Carrickfergus Advertiser - Features - Ever Considered an Air Miles Credit Card?

Features

Ever Considered an Air Miles Credit Card?

Thursday, 29 September 2011

If you have a credit card then it is likely that you have at least considered the benefits of getting a rewards credit card in order to get the most you possibly can out of your card. One popular rewards credit card option is the air miles credit card, which is a type of credit card that gives you travel-related benefits. If this is something you've never considered before, it might well be worth changing your mind. Read on to find out more about why you should consider an air miles credit card.

What is an air miles credit card?
An air miles credit card is a type of rewards credit card that, as mentioned above, gives you benefits that are related to travel and - most commonly - flying. You earn air miles for everything you spend on your card. The amount of air miles you earn for each pound spent will depend on the specific card you have, but you can typically expect to earn either 1 or 2 air miles for each pound you spend on your card. Some purchases offer double air miles, offering you even more chances to earn extra miles.

As well as offering you air miles benefits, an air miles rewards credit card also works just like the vast majority of other credit cards. This means that you will be given a credit limit when you are accepted onto the card and will be required to make regular payments in order to pay off your balance. You'll also benefit from the normal benefits associated with credit cards. You can read more about this below.

How do I earn air miles?
When it comes to earning air miles, you will get them whenever you spend money on your card and you'd be surprised at how quickly they can add up. For instance, if you earn 1 air mile for every £1 you spend on your card and you spend £750 on your card each month, you'd be earning 750 air miles every month. That works out as 9000 air miles every year.

If you then made purchases that came with double air miles (typically, purchasing flights using your air miles credit card will count for this), you could earn even more air miles. If you take a flight then the miles from that will also be added onto your air miles balance. This means there are many opportunities to build up your air miles balance and, therefore, more opportunities for you to use the air miles you earn.

How can I use the air miles?
You can use your air miles through the flying club associated with your air miles credit card. When you take out your card, you will usually be asked to join the relevant flying club as this is where all your air miles are collected. It is also what allows you to see what air miles benefits are on offer and lets you spend your miles.

You can redeem your air miles against a range of rewards. This includes things such as combining air miles with cash in order to purchase flights, getting your seat upgraded from economy to upper class, getting complimentary companion reward flights in exchange for spending a certain amount on your card in a year, entire flights to a range of destinations, alternative trips (such as day trips to the spa), and more.

What are some of the other benefits?
As well as all of the airmiles credit card benefits that are associated with travel and flying, you will also receive the standard credit card benefits that help to ensure you get as much out of your card as you possibly can. They include the following.

Competitive APRs: As credit card companies are keen to get your custom, air miles credit cards will generally offer competitive APRs. This is what helps you tell how much interest you'll have to pay on your purchases, so it is definitely worth giving this some thought when applying for a card to make sure you apply for one that is right for you.

Contactless Payments: Increasingly, the air miles rewards credit card is making use of new contactless payment technology. This is currently available in some retailers for small purchases under £15 and it allows you to pay for goods without the need to enter your PIN every time.

Secure Purchase Protection: As with all other credit cards, air miles credit cards offer you secure purchase protection. This means that if something goes wrong with a purchase, such as you pay for a product but then don't receive it due to the company going into liquidation, you will be covered for the cost by your credit card provider.