The Beginner's Guide To Frequent Flier Miles

In the beginning:

Airlines wanted to reward and retain customers. They set up Frequent Flier Programs for their loyal customers with which they could accrue "frequent flier miles" or "points" every time they flew. The miles and points accrued were available for members to redeem for future flights.

The system works similar to an arcade in that the more points you earn, the bigger the prize you get when you turn in your points. You could also think of it as: buy 10 cups of coffee and get the 11th free.

Soon, airlines began making deals with retailers who could offer purchasers' frequent flier miles/points when they bought a certain product. For example, American Airlines struck a deal with Kellogg's so that a box of Nutrigrain Bars was worth 500 miles when the buyer of bars mailed the code on the box to the airline.

These "deals" and partnerships have expanded to online shopping, car rentals, hotels, credit and debit cards, and even partnerships between competing airlines.

Before long, the process of acquiring frequent flier miles and points has become a game for intrepid travelers who call themselves "travel hackers."

The Game Intensifies:

Over the past five to 10 years, the partnership deals between airlines and their partners have proved very rewarding to those who are able to identify legal loopholes. Frugal travel gurus have identified and exploited the deals to maximize the amount of frequent flier miles/points accrued. The more miles means a bigger prize. And in this game, the prize is free travel.

What draws people to the travel-hacking game is gaining the most frequent flier miles/points for the least amount of out-of-pocket expense; i.e., flying for next to nothing, traveling for next to nothing, seeing the world for next to nothing, taking your family on vacation for next to nothing.

Rick Ingersoll is one of many frugal travel gurus who enjoy finding and sharing the deals. His website www.frugaltravelguy.blogspot.com is a wealth of information that Ingersoll has acquired over years of experience in the travel-hacking game. A former banker, Rick specializes in the partnerships between airlines and the credit card companies. These deals are often the most rewarding in terms of accrued frequent flier miles and points. His tips have taught many people how to make the most of rewards programs offered by banks to travel at prices they can afford while, most importantly, maintaining a healthy credit score. Rick repeatedly reminds people, "Your credit is your most important asset."

A growing online community of travel gurus has provided hundreds of people with the opportunity to see and experience the world as they never imagined they could. But it takes practice and patience. Novices to "the game" need to study some of the tricks of the trade and learn the rules of the game. The Frugal Travel Guy Handbook by Rick Ingersoll is a good place to start. It's available on Kindle and at Amazon.com.

It must be noted that the travel-hacking game is one of limits. Hackers always seek out the next big deal, but greed has seen deals killed in seconds, thereby ruining the opportunity for everyone else.

For those new to the travel-hacking game: Study the tips and techniques on blogs like The Frugal Travel Guy, bring a positive attitude and a sense of adventure, and you, too, can experience the world at prices you can afford.