Getting Tickets for Tradeshows Through Flight Miles

August 8, 2007

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Since I am traveling this week, something came to mind. Actually, it came to mind some time ago but I thought to talk about it here today. And that is the use of flight miles to make attending tradeshows and conferences more affordable.

I am traveling to Seattle this week, and I had to pay for the ticket. Now, I got a decent deal on it through Hotwire.com, coupled with my hotel. However, I am flying Delta. Delta isn’t exactly my favorite airline. They are trying to cut so many costs that they are just short of using duct tape to hold the wings on. But, I had to actually PAY for that ticket.

On the other hand, Delta (as you may know) is the primary partner airline for American Express. My wife and I have been using American Express for personal expenses for some time. Our trip to Russia last year was done using flight miles. It dawned on me this year - why not have an Amex for the business? I spend a lot of money on various things for the business, so flight miles would add up fast.

With Delta flight miles, it takes 25,000 flight miles to earn a round trip ticket within the United States. 50,000 miles to get a round trip international fare. So, yeah, it can take some time to build up. Some purchases will get you double miles, and they often give you big bonuses at the beginning. But, the way I look at it is that I am spending the money anyway - why not get something for it? Plus, it also helps you consolidate expenses.

There are other cards that earn you flight miles, but I think American Express is a little more service-oriented. And they should be considering they are charging an annual fee and an interest rate which will bury you alive. Yeah, definitely do not use this card if you are not able to pay off the balance in full every month. Their interest rate is pretty high. You want to use this card for the perks and the flight miles, not to bury yourself in debt.

So, check it out. Attending conferences is a good way to keep in touch with what is happening in your field. But, that usually means business travel expenses. You might as well do what you can to make it more affordable.