Letting Miles Expire
One of the most common mistakes is allowing your miles to expire due to inactivity in your loyalty account. Airlines often enforce expiration policies that range from 12 to 36 months without any activity. If you don’t use or earn miles within that period, your miles could vanish, wasting months or even years of accumulated rewards.
Solution: To keep your miles active, perform any action that counts as activity, such as making a small purchase with an airline-branded credit card, redeeming miles for a small reward, or using your airline’s shopping portal. Airlines like Delta and JetBlue offer the added benefit of not expiring miles, but for most airlines, regular account activity is crucial.
Tip: Set reminders for your mileage expiration dates and stay engaged with your loyalty program.
Searching in Limited Places
Many travelers limit their search for award flights to one airline’s website. This restricts access to better availability, as many airlines have partnerships through alliances such as Oneworld, Star Alliance, or SkyTeam, which allow you to redeem miles on partner airlines.
Solution: Expand your search beyond the airline’s main site by using tools that show availability on partner airlines. Checking alliance and partner airline sites can uncover hidden availability and better deals. For example, searching British Airways’ site may reveal award seats on American Airlines flights.
Key Tip: By using websites like AmazingMiles, you can search multiple airlines’ award inventories at once, maximizing your chances of finding the best deal. AmazingMiles provides you with advanced tools to compare redemption options, track your miles, and ensure you get the most value for your points, all in one easy-to-use platform.
Waiting Too Long to Book Flights
Procrastinating when booking award flights can result in losing out on prime seat availability, especially for popular routes. Airlines release a limited number of award seats, and these can be snapped up quickly, particularly during high-demand travel periods.
Solution: Book early. Many airlines release award seats 11 months in advance, so monitor schedules and jump on available seats as soon as they’re released. Flexibility with your travel dates can also improve your chances of securing a seat.
Tip: Some airlines periodically release additional award seats closer to the departure date, so if you miss out initially, it may be worth checking back later.
Being Rigid on Travel Dates
One of the biggest mistakes is being inflexible with your travel dates. Airlines tend to have more limited award seat availability during peak travel times, such as holidays or summer months, making it harder to redeem miles for a flight on your exact preferred date.
Solution: Be flexible. If your travel dates are rigid, you could miss out on better redemption options. Searching for flights a few days before or after your preferred date can often yield significantly better availability. Use flexible date search tools provided by many airlines to find the best options within a range of dates.
Pro Tip: Consider flying mid-week instead of on weekends, as it can open up more availability at a lower redemption rate.
Overpaying for Redemptions
Another common mistake is overpaying for award tickets. Many travelers don’t compare the mileage cost of a ticket with the cash price, which can lead to suboptimal redemptions. In some cases, the value of the miles used may be far less than the ticket’s actual value.
Solution: Always compare the mileage redemption to the cash price of the ticket. A good rule of thumb is to aim for at least 1.5 to 2 cents per mile in value. For example, if a ticket costs 50,000 miles but is also available for $300 in cash, you’re only getting 0.6 cents per mile, which is a poor value. It may make more sense to pay for the flight and save your miles for a better deal.
Example: For a 25,000-mile round-trip ticket costing $400 in cash, the value is $0.016 per mile. If the same ticket costs 50,000 miles, you’re getting less value at $0.008 per mile, so always consider both options.
Not Comparing Options
Failing to compare different airline options when booking award flights is a mistake that can cost you extra miles and fees. Some airlines may charge fewer miles or offer better availability than others for the same route, but many travelers don’t shop around.
Solution: Before booking, compare award availability and costs across multiple airlines, especially partner airlines within the same alliance. Different airlines within the same alliance may have different redemption rates for the same flight. Use online tools or award booking services to compare options and find the best value for your miles.
Tip: Be sure to account for extra fees and surcharges, which can vary greatly between airlines.
Transferring Points Prematurely
A mistake many travelers make is transferring points from a flexible rewards program (like Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards) to an airline too early. Once transferred, points typically cannot be transferred back, locking you into that airline’s redemption options.
Solution: Only transfer points once you’ve confirmed award availability. Flexible points programs allow you to transfer to multiple airlines, so keeping your points in their original form gives you the flexibility to move them where they’re most valuable.
Pro Tip: If you’re unsure about availability or timing, some programs offer point-hold features, allowing you to lock in awards while you finalize the details.
Ignoring Taxes and Fees
A commonly overlooked factor when redeeming miles is the additional taxes, fees, and surcharges associated with award tickets. Some airlines, especially those based in Europe, impose significant fuel surcharges that can make an award ticket far less valuable.
Solution: Always factor in additional taxes and fees when calculating the true cost of your redemption. Airlines like British Airways, for instance, are known for hefty surcharges, which can sometimes exceed the cost of a paid ticket. Consider using your miles on airlines that charge lower fees, even if they require slightly more miles.
Tip: U.S.-based airlines typically impose lower surcharges, so look for options with carriers like American, Delta, or United to avoid steep fees.
Buying Miles Unnecessarily
Buying miles to top off your account or reach a reward threshold can seem like a good idea, but more often than not, the cost of purchasing miles exceeds their actual value.
Solution: Treat buying miles as a last resort. Most airline miles are valued between 1 and 2 cents per mile, so buying miles at a higher rate rarely makes sense. Instead, focus on earning miles through other means, such as credit card bonuses, flying, or shopping portals.
Pro Tip: Some airlines offer promotions where you can buy miles at a discount. Only consider buying miles when the promotion offers a significantly lower rate, and you have a specific redemption in mind.
Not Maximizing Value
Many travelers leave value on the table by failing to maximize their miles. Not all redemptions offer the same value, so it’s important to evaluate your options carefully.
Solution: Maximize the value of your miles by using them for high-cost, high-value redemptions. Business and first-class tickets, for example, often provide much better value per mile than economy tickets. Additionally, transferring points to partner airlines can often yield better redemption rates.
Tip: Use award charts and comparison tools to determine the best value for your miles. Some flights offer “saver” redemptions, which can drastically reduce the number of miles required for a ticket.
Conclusion
Maximizing the value of airline points and miles requires a mix of strategy, flexibility, and awareness of common mistakes. By avoiding pitfalls like letting miles expire, overpaying for redemptions, or neglecting to compare options, travelers can ensure that their points are used in the most efficient and valuable way possible. With proper planning, staying flexible on dates, and exploring all available options, you can make the most of your airline loyalty programs and unlock significant travel rewards.
