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The frequent flyer mile, born 20 years ago, is going strong. Defying repeated death forecasts, the program created by American Airlines on May 1, 1981, to forge customer loyalty has been copied and customized into the largest retailing bait for deal-hungry buyers. In fact, such clubs have so many business affiliations now that they have become ``frequent buyer'' programs, awarding miles for using a credit card, shopping online, trading stocks, taking out a mortgage, even for just opening e-mail.

``Today the average person joining a program is not a frequent flyer, but someone who's sold on the idea that if he does these things he can go to Hawaii for free,'' said Randy Peterson, the frequent flyer guru who publishes WebFlyer ( http://webflyer.com ) and InsideFlyer magazine...

...Credit card usage accounts for 11 percent of all miles earned -- the biggest share after flying (57 percent) and bonuses given by airlines to their members (13 percent).
http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/010314/n12400014.html

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Interesting!

ROADRUNNER

It looks like 33% of my NW miles were actual FLIGHT MILES!

amazing nj

Question: if I fly EWR-MIA and get 2200 miles roundtrip, but I get lots of bonus miles (as CO has been giving out) for booking online, using an AMEX card, using a hotel code etc, do you consider the actual 2200 miles the flight miles or do I count the extra 7000 or so bonuses miles as flight miles also since they are bonus from that flight?

Just counting actual flight miles, a very small percentage is from flying, maybe 10%. Including bonuses from flights, maybe 25-30%. Most of my miles are from credit cards.

bdschobel

I earn about 90 percent of my miles on Delta. Last year, I flew 153000+ base miles (roughly 140,000 actual flight miles, but base miles include the 500-mile minimum). I earned nearly 600,000 miles during the year by adding on 100-percent Platinum bonuses, numerous promotions (including the Shuttle double miles bonus), web-booking bonuses, very heavy use of the AMEX/Delta Optima card, MCI, Delta Dining, occasional hotel and car rental credits, etc. So my ratio is only about 25 percent from actual flying.

Bruce

Dudemon

All of my UA, NW, DL miles are actually flown, no status or CC with them. (10m to 15m on them per year)

On AA I would say that only 33% is flown, I get 100% bonus miles, Hhonors miles, & CC miles here. (100m to 140m per year)

omaprex

40% on ual metal, the rest on bonus/other programs.

Carioca Canuck

85% is from flying.....not buying.....the rest are from the bonuses you receive.

Efrem

AA: 30% actual flight miles, 50 flight-related bonuses (includes double miles for status), 20 other such as credit cards, long-distance calls, hotel stays and so on.

Other airlines: 90% flight miles, 5 flight-related bonuses (25% on DL), 5 random other (like a survey at Northwest's Narita lounge last year).