Budget Family Travel
Airline Miles Are A Scam That You Need To Buy Into Now
The truth behind the programs
Did you know that airlines make more money from mileage programs than selling individual seats? It is true, at least I think it is. I heard it on an NPR story. So there ya go. Either way, it sounds legit. This story popped up at an important time for us. We are in the one year pre-prep for our trip around the world.
In case you haven’t read any of my stories yet. Operation Circumnavigate is about a family quitting work to travel the world full time. This will be done by plane, train, automobile, boat, balloon, whatever. There are no rules in seeing the world! There are, however, budget constraints. Money is a factor.
Years ago, I became an IHG member after staying at a Holiday Inn to avoid a large storm. Holiday Inn was a big step up from the kind of places we stayed as a kid, but these days I am not sure how I feel about it. Not that I am a snob. The hotels in the Hotel Group are comfortable and sometimes the food is decent. Nothing against them, but not sure if I want to remain in the loyalty program.
This has brought me to a moment of needing to decide just exactly which companies I do want to build loyalty with. Everyone loves earning points and cashing in on rewards. It feels good, even if it is not certain you really saved money in the first place. Gamified consumerism is fun, damn it.
I use to work with a lot of American Airline pilots, so I joined AA’s Travel Program. Now, I am not so certain I am happy with them either.
Here is the deal though. Most of the people traveling in business class and beyond, are doing so with travel programs and their company’s dollars to back them up. This means that most of those travel perks the regular Joe like you and me can enjoy, are largely supplemented by these frequent fliers.
That sounds like a win to me. But will I be able to take advantage of the benefits or will they largely remain out of reach?
I began this story with the desire to work through the idea that these programs probably don’t really save us money. However, they feel like a necessary evil at this point. Curious what your favorite travel programs have been and why.
Let me know in the comments!
A family of five has decided that life is too short to not take some risks and try to see as much of the world as possible. We are raising money, studying languages and maps, and examining both benefit and risk. Consider following along to see where our efforts take us!
