There are many factors that go into deciding which credit card is the right one for you. The lure of enticing deals, cashback and discounts can often tip the balance in the decision making process. This can easily be done with a comparison site such as GoBear – where you can compare credit cards based on your desired rewards. Undoubtedly, one of the most desirable credit card perks is a generous air mile accumulator, and we recently shared a few tips and tricks about how to quickly rack up your air mile tally. While CardUp provides a straightforward way to earn your miles, figuring out the best way to redeem them and get the most value from your miles can be a time-consuming challenge. Here are our 4 top tips to help you fly further for less and ensure your miles won’t go to waste.
Travel Further
Whichever class you choose to fly, it makes sense to get the most out of your miles by travelling further. It gets progressively cheaper, mile-wise, to redeem points for long-haul rather than short-haul flights. For example, an economy round-trip to neighbouring Bali will set you back 15,000 air miles. Based on an average ticket price of $505, that equates to a value of $0.03 per mile. Whereas an economy round-trip to New York requires 80,000 miles which, based on an average ticket price of $3,461, comes in at a higher mile value of $0.04. Travel further and you’ll get greater value for your miles.
Bump up a travel class
Save your miles until you have enough to allow you to bump up a travel class. You get more value for your miles when you claim for higher travel classes as opposed to lower ones. For example, remember that return flight to New York we just mentioned? You can move up a class to business for 184,000 miles based on an average ticket price of $10,937. Which means the value of your miles increases to $0.06 per mile. Or indulge yourself to first class in exchange for 240,000 miles, based on a $20,000 average ticket price, and watch the value of your miles increase again to $0.08 per mile. If you’ve been looking for an excuse to ditch economy, this is it!
Be flexible
Do some research in advance of choosing your destination to find out where you can get the best value for your miles. You might find that somewhere close to your preferred destination is in fact a better deal. For example, if you’re flying to Europe you might get better value for your miles by flying to Paris in business class for $0.05 per mile compared to $0.04 per mile to London, or $0.03 per mile to Copenhagen. If you’re not quite where you need to be you can always hop on a shorter flight to your final destination of choice, or add an unexpected yet welcome detour into your travel plans!
Plan ahead
If you know you’ll be flying to London at some point in the future, start saving miles on a frequent flyer programme that gives the best value for that destination. For example, a return business flight to the UK requires less air miles using AsiaMiles (120,000) than Krisflyer (160,000). Equally SIA provide excellent air mile redemptions to African destinations (fly economy from as little as 50,000 miles, or business from 90,000 miles), while Krisflyer has competitive business and first class redemptions to locations like Japan, South Korea, and China. Fly there in business with 80,000 miles, or first with 120,000. Choose your credit card wisely and you could save a fortune the next time you fly.
Start using CardUp for regular, monthly payments and you’ll quickly see your air miles increase. Get the most bang for buck by making your payments with the best credit card for air miles, and earn exclusive rewards only with GoBear. Click here to sign up for a free CardUp account, log in if you’re an existing user or find out how it works here.
Information correct as of 18th December 2017. Please note the rate of rewards earned on CardUp transactions are at the discretion of the card issuing bank.*
*The example shown is illustrative only, and accurate to the best of our knowledge, based on information publicly available at the time of publication. Such information may be changed by third parties without notice to us. CardUp makes no warranties that the example given will be reliable, complete or kept up-to-date at all times, and shall not be liable in respect thereof.
