You can earn miles for every gift you give this year even without using a travel rewards credit card. First of all, if you have a card that earns you points or miles be sure to use it to maximize the miles you can earn this shopping season. If you don’t have a rewards card you are in luck. There are plenty of ways to earn miles without it. The easiest way is to use a shopping portal for the airline you would like to build up the most miles on.
Almost everything you need to shop for this year and be bought online through one of these shopping portals. Major stores such as Apple, Barnes and Noble and Best Buy will offer you miles for every purchase you make. Many start at 1 mile per dollar but some offer more. Earlier this year Apple was offering 8 miles/dollar which is awesome so check back frequently to see who is offering bonus miles.
Before you buy anything be sure to link your accounts into the shopping portal. You will probably only need to enter your frequent flyer number to get started.
Where to get started:
WebFlyers Mileage Mall is a great resource to find who is offering the most miles. Search the categories to find the product you are looking to buy.
Airlines offer their own shopping portals as well
Air Canada- Aeroplan EStore
American Airlines- AAdvantageEshopping.com
American Express- Bonus Points Mall
Chase- Ultimate Rewards Shopping
Delta- Skymilesshopping.com
US Airways- Dividend Miles Shopping Mall
United- Mileageplusshopping.com
So don’t let any purchase go to waste this holiday season. Every purchase you were going to make anyway can earn you miles towards free travel.
Bonus Tip:
Miles earned through shopping portals will not count towards earning elite status but don’t let that stop you from buying through them. The key is to build miles with the airline you fly most to get another free flight or to reach a level on an airline that you are just a few thousand miles away from.
Need a card to maximize your miles? This is a good one to get started with.
Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express
- 30,000 bonus miles when you spend $500 on the Card in the first three months from account opening – good for a free flight!
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95
- Check your first bag FREE – for up to 9 people on your reservation – on every Delta flight
- Receive double miles on Delta purchases and 1 mile for all other eligible dollars spent
- Priority Boarding and 20% In-Flight Savings
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