Airline loyalty programs

Frequent-flyer programs are loyalty programs offered by the majority of airlines. 
There are many advantages to joining these programs but please be aware that each program has its own set of rules and partners. These programs allows you to earn miles that you can redeem in certain ways.
It may also allow you to earn tier/status miles that are used to determine your membership status. The higher your status, the more benefits you are eligible for.  How you earn miles and in what way you can redeem these miles depends on the program you join and it may be different for each program.

Membership benefits could include some of the following:

Redeeming your miles to upgrade to a higher class e.g. from Economy to Business.
Redeeming your miles to purchase flight tickets.
Using your miles for in-flight shopping.
Redeeming your miles with airline partners e.g. car hire and hotels.
Priority boarding.
Lounge access.
Priority on waiting lists when on standby.
Access to preferred or pre-reserved seating.
Additional luggage allowances.

Earning miles - Depending on the program, miles can be earned in any the folowing ways:

Flying with the airline and its partner airlines.
Making use of the program's non-flight partners e.g. car hire or retail outlets.
Making purchases with affiliated credit cards.
Promotional offers e.g. bonus miles or referring friends.

Keep the following in mind

• Only certain types of airline tickets e.g. full fare (Y) can be upgraded by using miles, this depends entirely on the program rules.
• When you redeem miles to purchase an airline ticket, you may still need to pay the airport taxes and any other relevant taxes. Some programs allow you to use your miles to additonally pay for these taxes.
• Lounge access is usually only available to higher status members.
• Tier miles cannot be redeemed and they expire at the end of the mileage cycle.
• Tier miles are usually only earned when flying with the airline self and not with their partners
• The amount of  miles you earn on a flight ticket will depend on the type of ticket, the distance travelled as well as your membership status.
• Redeemable miles may expire if not used within a specified time frame.
• You can belong to more than one membership program.
• Remember to quote /enter your membership number when making a booking or using a program partner.
• Keep up to date with the rules and regulations of the program.