Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
miles or double elite qualifying miles (these miles, unlike normal miles, count toward your
elite flyer status and can be earned only by flying) if you fly a certain route. When airlines
get into price wars or offer new routes, they often launch ridiculous double or triple mile
offers. Many people then fly these routes just for the miles. They will fly from California
to New York and back again if they find a dirt cheap fare in order to gain miles. Mileage
runs are very common and, while not free, can be a useful method to gain a lot of miles on
a cheap fare.
Put Everything on the Card:
I pay nothing in cash. I put everything on my travel credit
card—from Starbucks to phone bills. My total monthly spending, including my business
expenses, is about $3,000 per month. That's 36,000 miles just for doing nothing special.
That's a free one-way flight to Europe right there.
In the movie
Up in the Air
, George Clooney's character said, “I don't do anything if it doesn't benefit
my miles account.” Think like that. By following the tips in this chapter and using the websites listed in the
credit card section for finding bonus offers, you'll be able to accumulate a lot of flight miles.
DON'T MISS OUT ON SALES
No one likes to clutter up their inbox, but by signing up for mailing lists from airlines and search engines,
you'll be able to get updates about last-minute deals or mistake fares (like a recent $130 USD New York
to Tokyo flight on Priceline). Many times, ticket sales are available for only 24 hours, and if you aren't al-
ways checking the web, you miss out. I would have missed out on a round trip ticket to Japan for $700 USD
(normally $1,500) if I hadn't been on the American Airlines mailing list. Mailing lists are essential, and I
subscribe to a ton.
The websites Airfarewatchdog, Holiday Pirates (Europe based), and The Flight Deal are great sites that
will keep you alert of last-minute specials or deals.
Stay on Top of Twitter Feeds
Twitter can be an excellent place to find cheap airfares. Many airlines offer specials that can't be found any-
where other than Twitter. You don't need to have a Twitter account to be eligible for these fares or even to
be able to see them, as Twitter feeds are open to the public. For example, Jetblue (twitter.com/jetblue) is
famous for their Tuesday Twitter fare sales.
You can find a good list of all the airline Twitter handles at twitter.com/johnnyjet/lists/airlines.
Buy at the Right Time
The best time to book a ticket is six to eight weeks before your flight, or twelve to sixteen weeks ahead if
booking during peak season. During this time period, airlines know if a flight is going to sell or not and will
begin to either lower or increase fares based on demand. Don't wait until the last second because airlines
realize if you are booking close to departure, you probably need the flight. On the flip side, don't book too
far in advance because airlines are going to wait as long as possible to release the cheaper fares.
