Frequent flyer (or flier) mile programs can be confusing, with many travelers amassing miles on several different programs. The frequent flyer miles programs of the major commercial airlines, including American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta, Northwest Airlines US Airways and Continental, all have their own policies. This article on how to use frequent flyer miles will help you decide how to pick the program that is best for you, how to earn the most miles on that particular program, and then how to spend all those hard-earned miles on the vacation or products you've been craving.

First offered by airlines to loyal customers in the 1980s, frequent flyer miles are now the treasured possessions and source of elaborate vacation fantasies for millions of travelers across the globe. The obsessed tend to their mileage growth as they would a garden, seeking the most lucrative deals, and hoarding miles so that they can fly around the world or redeem them for a first class upgrade. Frequent flyer miles are big business, and the pitfalls concerning their use and misuse are legion. Here we're going to attempt to answer many of the major questions consumers have about them and give you advice on how to go about figuring out what program to join, how best to earn miles, buy frequent flyer miles, calculate frequent flyer miles, find bonus offers and how best to redeem frequent flyer miles.

• While Mahalo's already written up a full guide on how to pick a frequent flyer program here is a quick rundown on the basic stuff you'll need to know. Of course, for a more complete picture you should check out the other guide, as well!

1. Where do you live? Pick an airline's program that flies into the airport closest to you on a regular basis.
2. Where do you travel? Pick an airline's program that flies to those destinations you most commonly travel to and from.
3. Once you pick a particular program, stick with it. Consolidate your miles in a particular program; if you don't, you'll find yourself all "miled" up with no place to go.
4. If you're travel often, try to earn elite status. Once you're elite, you can earn many benefits that those who only fly occasionally can only dream about.
5. Treat your miles as a form of currency. You keep track of the money in your bank account, right? Pay attention to your miles, because if you don't, they might expire on you. And that would be a waste.
6. If your miles are in danger of expiring, act quickly! Almost any activity you show on your account can result in the rescue of your miles from obliteration. That includes using your miles for flying or earning additional miles through flying, purchasing magazine subscriptions with your miles, or even donating some of them to charity.

• Just like the above section on choosing a frequent flyer program, Mahalo has gone ahead and published a complete guide on How to Earn Frequent Flyer Miles that you can read for the in-depth details on how to rack up those reward points. The following items are the most important general information that you should keep in mind as you start planning how to earn the most miles most painlessly.

1. The most tried and true way of earning miles is to fly. Remember to sign up for the program and provide your number when booking your ticket. You can apply to receive miles after you fly, but this is usually more of a hassle than if you plan ahead.
   • Fly business or first class instead of coach. You will usually earn twice the number of miles than you would if you traveled in the back of the plane.
   • If you fly, see if your airline is offering any mileage bonuses on your route. For various reasons, airlines will often attempt to lure travelers by offering thousands of miles extra for flying a particular route. Visit Milemaven.com to find information on current promotions.
2. Get a credit card affiliated with an airline you travel on often. You can earn more miles by buying than by flying. Some cards will offer you double miles or better for every purchase you make.
   • Don't let your spending get out of control on these cards. The lure of earning free trips is great, but don't let it blind you to the danger of spending more than you can afford.
3. Get a charge card with a rewards program. Charge cards, like American Express and Diners Club, are more difficult to be approved for, but they have no interest rate because you are supposed to pay off the bill each month. Every time you use the card, you can earn points which you can later convert into miles in many different frequent flyer programs.
4. Enroll in a rewards network. There are several ways by which you can earn miles for dining in particular restaurants, or shopping with particular merchants. All you have to do is register your current credit or debit card with the program.
5. Watch for special promotions. While airlines offer mileage promotions on particular routes, you can also earn miles through car rentals, hotel stays, or just for buying everyday items. One astute frequent flyer collected 1.2 million frequent flyer miles just for buying pudding—a lot of pudding.
6. Take a survey at e-Miles. Tell marketers more about yourself and earn miles for doing so.
7. Get the miles from someone else. For a fee, many frequent flyer programs will allow other travelers to transfer miles into your account.
8. Buy the miles. Just as you didn't earn the miles if your mommy transferred them to you, you won't earn them this way. But if you need a few extra miles to get a free ticket, you can usually purchase the extra mileage.

• That's right, you guessed it. Mahalo's got a full guide on how to redeem frequent flyer miles, too! You should know the drill by now; the information below is a broad summation of the general points of how best to redeem frequent flier miles. There's even more information over at the full guide.

The most popular way to burn those earned miles is to use them for flights. You should try to use the least possible miles for the route that you want to travel.

1. Be flexible about your travel dates and times. Holiday weekend + popular destination = impossible to get frequent flyer seats.
2. Be flexible about the route you take to get to your destination. Try different airports and different routings. You might have to go out of your way, but you may be more likely to get a free seat.
3. Know where you want to go far ahead of time. Airlines usually release seats for frequent flyers 11 months out, and they are gobbled up quickly. Visit Award Grabber to find out for what date 11 months from today airlines are releasing frequent flyer seats.
4. Call the airlines if you want a free ticket to travel internationally. If you try to book a frequent flyer seat online, you often won't have access to all the partner airlines a representative can search.

• Another popular use of miles is to upgrade your seat. Airlines will often allow you to use miles to upgrade from coach to first class.
• You could use your miles to purchase goods. Many frequent flyer programs give you the ability to purchase, or even bid at auction, for products from a variety of merchants.
• Instead of redeeming them, you can donate them to charity. Many charities accept frequent flyer mile donations, which they then either convert into cash, or plane tickets for their employees to reach those in need.