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It would take a lot of flights and a lot of money to only earn airline miles by flying. Thankfully, there are plenty of other ways to earn miles through airline credit cards, dining programs, online shopping portals, cruises, vacation packages and rental cars. If that list isn’t long enough, check out some of these limited-time bonus mile offers from airlines.
American Airlines
Earn 1,000 miles by spending $25 in the first 30 days of joining the AAdvantage dining program
New AAdvantage dining members earn 1,000 miles after spending $25 in the first 30 days of joining the program. (Pro tip: Register your Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®, which offers double points on dining already.) When you pay for your meal with a registered card at a participating restaurant, you will earn at least 1 mile per $1 spent.
Registering your card and signing up for emails from the program is an easy way to earn at least 3 miles per dollar spent at participating restaurants. This promotion is ongoing.
Back-to-school bonus
Doing your back-to-school shopping through the AAdvantage shopping portal could earn you up to 2,000 bonus points, plus the points you already earn for each $1 spent at participating retailers. Get 500 bonus points when you spend $150 on eligible purchases. Double your eligible back-to-school spending to $300 and you’ll receive 1,000 bonus points. Or spend $500 for 2,000 bonus points. This offer ends Aug. 18, 2019.
Earn 15,000 bonus miles when you book an RIU Hotels vacation package
American Airlines Vacations is running a limited time promotion that’ll award you 15,000 bonus miles on top of the standard 1,000 miles for booking a vacation package that includes a stay at the all-inclusive RIU Hotels and Resorts in Mexico. There are locations in Baja California, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas and more. Book by September 4, 2019.
» Learn more: How to avoid getting a raw deal on airline miles purchases
Alaska Airlines
Earn double miles when you fly coast to coast
Alaska Airlines is offering 2x miles when you fly select nonstop transcontinental routes.
Out of the West Coast, qualifying flights depart from Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and San Jose. Eligible East Coast departures include New York, Newark, Baltimore, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Philadelphia, Raleigh and Washington, D.C.. Make sure you register for this promotion before flying. Offer ends Dec. 31, 2019.
1,000 bonus miles when you join Mileage Plan Dining
Joining Mileage Plan Dining is free, and you’ll earn miles at over 10,000 participating restaurants. All you have to do is sign up and register your credit cards to earn up to 5 miles per dollar at select restaurants. Plus, you’ll get 1,000 bonus miles when you spend $30 in the first 30 days of joining the program and submit a review within 30 days of your visit.
Back-to-school bonus
Plenty of retailers in the Alaska Mileage Plan online shopping portal are offering back-to-school deals. You can also earn bonus points for meeting some minimum spend requirements for back-to-school shopping. Earn 300 bonus miles when you spend $150, 750 bonus miles when you spend $300 or 1,500 bonus miles when you spend $500. The promotion ends August 11, 2019.
Delta Air Lines
Earn 3x miles on game day Lyft rides
Thanks to a partnership between Delta and Lyft, you can earn SkyMiles every time you ride with Lyft. Increase your earnings and get 3 miles per dollar spent on Lyfts to and from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Now through November 10, 2019, you can also earn 3 miles per $1 on Lyft rides to or from Los Angeles Football Club’s shiny new Banc of California Stadium. Don’t forget you can also earn 2 miles per $1 on airport rides. Just make sure your SkyMiles and Lyft accounts are linked to start earning.
» Learn more: All the ways riding Lyft can earn you travel rewards
Earn up to 3,000 bonus miles in the first 30 days of joining SkyMiles dining
Join the SkyMiles dining program, register your credit card and you could get 500 miles by spending $30 at participating restaurants within the first 30 days of joining. Elite Medallion members earn 1,000 bonus miles on their first visit.
You can earn an extra 1,000 mile bonus on your second visit when you spend $30. Finally, get another 1,500 miles on your third visit with a minimum spend of $30. Keep in mind you must complete an online review after your visits to receive the miles. You must create a dining profile by Jan. 3, 2020, to qualify for these bonuses.
Earn 3x the miles on Ticketmaster purchases
Buy your next concert or sports tickets through Delta’s Ticketmaster portal and you could earn 3 miles per $1 spent on eligible tickets. Offer ends Aug. 31, 2019.
JetBlue
Yearly miles bonuses
JetBlue offers bonus miles when you fly a certain number of flights in a calendar year. Award flights do not count towards the bonus.
- Receive 5,000 bonus miles when you complete three round-trip flights.
- Receive 7,000 bonus miles when you complete seven round-trip flights.
- Receive 10,000 bonus miles when you complete 10 one-way flights that are 1,600 miles or longer.
3 miles per dollar spent on in-flight Amazon purchases
Save your Amazon shopping for your flight. When you log into JetBlue’s Fly-Fi network and visit Amazon.com, you can earn 3 miles per $1 spent on eligible purchases. This bonus will not apply if you purchase through the Amazon app onboard your flight.
Spirit
Earn 1,000 bonus miles for joining the dining program
You know the drill. Register your card, dine at a participating restaurant within the first 30 days of joining Spirit’s dining program, submit a review and get 1,000 bonus miles.
Southwest
Earn 1,000 bonus points for joining the dining program
New members must sign up for an account with Rapid Rewards dining by January 3, 2020, opt in to receive emails and spend at least $25 at a participating restaurant within the first 30 days of joining the program. You must also complete an online review to receive the bonus.
Semi-annual shopping bonus
Your online back-to-school shopping can earn you Rapid Rewards points. By spending $125 on qualifying purchases through the Rapid Rewards Shopping website, you’ll earn 250 bonus points. Spending $300 will earn you 900 bonus points while spending $550 will net you 2,000 bonus points. The promotion ends August 18, 2019.
United Airlines
Earn up to 2,500 bonus miles for joining the dining program
New members of the United MileagePlus dining program receive 1,000 bonus miles after spending $25 at a participating restaurant within the first 30 days. You’ll earn an additional 500 bonus miles for the next three visits where you spend $25 or more. Register for the dining program by Aug. 15, 2019.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2019, including those best for:
Planning a trip? Check out these articles for more inspiration and advice:
Find the best travel credit card for you
Earn more points and miles with these 6 strategies
Baffled by points and miles? Let the 80/20 rule guide you