Christie Matherne, Credit Card Writer
@christie_matherne
The best way to earn airline miles without a credit card is to join an airline's loyalty program and then use your loyalty number to book whenever you fly. Each time you use your loyalty number to book a flight, through the airline or most travel websites, you’ll earn airline miles.
If you're looking to earn miles without flying, you can also earn them on certain purchases made through partners of the frequent flyer program, from local restaurants to online retailers. Of course, the specific deals and rewards rates will vary.
How to Earn Miles with a Frequent Flyer Program
Book a Flight
Adding your frequent flyer number at checkout when you book a flight gives you miles for the purchase. Many third-party travel booking sites, such as Orbitz and Expedia, allow you to enter an airline loyalty number at checkout.
Some airlines will also allow you to earn miles when you book flights directly with their partner airlines. For example, United's loyalty program partners with airlines like Lufthansa and Air Canada.
Order Food
Several airlines offer their own dining rewards program, allowing you to earn miles for ordering food at participating restaurants.
For example, Delta’s SkyMiles Dining program lets you earn miles by dining at participating restaurants and paying with a card linked to your loyalty account, or by ordering takeout through the SkyMiles Dining portal.
Other major airline rewards programs have similar dining programs, such as AAdvantage Dining and Southwest Rapid Rewards Dining.
Use an Airline’s Online Shopping Portal
You can earn miles by logging in to your airline’s shopping portal website and making purchases through the portal. Some airline shopping portals require you to sign up with your loyalty program number before you can start shopping, while others let you sign in with your existing loyalty account information. When you’re logged in, purchases from participating vendors in the shopping portal will add miles to your account.
Shop with Partner Vendors
In addition to online shopping portals, many airlines will allow you to earn miles when you shop directly with a partner vendor. For example, American and Alaska Airlines’ longstanding deal with 1-800-Flowers.com can be used even if you call and place your order by phone, as long as you provide your airline’s loyalty number.
Other airlines partner with companies and organizations like Lyft, Ticketmaster, Carnival Cruise Line, Foodland, Rocket Mortgage, and Stand Up To Cancer. Some airlines, such as Southwest, have browser extensions that notify you when you’re on a participating vendor’s website.
Fill Out a Survey
If you want to earn a few free miles, some companies like United, Southwest, and American Airlines will let you complete an opinion survey to earn rewards. Completing an airline customer survey isn’t likely to earn you a lot in rewards, but it is relatively easy to do and doesn’t cost any money.
Using your frequent flyer program membership number when you make purchases is a great way to earn miles without a credit card because it allows you to earn on everyday purchases. However, customers with a frequent flyer number have several other options to consider for earning airline rewards without a card, including some that don’t require spending any money.
Best Ways to Earn Miles with the Top Airlines
| Airline | Booking Flights (may including partner airlines) | Book a Hotel or Rental Car | Use Airline’s Online Shopping Portal | Make Purchases with Partner Vendors |
| Delta Air Lines | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hawaiian Airlines | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Spirit Airlines | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| United Airlines | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Frontier Airlines | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| JetBlue Airways | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| American Airlines | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Southwest Airlines | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Note: Airlines selected based on WalletHub’s Best Airlines Report (excluding regional airlines Envoy Air and SkyWest Airlines).
You can also earn miles by signing up for dining programs offered by certain airlines like Delta, Spirit, United, JetBlue, American Airlines, and Southwest. You earn miles simply by linking a credit or debit card and dining at participating restaurants. Alternatively, completing surveys for certain airlines scores you miles, giving you an easy way to boost your mileage balance without much effort.
You can learn more about the best airline rewards programs on WalletHub.
People also ask
What is the fastest way to accumulate air miles?
The fastest way to accumulate air miles is to apply for a credit card affiliated with a specific airline and take advantage of the card’s initial bonus and ongoing rewards. You can also earn air miles quickly by enrolling in an airline’s loyalty program and using its online shopping portal.
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