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Oct 25, 2006 6:50 pm US/Eastern
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Airlines Offering More With Online Shopping Malls
Earn More Flyer Miles By Purchasing On Travel Web Sites
by Kirstin Cole
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Leigh Witchel saved big on his last trip, by using reward points.
"I paid for the plane fare which was business class with points and miles and I paid also for my hotel in Russia that way," Witchel said.
He racked up rewards by using a new shopping program for travelers. Many airlines and several hotel chains are now partnering with retailers and setting up online shopping malls on their own Web sites.
"These online shopping malls are a great idea for building points when you're not traveling," said Laura MacNeil of Budget Travel Magazine.
She said major names like the Gap, Circuit City, Barnes and Noble and many more are all on board.
"I've shopped at several different stores from fabric stores, to clothing stores to book stores," Witchel said.
To start, access the store you want to shop at through the airline or hotel Web site.
"Look for the loyalty or mileage program and you click on that and you find partners, or stores, or an online retail mall," MacNeil said.
Make sure you sign in with your frequent flyer or loyalty program number in order to get the credit.
"The portal records that you were there and that you made your purchase through it and then they credit you in a few weeks," MacNeil added.
And maybe the best thing about these shopping sites, said MacNeil, is that you earn miles faster than many credit cards affiliated with hotels or airlines.
"The typical range of points you can earn or miles you can earn, 2-10 sometimes even 20 per dollar spent," MacNeil said.
Experts said in most cases you can put the hotel points and miles you earn toward either free travel or upgrades. But a word of caution, be a savvy shopper. Although you'll be saving on travel later, there's no guarantee these sites will have the lowest prices on items.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)