The frequent business traveler who possesses a pot full of frequent flyer miles and hotel points can be forgiven if visions of free seats to an island paradise resort dance through his or her head. After all, those points were earned by suffering through flight delays and cancellations, surly treatment at the hands of airline staff, overstuffed flights, tedious and invasive security checks, long hours slouched at airport gates that were either too busy or deserted, cookie-cutter hotel rooms too close to the ice maker and bed pillows like slabs of concrete.
If you’re a regular business traveler, you have probably built up an impressive stash of miles both the hard way (by flying often and staying more hotel-nights than you can count) and as a dedicated consumer (refinancing your home, remodeling your family room, buying 25 bags of kitty litter), earning with each swipe of your credit card.
If you have more miles and points than you can realistically use or if you just want to share the wealth, there are plenty of ways to do it.
1. First, be familiar with the rules that govern your frequent flyer/frequent guest programs.
2. Donate miles to an airline-sponsored charity.
3. Contribute miles/points to medical organizations and hospitals.
4. Transfer miles or points to a local organization of your choice.
5. Know the tax implications of your contribution
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Know the rules for your partner airline(s)
Before you offer to contribute frequent flyer miles to a charity, youth group, disaster relief, or any worthwhile organization, find out the procedures and any possible restrictions imposed by your frequent flyer program.
I recommend: Some airlines, such as Northwest, align themselves with specific charities. This doesn’t mean that you must contribute your miles to that organization, but it’s an easy way to go. Review the options and rules, then decide what best meets your personal goals. Look for details at these Web sites:
United Airlines Charity Miles,
American Airlines Miles for Kids,
Northwest Air Cares,
Delta Sky Wish Charities,
Midwest Airlines Miracle Miles, and
Continental OnePass. For links to all airline frequent flyer programs, visit
Frequent Flier.com
If you have a favorite charity, donate directly to them
If you’d rather contribute directly to your favorite charity, that’s generally not a problem.
I recommend: If you admire the work done by the
American Red Cross, they will welcome your contribution of miles. So will the
Make-A-Wish Foundation (scroll down to Non Cash Gifts),
Special Olympics, the
Childrens Cancer Association,
Operation Hero Miles, and hundreds more. For a comprehensive list of charities that welcome donations of miles and hotel points, visit
Mile Donor. Web sites that provide information on the efficiency and fiscal soundness of charitable organizations include
www.charitywatch.org, and
www.charitynavigator.org.
Put your miles and points to work closer to home
If you’d rather contribute in your own back yard, contact a local hospital (air miles can be used to bring family members to an ill patient, hotel points are valuable for extended stays), a social services organization that facilitates foreign adoptions (miles and points can be used for adoptive parents’ travel to/from a foreign destination), a sports team (miles and hotel points can be used for coach and player travel to away games) ---the possibilities are as broad as your community’s needs.
I recommend: Look for
state hospitals, area social service and adoption agencies (both
public and
private).
Donate credit card miles
Major credit card companies make it convenient to donate accumulated air miles too. Some will let you trade "x" miles for a donation of "y" to a charity that they sponsor.
I recommend: Call the customer service number on the back of your rewards credit card for information on how you can donate. If you don’t already have a credit card that accumulates miles for purchases, find one
here.
Check out the tax implications of your donation
The good news is you’ll feel great when you donate air miles to a favorite charity. The bad news is your donation will probably not be tax deductible.
I recommend: Review advice about tax deductibility at
MileDonor.com and then talk to your tax professional.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Rules for donating air miles and hotel points can vary from one frequent flyer/guest program to another. Your best bet is to call the program’s 800-number and talk to someone in the know.
- Before you donate miles to a local charity, contact them to make sure they can use them.
- To give your chosen charity maximum flexibility in how and when they will use the miles, avoid transferring miles that are about to expire.
- There’s a possibility that your donation of miles can be tax deductible; if this is important to you, be sure to work out the details with your tax advisor before you transfer miles.
- If your community has a Ronald McDonald House, look into donating air miles for use by families of children undergoing lengthy cancer treatment at an area hospital.
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