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Earning
airline miles is easy. All you have to do is
use the
credit card that offers airline miles rewards
when making your credit purchases. And if you pay
close attention to the details that discuss how
and when airline miles accrue, you’ll be accruing
airline miles in no time.
With so much competition for your business, credit
card issuers are always looking for ways to
attract new business. One incentive that has
withstood the test of time is offering credit card
holders the ability to earn airline miles as
incentive for using that issuer’s credit card
instead of the others that might be in their
wallets. Some offers even allow card holders to
redeem airline miles for other travel-related
benefits including hotels, car reservations, and
cruises!
If you’re looking for a credit card that offers
airline miles, there is more to compare than
airline mile accumulation rates. For each airline
miles credit card offer you review, you also want
to know whether there is an annual membership fee
for the credit card and if so, the amount. It’ll
be important also to know the
interest rate for new purchases,
cash advances and
balance transfers and whether those
interest rates are introductory rates,
fixed rates or
variable rates.
One thing many overlook when comparing offers are
the fees that will be charged for various actions
including cash advances, balance transfers, late
payments, and exceeding the
credit limit. These fees can be significant
and can make an offer far less appealing than at
first glance.
Also pay close attention to the rules governing
using airline miles that you have accumulated. For
example, there may be blackout dates (dates during
which you will not be able to use accumulated
miles towards the purchase of airline tickets).
Unfortunately, blackout dates generally fall
during times of high demand. You might have to use
a certain travel agent when booking your trip,
too.
You might also be required to book your airline
reservation only on certain airlines. And there
might be a “use-or-lose” period meaning that if
you don’t redeem accumulated airline miles within
a certain period of time, you lose what has been
accumulated. Such requirements are not necessarily
bad, but they can limit your ability to redeem
your airline miles during the time and to the
destination you want to travel.
If you’re looking for a way to reduce your travel
budget, a credit card that offers airline miles
can help. |
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