Be Prepared with Loyalty Memberships

In 2011, I flew a total of 85,645 miles, all for leisure and the most I have ever flown in a calendar year.  Unfortunately, I did not receive maximum credit for much of this total.  Let my experience be a lesson so you do not suffer the same fate.

While I was used to issuing my account numbers for my United MileagePlus and Southwest Rapid Rewards accounts, it did not even register in my mind to try to accrue points when flying on China Eastern Airlines or EVA Airways.

Here are some tips to maximize value:

1.  Before flying on a specific carrier, research on what program you can accumulate points.  I made the mistake of opening a new Evergreen Club (EVA Airways) account when flying LAX-TPE-SIN instead of realizing that I could have credited those 8,780 miles to my United MileagePlus account since EVA Airways is a member of the Star Alliance.  Avoid fragmenting your mileage accumulation across frequent-flyer programs within an alliance.  Flying different airlines within an alliance is perfectly okay.

2.  Append your account number as soon as possible, before your flight(s).  It is an annoyance to have to remember to submit the missing mileage request.  Delayed requests often result in delayed or even no credit.

3.  Open any new account as soon as possible, before your flight(s).  Airline policies vary on retroactively issuing credit on flights flown.  United Airlines will accept credit for flights completed up to 31 days prior to the enrollment date of their MileagePlus program.  However, American Airlines will not grant credit if an individual were not enrolled in their AAdvantage program at the time of the flight.