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No.1 SET SHORT TERM GOALS Short-term goals are even more important than long-term plans This may seem counterintuitive given our usual advice to frequent flyers about long-term goals for their frequent flyer miles, but short-term actually trumps long-term goals. Chasing long-term goals can be discouraging because you're not seeing any immediate success. Instead of thinking only about saving enough miles for that around-the-world award, throw in some awards that will measure short-term success. Start with something simple like earning enough miles for a domestic first-class upgrade or earning low-level elite status. Post that goal somewhere where you can always see it. Marriott Rewards has the right idea with their DreamRewards Tracker that allows members to register for an award and track progress toward it. And of course, once you achieve a short-term goal, reset your goal and keep moving forward. Without short-term "wins" with your goals, it'll be a lot harder to reach that big-picture goal. No. 2 JUST DO IT You'll never get anywhere unless you get going Why do you think that travel loyalty programs offer bonuses? That's right, to stimulate members to do something. And if you are ever going to stay ahead of the increased mileage requirements for those first class tickets to Asia you want, you will need to pay attention to the plethora of bonus miles you'll be offered. They might just dictate where and when you travel. Double miles? Get thinking. Triple miles? Get going. It has long been the advice of the passive travel expert to just travel as you will and let the miles and points come to you. However, in today's economic climate, you just might find that the most difficult decision you'll face is deciding which of the many bonus offers are the best for you when you travel. So, get aggressive and get those extra miles and points. You'll need them to stay even with inflation. Just as in the rest of your life, he or she who hesitates loses. No. 3 FORGET EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT FREQUENT FLYER MILES Our best advice begins by busting these four myths: Myth 1: It's better to concentrate your miles in one program Okay, we've said this in the past and it may still be true. But, it may also be advice best left in the past. Some high flyers have found that there is a limit to what a single program can offer you--a lid on benefits, a lid on redemption opportunities and of course, a limit on the future. Today, high flyers and low flyers alike are finding that it makes sense to spread your miles around with a few programs, thus increasing your chances for award redemption (could all your FFPs be booked up for an award flight to Boston at the same time?). Also there are other types of redemptiosn to think about using your miles for, such as merchandise and special conversions to other travel programs. Myth 2: Miles are worth two cents per mile Honestly, whoever first said that should have to go through life at the dollar store. Fact is, miles have a variable value and for most, including us, it makes sense to use the miles when it feels best to you, and not be driven by some outdated and easily debunked myth like a mile being worth two cents. Miles can have many different values but their best value is for you to use them for something that simply feels right. For example, we've used miles in the past to fly in old friends to renew a favorite pastime of playing poker. Not this newfangled Texas hold 'em stuff, but the kind you play with friends where the pot is measured by the laughter around the table. Could we have bought the tickets for a cheap price? Probably, since we planned this well in advance. But it wasn't about cheap prices, it was about "saving money" and that drives redemptions these days more than anything. And the laughs? Priceless. Myth 3: Frequent flyer programs aren't worth it anymore It seems that 99 percent of "travel experts" have uttered this and frankly the general public doesn't seem to be listening because enrollment and redemption continue at a record-breaking pace. While there is a greater attraction to these programs from the "buying" public than the "flying" public than there used to be, there is little doubt that these programs have actually become more valuable to most--though not without some caveats. Granted, some awards have increased in mileage requirements. But given that more than 75 percent of all awards are at the 25,000-mile level, it seems strange to dismiss the entire value of these programs when the most popular award has remained relatively static for many years. And one could argue that 25,000 miles may even be easier to earn these days with the increasing number of non-travel partners and credit card bonuses. So, for the average member, FFPs are as valuable, if not even more valuable than in the past. For the high flyer, FFPs are certainly still worth it if you consider the newer benefits such as faster lines through security for elite members and free luggage check for elites. Despite what they say, programs today are worth every penny and minute invested in them in dollars and time. As many have discovered, the financial benefits of being an elite member do pay off--who the heck wants to pay for your luggage to be flown with you? Myth 4: No one can ever redeem their miles Uh, this is similar to the myth that claims that no one else can ever make any money from investing in the stock market. Truth is that here in the U.S., more than 20 million free award tickets are given out annually. But just like the stock market, it all depends on the person playing the game. Some members just aren't any good at following the rules and being flexible enough to get the most from their miles. They don't want to study the bonuses, understand the differences between programs or even read the rules of participation. Do this, and indeed, you'll be in this long list of members who are able to use their miles. No. 4 BELONG TO THE RIGHT PROGRAM What all members of frequent flyer programs need is to belong to the program that best fits their travel needs AND their award needs A New Trend -- SWUs vs. standby upgrades. Much is made of programs like Continental OnePass, which reward their elite members with unlimited standby upgrades. But that hasn't convinced millions of other frequent flyers to move their business to Continental. Why? Well, programs like United, which do not offer unlimited standby upgrades, offer a select number of systemwide upgrades and for many savvy travelers, an international upgrade is better than a whole lot of domestic upgrades. The new trend? All programs are not exactly alike. Total Control -- Low on miles? You have a choice of programs such as Frontier Airlines EarlyReturns. They offer domestic awards for as few as 20,000 miles, which by our calculations, is 5,000 miles less than most of the other larger programs. Fewer required miles means faster earned awards. Shorter Expiration Period -- Okay, you're not the world's most frequent flyer and worry about your miles expiring. Well, you should because recent changes to most programs have shortened the lifetime of your miles to as few as 12 to 18 months. To protect yourself in these types of situations, you might want to research a little and change to a program offering a longer expiration period for your miles so you don't have to worry. For instance, JetBlue's points expire after one year, while miles with Alaska Airlines don't expire for two years. Pumped Up for Benefits -- You'll see it mentioned elsewhere in this article, but the days of thinking of these programs only as repositories for free travel has been eclipsed by emerging benefits thought to be more valuable to the actual travel process than ever before. Chief among these is the continuing expansion of elite-line access to speed your way through security at the airport. Eight years after 9/11 hasn't made the airport security process much better and we now rely on the ingenuity of programs and their partners to help us. Who hasn't thought that the free CLEAR card benefit offered to select elite members of hotel loyalty programs is not worthy of working your way toward being an MVP? As well, with all but elite members of frequent flyer programs now feeling the pinch to pay for their checked and overweight luggage, this alone is a benefit that offers actual travel savings. Look for signs that show you belong to the right program. And if the signs aren't there, it might mean it's time to switch programs. If there are important benefits that you are not receiving as part of your travel loyalty, then you do not belong to the right program for you. It really is that simple. Do your research and jump ship when it's necessary. No. 5 DO THIS DAILY The perfect complement to your FFP research We're all busy and the idea of actually trying to keep up with the news about your favorite program (or maybe one you'd like to move to) is a challenging one. Later in this article we will note participation in some of the various online travel communities, but that can take time. What we advise for members is to use news alerts from either Google or Yahoo! to send you the latest news about your programs via email. You don't have to go out of your way (we're all at a keyboard on a regular basis it seems) and a daily scan of a single email can give you just what you need to keep up on the news. These news alerts can be programmed for the frequent travel program name and include news and blogs in which they are mentioned. It can take mere seconds each day to scan the news related to your program and then you can decide from your email alerts if it is something worthy of more time and action. You might not get news alerts every day and at times not even weekly, but when a promotion or partner change or something is newsworthy, it will come to you--and that is the best part of all. No. 6 MILES FOR YOURSELF Let frequent flyer miles give you freedom The purpose of frequent flyer miles for a large number of members is to enjoy life--somewhere else. Sure, there are road warriors who lament the prospect of yet another trip and the best award might just be to be able to cash in miles to stay home. But for the vast majority of members, miles were made for traveling and that is best way to enjoy these programs. There will be no more saving for that proverbial rainy day, "have miles will travel" and that's why the pursuit of happiness can include going there for free--or as we like to say these days, "for less than the going rate." So, the next time that you rip something out of a magazine about the running of the bulls in Pamplona, just think, you have enough miles to see it in person. No 7 ACT LIKE THE WORLD'S SMARTEST FREQUENT FLYER Listen and learn Many of the smartest frequent flyer fanatics in the world participate and post on FlyerTalk.com and with nearly 11 million posts, there is every bit of evidence that in the world of miles and points, everything you might need to become the world's smartest frequent flyer is here--and that's not an overstatement. From the brightest frequent flyer advice for mileage runs to re-qualify for elite status, to figuring out how to use the ANA award calendar for partner redemption with Star Alliance partners, or when to hold and fold for a standby upgrade--it's all here. Daily, hundreds of thank you notes flow to this Web site from travelers like yourself who have seen their frequent flyer IQ skyrocket. This single Web site can prepare you for just about any travel situation and you'll be ready for anything the road throws at you. No 8 TAKE RESEARCH AS SERIOUSLY AS YOU DO YOUR MILES Know where your next mile is coming from Elsewhere in these commandments we've alluded to news alerts to assist you in keeping up with FFP program news and suggested using online resources to help you act like the world's smartest frequent flyer. But now we have to shamelessly return you to where the action really is--the Web sites for your handful of active travel loyalty programs. Time after time members are unprepared for what is going on with their programs and while the other tools we've mentioned can help, you still need a real base of information to know what all that other stuff is about. For years now there has been a growing lack of attention to the basic information of each program, knowing what the rules actually are and when they apply. If there is anything we'd like for you to understand, it is the need to revisit and go over your programs where they live--their Web sites. Stop in and read the program newsletter if you haven't done that lately and add your email address to receive communication from your programs. And the most important part of this advice is to review and adjust your profile, if necessary. We'd estimate that nearly 30 percent of members have a wrong email address on file and it is these types of small details that can trip up even the savviest frequent flyer. Check out each of the features. Recently in an audit of one of my programs, I found an electronic upgrade that was about to expire that I had no idea I had. Also, I realized one of my airlines still had an older seat preference profile from before the time of elite seating and that was why I was still getting emergency exit seating--when in fact there was better economy seating more forward in the airplane. Yes, it is easy to think you can manage your program or know all about it from afar with the impact of the Internet and the lapse of real mail in your mailbox, and while this commandment is not among the most prominent, it is truly one of the most valuable. No. 9 STAY IN THE MOMENT (WITH THE RIGHT AWARD REDEMPTION) And know what you really want There's no doubt that most frequent flyers over time forget their original reason of why they were drawn to earning mega-miles. Frequent flyers are like everyone else, as you get older or rather more experienced, with an activity you participate in, your goals and desires change. Long ago we introduced the concept that perks had became more important than points (miles) to a growing generation of mileage boomers--and that statement is as true today as it was 15 years ago when we first said it. But the challenge for a frequent flyer is to understand what you really want as a traveler when you pay for your travel and use miles to mimic those same requirements. Have you always wished and planned to go to Paris when the fact is that you are headed to Portland? As you get agitated with fellow travelers as they take their time to find their seats as you instinctively know where 22C is on the plane, then maybe it's time to forget Paris and go for the upgrades. We know many a frequent flyer who would never ever spend miles for a free flight--and that's because they have used every mile they have ever earned to only fly first class--regardless of the number of miles it takes. Those FFP members really are "in the moment" with their award redemption. They know exactly what it is they want from their particular program and have stayed the course toward that type of award redemption year after year after year. There's something to be said for being in-tune with what works for you. But if you've wavered from your original intent, take some time to determine what you really want now. The bottom line is always, what is it you really want from life? Okay, the life of your miles. No. 10 KNOW WHEN TO QUIT When a mile is worth going an extra mile, and when it's not As with everything in life, there should be some moderation. And while some of the other commandments seem to be saying you really should go for it, there are times when you might need to take a deep breath, exhale slowly and occasionally pass on this whole mileage thing. Is this our best advice for No. 10? Yes, as much as we are proponents of the advantages of miles, points and travel benefits, there are any number of times when participation is not considered advantageous for you. Examples? Paying more for something just to earn the miles. Hey, if money is no object, then spend yourself crazy but as we know, most of the richer folks of this world got there by being thrifty and miles can be viewed in the same way. There are many times when just earning more miles doesn't solve the basic problem. Will more miles get you the award seat you want? Yes, possibly, with the advantages of more expensive "anytime" awards. But, with the knowledge gained from practicing any combination of these 10 commandments, it is more likely that you would not have to pay the "anytime" price for an award and will not need to foolishly earn more. Over time, like a veteran of any battle, you'll learn that knowledge is more powerful than youth and with that you'll know when it's really worth it to earn that extra mile.  
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