What Every Consumer Should Know About Airline Miles Credit Cards

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These days, it seems like there is literally a sea of options to plow through out there for those who are looking to use credit to manage their finances, consolidate expenses, and streamline their budgets. There are now even credit cards out there that offer consumers something in return for continued and faithful use of their cards.

The most popular of these types is without a doubt the airline miles credit card. After all, who wouldn't want a chance to earn credits they can cash in on airfare just for using their credit the way they normally do? Travel can be so expensive, leading many of today's consumers to cut it out of their budgets altogether, but in many cases, airline miles credit cards are making all the difference in the world between being able to travel by plane and not being able to afford a vacation at all.

However, as is the case with any major consideration, choosing a new credit provider is something that should be an informed decision. The following are some key facts about air mileage cards that every consumer should know before choosing one once and for all.

Some cards offer more travel flexibility than others.

Some air miles credit cards come attached to so many restrictions in regards to how and when you can redeem your free miles on actual travel that making reservations that actually work for you can seem like more trouble than it's worth. However, maybe you didn't know that some cards don't put any such restrictions on their customers at all. Some feature miles that never expire as well. Look for a card that will offer you the type of flexibility you need alongside reasonable interest rates and low annual fees. They're out there just waiting to be found.

Most frequent flyer cards offer perks above and beyond free miles.

Many consumers who are still on the fence as to whether or not to actually take the plunge and apply for an account don't realize that frequent flyer cards typically offer savings and convenience on everything related to travel... not just airfare. Many programs offer similar opportunities to redeem points and save on hotel accommodations, restaurant outings, cruises, car rentals, and more! That can really take a bite out of your overall travel expense. You could even potentially be looking at a free vacation if you play your cards right. Still more programs cover you with must-haves like traveler's insurance that let you travel in complete peace of mind as well! Who knew?

Airline miles credit cards offer some of the finest customer service around.

A little known fact about these cards is that they come attached to some of the most efficient customer service packages available today. Worried about potential fraud or misuse of your card? Worry no more, because your credit provider has you covered 24/7. Air mile credit providers know what big deal your credit is to you and want to make sure you're protected and satisfied. Many companies even go the extra mile and offer 24-hour concierge services to help customers locate and secure tickets to events, shows, and more while they're traveling. Try getting customer care like that from a typical card.

The internet age makes managing your account a cinch.

These days, you can keep close watch on your account and your accumulated point balance right online! You can also easily see at a glance how close to earning a particular reward you may be so that you can plan your spending accordingly. You can even compare different programs, interest rates, and packages online. When you find the right one for you, fill out an airline miles credit card application right there on site. It's really that simple. So what are you waiting for? Put travel back on the menu again and make the switch today!

You can apply for your own airline credit card online and start earning free flights quicker. One of the best airline credit cards is the Northwest airlines credit card.

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Is it Wise to Buy Miles?

Posted by admin / at 7:43 AM / / 0 comments

I seem to have been inundated with emails from frequent-flyer programs, reminding me that I can buy Miles - and some have been offering special deals on the purchase price as well. The most aggressive at selling Miles are the US airlines. For many of them, their frequent-flyer programs are the most profitable part of the operation. They make very large sums by selling Miles to credit-card companies and retailers. European airlines are rather different because most of them try to restrict their programs to people who genuinely are frequent flyers, but that does not stop them doing all they can to sell more Miles.

While people still complain that they cannot book the exact flights they want, the fact is that airlines are very anxious for passengers to use their Miles. These flights are not free and can still be very lucrative for the company.

Now that airlines have to display their fares inclusive of taxes and charges, it is easy to forget the huge chunk that these add on to the fare. The better airlines show you how these sums have been calculated. I looked at a flight in Economy to Germany with Lufthansa and the total extras came to over £90. For the same destination, BA was charging just £77. The split showed that Lufthansa was charging over £50 for fuel and security charges and, even though BA was a little less, its charges were still greater than the genuine taxes and fees. This £50 is really just part of the fare and there is no excuse for levying it separately. It does not matter to most passengers because they are just seeing a total amount - but the frequent flyer who thinks he is getting a free ticket is actually paying £50 towards the airline's costs.

Add in a booking fee, maybe a credit-card fee and, if the airline is lucky and the client has had to top up his Miles account by buying a few thousand more to pay for the deal, you can see that the airline is getting rather a lot of revenue from the 'free' ticket. I remain a great supporter of frequent-flyer programs, but these charges do mean that you have to be more careful about working out the value before cashing them in. Short European trips in Economy are likely to be of no value at all by the time all the charges have been paid.

It goes without saying that you should be even more cautious when buying Miles for cash. You should do a quick calculation: look at the cash price for the flight you want, work out how many Miles it would cost and then calculate the cost of buying all the Miles. By the time you have added on the extra taxes and charges, you will see that the cost of buying Miles is likely to be completely uneconomical.

That should not deter you from buying Miles in some circumstances:

• If your Miles are about to expire or you need a small number to get the flight you need, then it will probably be sensible. However, you should do your calculations carefully to make sure you are not wasting money.
• When airlines have special reduced rates in Miles for some destinations, it can tilt the calculation in favour of buying Miles to get the special deal.
• One-way fares can be very expensive with scheduled airlines - they often cost more than the cheapest return. However, most frequent-flyer programmes charge 50% or 60% of the standard number for that destination. Some programmes will let you make a booking right up until the day before travel, while others, like Lufthansa, will have a two- or four-day cut-off - but Lufthansa actually reduces the number of Miles required for late bookings, in complete contrast to the way it sells seats for cash, where the price goes up closer to departure. If you need a one-way ticket to Barcelona or Frankfurt next Tuesday, using Miles to pay for the ticket, and buying a substantial number of those Miles, can make very good sense.

Finally, if you are stuck with some Miles in an account with an airline that you are unlikely to use much in the future, rather than buying Miles and cashing in the account for a flight, you could consider using some of the other options available, such as a duty-free voucher, a transfer to a hotel scheme (hotels do not add taxes and fees to their free nights!) or, even, a charity donation (often the worst value of all but better than letting the Miles just expire).

Jack Rosenbloom is a regular contributor to Inside Traveller (http://www.insidetraveller.co.uk).

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Why Private Jet Charter Makes Sense During a Recession

Posted by admin / at 7:32 AM / / 0 comments

When it comes to working through a recession, it's always a difficult balance, you still need a marketing budget, you still need to visit clients, you still need to keep your shareholders happy and you still have to make money. Efficiency is essential in everything that a business does and not just during a credit crunch or a recession. Busy executives need to work smart and spend as much time as possible being productive.

Traveling on commercial airlines through major airports you immediately see the benefits of a far more efficient approach to air travel. Even if you're traveling business or first class with a commercial airline you'll experience "dead" time at the airport of around 90-120 minutes with check-in, security and boarding. Plus there's the time already spent getting there in the first place.

If you're a regular business traveler, there is a lot to be said for flying on a private jet charter. Firstly, you have a much wider choice of airports resulting in less time spent traveling to the airport. Then you have the very short check-in times, invariably you will go from arriving at the airport to "wheels up" airborne in around twenty minutes.

Possibly more importantly is the departure time. Flying commercially restricts you to the airline's schedule, flying privately means that the flight works to your schedule. Then we consider delays in getting to the airport. If you're late for a commercial flight and miss the check-in close time, you're not going. You'll then be waiting up to twenty four hours for the next flight - for which you may have to pay extra AND how much might those delays cost your business? With a private jet charter, the jet leaves when you arrive. If your printer chews up the presentation, there's heavy traffic en-route to the airport or your meeting over runs you can relax, safe in the knowledge that your plane and your pilot will be waiting for you and ready to depart.

Then there's the comparison between private charter and full or fractional ownership. Both will offer you time saving benefits but both are rather costly alternatives with a lot of up front investment and regular additional costs.

Particularly in the current economic climate, private jet charter can make more sense to your shareholders. You won't have large up-front costs or regular monthly fees, you simply pay for the time that you fly. Book your flights with a reputable broker and invariably you'll be given the total all inclusive cost so there won't be extra charges for fuel, tax, catering or anything else. By comparison to full or fractional jet ownership you'll be spending a lot less on private jet charter flights but enjoying all of the same benefits.

In summary, you save a lot of time, spend far less than ownership or fractional ownership, enjoy VIP Class, stress free travel and get a lot more time to do your job, in any financial climate that can only be a good thing.

Rob Dore is co-owner and Marketing Director of Jet Booking Direct, which offers private jet charters and jet charter management services.

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Lowest Cost Flights - The Only True Method to Getting Rock Bottom Pricing on Travel!

Posted by admin / at 7:31 AM / / 0 comments

I bet if you are going to be flying any time soon then you are looking for the lowest cost flights that you can find. Sadly, unless you use the method that I talk about in this article you are not going to get a great deal. Here I am going to reveal to you 3 tips that I use to get cheap airline travel, with one of them being a super tip that no one ever talks about.

1. The first thing that I do when looking to fly cheap is see what the departure times are for the destination I am going to. If I can find a flight that leaves at a weird hour then I know I have potentially hit the jackpot. The reason is because most people only want to fly at regular times, and as a result you can negotiate with the airlines to get great deals on these flights because they are not in high demand.

2. Another method that I use is to contact the airline directly to see what type of specials they have going on. Often times they have 24 hours deals that are not advertised, and you can get a great deal this way. The most important thing is to call right after midnight when the systems have just been updated.

3. The super tip that I am referring to is something I have used to save thousands of dollars on airline travel, and you can use it to. It involves getting the strategies and secrets of someone on the inside. By doing this you are going to be able to get great deals that no one else knows how to get.

I do this to save hundreds on each flight, and so can you!

Would you like to know the same airline travel secrets I do? I have found an ex-airline employee who is revealing all of his secrets on how to fly for crazy discounts. You won't believe your eyes at some of the prices you can get!
Visit http://very-cheap-airline-tickets.Blogspot.Com for more cutting edge information!

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Dubai International Airport - Buzzing With Activity

Posted by admin / at 7:26 AM / / 0 comments

Enough of all those doom and gloom predictions for Dubai, news is that Dubai airport has shown a seven percent increase in the overall traffic last year. In addition to that, five new airlines have started their services from Dubai airport, which now ranks at number 6 in the list of busiest airports in terms of international traffic (and 15th by overall traffic according to statistics in 2009). With the addition of new airlines, total number of airlines operating from Dubai international airport has reached to 130.

Remember, this investment has came at a time when airlines from all over the world are going through a crisis like situation and desperately looking to cut down costs through downsizing and other measures. And it's not only the outside investors, Dubai government has also been investing heavily in this airport, which is projected to accommodate a whopping 75 million passengers per annum in the year 2011, it will probably take it to the 3rd position in the world's busiest airports.

These numbers become even more impressive, when we look at other airports appearing on top of the list, for example four of them are the central airports in United States, two in China, then we have the big names like London Heathrow Airport, Tokyo International airport, and the like. As you can see, Dubai is getting as much international traffic as the cities like London, New York or Tokyo. Apart from the passengers, 1.8 million tons of cargo also passed through this airport during 2008.

The airport that started functioning from just 2 international flights, back in 1937, today has turned into a hub for passengers and freight coming from all over the world. Presently it has four terminals, while another one is under construction. Dubai government has been working on construction and expansion of this airport, upon completion; it is estimated to be one of the biggest airports in the world.

Some people must be thinking (especially those who were busy telling stories of how Dubai has faltered big time), this traffic must have been those foreigners who are trying to abandon this place as soon as possible. Well, not really, as Dubai tourism statistics show an equally healthy figure, Dubai is still getting more tourists than the cities like Paris, London or Singapore and its peak season has not even started (Dubai gets most of its tourists in the months of July, August and September).

William King is the director of UAE Dubai Property Real Estate and Islamabad Property Islamabad Real Estate. He has 18 years of experience in the marketing and trading industries and has been helping retailers and startups with their product sourcing, promotion, marketing and supply chain requirements.

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