What are frequent flyer awards?

What are frequent flyer awards? - A Person Holding a Paper with Printed Texts

I read stories such as http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2016/11/30/flyingblue-promo-awards-december/ . Now I understand that such stories are something to do with flying the same airline or alliance over and over again and you get points which can be redeemed for a ticket to some place. Are points and awards the same thing, or do they mean different things?



Best Answer

"Points" or "miles" are the currency you earn in the frequent flyer program as you travel. They are deposited to your account if you include your frequent flyer number on your reservation when you travel. They can also be earned by other actions, such as using a credit card associated with the loyalty program, staying in a hotel that offers frequent flyer miles, renting a car from a company that offers frequent flyer miles, and other earning opportunities you'll find listed on the program's website.

Awards are the things you "buy" with your miles. The most prominent such item are "award tickets," where you exchange a certain number of miles for a free flight ticket (in many cases, especially with international flights, you still have to pay taxes and fees, which may be substantial). There may also be "upgrade awards," where you redeem miles for an upgrade to first or business class. And many programs have non-travel awards, where you can spend your miles on consumer goods, magazine subscriptions, and other items. All of these will also be listed on the program's website. Some people become rather obsessive about maximizing their "bang for their buck" and getting the most value out of their miles.




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What qualifies you as a frequent flyer?

It all depends on the frequent flyer program of your choice, its rules and flights, that you take, but the rule of thumb is, that with just 3-4 flights a year you can think about yourself as a frequent flyer, who's entitled to certain perks.

How do I claim frequent flyer benefits?

Frequent Flyer Program Membership To benefit from a frequent flyer program, you must become a member of an airline's program. You can typically sign up for a frequent flyer program directly on an airline's website at no cost. There is no limit to the number of programs you may join.

What does frequent flyer mean on boarding pass?

Frequent-flyer programs, or FFPs, are loyalty schemes run by airlines or airline alliances. Every time customers fly, they accumulate points to be used on future travel as well as other benefits.



What is a Frequent Flyer Program? How do you choose one? How do you use it?




Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

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