Things I would like to buy with Miles

Airlines of late have become very creative in the different ways they allow passengers to redeem miles. This is a good thing both for the the airlines and passengers. And the airlines get to get the issues miles off their books. Any airline mile an airline gives out to a passenger is a liability on their books. Passengers get to redeem miles for things other than just flight tickets and upgrades. Today you can not only redeem miles for a flight ticket to Paris, but also for hotels in Paris city Centre.

1. Elite Status

I would love to redeem my miles for Elite Status. Some airlines, such as United do allow you to redeem miles earned using their Visa card for Status Miles (EQM). They do however, limit these for up to 5,000 Status Miles a year. It helps, but it is not Elite Status. United also allows you to purchase Elite Status benefits, such as early boarding, free bags and Economy Plus access using miles.

2. Drinks or Meals on board

With airline doing away with free meals. This would be a great benefit. Airlines could also allow passengers to earn reduced miles in exchange for a free meal. 500 fewer miles earned on a transcon for free breakfast sounds good to me.

3. Calling Cards

For international travelers, calling cards are a boon. They beat international roaming charges on your cell phone hands down. I would gladly use miles miles for India Phone Cards on my trips.

4. Airport Parking

As I discussed in an earlier article on Airport Parking, the prices are going up. Redeeming miles for parking is something for airlines to look into.

5. Movie tickets or rentals

I love movies. Why not?

6. Cab Rides

This would be great, especially in cities like New York City where cabs are ubiquitous and the preferred mode of transport. It would also work great countries like India where most airports offer flat fee, pre-paid taxis.

7. An iPad

Just because I do not have one yet… 🙂

Do you have a list of things you would like to be able to redeem your airline miles on? Leave your list in a comment.

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