If you're new to airline programs, or just never gave them much thought you might think the only way to earn miles is by buying plane tickets. This however, couldn't be further from the truth & in fact flying isn't always the best way to earn them! Many airline programs have also changed how they award miles after a flight basing it on how much money was spent & even what cabin class you're in. The exception is Alaska airlines that still does distance based miles (unless you book basic economy).

In today's world of points & miles there are many ways you can earn miles from everyday spending. With the exception of the last method, it's often good to pick an airline you favor so you can focus on maximizing how much you earn. You can also divide and conquer but you won't necessarily see the results you're looking for. This is one of those rare times it's ok to "put all your eggs in one basket" if you have a favorite.

Shopping Portals

If you like to shop online, you'll want to check out airline shopping portals! Most major airlines have one & they're really simple to use. You want to register with your pre-existing airline loyalty account & then browse what offers are available. You'll want to start your shopping trip through the portal where it will tell you the points per dollar offer. Click the link to start shopping which will start a new session. Make sure to pause any VPNs or ad-blockers (I know I hate doing this too!) otherwise the cookies might not pickup your purchase to complete your miles earning. Once you check out you'll earn airline miles based on how much you spent! 

If you want to make it even easier on yourself you can download the shopping portal's extension into your browser & every time there's an offer available, it will pop up & you can activate it right away. Make sure to still pause anything that might stop you from earning miles!

Sometimes promotions are run for a multiple miles per dollar and this also a great way to use this tool to quickly build up your supply.

Co-Branded Credit Cards

These are for the true brand loyalists! Not only do airline co-branded cards often get you perks like free checked bags, a head start on elite status, & priority boarding, but you earn airline miles with every purchase. 

Airlines have different levels of cards ranging from no annual fee with 1x or 2x earning rates to triple digit annual fees with lounge access & expansive categories on points multipliers. They're not one size fits all but if you really like a certain airline this could be a great resource. Spend with the airline is typically the highest earning category usually around 5x per dollar but other popular ones are often travel, dining, and streaming services at 2x or 3x & 1x on all other purchases. 

I can't make a special recommendation as everyone's situation & airline of choice will be different. However, I highly encourage you to look at all your options for your favorite carrier if this method works for your lifestyle. 

Travel Portals

Similar to airline shopping portals, but for booking travel! You can book hotels, cruises, rental cars, & vacation packages all while earning airline miles on your spend. Keep in mind you don't usually earn hotel points or earn towards another brand's loyalty status if you book through a travel portal. That also applies to bank travel portals and other online travel agencies such as Expedia or Booking.com just a fun fact! 

Partnerships

Many airlines have agreements with brands that when you connect your accounts & make a purchase, you can earn miles! Some pretty popular ones are Delta's partnerships with Starbucks and Lyft. You do have to connect your accounts before you make a purchase in order to earn the miles. Rules and miles earnings can change at any time. 

General Travel Cards

These would be cards such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Bilt Mastercard, Capital One Venture, AMEX Platinum, & more. These cards earn points which you can then transfer into your airline (or hotel) currency of choice amongst their partners. This is a great way to earn towards your next award ticket and also has the benefit of not being locked down to a specific airline currency, until you transfer them that is. Once they're moved, that's it! However, banks & airlines do often run promotions for transfer bonuses which can award you even more miles for free! I wouldn't do this though unless you have a specific redemption in mind for that transfer.

Travel cards with annual fees often come with signup bonuses whose offerings can fluctuate throughout the year. It's also a great way to earn a huge stash of points all in one go once you meet a minimum spending requirement of typically $4000 in three months. You should wait until you see an elevated offer to apply rather than the standard public offer. Sometimes you can earn even more bonus points by applying in branch. This is common with Chase cards & how I turned an elevated 75k sign-up bonus into 85k!

Final Thoughts

The airline industry has opened up many new avenues over the decades to earn miles without having to always fly. These methods primarily rely on how much money you spend, but if you can choose the methods that works best with your lifestyle you can build up a nice nest egg of miles without too much extra thought or additional spending. Before you know it, you could have tens of thousands of miles sitting in your account just from your everyday purchases making your next ticket free!

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