10 Lesser-Known Ways to Redeem Airline Miles

Miles make smiles.

Whenever we talk about travel rewards cards, we're quick to mention how you can use your rewards for flights and hotel stays. But free travel isn't the only way you can put your rewards to good use.

For example, airline miles aren't relegated to free flights alone. There are tons of other ways you can redeem your miles, many of which can improve your travel experience. Let's take a look.

1. Seat upgrades

One scenario I've encountered fairly often is that you can find dirt-cheap cash seats -- but they're often in the tiniest seats on the plane. Well, if you have some miles to spare, you could take that affordable seat and upgrade it to a more luxurious one simply by using miles. While you won't always get the best per-mile value this way, can you really put a price on having enough legroom to, you know, have legs?

2. Change fees

Alright, so this one may not be as important as it was pre-pandemic, as many airlines are still allowing free changes. But if you're using an airline with antiquated change policies, using your miles could help you avoid forking over cash for a fee just to change your flight.

3. Checked bags

If you fly often, the best way to avoid checked bag fees may be a cobranded airline credit card. But for everyone else, consider putting your miles where your bags are. That is, you can often use your frequent flyer miles to pay your checked bag fee, giving you leeway to pack as much as you need to have a good trip.

4. Gift to a friend

Know you won't be able to make use of your miles anytime soon? Why not gift them to a friend or family member who can make the most of them? Most programs let you gift your miles, though the cost of this service varies from program to program.

5. Lounge access

While the best travel rewards cards come with lounge access, they often don't give you access to the airline-branded lounges. Most major airlines have at least a few of their own branded lounges (and the big three -- American Airlines, United, and Delta -- have a ton). But while your cards may not get you in, your miles can. Some programs let you purchase day passes with your miles. Most will also let you use miles to purchase an annual membership. If you fly the same airline regularly -- and have some spare miles -- this could be extremely beneficial.

6. Vacation packages

Sure, it's great to get your flights taken care of with miles. But what about the rest of your trip? Turns out, your miles may be able to help you here, too. Many programs allow you to redeem airline miles for hotels, rental cars, and even cruises. Some offer complete vacation packages, while others have different portals for each type of travel. Explore your options to see how much of your trip your miles can cover.

7. Online shopping

More and more travel loyalty programs are partnering with online retailers to let you pay with points or miles. This may mean you have the option to choose your airline miles as the payment method at checkout. Or, it means going through the airline's merchandise portal to shop a curated selection of products using miles. How much value you get from your miles is going to vary significantly, but you may occasionally find some deals.

8. Charitable donations

Many of us like to give back. However, it can be hard to make donations when our bank accounts are already feeling the strain of, you know, life. If you want to give back and have some idle miles, consider donating your miles instead. Some frequent flyer programs have their own partnerships for donations, or you can donate directly to a charitable organization that accepts miles.

9. Experiences

Ever wanted to hit a hot food and wine festival? What about sitting in the front row at a once-in-a-lifetime concert? Maybe you just want tickets to a can't-miss sporting event. All of these -- and more -- can be purchased with airline miles. Most big programs offer an "experiences" portal where they let you use miles to purchase event and experience packages using your airline miles.

10. Magazines

Alright, so this one isn't quite as glamorous as some of the other options on the list, but it could be a good way to use up a few hundred spare miles. A couple of airlines offer this option -- Delta and United, in particular -- though the available titles and miles cost varies between airlines.

Miles of possibilities

Free flights are absolutely the best way to use your airline miles. But they're most definitely not the only way. You can use miles to enhance many aspects of your travel -- or even if you don't travel at all.