Each time you fly, flight attendants tell you to sign up for various rewards programs that offer the chance to redeem accumulated miles for a variety of products and services. Frequent travelers may be able to submit their miles in exchange for airfare, rental car and hotel reservations. If they stay at home, they can also purchase newspaper or magazine subscriptions as well as some consumer goods.
The main use of airline miles is to offset the cost of future flights. Customers may find that certain flights between the same cities require more miles based on demand and other factors. You can also use airline miles to upgrade, for example from a coach ticket to first class.
You can also use airline miles when you're booking the hotel for a vacation or business trip. Rates can be less expensive with a chain that has contracted with the airline where you have your miles. You may also be able to use miles toward the price of renting a car from certain firms.
Rather than fill out a subscription card, if you have enough airline miles you can subscribe to periodicals like the Wall Street Journal or Good Housekeeping, along with any other titles that are available through your miles program.
Some airlines like Delta and Continental offer websites that offer electronics and home and garden items similar to those found in the in-flight SkyMall catalog. Airline miles accounts can be used in lieu of cash or credit cars at these sites. Some airlines also offer customers the ability to trade their miles for gift certificates, or buy miles to reach the level needed for more expensive purchases.
In the event of a natural disaster in foreign countries, aid workers must often travel by air. It is possible to redeem airline miles to donate to various charitable organizations such as the American Red Cross.
