Optimizing Travel Loyalty Program Benefits

Today's business traveler has to be cost conscious and make the most of their travel dollar in these uncertain economic times. One way a business traveler can save money is by optimizing the offerings of travel loyalty programs. The observant business traveler can save hundreds or thousands of dollars a year by making a wise choice when deciding upon travel loyalty programs that best suite their needs.

Airline

Frequent flier programs have been around since the early 1980's. What should you look for in a frequent flier program? Look at the membership fee and what you are getting for your money. Are you maximizing your miles? With such programs as American and Continental, you may be paying a co-payment of several hundred dollars. Sometimes, frequent flier programs change their rules frequently and just as you have saved up enough points to redeem your miles, the rules change. What is the solution for this? Use your points as soon as you accumulate enough to use them. Having a single program is better than spreading out your miles over many programs. You can accumulate miles much more quickly this way. Also, you should consider traveling during weekdays if at all possible, as weekdays pay the most in travel miles. Some of the frequent flier programs you can access include Aadvantage, Delta SkyMiles, Northwest WorldPerks and Virgin Blue Velocity Rewards.

Hotel

A business traveler can save a significant amount of money by using a hotel loyalty program. Some of the best hotel loyalty programs include Hyatt, Intercontinental, Hilton, Marriott and Starwood. Many of these programs offer the third night's stay free. With hotel rooms costing in the hundreds of dollars, this can amount to a large savings for frequent business travelers. Most of these programs are free to join and you can accrue points to redeem in free night's stays, room upgrades and airline miles. Members should be aware that some hotel loyalty programs have "blackout" dates where you can not use your points. However, many of these programs are beginning to lift these blackout date restrictions.

Car Rental

Why would a business traveler need a travel loyalty program for car rentals? Car rentals are one of the most inexpensive costs of a business trip. You can accumulate time with frequent car rental programs and earn free rental days. With costs of car rentals as low in some places as $7 per day, this may seem like a lot of hassle for little savings, but every little bit helps when you are trying to save money. Another reason to use a car rental loyalty program is the time you can save at the car rental pickup counter. Using the loyalty card issued by the car rental company, you can print out your ticket ahead of time and head straight to the rental lot to pick up your car. With some rental programs such as Hertz, you can even bypass the rental counter entirely. This can mean a lot to a weary business traveler with frayed nerves. Companies offering car rental travel loyalty programs include Hertz and Enterprise.

Credit Card

With credit card travel loyalty programs, you can earn points to use in all of your travel related expenses. American Express offers a membership rewards program. With these programs, travelers can choose their own rewards such as frequent flier miles, car and hotel certificates, free nights at hotels and even earn free cruises. You can also choose to redeem your points for such items as gift certificates, books, electronics and other merchandise. Diners Club is a great choice for travelers who make significant charges at airlines, hotels, restaurants and other business establishments. If you sign up for the Diners Club card and use it regularly, you can earn up to 12,000 bonus points during your first year. International travelers should be aware that the Diners Club card charges a three percent surcharge on all purchases made in foreign currencies.

Sources:

Car Rental Loyalty Programs: The Whys and Wherefores

Comparing American Express Membership Rewards and Diners Club Club Rewards

Re-Thinking Your Mileage Program Priorities

The Best Hotel Loyalty Programs