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Air miles demystified: Turning loyalty points into free flights

Air miles can be more than just points—they can unlock free travel if used wisely.

September 16, 2025 / 19:30 IST
What are air miles?
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What are air miles?
Air miles, frequent flyer miles or reward points, are reward points of frequent flyers given by airlines and credit card companies. They are earned when you buy tickets, pay using co-branded credit cards, or shop at airline partners such as hotels, restaurants, or shopping websites. Over time, these miles accumulate in your account and can be utilized to purchase flight tickets, enhance seats, or other travel-related benefits. In that sense, they are a currency of sorts within the travel landscape.
How to earn air miles quickly?
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How to earn air miles quickly?
How quickly you earn air miles is dependent on how you consume and on cards or airline programs you've selected. Though flying repeatedly with the same company is an age-old trick to accumulate miles, the smarter way is to employ co-branded credit cards that reward you on your day-to-day spends. For example, shop-roys, fuel, online shopping, or utility bills can all fetch miles if paid using the right card. Some cards also provide welcome bonuses, milestone rewards, and mileage bonus on specific categories, thereby multiplying accumulation multiple times.
Maximizing the benefit of redeeming air miles
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Maximizing the benefit of redeeming air miles
The key to making money from air miles is intelligent redemption. Instead of redeeming for goods or small vouchers, highest value generally comes from redeeming miles to get free or low-cost air tickets. Many airlines accept full or partial payment of ticket fares in miles, and upgrades to higher cabins offer the best return per mile. Astute travellers track airline reward calendars and redemption promotions to get the best use out of their miles for more traveling.
Methods to avoid expiry and wastage
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Methods to avoid expiry and wastage
One of the largest errors for many is losing air miles since the latter expire under rules. Although some schemes have no points expiry as long as the account remains active, others have fixed validity. To avoid losing them, one should be careful about expiration dates and redeem them beforehand. Small purchases like exploring an airline's partner portal or shopping through a co-branded card can keep miles active. Proactiveness saves miles from being lost and keeps them available when you make your next holiday booking.
Why air miles are a traveller’s secret weapon
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Why air miles are a traveller’s secret weapon
For regular travellers as well as sporadic travellers, air miles can translate into significant savings. With increasing air ticket prices, being able to purchase free or deeply discounted tickets makes a real contribution to your travel expenses. In addition to tickets, miles can also pay for accommodation stays, lounge access, or additional baggage, making layers of comfort your travel experience. By discovering how to earn, accumulate, and redeem well, tourists are able to turn incidental spend into sources of cost-free flight, and air miles are therefore a genuine secret weapon when economy traveling.
Moneycontrol PF Team
first published: Sep 16, 2025 07:30 pm

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