The Ultimate Guide to Frequent Flyer Miles
If you’re one of those people who lets your airline miles languish unused in a forgotten account or (heaven forbid) doesn’t bother to sign up with airline programs at all when you fly, Travis Sherry has some words for you. 35,000 words, actually.
Sherry has put together a packed guide to collecting and making the best use of those miles and hotel points. Why bother? Well, Sherry aims to teach you how to get to your dream destination — whether that be Miami or Maldives — at little-to-no cost through being smart with frequent flyer miles.The Ultimate Guide to Frequent Flyer Miles, a US$99 package, includes an ebook, ebook audio recording, videos, spreadsheets and more. The multimedia approach is a clever one for reaching out to individuals who might absorb material in different ways.
Book: The Ultimate Guide to Frequent Flyer Miles
Author: Travis Sherry
Price: US$99
Includes: ebook, audio recording, videos explaining some of the more important and complicated concepts (such as reading airline award charts), a spreadsheet to keep track of your frequent flyer programs, and two bonus e-pamphlets tackling more advanced frequent flyer tips
Get it here: Extra Pack of Peanuts
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The Guide is written with a light touch, making for a quick and easy read:
Sherry doesn’t assume readers have any knowledge of travel programs, so he carefully explains the basics, such as the fact that award miles are not the same as physical distance miles (“Just like tickets at an arcade, you need a certain amount to get a certain level of prize!”). Newbies will appreciate the clear video walkthroughs of potentially confusing topics like reading award charts.
A large portion of the Guide focuses on accruing miles through credit card signups and usage, and those who think they might not have the discipline to juggle multiple credit cards without getting into financial trouble should be cautious.
Things also change quickly in the frequent flyer world, and though Sherry promises lifetime updates as part of this package, users will have to regularly check his site for developments–developments that will presumably also be reported on other free blogs and forums.
If you’re now onboard with frequent flying but your loved ones are not, Sherry has advice on how to convince skeptics: show, don’t tell, these skeptics how collecting airline miles and hotel points can improve travel experiences or make them possible in the first place. No words are as convincing as settling into a plush first-class seat for yourself, sipping champagne and chomping on warm nuts on your way to Bora Bora.
I know his advice works because it worked on me: a few years ago, I played skeptic to my boyfriend’s frequent flyer schemes. Get credit cards just for the sign-up bonuses? Take flights for no reason but the miles? Really? It sounded kind of crazy. Then. THEN. I traveled with him. And got upgraded with him. For someone who had always flown economy and stayed in basic accommodations, the experience was eye-opening. And we were doing it in style for less than what I’d been paying for no style at all.
That boyfriend who showed me the light is now my husband, and we use the techniques Sherry discusses and then some, so I know the Guide is sound. But is it worth buying at $99?
Frankly, if you don’t mind getting familiar with the many frequent flyer blogs and forums out there, there isn’t much here that you can’t get elsewhere for free. But if you’re new to the game and feeling overwhelmed, the Guide pulls quite a bit of info together that will get you started on your frequent flyer adventures.
