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Redeeming your airline miles for flights typically gives you the best value for your miles. However, with flight prices increasing, it's getting tougher to save up enough miles for a flight ticket. Fortunately, there are other ways to take advantage of the miles you've earned from an airline credit card or frequent flier program. Here are six ways you can use your airline miles that aren't just paying for a flight.
1. Upgrade Your Seats
The next best thing to using miles for a flight is using them to snag better seats. You can access extra legroom and get priority boarding, which could help you have a more pleasant flight. Most airlines that offer award seat upgrades allow you to upgrade your seats when you book or anytime before check in.
If you've already purchased a flight, you can upgrade your seats by logging in to your account online or through the app. Once you're logged in, view the seat map to select available seats and look for the option to use miles when you complete the purchase.
Upgrades only apply to a single flight leg and range from 4,000 miles to 25,000 miles depending on the airline, origin and destination, seat selected and fare class. An additional fee may be charged when you upgrade a discount fare to another fare class.
2. Cover Checked Bag Fees
The days of free checked bags are dwindling. If you don't qualify for a baggage fee waiver, Delta offers the option to use Skymiles to cover checked bag fees. It'll cost you 3,000 miles for the first bag and 4,000 miles for the second bag.
The option to use miles for baggage fees is typically only available for standard checked bags on domestic flights. Unfortunately, you won't likely be able to use miles to cover excess or overweight baggage fees.
You can check your bags and pay the fee during online check in, through the mobile app or at the check-in kiosk. Keep in mind that opting to cover your baggage fees with miles means you'll have to use miles for all the bags being checked under your reservation.
3. Buy Airport Lounge Access
Airport lounges offer an escape from busy airport terminals plus access to complimentary food and drinks. If you don't want to pay hundreds of dollars for an annual membership, a few airlines offer the option to purchase lounge access with miles.
Annual membership options include:
- American Admirals Lounge: Starts at 75,000 miles for a new individual membership and 70,000 for renewal
- Delta Sky Club: 69,500 miles for an individual membership or 149,500 miles for an executive membership; for Skymiles Medallion members only
- United Club: Starts at 75,000 miles
One-day pass options include:
- American: 7,900 miles, available for certain ticket holders
- Delta: 2,500 miles per guest for "grab and go" visits; 5,000 miles per guest for club visits, available only for a third and fourth guest (first two guests are complimentary) traveling with an executive, individual or lifetime Sky Club member
4. Book a Hotel or Rental Car
Reduce your out-of-pocket travel spending by using miles for your hotel or rental car. When you book through the airline's travel portal, you can redeem your miles directly without having to convert them to another brand's loyalty program.
You may be limited to certain hotel brands or rental car companies, however. Your miles will cover your reservation but you're responsible for additional charges, like rental insurance or fuel charges.
5. Enjoy Exclusive Experiences
A few airlines allow you to cash in your miles on unique, once-in-a-lifetime entertainment experiences like watching a live NFL game in a luxury suite or luxury travel services. Some experiences can be purchased directly, while others are offered through an auction where you bid against other loyalty program members to win the experience.
6. Donate to Charity
If you're feeling philanthropic, you can donate miles to charitable organizations to help people in need. Charities vary by airline, but you can find a list of organizations by logging in to your account online or through the mobile app.
For instance, you can donate Delta Skymiles to several organizations including the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, the Salvation Army and UNICEF. United Airlines MileagePlus members can donate miles to Americares, Make-A-Wish, World Central Kitchen and several others.
Make a donation by logging in to your account, then selecting your organization and the amount of miles you want to donate. It's an easy way to give to a cause that's near to your heart, particularly when you don't have the cash to donate. Don't count on tax advantages from your generosity—donations made with miles may not be tax-deductible.
The Bottom Line
Your airline miles don't have to go to waste just because you can't use them for a flight. You still have a number of options to use your miles to stretch your travel budget, upgrade your travel experience or make someone else's life a little better.