• How Can I Join Oneworld Frequent Flyer Program Free
• How Can I Join Oneworld Frequent Flyer Program Program

Oneworld alliance; AAdvantage. Traveling the world? Our loyalty program can get you there. You are just a few clicks away from joining our frequent flyer program. Please tell us a little about yourself. We need your first, middle and last name exactly as they appear on the ID you use when you travel. Under the TSA Secure Flight program. Frequent flyer programs offer points or “frequent flyer miles” for flights with the associated airline and select airline partners. The number of points earned is determined by a few factors including the airline, ticket price, fare class and distance travelled.

Scattered airline miles aren't likely to do many flyers much good since most people tend to hop around airlines, making it tough to save up a useful amount with any one carrier. So how do you actually get all of your airline miles in one place?

This post originally appeared on foXnoMad.

Funnel Your Miles To One Airline Per Alliance

Most major airlines belong to one of the three large airline alliances; Star Alliance (United, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, plus 25 others), Oneworld (American Airlines, British Airways, Qantas, plus 12 more), and SkyTeam (Delta, Alitalia, KLM, plus 12 others). Aside from the business agreements and code-sharing flights, this often means that one airline's frequent flyer miles can be earned and redeemed with their partners.

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The basic concept is to not think about individual airlines so much but about alliances–that's where you'll try to funnel your miles across various airlines. That said, not all airline mileage programs are as accepting as others, even within alliances, so the key is to use the most versatile airline alliance per airline.

10 Ways to Earn Frequent Flyer Miles Without Boarding a Flight

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The Airline Per Alliance You Should Use

These are the most versatile airline mileage programs per alliance I've found through experience–that is, the ones whose miles can be used with partners and redeemed with them too. Generally speaking, the best reward and mileage accounts are found in the US; and that's where you'll find the best alliance accounts as well. You ideally want to open up one frequent flyer account per alliance with these airlines.

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Get More from Your Frequent Flyer Miles

You may not consider yourself a 'gamer,' but if you've watched your frequent flyer…

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• Star Alliance: United Mileage Plus
• Oneworld: American Airlines AAdvantage (even now, despite the recent bankruptcy deceleration)
• SkyTeam: KLM Flying Blue (or Delta Skymiles)

I would note that SkyTeam miles are notoriously difficult to move between partners and if given the choice, I would stick to Star Alliance or Oneworld when possible to earn the most useable miles.

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Great, But I've Already Got A Bunch Of Frequent Flyer Miles Scattered Across Airlines

How Can I Join Oneworld Frequent Flyer Program Free

Most mileage accounts provide you a way of redeeming miles after a flight, in case you forgot to give your number to the clerk when checking in for example. That same service generally lets you request mileage credit for flights you took 12-24 months prior—even if you weren't a mileage member at the time. So, now that you've got your alliance account set up, you'll want to begin claiming those previous flights.

Advertisement

The Best and Worst Airlines for Redeeming Rewards Miles

Signing up for airline rewards miles is easy and free, and it's easy to pile them up if you do …

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Typically the information you need to request mileage credit are the dates flown, ticket number, airline, and seat number (which tends to be the toughest). You might find that data buried in email confirmations but if you can't find something (i.e. seat number) call the airline directly. They usually won't ask for it and if they do, wherever I've told them I forgot, it was a non-issue.

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Here are the links to redeem past flights:

• Request United Mileage Plus Credit
• Request American Airlines AAdvantage Credit
• Request KLM Flying Blue Credit

Remember to note all of the miles you've claimed and check that they've been added to your account within eight weeks so you can call back if they haven't. My personal favorite AwardWallet makes keeping track of all these accounts much easier. Also, you can often request credit for miles that have already been posted to other mileage accounts depending on the partner airline.

Advertisement

Eight Best Frequent Flyer Programs

You can earn free travel and other benefits when you accumulate all your miles from one frequently…

Read more Read

Airlines Not In Alliances And Other Exceptions To The Rule

Of course there are some big airlines not a member of any alliance, notably Virgin Atlantic and Southwest, and in those cases your miles are stuck with the airline. Those of you who fly the same route frequently, say, for business, might also want to consider sticking to the specific airline that's flying you around everywhere. The reason is, while most airline miles can be moved around alliances to an extent, status miles (those that earn you airline-specific perks like upgrades, lounge access, and more) are not transferable.

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Chances are if you fly very often on different routes, you'll earn status with some airline or another but for regular hauls, you might want to consider making an exception to alliance funneling. Finally, if you've been reluctant to use frequent flyer miles in the past, here's my 8-minute guide just for you, and for the ambitious, 7 ways to boost your earning to the next level.

How Do You Accumulate Of Your Frequent Flyer Miles in One Place? | foXnoMad

Anil Polat is the blogger and computer security engineer who writes foXnoMad while on a journey to visit every country in the world. He'll show you the tips, tricks, and tech you can use to travel smarter.

Advertisement

Want to see your work on Lifehacker? Email Tessa.

Scattered airline miles aren't likely to do many flyers much good since most people tend to hop around airlines, making it tough to save up a useful amount with any one carrier. So how do you actually get all of your airline miles in one place?

This post originally appeared on foXnoMad.

Funnel Your Miles To One Airline Per Alliance

Most major airlines belong to one of the three large airline alliances; Star Alliance (United, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, plus 25 others), Oneworld (American Airlines, British Airways, Qantas, plus 12 more), and SkyTeam (Delta, Alitalia, KLM, plus 12 others). Aside from the business agreements and code-sharing flights, this often means that one airline's frequent flyer miles can be earned and redeemed with their partners.

Advertisement

The basic concept is to not think about individual airlines so much but about alliances–that's where you'll try to funnel your miles across various airlines. That said, not all airline mileage programs are as accepting as others, even within alliances, so the key is to use the most versatile airline alliance per airline.

10 Ways to Earn Frequent Flyer Miles Without Boarding a Flight

In the mood to travel? Wait, scratch that—in the mood to travel for free? Boarding a plane and jet…

Read more Read

Advertisement

The Airline Per Alliance You Should Use

These are the most versatile airline mileage programs per alliance I've found through experience–that is, the ones whose miles can be used with partners and redeemed with them too. Generally speaking, the best reward and mileage accounts are found in the US; and that's where you'll find the best alliance accounts as well. You ideally want to open up one frequent flyer account per alliance with these airlines.

Advertisement

Get More from Your Frequent Flyer Miles

You may not consider yourself a 'gamer,' but if you've watched your frequent flyer…

Read more Read

• Star Alliance: United Mileage Plus
• Oneworld: American Airlines AAdvantage (even now, despite the recent bankruptcy deceleration)
• SkyTeam: KLM Flying Blue (or Delta Skymiles)

I would note that SkyTeam miles are notoriously difficult to move between partners and if given the choice, I would stick to Star Alliance or Oneworld when possible to earn the most useable miles.

Advertisement

Great, But I've Already Got A Bunch Of Frequent Flyer Miles Scattered Across Airlines

How Can I Join Oneworld Frequent Flyer Program Program

Most mileage accounts provide you a way of redeeming miles after a flight, in case you forgot to give your number to the clerk when checking in for example. That same service generally lets you request mileage credit for flights you took 12-24 months prior—even if you weren't a mileage member at the time. So, now that you've got your alliance account set up, you'll want to begin claiming those previous flights.

Advertisement

The Best and Worst Airlines for Redeeming Rewards Miles

Signing up for airline rewards miles is easy and free, and it's easy to pile them up if you do …

Read more Read

Typically the information you need to request mileage credit are the dates flown, ticket number, airline, and seat number (which tends to be the toughest). You might find that data buried in email confirmations but if you can't find something (i.e. seat number) call the airline directly. They usually won't ask for it and if they do, wherever I've told them I forgot, it was a non-issue.

Advertisement

Here are the links to redeem past flights:

• Request United Mileage Plus Credit
• Request American Airlines AAdvantage Credit
• Request KLM Flying Blue Credit

Remember to note all of the miles you've claimed and check that they've been added to your account within eight weeks so you can call back if they haven't. My personal favorite AwardWallet makes keeping track of all these accounts much easier. Also, you can often request credit for miles that have already been posted to other mileage accounts depending on the partner airline.

Advertisement

Eight Best Frequent Flyer Programs

You can earn free travel and other benefits when you accumulate all your miles from one frequently…

Read more Read

Airlines Not In Alliances And Other Exceptions To The Rule

Of course there are some big airlines not a member of any alliance, notably Virgin Atlantic and Southwest, and in those cases your miles are stuck with the airline. Those of you who fly the same route frequently, say, for business, might also want to consider sticking to the specific airline that's flying you around everywhere. The reason is, while most airline miles can be moved around alliances to an extent, status miles (those that earn you airline-specific perks like upgrades, lounge access, and more) are not transferable.

Advertisement

Chances are if you fly very often on different routes, you'll earn status with some airline or another but for regular hauls, you might want to consider making an exception to alliance funneling. Finally, if you've been reluctant to use frequent flyer miles in the past, here's my 8-minute guide just for you, and for the ambitious, 7 ways to boost your earning to the next level.

How Do You Accumulate Of Your Frequent Flyer Miles in One Place? | foXnoMad

Anil Polat is the blogger and computer security engineer who writes foXnoMad while on a journey to visit every country in the world. He'll show you the tips, tricks, and tech you can use to travel smarter.

Advertisement

Want to see your work on Lifehacker? Email Tessa.