You might also like:
TPG reader Bert emailed me to ask about earning airline miles:
It seems counterintuitive, but you can sometimes save money by purchasing more airfare than you actually need. For example, you might buy a round-trip ticket and only use the first half if it’s cheaper than a one-way fare (also known as throwaway ticketing). Similarly, you might schedule a connecting flight that you don’t plan to take if the itinerary gets you to your real destination faster or at a better price (also known as hidden-city ticketing). These tactics carry some risk, but one thing you won’t have to worry about is earning rewards for the flights you do take.
Major airlines generally issue redeemable miles and elite credits for each flight segment individually. You won’t earn rewards for segments you skip, but you should be credited as normal for the segments you take even if you miss a latter part of the itinerary. For example, suppose you’re ticketed from Seattle to Boston round-trip with a stop in Chicago both ways. If you decide to stay in Chicago on the return, you’ll still get credit for the entire outbound flight, as well as the segment from Boston back to Chicago.
You may also be able to earn rewards for segments you don’t fly in the case of irregular operations. If you get rerouted or even rebooked on another carrier, you can ask for original routing credit from the airline that issued your ticket initially. This doesn’t apply if you simply show up late or ditch a flight by choice, but it’s a handy way to get the rewards you should have earned when the airline is at fault for the delay. As airlines shift toward revenue-based earning structures and make adjustments to partner earning rates, it’s important to account for every mile owed to you.
Keep in mind that airlines frown on tactics like throwaway ticketing and hidden-city ticketing. There are plenty of legitimate reasons to skip a flight, so you shouldn’t encounter problems if you do it sparingly. If you’re caught repeatedly abusing the system, however, your frequent flyer account could be shut down and you could lose all your miles.
If you’re going to ditch a flight, you’ll also want to avoid checking bags, since they’ll end up without you at the final ticketed destination. Also remember that the rest of the itinerary will be canceled, so you shouldn’t skip a flight if there are remaining portions that you intend to fly.
For more on the nuances of earning miles, check out these posts:
If you have any other questions, please tweet me @thepointsguy, message me on Facebook or send me an email at info@thepointsguy.com.
Source: thepointsguy.com