The best means to fly for free is with an air miles credit card. These cards give you the most miles based on how much you spend with them. These ‘miles’ work as points that allow you to utilize a frequent flyer programme, like Singapore Airlines’ Krisflyer programme.
Some cards allow you to get other things too. You can redeem the miles for vouchers or even cash!
A lot of credit cards here in Singapore offer extra perks that improve your travel as well. Some of these benefits are travel insurance, lounge access, special hotel privileges, and loads more. Certain cards give even more benefits overseas.
There are a huge number of air miles credit cards. It would take forever to look at them all one-by-one. Miles cards tend not to waive their annual fees either, so you’ll need to account for that too.
Here are some basic things to look out for when choosing the best air miles credit card for your specific needs:
Credit Card Name | Card Category | Perks | |
---|---|---|---|
American Express® Platinum Credit Card | Rewards Points | Best reward perks | Apply Now |
Citi Premiermiles card | Air Miles | Earn non-expiring bonus miles | Apply Now |
UOB PRVI Miles Card | Air Miles | Highest miles per dollar spend ratio | Apply Now |
American Express® Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card | Air Miles | Earn miles plus travel perks | Apply Now |
DBS Altitude Card | Air Miles | Earn non-expiring bonus miles | Apply Now |
Visa Infinite Card (Standard Chartered Bank) | Air Miles | Earn miles plus VIP lounge access | Apply Now |
The terms and conditions, or T&Cs, of your credit card are not to be ignored. It is important to take note of these things and locate any details that your credit card issuer may not want you to know about right away.
Some issues to look for are the expiry of your air miles, air miles cap, and so on.
There are two main questions to think about here:
• How frequently do you travel?
• Can your credit card expenses earn you enough air miles to gain free flights?
If you travel a lot and love doing it, then an air miles card is obviously a good choice. This is especially true if you tend to travel long distances in one trip.
The other factor is how often you spend with your credit card. If you use it infrequently, there’s a low chance of being able to gain a free flight quickly. On the other hand, if you use it frequently and spend on your trips with the credit card, you should be able to build up points quite fast.
If you love to travel, then you definitely need one! Whether you travel for business or for pleasure, an air miles credit card will provide you with a lot of benefits. Spending with your credit card while overseas will provide you with a lot of bonus air miles, allowing you to get free flights for future trips.
It makes perfect sense that you would use an air miles credit card to earn miles while traveling. If you prefer to make money back from your trips, however, you can get a cashback card instead.
The choice is a lot easier than you might expect. You simply need to determine if you spend more on travel than you do at home. If you spend more on flights, then an air miles credit card is the choice for you. On the other hand, if you tend to need cash more often, then a cashback card is better for you.
Most credit cards provide some means of gaining air miles. However, there’s no point in getting a credit card with multiple reward options if you just want air miles. Choosing a credit card that is specific to your needs is the best course of action.
Frequent flyer programmes offer promotions that build up with your credit card. You can use this to gain rewards faster and acquire higher cost rewards for fewer air miles.
It is always best to use your credit card on things that you buy regularly, such as groceries. Using your card to buy these things will help you build up your air miles much quicker than a one-off spend.
When you buy the items with your credit card, immediately pay it off to avoid any fees. This way, you get your air miles without costing you any extra money.
Say you’re going out for lunch with a few friends. One smart way to gain a few extra air miles would be to pay for all of your lunches together with your credit card. Afterwards, get your friends to give you their share in cash and all is well with the world again.
A points management system is highly important, especially if you use multiple air mile credit cards. The system gives you advanced warning when your miles are about to expire. It also helps you keep track of how many miles you have on each card.
Frequent flyer miles are known as air miles. They work as a form of loyalty to those who fly often. You gain points every time you fly with that particular airline. When you have enough points, you can use them to get certain incentives, like free flights or ticket upgrades.
Some credit cards will also offer air miles. This means you will earn points based on your credit card usage, rather than by flying. If you don’t fly very often but like to take a trip every year or two, this would be a good incentive for you.
An air miles credit card converts a percentage of your spending into air miles points. It works in the same way as any other credit card reward system. Once you build up enough points, you can redeem them for things like free flights, hotels, car rentals, and more!
Some other credit cards will also give you reward points that can then be converted into air miles. This is preferable if you only need air miles occasionally.
The most commonly used air miles program in Singapore is KrisFlyer Miles. The majority of cards partner with them, so you can earn air miles with all of them.
Two more popular programs are Asia Miles and Japan Airline’s ANA Miles. Another popular option for entry-level credit cards is Citi Premier Miles. They have the best network of air mile partners for credit card holders at that level.
Once you have enough points saved up, you can exchange them for air miles. You can redeem them online, over the phone, or with whatever specific method stated by the credit card provider. Airlines have different conversion rates from banks, so make sure to take that into account before choosing your credit card.
Take note that the number of air miles you have does not equal the number of miles that you get to fly for free. One example of this difference is the economy and business classes. An economy flight may cost 15,000 air miles, while a business flight of the same duration would cost 100,000.
You can also use air miles to upgrade your flight class. If you’ve already booked a flight, you can choose to pay the economy price and then use your air miles to upgrade it to business or first class. This will typically cost up to 50,000 air miles.
You can even redeem points for someone else if you want. This can save some air miles. Instead of buying a class upgrade for yourself at 120,000 air miles, you can buy it for your companion at just 75,000.
On top of all this, air miles can also be used to redeem things other than flights. You can use them to acquire certain items that are available, get discounts at select restaurants, and so much more. You can only do this if your air miles reward program works that way.
ome credit cards directly convert points to air miles without any fee. Other cards have a conversion fee that you must pay every time you convert them. The average fee is S$25.
It tends to take a while to earn enough air miles to earn a free flight. This is especially true if you gain most of your air miles from groceries and other small purchases. Obviously, you’ll earn points faster if you use your credit card on more expensive things.
Using your credit card while traveling will also help get you enough points in as short a time as possible. Overseas rates might be even better than your local ones. You should also take advantage of bonus miles earned from partner merchants.
Each credit card uses a different program to gain points. There is no best program to use. Each bank uses a different program, so you will need to look into them to determine which works best for you.
Some cards go directly into frequent flyer programmes, such as Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer. This reduces a lot of the hassle that comes with converting.
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