Frequent flyer miles are your friend

I am working on some posts about travel deals but, before we can get to there, I need to let the world know about a great thing known as frequent flyer miles. I am a Delta-fanatic but will try to keep this as neutal as possible!

Basically, I got hooked on these programs as a mere 13-year old on the 8th grade trip to Washington, D.C. I vividly remember signing up for the American Airlines AAdvantage program from a phone in some airport terminal. I was able to accrue miles over the next few years and eventually earned myself a free trip to Chile (60,000 miles). As I got older and diversified my airline travel, I dabbled with United Airlines' Mileage Plus and Southwest's Rapid Rewards. But I found my home with Delta's SkyMiles program. You see, in college, I flew to South Africa for my summer study abroad trip and soon found myself with approx. 25,000 miles! A year and a half from then, I had elite status. Getting upgraded to first class for free is awesome, as is checking in and boarding from priority lines. Not bad for a little loyalty!

I recommend that the next time you travel, you sign-up for the airlines' loyalty progam. Who knows how much you will end up flying. Not sure what airline to start with? Follow these tips:

• In the US, there are three main alliances: SkyTeam (Delta, Continental, Northwest), Star Alliance (United, US Airways), and oneworld (American). If one of these domestic carriers jumps out at you, that may be a good place to start. If you travel internationally, take a look at what international partners are in the alliance so that you can earn miles on those long haul flights.
• Don't forget, nothing is stopping you from signing up for multiple programs. Just try to be strategic so that you can accrue enough mileage on each account to keep it active (rules vary by program).

Once you're with a program, you can discover all the fun ways to earn even more miles. Practically anything can get you more miles these days. For example:

• Hotel Stays
• Car Rentals
• Grocery Store purchases
• Airline-affiliated credit cards (be sure to check annual fees)
• Online shopping (FTD.com and 1800flowers.com always have promotions)
• Netflix memberships
• Investment programs like Sharebuilder
• Dining programs
• Loans

Feel free to post a question if you need me to elaborate on any of the topics above.