Flying can be exciting, but flying for free is even better. In the early days of airline loyalty programs, frequent flier miles were awarded only for actual passenger travel. Today you can accumulate miles many different ways, and a large number can be stockpiled at no cost to you. You can even earn miles simply by continuing to pursue activities you would do in the course of each day. While most of these miles won't count toward qualifying for elite status, they will add up in your quest for free airline tickets.
Sign up for your favorite airline's co-branded credit card. Most carriers have one, and many carry substantial enrollment bonuses, such as 40,000 miles for the U.S. Airways Premier World Mastercard and 45,000 for the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard. Round-trip award tickets for a coach flight within the continental U.S. start at 25,000 and 20,000 miles, respectively. Some cards allow you to earn points that must be converted to airline miles before redemption; read the terms and conditions carefully.
Use your card to pay for any purchases you would normally make, such as gas, car repairs, groceries, visits to the doctor or vet. The miles will add up quickly. Most airline cards will also give double miles for ticket purchases. Remember to charge everything, since you won't receive frequent flier miles for paying cash.
Examine your favorite airline's website carefully for other ways to earn free miles. As of November 2012, American advertised more than 1,000 ways to earn. These included car rentals, hotel stays, financial services, flowers, and the possibility of garnering five miles for every $1 spent at participating restaurants. Again, many of these choices are things you'd be doing anyway in the course of any given day.
Develop the habit of regularly checking websites devoted to earning and redeeming miles. Flyertalk.com includes a comprehensive reader forum, while with webflyer.com you'll find detailed reviews of every major frequent flier program. Some websites, such as insideflyer.com, are subscription-based but also provide a rotating amount of free content. Bonus offers regularly turn up on the sites; these deals might appear on the airline's website but sometimes can be difficult to find.
Use your airline credit card regularly as a way of preventing your miles from expiring. Most airline miles will expire after 18 months without regular activity, and credit card activity may qualify as a method of keeping them active. However, check your airline's website to make sure this is the case; Air France miles, for example, will expire after 20 months, but keeping them active requires actually taking a flight (airfrance.us).
