How to Maximize Your Frequent Flyer Miles and Travel Around the World

Traveling is great. It's even greater when you can fly to your destination for free. When we first started traveling outside of the United States, we had miles saved from my husband’s travels from work. Those got used up a long time ago, but we’re still traveling. We’ve become so adept at using our miles that people ask us for tips.

Here are a few:

   1. Book your flight as early as possible.

In Rotorua, New Zealand, a Maori village

The airlines only reserve a few seats on each plane for use by frequent flyer mile users. Our experience is that most airlines let you book eleven months before the planned trip. Whatever the earliest time is for your particular airline that’s when you need to book your trip. You’re not sure that you’ll be able to go then? Buy travel insurance, but make the reservation ASAP.

2. Be flexible.

You want to travel on Tuesday but you can only get a flight on Wednesday? Take the flight      anyway. You don’t want to make stops? Well, the airlines are making it increasingly difficult for the occasional tourist to use the miles so sometimes that’s as good as it gets. When we went to Ireland, all the frequent flyer seats were booked for all flights within a week of our target date. We booked tickets for London instead and then bought Aer Lingus flights from London to Dublin for $24 apiece. We still got there. When we wanted to fly to New Zealand, we flew to Australia and changed planes. On our flight to South America, we found that if we came home on March 1 instead of February 28^th, we would each need 30,000 fewer miles. We came home on March 1^st.

Valparaiso, Chile

   3.   Change Credit Cards when companies offer deals.

        Many credit card companies offer bonus frequent flyer miles for signing up with them. Check         the terms of the credit card. Sometimes it pays to get one if they’re offering enough bonus             miles. “Oh the places you’ll go,” wrote Dr. Seuss.

 Happy traveling everyone!

folk music group in Guatemala