See the World with Air Miles (Air Miles)

Member Name: sjstokes

Product:	Air Miles
Date:	18/06/01 (2417 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Redeemable for cheap flights, Easy to collect, Booking is easy over the internet

Disadvantages: Can be slow to collect if you don't go chasing them, You'll need somewhere to store 110 packets of biscuits (see my opinion!)

What are Air Miles?

It's basically a loyalty card scheme where by buying certain products you're awarded the said Air Miles. These can be used to book flights through airlines such as British Airways, British Midland and American Airlines. They can also be used for other things such as days out (e.g. Alton Towers), cinema tickets and so on.

I first started collecting Air Miles back in the dim and distant past of my university days. To be honest, I paid little attention to them back then. At my initial rate of collection it would've taken several years just to get off the airport runway.

Times change and so do personal circumstances. I started working as a self-employed water treatment engineer which amongst other things meant plenty of driving in between jobs. Plenty of driving means lots of petrol - the Nat West credit card took a hammering. Anyway, it just so happens that Nat West credit cards are one of Air Miles partners and I was earning one air mile for every £10 spent on the card (as a side issue this is now one mile for every £20). A Shell Smart Card was soon acquired. They too are Air Miles partners so I was earning twice over whenever I bought any petrol from them. The Air Miles balance started to accumulate...

I could soon see I was on to a good thing here. I wasn't actually paying for the petrol out of my own pocket - it was a business expense so my air miles were coming for nothing. Still, at this rate I figured it was still going to be a while before I had enough miles to actually FLY anywhere.

Wandering round Sainsbury's one day I picked up a leaflet for their loyalty card. It seemed you could convert their points for Air Miles at an effective rate of 40 miles for every £2.50 worth of points. Even better, scattered around the store were lots of items with extra points - some of them very generous to boot! All of a sudden my Air Miles balance was soaring through the clouds. In what se
emed like very little time, I had amassed enough points for my first flight - a return trip from London Heathrow to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. It wasn't entirely free - I did still have to pay the airport taxes - but at about £20, still well worth it.

I got a bit more ambitious and soon had enough miles for a return flight to the Big Apple. New York could be had for 2900 Air Miles if you booked it at the right time of year: The "Air Miles Shrinks the World" promotion.

A couple of months back I got three return flights to Brussels for 1350 Air Miles. Even with the airport taxes and (non compulsory) insurance, at a total cost of £95.70, it was a considerable saving on the advertised British Airways price.

As you'll have guessed by now I'm a very keen collector of Air Miles. For those of you out there who think you might become the same... here are a couple of collecting tips.

(1) By far and away the fastest way to collect Air Miles is to take advantage of the extra reward points on offer at Sainsbury's. It is occasionally possible to earn enough miles for a short flight (e.g. Paris) from groceries costing LESS than the equivalent ticket price. A recent posting on the Air Miles message board tells how one person bought 110 packets(!!) of Go Ahead biscuits for about £33 and earned enough Air Miles for a return flight to Jersey. The Sainsbury's website (www.sainsbury.co.uk) gives details on the latest extra reward points offers.

(2) Petrol is also a good way to earn miles if, like me, you do a high mileage. The ideal combination seems to be to use a Nat West or a Sainsbury's credit card at a Sainsbury's petrol station. You can also use the credit card in conjunction with a Shell Smart card at a Shell garage though the rate of return is not as good (and appears to be gradually diminishing over time).

Also, as I mentioned earlier, you're not only restricted to redeeming your mile
s on flights. They can also be exchanged for days out at places such as Madame Tussaud, Thorpe Park and the like. They'll also get you reduced hotel rates, free cinema tickets, even a day at a health spa - which you'll probably need after scoffing 110 packets of biscuits!

There are many other ways to collect and spend your Air Miles and a visit to the scheme's website (www.airmiles.co.uk) will keep you up to breast on all of the latest offers.

Happy collecting!

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