Ways to Save With Airline Loyalty Programs

March 25, 2009 — -- In these tight economic times many of us have become "frugal travelers" -- some of us have done so kicking and screaming, but for others, it's a badge of honor.

I suppose I should define "frugal," but that really encompasses a wide ranger of fliers. It could be the flier who wouldn't dream of enjoying a cocktail on a plane because spending $6 on a beer is unfathomable, or frugal travelers like me, whose only bag is a carry-on because, really, who wants to pay an extra $30 round-trip if you don't have to?

The cheapskates (and I include myself) are quick to save tens of dollars, but sometimes they unknowingly leave thousands on the table. How? By not joining or keeping up with frequent flier programs.

Don't worry, this is not meant to be dense report on all the minutiae of airline mileage programs. If it was, it would take perhaps 100 columns and a flight from here to Dubai to read it all.

Instead, I want to point out some of the reasons why you should, now more than ever, consider joining. And no, it's not just about the free flights.

For more air travel news and insights, visit Rick's blog at farecompare.com

First of all, frequent flier miles programs are free. OK, it does cost a minute or two of your time to fill out the form, but that's it. And yet so many people don't bother.

At a recent airline marketing conference I attended, American Airlines Marketing Vice President Daniel Garton noted that close to 60 million signed up for AA's Advantage program, but only about half their ticketed customers specified loyalty program credentials. That's not so surprising, really. Estimates indicate that more than 70 percent of all miles program members are "inactive" and many never even sign up. What are they missing?

The obvious is free flights. But nowadays, it can be much more.