Cashing in your air miles is an excellent and inexpensive way to travel. After accruing enough air miles to book a flight, knowing what to do and how to do it will save you time and stress.
Air miles expire. When you sign up to earn air miles, ask your credit-card company or rewards agency how long you have to accrue the miles, how long they are valid and if there are policies on extending earned miles or awards. If your earned air miles expire every two years you will want to be aware of that date. The best air-miles plan is one that keeps your air miles active with each purchase.
There is nothing worse than planning to use your air miles for your vacation only to find out that the dates you want are not available. Though blackout dates are not as prevalent, they still exist. Check with your credit-card company or rewards agency to see if the dates you want are blacked out. Typically, blackout dates occur around major holidays and breaks, such as Christmas, New Year's, Thanksgiving and spring break.
Those using air miles are often subjected to a first-come, first-served policy. Only a certain number of tickets are allotted for air-miles travel on each flight. A flight that is available one day through air miles may not be available the next. It's wise to submit your request for air-mile redemption flights as soon as possible.
