If you have collected a considerable amount of air miles and wish to redeem them for rewards, there are a few essential things that you should know to get maximum value from the redemption. Read this post to know some essential dos and don’ts of redeeming air miles.
Now that you have collected a decent amount of air miles, it is time that you start thinking about how to redeem them. Most top air carriers in India now allow you to redeem the air miles for award flights, cabin upgrades, hotel bookings, and more.
But just as you were cautious while collecting the air miles, you need to be very careful when redeeming them as well if you are looking to get maximum value. Here are a few important dos and don’ts that you should keep in mind when redeeming your air miles-
Dos
- Redeeming air miles only for award flights
While award flight is the most common goal of every frequent flyer, it might not always be the only right choice. Many of the air carriers now allow you to redeem the miles in many different ways. For instance, you can use the miles to book a hotel room if you are going on a vacation or purchase the latest mobile phone from a rewards store.
Hotel bookings, online rewards store, cabin upgrade, and miles transfer are some of the popular options that you can consider apart from getting an award flight ticket.
- Last minute flight booking with Air Miles
As the departure date gets closer, the flight price increases. But one of the most significant advantages of air miles is the fact that you are required to spend the same amount of miles irrespective of how close the date of departure is.
In simple words, if you want to get more value from your air miles, booking last minute flight tickets is an excellent option.
- Purchase miles when required
If you are just short of a few air miles to get a reward like a flight ticket, there is no need for you to wait and collect the required miles. Many of the airlines now allow you to purchase the air miles for such instances.
If you are planning to fly soon but are short of a few air miles for the free flight, you can use this facility to get the award flight.
Don’ts
- Not researching before booking an award flight
You might be very eager to redeem the air miles that you have collected over several months and even years. But before redeeming, it is vital to search for the most valuable flights. In a lot of cases, there are a few regions that offer considerably higher value.
If you want to get maximum value from your air miles, a bit of research for determining locations with a higher value is highly recommended.
- Not using co-branded credit cards to collect miles
If you want to redeem rewards for your air miles sooner, one of the best ways to do so is to use a co-branded credit card. Many of the co-branded credit cards in India come with handsome rewards such as welcome bonus of air miles and more to help you collect the miles faster.
Similarly, there are plenty of other ways in which you can earn air miles. Some of the other popular options are hotel bookings, dining, purchasing fuel, and renting cars.
Being a savvy frequent flyer
If this is the first time that you are redeeming your air miles, it can be challenging to redeem them for maximum value. But by educating yourself and understanding the ins and outs like the ones discussed in this post, it shouldn’t take long for you to become a savvy frequent flyer.
Keep the above dos and don’ts in mind and thoroughly go through the frequent flyer program website to avoid the common pitfalls of redeeming air miles.
