Ask Randy: Getting frequent-flier points with credit cards

— -- These are tumultuous times for frequent fliers, as struggling airlines continue to add new fees and restrictions to their loyalty programs. So we've invited frequent-flier expert Randy Petersen to take your queries and offer advice on how to make the most of your miles. Here are some recent queries; join him in his ongoing forum to post one of your own or help answer a question from a fellow reader.

ReaderBigGeorge: Randy, I have about 14,000 old miles in NW's WorldPerks. The account is inactive but occasionally they send me an update showing that those miles do indeed exist for me to use in their system. I also have an active Skymiles account with Delta that grows about 2,000 miles a month primarily through grocery, gasoline and other purchases on the AmExp card. My question is this: after the merger of Delta and NW is completed do you forsee an opportunity for my old Worldperks miles to be converted into Skymiles in my Delta account? Thanks in advance for your answer.

Randy Petersen:BigGeorge: If your 14,000 WorldPerks miles don't end up as Delta SkyMiles if and when they merge (and as of now, there seems to be no roadblocks to that effort), I will personally "gift" 14,000 of my own SkyMiles into your account — that's just how sure I am of this and of course I have the world (and USA Today) as witnesses to this.

I stay in good contact with both programs and there has never been anything but that for the plan.

NOW, having said that, let's be clear, you need to really make sure those miles stay active since they could expire on you. Here's what I'd do (and provide this as advice to any other frequent flyer who may have somewhat dormant miles on either side of this merger). Click on over to e-miles.com. It is a nice little program that will award you bonus miles with either Northwest WorldPerks or Delta SkyMiles just for looking at an online advertisement. It won't take up much of your times, minutes in fact, and allows you a very safe way to add a few frequent flyer miles to either account, which will post in the following quarter of your activity, so doing so now (by end of September) means they will post by years end — thus providing you with activity in either program to keep the miles alive until this merger takes place.

Why take a chance and really, any miles you have in either program will be worth saving since they will be added to the other balance you might have. There are not many chances to combine frequent flyer balances for free so make sure you don't lose out on this one.

Hope this helps and remember, it is up to you to help me keep your miles active.

Again, thanks for the question BigGeorge since I think this advice can help thousands of others in similar situations and with year end expiration coming, these small ways to keep your miles active means you will never lose out like others seem to do.

Reader KCFlatlander: Randy: a few years ago, I was a frequent Delta traveler, and ended up using all my SkyMiles for various reasons. I no longer hold status on Delta, but still have a SkyMIles account.

Meantime, my travels have me using NorthWest now, where I do have Gold status. When I travel on SkyTeam alliances, I load up the NW account.

With the merger, what's going to happen to me? Am I going to lose my status on NW because I already have a SkyMiles account?

Thank you!

Shawn in KC

Randy Petersen: No, your elite will retain to the highest level between the two programs. Northwest Elite become Delta's Medallion Elite and of course Delta's Medallion Elite retain that same title ... Medallion, something which the Northwest members will have to get used to. A word of caution for others — while the actual miles in each account (if you are lucky to have miles with each airlines) will be merged, do not expect Delta or Northwest to use any merged miles toward a new elite qualification. Say you had flown 15,000 on Northwest and for whatever reason had 10,000 flown on Delta in 2008. While merged miles will happen, you don't actually earn a merged new elite status for the sole reason that you had been able to actually declare miles to a single program throughout the year. Thanks for the question.

Reader Michael_Aus: Randy, I enjoy reading your column and keeping me informed. After living and traveling out of the Memphis hub for over 18 years, I have seen the ups and downs of NWA. In 2007, I retired and moved down to the New Orleans area to be closer to family. I had an Amex Sky Miles card that I closed when I left the area. I currently still hold the NWA World Perks Signature card and am worried about the decision of "Amex verses Visa". Will there be just one card and any idea who will come out the winner? Visa/Amex? Thanks for your answer, Michael

Randy Petersen: At first it was assumed that one card would rule this new mileage world. However, given the current world of credit crisis and banks being more selective in their credit borrowing practices, it is now assumed that Delta will not opt to go with a single card issuer and rather go with keeping the AmEx partnership AND another credit card partners. Now, it remains to be seen if this other card partner will be US Bank. They are a good consideration because there would likely be a low attrition rate — meaning that if they introduced another Visa/Mastercard partner, some cardholders would be lost in the shuffle, because members would have to self-select to move to the new bank from US Bank and of course the new bank would have to credit score these new cardholders in a very different time. And of course US Bank offers a debit card which at this time AmEx does not, though with some of the recent banking changes they could do down the road. If we were to follow history, your card you have today will continue to earn old WorldPerks miles or new Delta miles for at least the next two years. A good question, thanks.

Read more about the effects of the Delta-Northwest merger on frequent-flier miles in Randy Petersen's special " Help Desk" forum.