stays.