Fly Smart!

American Airlines (AAdvantage) has partnership with:
US Airways, you can combine the AA AAdvantage mileage with US airway Dividen Mile mileage.
Midway Airlines. Midway has a hub at Raleigh/Durham and fly to major cities along the Atlantic Coast
For flights to Asia: Asiana Airline, China Eastern,Canadian Airline, Cathy Pacific, China Eastern, Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines.
For flights to Europe: British Airways.

US Airways (Dividen Mile) has partnership with:
American Airlines. Again, you can combine mileage.
For flights to China: Northwest Airline, All Nippon Airways


United Airline (Mileage Plus) has partnership with:
Delta Airlines
To Asia: All Nippon Airlines, Thai Airways.
To Europe: Lufthansa

Delta Airlines (Skymiles) has partnership with:
United Airline
To Asia: Korean Airlines, China Southern, Singapore Airlines, All Nippon Airways
To Europe: Air France

Continental Airlines (One Pass) has partnership with:
Northwest Airline
To China: Northwest, China Airlines, Air China
To Europe: Air France

Northwest Airline (World Perk) has partnership with:
Continental Airlines , Air China

As you can see if you have frequent flyer memberships with American, US Airway and United, you will have enough choices of airlines for flights within the US (American, US Airway, United, Delta, Midway (for Durham residents)), to Asia (Northwest, United, Asiana, Canadian, All Nippon, Cathy Pacific, Japan Airlines, Singapore Airline, Thai Airlines) or to Europe (United, AA, US airways, Delta, Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France). And since AA and US airways allow you to combine mileage, you only have to divide your mileage between two frequent flyer programs( eg. United and AA/US Airway), which will enable you to accumulate award mileage quickly. One last thing to keep in mind: your choice of the best frequent flyer program also heavily depends on what's your hometown airport and the destination you most frequently fly to. Choose the airline that has (or its partner has) a hub on the these airports, and thus provide the most efficient and economic way for you to fly. That said, it's actually a good idea to enroll yourself in all major airline frequent flyer programs; sometimes promotional offers (such as bonus miles for long distance phone service) from one airline can be applied to the other one that you fly the most.

Long Distance Phone Service:
Since you have to make some phone calls anyway, why not get some big miles from it. MCI and Sprint both offer big bonus miles (as much as 20000, at least 5000 miles) for signing up for their long distance service, plus 5 miles each for every dollar you spend on your phone bill. One thing to keep in mind: the promotional offer of one airline usually can be applied to the other. For example Delta sometimes offer 10,000 bonus miles for signing up for MCI long distance service. Even if you never fly Delta, you can sign up with MCI for your bonus miles with Delta. Then after your account is set up, switch your partner airline to American, and you still get the 10,000 bonus miles credited to your AA frequent flyer porgram account. Besides, you can switch between MCI and Sprint often to get more bonus miles.

MCI partner airlines:
American, US Airway, Delta, United, Continental, Southwest, Midwest Express, Hawaiian
Sprint Partner Airlines:
TWA, Northwest, America West , Alaska, Virgin Atlantic

Book online:
All airline have online booking service, and offer at least 1000 miles bonus for booking on their website. Most airlines also offer 4000 or more bonus for first time user of their online booking service.

Double or Bonus miles:
To promote new of highly competitive routes, Airlines frequently offer bonus miles or double mileage in certain flights. Cheap the airline webs site frequently so sign up for this kind of bonus before you book the flight or take the flight.

Flying with extra stopover:
Sometimes a flying with a extra stop-over only cost you a couple hours of time but doesn't cost you more money. For short distance flights that's short of 500 miles, an extra stopover will double your miles. Besides, a stopoever might qualify you for a double bonus route. Everything adds up together you may end up getting four times of mileage by having a stopover in your trip instead of flying direct. For example a direct flight from Raleigh to New York Larguadia only earn 1000 miles round trip. With a stop over in Washington Dulles you not only get 2000 miles for four segments of flights (500 minimum miles for each segment), but also get double bonus if you fly on the US Airway shuttle flights. The result---you get 4000 miles!

Mileage Savvy Web site:
Get the most comprehensive up-to-date mileage tips and bonus miles offer news at Mileage Maniac (http://www.TRIP.com/completetraveler/)

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