Prevent Your Frequent Flyer Miles From Expiring

By MoneyBlueBook

I used to fly a lot and racked up a lot of frequent flyer miles over the years, but now I have to be extra careful. Airline travelers who don't use their frequent flyer miles...well, frequently, may soon discover that their miles have expired. It is a growing trend, but airlines have shortened the time period that an account can remain inactive before miles expire. In most cases that time period ranges between 1 to 2 years.

Here Are the Expiration Policies For Some of the Biggest Airlines:

• AirTran: Points in A+ Rewards expire after 12 months.
• American Airlines: AAdvantage miles expire after 36 months of inactivity.
• Delta Airlines: Delta SkyMiles expire after 2 years of inactivity.
• JetBlue: TrueBlue points expire one full year from the date that they are earned.
• Northwest Airlines: Northwest WorldPerks miles expire if none are earned for 3 calendar years.
• Southwest Airlines: Rapid Rewards points expire after 2 years.
• United Airlines: Mileage Plus miles expire after 36 months of inactivity. Starting December 31, 2007, miles will expire after 18 months of inactivity.
• U.S. Airways: Dividend Miles expire after 18 months of inactivity.

How You Can Easily Prevent Mileage Expiration

The way to prevent your miles from lapsing due to inactivity is to simply generate miles-earning activity for each airline that you have an account with. Other using than using a specialized miles-generating credit card rewards like

By MoneyBlueBook

It looks like I may be taking a few overnight road trips in the next few weeks. It's a pleasure to stay at an elegant hotel, but sometimes you just want to crash at a more basic place to save some money. The hotel and motel partners of TripRewards don't offer five star accommodation, but they do deliver a comfortable stay at a cheaper price. Their hotels include brands such as Days Inn, Ramada, and Super 8. You pretty much get what you pay for, but without breaking the bank. Through Trip Rewards, you can earn reward points for stays at participating hotels, redeemable for future stays or gift cards.

I'm not going out of my way to participate in the promotion. It's just something extra for something I was planning on doing anyway. :)

Earn Bonus Points, Enough For a $25 Gift Card

This fall, Trip Rewards is offering a bonus points promotion, for the redemption equivalent of a $25 gift card. Complete two separate stays at a participating hotel from now until December 27 and you'll earn enough points to redeem for a free $25 gift card. Remember, it's two separate stays so consecutive nights still count as one stay, regardless of check in and check out. You will still earn the usual 10 Trip Rewards points for every $1 spent at a participating hotel.

The terms and conditions indicate that the bonus points awarded will be equal to 5,500 less the number of regular Trip Rewards points you earn for your stays,

By MoneyBlueBook

I think this company has been around for a few months now but it wasn't until recently that I heard about them. If you have been searching for ways to earn more frequent flyer miles or have been trying to find ways to top off the accumulated miles of your frequent flyer plans, now you have another option through E-Miles. E-Miles is offering to give you mileage points but in return, you guessed it, you have to view video ads and then complete surveys pertaining to the products featured on the ads.

Once you register with them and complete a profile, you are paid mileage points for every ad you view. You can earn 10-20 miles for each 30 second video, and even more points for longer ads. The ads are provided to you based on your previously completed profile in which you indicated your interests. I recommend having as many interests as possible. I actually enjoy the process because it's relatively painless and fairly quick. Earned mileage points are automatically deposited every quarter into the participating frequent flyer program of your choice.

Earning and Using the Miles

In general, a free domestic flight through most frequent flyer programs will run about 25,000 miles. If you regularly view the ads, you could reasonably earn a free domestic flight within a year. However, I only plan on using the program to help me get over the free ticket hump for my various frequent flyer plans. I could try to accumulate from scratch but than it would

By MoneyBlueBook

Editor's Note:  This offer is no longer available. 

I'm a big believer in using the right combination of cash rebate and credit card offers to maximize one's purchasing potential. In the search for the best travel rewards credit card, I've noticed that some people opt for airline specific cards. However, these types of cards tend to offer unimpressive deals. Not only do they offer higher interest rates and annual fees, but their redemption options are also much more limited.

Review - Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express

I'm a big fan of credit card reward plans that offer versatility such as Citibank's ThankYou Network, which I use to earn points redeemable for gift cards and air travel. However, my favorite stand alone travel rewards card is the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express. It has been referred to as the Swiss army knife of travel rewards cards and deservedly so...

By MoneyBlueBook

Citibank's ThankYou Points Network offers some of the best rewards. I currently own several Citibank credit cards and I get ThankYou rewards points for using them to purchase ordinary everyday things. With my current Citibank credit card setup, I receive 6% back in the form of Purchase Rebates on grocery stores, drug stores, and gas. I also receive 5% back on restaurants, coffee shops, movie theaters, and book stores. 1 Purchase Rebate = 100 ThankYou Points. For every 1 mile I drive, I also receive the equivalent of 1 ThankYou Point. They all generate rewards points and contribute to the same pool of ThankYou Points. I have been saving for over a year and it's time to put those points to good use. With the ThankYou Network you can exchange your points for things such as merchandise, electronics, gift cards, student loan credit, and even cash.

Great Exchange Rate for Travel Rewards

One of my favorite redemption choice is Thank You Point's Variable and Fixed Flight Option. With the Variable Travel Option you can redeem your Thank You Points for the equivalent of whatever the value of the flight cost is. However, you'll likely get the best deal by choosing the Fixed Flight Option. Below are the current point values needed for redemption (as of January 1, 2008, however since point levels are subject to change please contact a ThankYou Network Travel Specialist for the most current point pricing.

Coach:

Flights
Starting Points
Ticket Value ($)

Continental US

By MoneyBlueBook

I currently use Fidelity Investments as my investment brokerage firm. I have nothing but good things to say about the service they offer. Their selection of mutual funds is broad and their fees are reasonable. Their customer service is also top notch. I have a habit of occasionally bombarding their customer service department with random questions about my account and fees. I almost always receive a prompt reply. Occasionally it will be a few days before I hear from customer service, but they usually provide me with an excellent explanation or solution to my brokerage and investment related questions.

New Fidelity Account Promotions - Earn Free Frequent Flyer Miles For United Or American Airlines

Currently, Fidelity has several promotions for new customers, including offers for up to 25,000 United Airlines or American Airlines frequent flier miles for opening an account with new equity. The equity can be cash, stock, bond certificates, or transfers of the same from another broker. The Fidelity account must remain open for at least six months. The miles earned is determined by the amount of the initial deposit, which must be made within 90 days of account opening. Please carefully read all of the terms and conditions before proceeding.

United Airlines Mileage Plus Offer - Expires December 31, 2008.

American Airlines AAdvantage Offer - Expires May 31, 2009.

Initial Deposit
Miles Earned

$2,500
5,000

$10,000
15,000

$50,000
25,

Another Amazing Fidelity Sign-Up Cash Bonus Offer

Fidelity also has another offer for $100 for adding $10,000 in cash or assets to a new or existing account. I