adminYou’ve probably heard travel stories about free business-class flights thanks to air miles. But what exactly are air miles, and how does this system work? I saw travelers on social media flying for free, even families with a few kids enjoying business class. My curiosity was piqued!
Living in Belgium, I often fly with SN Brussels Airlines, so I opened a Miles & More account. My air miles journey had begun! After more than a year, I had collected a few thousand air miles in my account. But to be honest, that didn’t get me very far.
It was time to seriously figure out how to earn a lot of air miles! Since then, I’ve managed to book my first ‘free’ long-haul flight after less than one year, so yes—it’s definitely possible.
In this article, I’ll share all the tips and tricks to maximize your air miles! ✈
You’ll find more budget tips here.
Air Miles: what is it?
Air miles are reward points earned through airline loyalty programs. You can compare it with loyalty programs from supermarkets. And similar to points or discounts that you can earn by shopping in your favorite supermarket, you can collect these points by flying with specific airlines. But the air miles system is a bit more difficult because it doesn’t stop with the miles you get for every flight you do. There are multiple ways to earn miles and multiple ways to get more value out of your air miles. Airlines partner with credit card companies using co-branded credit cards, or you can make purchases with partner companies. The credit card system is typically American, but also in Europe you can earn miles with credit cards. These miles can then be redeemed for free or discounted flights, seat upgrades, hotel stays, or other travel-related perks. Let’s go true the process step by step!
Best airline loyalty programs
First things first, start with creating an account with an airline loyalty program. When choosing a loyalty program, consider factors such as your most frequented destinations, preferred airlines, and the specific benefits that align with your travel habits. Many of these programs are part of larger airline alliances, providing additional opportunities to earn and redeem miles across multiple carriers. My strategy? I sign up for the loyalty program of every airline I fly with. Sometimes it’s not just about the miles, you can get other benefits such as a free extra bag you can check in or choose your seats for free. These loyalty programs are the most interesting in the world of air miles flights:
- Air France–KLM Flying Blue – Skyteam
Ranked as the top global airline loyalty program, offering a wide range of earning and redemption options across its extensive network - Miles & More (Lufthansa) – Star Alliance group (Brussels Airlines, United, Air Canada, Turkish Airlines…).
As one of Europe’s largest frequent flyer programs, Miles & More provides members with opportunities to earn and redeem miles across various airlines within the Star Alliance network. The program also offers additional benefits such as access to exclusive lounges and priority services. - Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan.
Recognized for its generous earning structure and diverse partner network, allowing members to earn and redeem miles across various airlines. - Executive Club (British Airways) – One World (American Airlines,
This program allows members to collect Avios points, which can be redeemed for flights, upgrades, and other travel-related services. The Executive Club is particularly beneficial for travelers frequently flying within Europe and to international destinations served by British Airways and its partners. - American Airlines AAdvantage
Offers excellent partner airlines and award rates, providing flexibility and value for frequent flyers. - Delta Air Lines SkyMiles.
Focuses on making elite status count, offering benefits that enhance the travel experience, especially for frequent flyers.
Best way to save air miles in Europe
Earning air miles by flying
The most obvious way to collect travel air miles is, of course, by flying. For certain destinations, you can earn bonus air miles, quickly accumulating several thousand miles for a single trip. However, for other destinations, the rewards can be much smaller—sometimes as little as 150 miles. This method alone won’t get you to the 50k or 100k miles you may be aiming for a free flight or upgrade.
Earning air miles without flying
Shop through airline portals. Use the shopping portals of loyalty programs (like Miles & More Shopping or Avios eStore). You can earn miles by making purchases at partnered online retailers. This is something I NEVER do!! The stuff you buy is expensive and most of the time things you don’t really need. So if you want to get free flights without paying more, this is NOT the way to go!
Book hotels and car rentals: Earn miles by booking hotels through platforms like Booking.com or directly through airline partners. Car rental companies like Hertz, Avis, and Sixt often allow you to earn miles as well. This can be an interesting option, but it is something you have to fully investigate every time you want to make a booking. When you use the ‘normal’ Booking.com site to book, you can find better prices most of the time. When you use sites like Rentalcars.com for your search for cheap rental cars you pay less in most cases. But sometimes you get additional air miles for a short period of time when you use the links of the loyalty programs to book, and then it can be beneficial. So this takes a lot of time to figure it all out and that’s why I don’t use this option either.
Credit cards. This option is the best (and probably only) way to earn air miles fast! Read all about it in the following chapter
Air miles: proof that daydreaming about your next vacation can actually pay off!” ✈️😄
Earning air miles with credit cards
Types of credit cards
There are broadly two types of credit cards:
- Credit cards that allow you to earn air miles directly.
- Credit cards linked to specific loyalty programs, where you earn air miles for a particular airline’s loyalty program.
Until November 2024, both Miles & More and Flying Blue partnered with American Express, allowing you to automatically earn air miles for your loyalty program through Amex points. However, this partnership ended. Since November 1, 2024, a Beo Bank Mastercard is now issued when you sign up for a credit card with Miles & More or Flying Blue.
I previously used the American Express Miles & More card, which made earning air miles incredibly easy. The specific hacks I used for this can be found later in this article. When the partnership ended, I chose not to switch to the Beo Bank Mastercard. I’m not a Beo Bank customer and didn’t see added value in their card.
American Express, on the other hand, made an attractive offer: 20,000 bonus Membership Rewards points (which can be transferred to air miles) along with cancel and travel insurance. This was a great deal for me! The card costs €20 per month, but with the bonus and the ability to cancel other insurance policies, it turned out to be a cost-saving choice.
I switched from a credit card linked to a loyalty program to a credit card that allows me to directly earn points. Below, I’ve listed the advantages of each card in the next paragraph.
Different credit cards in Europe
American Express Platinum or Gold:
- Earn Membership Rewards points that can be transferred to multiple airline loyalty programs (e.g., British Airways Avios, Flying Blue, Emirates Skywards).
- Benefits: Travel insurance, airport lounge access, and extra rewards for travel-related spending.
- Best for: Frequent travelers who want flexibility in redeeming miles across different airlines.
American Express British Airways Card:
- Specifically for earning British Airways Avios.
- Perks: Companion Voucher for booking two flights for the price of one (plus taxes and fees).
- Best for: British Airways or Oneworld travelers.
Miles & More Mastercard (Lufthansa Group):
- Earn miles directly with the Lufthansa Miles & More program.
- Benefits: No expiration of earned miles if you use the card regularly.
- Best for: Travelers using Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines, Austrian, SWISS, and other Star Alliance airlines.
Flying Blue Visa/Mastercard (Air France–KLM):
- Earn miles for Air France-KLM Flying Blue.
- Perks: Bonus miles for certain spending categories.
- Best for: Flying Blue users traveling with SkyTeam airlines.
Hacks to earn more air miles
The biggest benefit of credit cards lies in the bonuses you can earn. Getting a card when there’s a significant bonus available is already a great start! Interested in the Amex Gold Card? Click here for a 30k bonus (valid until December 31, 2024). Additionally, it’s important to seize opportunities as they arise, such as applying for another card with a large bonus or making specific purchases that come with high rewards.
It’s also important to use your credit card for as many of your daily purchases as possible. This is easy when shopping online, as most webshops offer a credit card payment option. If they don’t, you can often pay via PayPal. A smart solution is to link your credit card to your PayPal account, ensuring you don’t miss out on earning air miles!
The same applies to all your subscriptions, from Netflix to Spotify—make sure your credit card is linked to your account by default. If Amex isn’t accepted, I link my PayPal account as mentioned in the previous paragraph.
How to use airmiles
Credit cards linked to specific loyalty programs
Redeeming your air miles for a flight is not difficult. When you earn miles with a credit card linked to a specific loyalty program, your air miles are immediately available. All you need to do is log in to the program and redeem your air miles for a ticket. However, if you have a credit card linked to a specific airline and redeem your miles, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get a ticket with that airline. For example, I had an Amex card linked to Brussels Airlines, but for my reward flight to Sri Lanka, I received a Turkish Airlines ticket. This can also be a flight with a partner airline.
A reward ticket is never free. While you use miles for the flight, you’ll often still need to pay taxes, fees, or fuel surcharges. Exception to this: Singapore Airlines, you don’t have to pay taxes with them, so you can find reward flights for as little as €10 if you are lucky!
Interesting to know: not all flights are available for booking with miles. Often, a limited number of seats are reserved for reward tickets.
Credit cards that allow you to earn air miles directly
With an Amex card, you can often transfer your membership rewards points to air miles of various airline programs. This is not difficult, follow these steps:
- Choose a loyalty program that aligns well with your travel plans and make sure you have an account with that program.
- Log in to your Amex account.
- Navigate to the Membership Rewards section.
- Click on Transfer Points or Reward Partners.
- Select the desired program and click Add.
- Enter your loyalty program account number and link it to your Amex account.
- Enter the number of points you wish to transfer.
- Confirm the transaction.
Depending on the program, it may take a few hours to a few days for the points to be transferred. So don’t panic when you don’t see your points within a second!
Important to know: Some programs require a minimum number of points for transfers. Check this before starting. Transferred points or miles may have an expiration date in the loyalty program. Make sure to use them before they expire. Keep an eye out for promotions that offer more miles per point during transfers!
Tips when you book your reward flight
- Check which airlines are partners in your program and explore their routes to maximize value!
- Book your reward flights as early as possible, as popular routes and dates fill up quickly.
- Compare these additional costs before redeeming your miles to ensure you’re getting good value.
- Compare these additional costs before redeeming your miles to ensure you’re getting good value.
How to find the good air miles deals
Comparable to search websites for flight tickets like Google Flights, Momondo, or Cheap Tickets, there are also websites to find the best deals for reward tickets. These are platforms like PointsYeah, where you enter your route and receive the best options, including the loyalty program, the number of air miles required, and the additional taxes you need to pay. Below is an example for a flight from Brussels to Tokyo. PointsYeah is one of the best search tools and it’s a free one!
Another one is AwardTool. This one works similar to PointsYeah and looks just like Google Flights. The advantage of this tool is that it covers more loyalty programs. Seats.aero is another tool, this one is for the more experienced air miles traveler. You have to pay when you want to look more than 90 days in advance. This tool has so much options, and looks a bit more sophisticated. This is the result for the same requested flight from Brussels to Tokyo. The app added Amsterdam to the search.
More information
Want to know more about the whole air miles-world? You’ll find more information here:
Subscribe to newsletters from airlines and their frequent flyer programs (such as Flying Blue, Miles & More, or British Airways Executive Club). They often send exclusive offers or promotions that help you earn or redeem extra miles.
Blogs like The Points Guy, One Mile at a Time, and View from the Wing specialize in optimizing air miles. They regularly share new deals, strategies for earning miles, and practical tips for booking reward tickets.
Social media accounts to follow:
- @pointsforfamilytravel: Offers tips and tutorials on traveling for (nearly) free using miles and points, with a focus on family travel.
- @upgradedpoints: Provides strategies to maximize points and miles, helping travelers enhance their experiences.
- @katiestraveltricks: Simplifies complex topics like point transfers through quick, digestible content, making travel hacking accessible to beginners.
- @maxmilespoints: Shares infographics and reels on maximizing credit card miles and points for optimal value.
