What else can I do with all these frequent flier miles?

You’ve been traveling the world for the past couple of months, racking up those frequent flier miles, but then the global pandemic struck and all of your plans went to waste? First of all, do not worry, you are not the only person to be stuck in this situation. In fact, so many people were faced with the same problems that the airlines were simply forced to find a way in which they can honor their loyal clients.

Naturally, most people had bigger issues to attend to, but with the announcements of new vaccines and immunity passports, air travel should make a comeback sooner rather than later. Still, if your plans do not include traveling, what else can you do with your frequent flier miles? Let’s find out!

Just take the cash or a gift card

Ultimately, there comes a point in time where one simply has to make the most out of the hand they’ve been dealt with. In the case of millions of travelers around the globe, that means turning their frequent flier points and miles into cash.

This option is nothing new, as it’s been around for quite some time, but as the airlines do not really like giving money away, the cash back option was never really worth it. However, if traveling does not fit in your plans for the year 2020 or even 2021, you can at least get something back for your loyalty. Most carriers offer this option, whether in the form of a gift card, or through a simple cash back variant, where they give out 1 cent per every mile you’ve been able to generate. While it doesn’t sound like much, it can be a welcomed addition to the budget, as the holiday season is nearly here.

Are you interested in some merchandise or subscriptions to popular magazines?

Because airlines are usually partnered up with other companies, this gives travelers different options when it comes to spending their frequent flier miles. In some previous years, this service was mostly used to lower accommodation fees in hotels or on various rent-a-car services.  In 2020, because travel has come to a halt in many countries, travelers were forced to turn to other offers.

This included everything from discounts on merchandise to free yearly subscriptions to popular magazines and publications. Now, we know that this does not present much of a consolation to digital nomads who are used to traveling the globe, but for now, this might be the safest way to use up the miles, instead of letting it waste away.

If you can wait, that might also be a smart option

Depending on your credit card or airline of your choice, your best bet might be to simply wait until this whole situation blows over. At this time, it is pretty much impossible to predict how the situation is going to develop in the future, as everything might return to normal in just a few months, with the development of a vaccine, but it’s far from a certainty.

Still, if you have an itch for flying, you can just sit tight and wait for the opportunity to open up and resume your traveling plans once again. You might be able to strike an amazing deal now that the travel industry is in a desperate need of a reboot. Just make sure that your miles do not expire by the time you make your decision.

Have you considered being charitable?

Holidays are a time of giving, and being that we have all witnessed so many tragic news recently, have you considered trying to make an even bigger difference to the community? It turns out that you can use your frequent flier miles for that purpose.

Almost all airlines will be glad to help this noble cause, by allowing you to transfer your miles in the form of a donation to charity organizations. In these difficult times, it is a great option to have.