Air travel has undergone a tremendous change in the last few decades, and this has made it a popular, cost-effective and a fast mode of transportation. In recent times, a number of amendments have been made to flying rules and regulations, technological changes in aircraft and services offered in-flight. All these have helped in bringing down the cost of flight tickets, thereby, more people to opt for it not just for international but domestic journeys as well. In addition to these developments, the advent of low-cost carriers (LCCs), and them offering deals, discounts and loyalty programmes have made air travel even more cost-efficient.

Flier Miles

These miles are part of frequent-flier programs - a loyalty program, which can be availed by people to get discounts or reward points for travelling with a particular airline. In recent years, different carriers are bonding up with the banking service providers, and offering more points than normal, if travellers make payment using debit/credit card of a specified bank. It can be called as virtual money, accumulated by grabbing opportunities that can be redeemed to upgrade travel class, for priority bookings or to access airport lounge. Many a time, they also can be used to get discounts on the price of air tickets (as per guidelines of the airline). Using these miles at apt time can ensure cheapest airfare along with other facilities. However, if they are not used properly or on time, they get lapse also, and there are quite a few travellers, who optimise the benefits of these programs to the fullest.

Tracking the Points

Experienced fliers insist on checking the miles count after purchase of each air ticket as it is often not credited to their account. This is the first step towards getting full benefit of the program, and here are some expert tips that can solve this issue without putting any extra effort. Industry experts insist on keeping the record of a journey for at least three months to claim the due benefits that travellers are entitled to. In this case, if flier miles are not credited in three months (standard time in case of most flights), then they can follow up the procedure mentioned by the airline and produce the details of their tickets, if necessary. Numerous travel portals and program sites provide option to claim these benefits online.

With increasing awareness among travellers, the gaps and delays in these schemes have been filled to a large extent. As they are available for a limited period of time, points often disappear from the account. In case, the flier mile is on the verge of expiry and there is no travel plan in the coming future, then travellers can avail a magazine subscription at the airport or any other such service that can be availed in future. If the points are availed on a credit card, then the banks also offer cash back, which is the best option to save value of these gained points.