There’s a bit of an art to utilizing bonus stuff.
So, after months of spending wisely, you’ve saved up a ton of points and Air Miles. There are a few things you can do at this point, but you worked hard to build up all those rewards, so why not make your points and miles work for you?
When you build up a lot of miles and points from business travel, you may be reluctant to use them at first. This is normal, but those points are yours to do with as you wish. Some inexperienced business travelers make the mistake of thinking that rewards earned on a business card belong to their business. When an airline gives away points and/or miles, they go to the person who occupied the seat, regardless of other circumstances. The second thing inexperienced business travelers do is use their points ineffectively. There are a few things you can do to not repeat their mistakes.
The first thing you need to do is take a deep breath and figure out how to use your points. Take one step at a time, but make sure you use them. Waiting for the perfect time or opportunity will likely cause you to miss out on a deal.
Next, try to focus on one rewards program at a time instead of trying to grab as many rewards as you can. Even if you only have one program, using it efficiently is better than using 5 wastefully. Take it slow and learn about one program and its benefits to you at a time. Also, using your issuer’s rewards portal first will help you gain as many rewards as you can, and you should do it as much as possible.
Lastly, we have the fun part. When it comes to what to do when redeeming your rewards, look to what the pros are doing. You should never pay more for a flight in points and miles than if you’d just bought the flight normally. The rest is up to you, so enjoy!
