Where and for what you can pay with miles. Bonus miles under the Priority program from S7 airlines: how to accumulate and spend? Qualifying and non-qualifying miles

Information on how to earn miles for a plane is very relevant and interesting. We list the best cards of banking systems and briefly describe the conditions for accrual and how to spend the received bonuses. After all, everyone will want to use a free or cheaper flight in the desired direction.

Today, airlines are increasingly offering a so-called loyalty program to regular customers. Banks also join it, helping people to quickly increase conditional miles on their account even when making daily purchases, which are then available to use personally or transfer to close relatives.

Benefits of miles cards

Accrual of bonus miles initially appeared with individual airlines. Thus, they took care of their regular customers so that they choose flights of the same airline. Over time, a similar system has spread to bank cards, as well as some other financial and tourist institutions.

For ordinary people, the benefit is that when they use certain services of a particular company, they receive conditional bonuses as a gift. Having collected a certain amount of them, you can buy an air ticket for free or almost free of charge or get other privileges while traveling. Specific conditions always depend on which carrier or bank you are cooperating with.

So, the airline gives the passenger bonus miles for the purchase of each ticket. At the same time, there is an increase in the status of the client, which also brings additional benefits. The more often you use the services of a carrier, fly longer distances, purchase expensive tickets, the faster the system accumulates conditional miles on your account.

We list the basic principles of their use:

1. Qualifying bonuses are awarded for each flight made with the help of a specific carrier or one alliance.
2. You should know in advance which system they are assigned to. So, the more expensive the ticket and the farther the distance, the more conditional miles you get. Carriers have separate tables that provide numbers and coefficients for accurate calculations.
3. Time frames must also be taken into account. That is, every six months, a year or two, you need to make at least one flight so that the bonuses do not “burn out”. Very often people are faced with the fact that they did not take into account this condition and all their accumulated miles disappeared at the most inopportune moment. Therefore, it is important to adhere to the established rules when participating in a particular loyalty program.
4. When making periodic flights, in addition to conditional bonuses, you also receive an increase in status, which is very beneficial. Among the opening privileges, there may be - priority in the queue during check-in and boarding, access to the airport's VIP lounges, an increase in free luggage space per person, etc.
5. Sometimes award miles tickets are completely free. In other cases, you have to pay fuel surcharges, but even then the flight is much cheaper.
6. You can spend the accumulated units not only on yourself, but also on your friends or relatives.
7. There is a special system for recalculating bonuses, according to which you can purchase not only economy class tickets, but also use business class when flying. And more often than not, this turns out to be a more profitable advantage than just buying a free seat.
8. When connecting a bank card or other cooperation programs, you can receive bonuses even for simple daily financial transactions. True, in this case, your client status will not increase. But you can earn free miles very quickly.
9. Similarly, it will be possible to spend the accumulated conditional units on other goods of partners. In this case, it is desirable to obtain a catalog that lists all the options and prices for the services of airlines and other companies.

But in order to take full advantage of such a benefit from the loyalty program, you need to carefully study all the terms and conditions. Very often, people remain dissatisfied only because they turned out to be inattentive and scrolled through the cooperation agreement superficially.

Aeroflot terms and conditions

Aeroflot remains the most popular carrier in Russia. This airline has a lot of flights both in our country and abroad. And if residents of Moscow or St. Petersburg can still choose bonus programs of other airlines, for example, European ones, then in remote regions they are most often forced to cooperate with this particular carrier.

azimuthotels.com

But it is worth noting that the accrual of bonuses remains quite profitable. So, getting a card for accumulating miles is available at any bank in Russia, while additional benefits are opened for affiliate programs. For example, for every 20-30 rubles spent from a credit card, 1 free mile is credited. True, most often there is a condition under which you need to use the services of a carrier at least once every two years.

It is advisable to look at the accumulated miles before the planned trip, for example, in your personal account, and clarify the conditions for their use in order to accurately calculate where it is more profitable to fly, how much the flight will cost and other nuances. Also, by analogy, it is possible to spend them on car rental, hotel rooms and other travel services.

But you need to remember that Aeroflot does not offer completely free tickets even for regular customers. In each case, you will have to pay at least fuel surcharges. Therefore, it is much more profitable to use the loyalty program when booking a seat in business class. Then the price will be the same, but you will get much more benefits during the flight.

Pay attention to the so-called territorial grid. Depending on the locality in which the passenger is located and from which he will fly on an award ticket, the need for conditional miles spent on the same flight also differs significantly. For example, destinations from the Russia 1 zone to Europe are considered the most profitable, since passengers have to save up much less conventional units on their account to make a trip.

Remember one more thing. There is a difference in the cost of fuel surcharges depending on the direction of travel. So, when flying to Kazakhstan (Karaganda), they will be in the region of 350 rubles per person. And if, for example, you go to Kamchatka, then - 4300. Therefore, it is very important to calculate in advance for which tickets you should use bonus miles so that the trip is as profitable as possible.

Often, Aeroflot holds various promotions and contests, in which passengers also have the opportunity to get extra miles to their account or use them at a better rate.

Bank cards

By opening a credit or debit card at a bank, you can also earn extra miles for future travel.

The conditions in each institution are somewhat different, so in order to choose which card is better in this regard, you need to carefully study all the features of bonus accrual for a specific partner offer. For example, we briefly list the most popular systems.

It is considered one of the more profitable offers, since when paying for purchases with a credit card of this bank, you can get much more miles for free flights. Of the minuses, it should be noted that in this case, conventional units are written off according to a special system - a multiple of 3,000. So, if you need to pay 11,500 miles, then 12,000 will be withdrawn from your account, and if 12,500 miles are needed, then already 15,000.

The terms of use include the following:

• when booking hotels, they accrue 10% bonuses from a credit card;
• for tickets, the fare is slightly lower - 5%;
• There are other special offers that can be found in the catalog.

If you regularly use this card and pay off the debt in a timely manner, then miles are accumulated very quickly for a free flight across Russia or even to Europe.

Alfa Bank

Has a program called AlfaTravel. It unlocks the following perks:

1. Increased accrual for buying tickets not only for airlines, but even for railways, as well as when booking hotels through a local website. But in this case, the cost of services may be higher than at other sites.
2. There are benefits for customers in the form of Priority Pass, unlimited roaming internet for two weeks, some discounts when using various travel services.

It is worth noting that this bank has a whole tariff scale for cards and in each of the cases bonuses are accrued for one or another action. Therefore, you need to familiarize yourself with the existing conditions in advance in order to choose the most suitable and profitable option for yourself.

Bank opening"

This bonus program implies the accrual of conventional units, which can then be spent on the same services - air tickets, hotel reservations, etc. But among the rules of use there is a mandatory purchase only through their Internet service. But among the advantages, it should be noted that here you can write off bonuses in any amount, without a “step”, as in Tinkoff.

Depending on the selected credit card tariff, the accrual conditions are slightly different:

• 3-4 rubles for every 100 rubles spent;
• the amount of travel insurance - 35,000-100,000 euros;
• there are additional benefits for the Premium account (available internet in roaming, flight delay compensation, free transfer, etc.).

At the same time, you can pay for the ticket both with fully accumulated bonuses, and in part. The percentage of accrual of miles is rather big - 3-4%. They let you into the business lounge at airports while waiting for the plane. But in this case, there are also disadvantages, for example, the increased cost of services, not always favorable conditions, and insurance does not cover the costs of staying in certain countries.

Sberbank

The most common loyalty program for our compatriots, working directly with Aeroflot airlines. In general, the conditions for accrual / use of bonus miles are similar here:

1. They give welcome bonuses for opening an account - 500-1000.
2. For every 60 rubles spent, they give 1-2 miles, depending on the type of card (Classic, Gold, Signature).
3. There are discounts on car rentals.

Separate nuances

When using free bonuses, you must clearly follow all the rules that apply to the system. Let's highlight the most important ones:

• Remember that it is very difficult to buy tickets for certain destinations for holidays, holidays, the peak of the tourist season, as they are booked almost a year in advance.
• It is possible to transfer bonuses to other persons, but in a limited amount, depending on the carrier, the status of the client and the bank.
• Stopping at the transfer point is allowed only up to 24 hours.
• It is more profitable to purchase round-trip tickets.
• Always consider the cost of fuel surcharges, as sometimes they are too high.
• Periodically, it is necessary to use the services of the airline so that bonus miles do not “burn out” and their debiting is available.

Video: how do miles work?

Example

To understand in more detail the accrual and use of bonuses, we give approximate indicators. Let's say, with a regular Standard card in any bank, you can collect about 7900 miles per year with spending 40 thousand per month. Making at least one flight a year during your vacation, for example, from Yekaterinburg to Athens and back, you get at least 5,600 miles.

Using a bank card to pay for tickets, another 770 conventional units are added. And, for example, by earning 500 welcome miles and the same amount for participating in the promotion, you have added a total of 1000 to your account. Using the same hotel booking system, you can add up to 1000 USD to your balance. e., paying for accommodation by card. And for renting a car, another 250 is added.

In total, there are already 16,520 bonuses in total for the year and one vacation spent. They can be spent in different ways. For example, having accumulated 20 thousand miles in a year and a half, you will be able to fly to Istanbul or St. Petersburg from Yekaterinburg. In this case, you will only have to pay fees in the amount of 3000 rubles.

It is impossible to immediately tell which of the cards or programs will be more profitable and better. It all depends on the specific conditions of use. Therefore, it is worth carefully studying the rules, interest charges in each bank and with individual carriers in order to decide which system will be more profitable for you to fly.

An overview of the top 15 debit cards to earn miles in 2019. Answers to questions - what are miles cards, how to use them, and most importantly - how these same miles are accumulated and spent.

What does mile card mean

Almost all major banks have included cards with miles in their line of card products. They can be both debit and credit, but their main feature is the ability to accumulate bonus points (miles).

How to spend miles

Award miles can be spent on:

• purchase of air tickets with discounts;
• booking hotel rooms;
• service class upgrade during flights;
• car rental, including abroad, etc.

What are the bonus programs

Note that bonus programs under which miles are credited for purchases can be different:

1. Some banks enter into agreements directly with airlines, such as Alfa-Bank and Aeroflot;
2. Others issue co-branded plastics in cooperation with large alliances that include many airlines, for example, with the SkyTeam alliance, of which Aeroflot is a member, thanks to which the accumulated miles can be spent on buying air tickets from not one air carrier, but several at once;
3. The most attractive can be called such cards, according to which the accumulated miles can be spent on buying discounted air tickets of any companies - for example, such is the All Airlines card from Tinkoff Bank.

Which airlines have bonus programs

The most famous and largest alliances of air carriers are:

• Star Alliance is the largest and oldest aviation alliance with 27 full members;
• SkyTeam is in second place in the world ranking of the largest alliances, consists of 13 largest airlines (including Aeroflot);
• OneWorld is the third largest aviation alliance with 12 full members. S7 Airlines consists of Russian companies in this alliance.

In addition, there are mileage programs developed by banks in conjunction with online booking sites. Such programs include, for example, OneTwoTrip, to which Tinkoff Bank is connected, and Travel Miles from Gazprombank, established jointly with iGlobe.ru.

How to choose a card with miles for yourself

Now let's try to answer the question, what is the best card for accumulating miles. The main selection criteria include the following parameters:

1. low cost of annual maintenance;
2. the possibility of paying with accumulated miles for air tickets of any companies;
3. availability of welcome miles credited upon receipt of a bank card;
4. the maximum possible number of miles for spending;
5. accrual of interest on the balance of funds on plastic, etc.

It is believed that cards with bonus miles give the maximum benefit to those who fly at least 4 times a year.

How to earn miles

To accumulate bonuses, it is important to carefully study the bonus program of the bank. Miles are credited only for amounts spent by bank transfer. The rate varies from issuer to issuer: somewhere 1 mile is given for every 30 rubles spent, somewhere only for 100 rubles of purchases.

You need to know that miles are not credited for some transactions. Thus, most issuers do not take into account the following operations when determining the mile award:

• cash withdrawal;
• commissions deducted according to the bank's tariffs;
• write-offs in favor of casinos or sweepstakes;
• purchase of lottery tickets and bonds;
• purchase of insurance policies;
• transfers in favor of pawnshops or other creditors and so on.

Do the miles burn

The question of whether miles expire and when, you need to check with the bank when issuing a card. It is desirable that this moment be reflected in the contract.

Most often, miles are credited to the account for 2-3 years. Bonuses can also expire when, over the past year or two, the cardholder has not used tourist services, has not bought a ticket for a flight of a certain air carrier.

How many Aeroflot miles can be earned in one year

According to the Sberbank calculator, if you spend 30,000 rubles a month, then 6,000 miles will accumulate in 1 year of use. The air carrier has not set a limit on the number of accumulated bonuses, but the issuing bank has the right to set it. Sberbank, for example, does not have such a restriction in its rules for accumulating miles.

But according to the terms of the Aeroflot Bonus program, in order to maintain the mileage account, you need to fly Aeroflot or its alliance partners at least once every 2 years.

How many miles do you need for a free flight

Most programs provide for the exchange of 1 ticket for at least 20,000 miles. There are also promotions that will make the flight cheaper.

Most often, only the fare of the air carrier can be compensated with miles. Other fees must be paid in cash. This part of the ticket price can reach 50-70%.

How to get a miles card

A bank mile card is issued in the same way as other similar products. If you need a debit card, then usually you simply submit an application either on the issuer's website, including in your personal Internet banking account, or at the bank's office. Most often, such products are provided to customers who have reached the age of 18.

When ordering a credit card, they often additionally require proof of employment (2-NDFL certificates, salary account statements, and so on). Credit cards are issued no earlier than upon reaching the age of 21 years.

In any case, a passport is presented.

VTB mile card

It is offered to receive miles at VTB Bank using the Multicard when connecting the Travel option to the agreement.

The “Travel” option assumes the return of part of the money spent as miles for relevant purchases, that is, bonuses will be credited from the amounts spent on the purchase of tickets for rail transport, air travel, payment and booking of hotel rooms, car rental. The percentage of return according to VTB tariffs depends on the volume of turnover on the account:

• when spending 5,000 - 15,000 rubles, 1% will be received;
• 15,000 - 75,000 rubles - 2%;
• more than 75,000 rubles - 4%.

For 1 month, a maximum of 5,000 bonuses is allowed.

The accumulated miles are spent on the bank's branded travel aggregator, on travel.vtb.ru.

Advantages:

• the service will become free when the monthly turnover on the account exceeds 5,000 rubles. If less, then the commission will be 249 rubles per month;
• the card can also be used as a salary;
• it is possible to activate 1 of 7 options that allow you to receive rewards in the selected area. Changing the subject of purchases, where the maximum reward is due, is free of charge and is implemented by the client independently through the support service, mobile bank or Internet bank. Changing the option is possible no more than once a month;
• up to 6% per annum is accrued on the account balance. For example, with a balance of 5,000 - 15,000 rubles, income is calculated on the basis of 1% per annum, with an amount over 75,000 rubles - 6%;
• Cash can be withdrawn free of charge at any ATM in the world. When working with foreign currencies, there will still be some conversion costs;
• transfer of funds in favor of clients of other banks, including foreign ones, is carried out without commission;
• free SMS banking and internet banking;
• up to 5 additional cards are opened for 1 account;
• the account is opened in one of the currencies - in Russian rubles, in US dollars, in euros;
• accumulated bonuses do not expire.

In the first month of ownership, the maximum possible cashback on purchases in the selected category is provided.

Flaws:

• when accruing bonuses, the turnover on the card for the previous month is taken into account, but when changing the option in the current month, the minimum possible reward is assigned;
• interest is calculated according to the smallest account balance for the past month;
• if the account turnover is less than 5,000 rubles, then the condition for free cashout is not valid, that is, at the end of the month, you can lose some amount;
• Only 1 premium option is allowed.

Mile cards of Alfa-Bank

Alfa-Bank offers 2 options for mile cards:

• Alfa Travel;
• Aeroflot.

Here 1 mile is equal to 1 ruble.

Universal AlfaTravel from Alfa-Bank

AlfaTravel VISA is a universal debit card or credit card. Available miles pay for the services of more than 60 tour operators and purchase tickets from more than 300 air carriers.

Owners of AlfaTravel Premium level products are provided with additional benefits, for example, a 20% discount on taxis, entrance to Priority Pass lounges, luggage wrapping as a gift, and so on.

Advantages:

• accounts are opened in rubles, US dollars, euros, Swiss francs, British pounds;
• with a turnover of more than 10,000 rubles or with a balance of more than 30,000 rubles, the service costs 0 rubles. In other cases, the commission will be 100 rubles per month. The first 2 months of ownership are free;
• when registering an account, 1,000 miles are given;
• accumulated bonuses are saved and are not canceled;
• cash can be obtained anywhere in the world for free;
• when ordering services on travel.alfabank.ru 9% is returned in miles;
• 3% of the cost of other purchases will also be returned in miles;
• up to 6% per annum will be charged on the balance of the ruble account within 300,000 rubles, taking into account the purchasing activity of the cardholder.

Flaws:

• extended insurance for those traveling abroad has a small coverage - 50,000 euros;
• a premium level card will cost 5,000 rubles annually, although the first year of ownership costs 0 rubles.

Mile cards "Aeroflot" from "Alfa-Bank"

Aeroflot MasterCard can be both credit and debit. Class - Platinum or World Black Edition. The card was created in partnership with Aeroflot and other airlines of the SkyTeam alliance.

Rules for the formation of mile rewards:

• 1,000 miles - given to each new client;
• up to 1.5 miles - for every 60 rubles ($1 or 1 euro);
• 1 mile is given for every 200 rubles ($30 or 300 euros) appearing on the AeroPlan account.

Advantages:

• account currency - Russian ruble, euro or US dollar;
• upgrade to business class is allowed;
• miles are also paid for the goods of companies that are members of the alliance;
• cardholders have the right to count on additional benefits from the bank - increased interest on deposits, an individual attitude, a special rate for currency conversion.

Disadvantage: servicing the card with a zero commission is possible only until the end of 2019. Then the preference is retained only when the amount of purchases exceeds 10,000 rubles, or if the minimum account balance is more than 30,000 rubles. In case of non-compliance with the specified requirements, the service fee is 100 rubles per month.

Mile cards "Tinkoff"

ALL Airlines (Tinkoff bank)

• 1.5% on any purchases, provided that the daily account balance is at least 100,000 rubles;
• 1% in all cases where this condition is not met;
• if the amount of purchases (from the card) per month exceeds 20,000 rubles, bonus points are credited to the balance of funds at the rate of 6% per annum;
• when booking hotels and buying air tickets of any airlines on the travel.tinkoff.ru website, up to 10% is charged, also in the form of bonus miles;
• the period during which the accumulated miles can be used is 5 years;
• the maximum number of accrued miles per month is 6,000;
• the minimum balance of accumulated miles for the possibility of reimbursement of the purchase price is 6,000.

Tinkoff Bank has already quite pleasant conditions for owning cards, and with the ALL Airlines bonus program, there are even more advantages:

• possibility of free card servicing;
• free cash withdrawal in the amount of 3,000 to 150,000 rubles at any ATMs and PVN;
• free travel insurance worldwide;
• profitable bonus program;
• possibility of contactless payment;
• the possibility of accruing interest on the balance.

Free card maintenance is possible if the daily balance on the card account exceeds 100,000 rubles. Otherwise, 299 rubles are deducted every month, or 3,588 rubles a year.

The disadvantages of owning this plastic include only a paid SMS bank - 59 rubles per month.

Tinkoff Bank has very simple conditions for issuing and receiving bank cards: an application is submitted online on the bank's website, the age at which you can become an ALL Airlines card holder starts at 14, and the plastic itself is delivered free of charge throughout Russia.

Cards, including debit cards, will be delivered to your home or office.

The OneTwoTrip card is issued as a MasterCard in the World and Black Edition categories. It's not exactly a mile card. Here, tripcoins act as bonuses. According to the terms of the agreement, the following exchange rate is applied: 1 tripcoin = 1 ruble. This currency can be used on the travel aggregator website when paying:

• air tickets;
• train tickets;
• car rental;
• tours and excursions;
• hotels.

Bonuses are calculated as follows:

• 4% when purchasing plane tickets;
• 8% when paying for hotels;
• up to 5% when issuing train tickets;
• 1% for other purchases;
• 0-30% - from OneTwoTrip partners.

Advantages:

• there is the possibility of gratuitous possession of the card (if there is a loan or a minimum balance in excess of 30,000 rubles). In other cases, owning it means paying 99 rubles a month;
• the ability to choose the most advantageous offer for tourists from a variety of operators.

Flaws:

• transfer in favor of clients of other banks in the amount of more than 20,000 rubles provides for a commission of 1.5%;
• cash withdrawals up to 3,000 rubles in third-party banks cost 90 rubles.

If the account balance is less than 300,000 rubles with a monthly turnover of 3,000 rubles or more, then 6% per annum is charged. Income comes in tripcoins.

S7-Tinkoff is MasterCard. Miles are awarded for purchases here. They are used for:

• purchasing tickets for S7 Airlines or flights of other OneWorld members;
• increasing the level of service comfort to the level of business.

Miles are calculated as follows:

• 3 miles for every 60 rubles used on the S7 portal;
• 1.5 miles for 60 rubles for non-cash payments for other purchases;
• up to 18 miles will be credited for every 60 rubles spent on special offers.

Advantages:

• participation in special sales of air tickets, which are held 2 times a year;
• cash withdrawal in any ATMs of the world with zero commission;
• miles can be shared. Transmission up to 500 miles allowed;
• if you spend more than 800,000 rubles from your card account in a quarter, you can upgrade your class of service once a year free of charge, check in at a business level counter, check in additional luggage and choose a seat.

Disadvantage: card service with a commission of 0 rubles is available only if the balance on the card is more than 150,000 rubles. If this condition is not met, you will have to pay 190 rubles per month.

To receive a ticket fully paid for with bonuses, it is enough to accumulate 6,000 miles for one of the regular flights.

Mile card "Sberbank"

Sberbank issues an Aeroflot card. It is available in 3 variations:

• Classic - the cost of maintenance is 900 rubles in the 1st year of ownership and 600 rubles in subsequent years;
• Gold, which will cost 3,500 rubles per year of use;
• Signature - 12,000 rubles per year.

The fundamental difference between all cards is the availability and quality of preferences. For example, miles are credited based on every 60 rubles spent by bank transfer, but Classic card holders will receive 1 mile, Gold card - 1.5 miles, and Signature card - 2 miles.

Advantages:

• no fees for cash withdrawals at branded ATMs within the established limits - 150,000 rubles for the Classic version and 500,000 rubles for the Signature;
• account currency - Russian ruble, euro or US dollars;
• It is possible to issue additional cards.

Flaws:

• high cost of premium products;
• Sberbank does not enter into alliances with other banks, which means that a commission must be charged when contacting the machines of other financial institutions, including abroad.

Mile card of Gazprombank

"Gazprombank - Travel Miles" - mile card of "Gazprombank". She confirms participation in the Travel Miles program, according to the terms of which the accumulated miles can be used to pay for travel services on the iGlobe.ru website.

The card can be either debit or credit. It is possible to issue both as a Visa and as a Mastercard.

Advantages:

• the bonus reward can be used to pay for various travel services from different operators, and not just for buying air tickets for flights of one alliance;
• It is possible to issue an additional card to the main account. Spending from additional forms is taken into account when calculating bonus miles;
• the account is opened in Russian rubles, euros or US dollars.

Flaws:

• according to the tariffs, issuing a card is paid and costs from 1,300 rubles;
• The form is valid for 2 years.

Promsvyazbank

"Map of the world without borders" MasterCard World from Promsvyazbank can be both debit and credit. The principle of mileage accrual is 1.5% of the amount of the purchase made abroad and 1% of the value of other expenses. 1,500 miles are credited to the cardholder as a welcome bonus.

Advantages:

• validity of the form - 4 years;
• it is possible to make a salary card;
• free travel insurance is provided with coverage up to 50,000 euros;
• up to 5% per annum is accrued on the account balance;
• miles pay up to 100% of the cost of travel services;
• free internet banking and mobile banking;
• it is possible to deliver the card by courier;
• the card opens access to the PSB World of Discounts discount program, thanks to which you can get a discount of up to 20% from bank partners.

Flaws:

• cost of ownership for 1 year - 1,990 rubles;
• in order to get 1 mile, in Russia you need to spend 100 rubles.

Raiffeisenbank

Raiffeisenbank offers to issue 2 debit miles cards at once:

• buy

Their advantages:

• miles are accepted for payment for travel services on the site iGlobe.ru;
• the account can be in rubles and currency (in euros or in US dollars);
• mole bank and mobile application are free;
• preferences from 4,000 bank partners.

Disadvantage: paid SMS informing about completed transactions - 60 rubles per month.

Buy&Fly

With the Buy&Fly MasterCard card, 1 mile is credited for every 100 rubles of purchases paid with the card. If more than 75,000 rubles are spent from the account in a month, then for amounts exceeding the specified one, you can get 3 miles for every 100 rubles. For 1 calendar year, you can get no more than 240,000 miles.

Advantages:

• you can issue an additional card;
• the card account is opened in rubles, euros or US dollars.

Disadvantage: cash withdrawal in the machines of other companies - 1% (at least 100 rubles).

If the card is ordered before 12/31/2019, the first year of service will be free.

Visa Classic Travel holders have the right to count on 1 mile for every 40 rubles spent and on a birthday gift in the amount of 1,000 miles.

Advantage: annual maintenance - from 500 rubles.

Flaws:

• cash withdrawal in Russia and abroad in partner banks of Raiffeisenbank without commission is possible only in the first 2 transactions. Then they will keep 1% (minimum 199 rubles);
• the card is not personalized - there is no name and surname of the holder on the form, although the account will be opened in his name.

"Opening"

Otkritie Bank issues a Travel card. The card is universal. The received bonuses are spent on travel services on the travel.open.ru website.

For purchases, they give 4 bonus rubles on the Premium card and 3 on the Optimal card.

Advantages:

• after the 1st purchase, 300 or 600 rubles of bonus are credited to the bonus account, taking into account the product class;
• according to the tariffs, an income equal to 5% per annum is accrued on the account balance;
• it is possible to issue up to 5 additional cards;
• the account is issued in one of the 3 main currencies;
• bonuses are used to pay for a wide range of travel services.

Flaws:

• a Premium level card costs 2,500 rubles per month, and an Optimal one costs 299 rubles;
• An SMS informer for a regular card will cost 59 rubles, and for a luxury card - 0 rubles.

Rosselkhozbank

Rosselkhozbank issues a Travel Card. It is released as:

• Visa Classic Instant Issue;
• Visa Classic;
• Visa Gold.

Advantages:

• there is a loyalty program "Harvest";
• order up to 8 additional cards;
• free SMS service;
• active customers are exempt from service fees;
• The card is used to pay for a variety of travel services from different operators.

In the first 2 months of owning the product, bonuses are accrued with a coefficient of 2.

Flaws:

• the account is opened only in rubles;
• you can take an instant card, the name of the holder of which will not be printed on the form. The account is still personalized. The instant issue card is valid for 2 years. Others - 3 years;
• paid issue of each card form - 99 rubles for Classic or 299 rubles for Gold.

"Vanguard"

Avangard Bank will provide Airbonus and Airbonus Premium based on VISA or MasterCard. Miles earned in branded Internet banking are used to pay for plane and train tickets, including Aeroexpress in Moscow.

Upon presentation of the first card form, special miles are credited as a welcome: 500 miles for Airbonus and 1,000 miles for Airbonus Premium. An increase of 1 bonus is carried out for every 20 rubles spent on the 1st type of cards and 30 rubles on the 2nd.

Advantages:

• for the budget Airbonus they pay 1,000 rubles a year ($40 or 40 euros);
• a card account is issued in one of 3 currencies - Russian ruble, US dollar, euro;
• free insurance for those traveling abroad with a coverage of 60,000 euros;
• there is a discount program;
• with Airbonus Premium, the Priority Pass card form is provided free of charge;
• IAPA card for Airbonus Premium holders is free.

Flaws:

• expensive Airbonus Premium service - 5,500 rubles ($200 or 200 euros) for 1 year;
• small ATM network.

"St. Petersburg"

Bank Saint Petersburg has prepared a Mastercard World Travel card for travelers.

Miles calculation rules:

• Mastercard World Travel - 1.5% in miles for all purchases and up to 8% for money spent on the branded Travel portal, and up to 3% per annum will be credited to the account balance;
• Mastercard World Travel Premium - 2% for any expenses, up to 10% for funds left on the bank's special website, up to 5% per annum on the account balance.

For purchases from 100,000 rubles for 1 month, miles are credited based on a rate of up to 30%.

Advantages:

• free travel insurance is provided;
• profitable bonus program.

Flaws:

• it is allowed free of charge to receive cash abroad, depending on the class of the card, 4 or 8 times;
• service is free of charge, when more than 30,000 rubles are spent per month or the account balance remains at a level of at least 100,000 rubles. Otherwise, the monthly commission is, according to the product class, 249 rubles or 1,249 rubles;
• account currency - only Russian ruble.

The best cards for earning miles

A comparison of maps with miles showed that the following products can be recognized as the best:

1. All Airlines from Tinkoff Bank, which offers a profitable mileage accrual system, free insurance when traveling abroad and allows you to spend bonuses on travel with various operators;
2. AlfaTravel from Alfa-Bank, thanks to which you can get a good cashback in the form of miles for purchases on a branded travel aggregator. It is important that the account can be opened in one of 5 currencies, which allows you to significantly save on conversion;
3. Visa Classic Travel from Raiffeisenbank. It is the best offer for those who often travel abroad, who pay in foreign currency and use European ATMs;
4. "Gazprombank - Travel Miles" from Gazprombank, which allows you to buy tours and tickets on the iGlobe.ru website. The mileage rate is also good.

The most profitable card with miles

The top-5 rating is headed by the OneTwoTrip card from Tinkoff. It is universal: its bonuses are used for calculation on the website of the travel services aggregator. The form will be delivered to your home or office. The moderate cost of ownership is ideally combined with a good rate of accrual of bonuses when paying for travel services, as well as interest on the balance in the form of the same premium tripcoins.

“I try not to spend a single cent if it doesn’t drip into my account with miles,” said George Clooney’s character Ryan in the movie Up in the Air. At work, Ryan took at least one flight almost every day, by the end of the film he managed to accumulate 10 million miles and receive lifetime privileges from the airline. If this lifestyle is not for you, then the benefits of earning miles may not be as obvious.

Nevertheless, airline loyalty programs are popular with passengers. 7.5 million people (30% of all passengers) participate in the Aeroflot Bonus program from Aeroflot - 2.5 million people, 1.7 million people participate in Status from Utair, Ural Airlines participates in the Wings program - more than 20% of passengers. “But far from everyone really uses the accumulated miles: according to our estimates, only 20–25% of loyalty program participants have accumulated enough bonuses to be able to spend them,” says Maxim Shapirovsky, Deloitte Digital CIS manager.

Perks are not for everyone

Each carrier has its own system for accruing bonus miles. Their number may depend both on the distance of the flight and on the price of the ticket. For example, Utair can earn 3–7% of miles from the ticket price, depending on the status of a loyalty program member, while Air France and KLM can earn from 4 to 8 miles for every euro spent on a ticket. Lufthansa has the same system, but with a factor of 4–6. Depending on the distance, fare and service class, miles are credited, among other things, by Aeroflot, S7 and Emirates. Usually, miles are credited immediately after the client has made a flight (Aeroflot, Emirates, Lufthansa, Air France, Utair) or checked in for a flight (Ural Airlines). To receive Aeroflot miles, the loyalty program member number must be entered in the booking or when registering for the flight, after the flight this can also be done within three months, the company representative specified.

The best privileges go to those who fly enough to earn one of the elite statuses in the loyalty program. For example, in order to reach the minimum - "Silver" - level in the Aeroflot Bonus program, you need to make at least 25 flights per year or earn 25,000 qualifying miles (an average of 1 qualifying mile per 1 mile of flight in economy class), in "Wings" from Ural Airlines - 20 flights per year, and Miles & More from Lufthansa - 30 flights or 30,000 miles. In addition to various privileges (an extra piece of baggage, check-in at a separate counter, etc.), statuses increase the amount of bonuses compared to ordinary members of the loyalty program. Since August, S7 has introduced new statuses for passengers in addition to the elite Silver, Gold and Platinum (achieved after 20, 50 and 75 flights per year): Junior, Master, Expert and Top - after 4, 8, 12 and 16 flights, respectively. However, on the first two levels, only an additional 10-15% of bonus miles are available for such customers from all the benefits.

Help a friend

Bonus miles are divided into qualifying miles - allowing you to qualify for an increase in the status of a frequent flyer, giving additional privileges - and ordinary miles, which are accrued, as a rule, for using the services of airline partners or in the form of additional bonuses for members of elite level loyalty programs. Most carriers give miles for booking hotels, renting a car and other purchases from their partners, for spending on co-branded cards of partner banks. For example, Aeroflot has four partner banks, depending on the type of card issued by the bank, you can receive up to 2 non-qualifying miles for every 60 rubles spent. /1 euro/$1.

Some companies have other ways to earn miles. S7 also credits them for online check-in for a flight, use of a business lounge, service class upgrade, etc. For example, you can even buy extra miles from Turkish Airlines - 1,000 miles will cost $30.

You can also earn (and spend) miles with carriers that are members of the same international alliance. The three largest alliances are Skyteam, Oneworld and Star Alliance. Of the Russian airlines, Aeroflot is part of Skyteam, among whose 20 members there is also Air France - KLM, Alitalia and Delta. S7 is part of the Oneworld alliance along with British Airways, American Airlines, Finnair and others. Star Alliance companies include Lufthansa, Swiss, Air China and Turkish Airlines.

“The miles of the partners in the alliance are also qualifying, that is, they bring them closer to the [elite] status in the loyalty program of the “native” airline,” explains Ilya Shatilin, the creator of the frequentflyers.ru portal.

However, the number of miles received from different carriers of the same alliance for a flight over a comparable distance in the same class may differ, and quite significantly, warns the creator of the resource aviablogger.com Konstantin Parfenok.

“Often, the transfer of miles from one air carrier to another within the same alliance is not free - payment is calculated on an individual basis between air carriers and can be charged both in the form of miles and in monetary terms,” Shapirovsky states. Sometimes an airline won't credit miles at all, he adds, most often with the low-cost tickets themselves, which are what most passengers are interested in.

Loyalty Award

“It makes sense to start earning miles only if you fly more than 5-10 times a year and are ready to choose one airline or several airlines from one alliance. Moreover, it is advisable to buy tickets at high fares, which allow you to earn more miles, and get a [co-branded] bank card to which miles are credited for purchases - then you will be able to accumulate miles faster,” says Parfenok.

For example, a businessman who flies from Moscow once a month on business to Yekaterinburg and does not have an elite level in the loyalty program will receive a maximum of 4,446 bonus miles for one round-trip flight with Aeroflot. To do this, he must buy a Premium ticket in a business class, which at the time of preparation of the material cost more than 40,000 rubles. To buy a business class ticket Moscow - Yekaterinburg - Moscow for bonuses once, you need to spend 30,000 miles - a businessman will accumulate them after seven business class flights at the Premium fare on the same route. If he has the highest status in the program (“Platinum”), he will need six such flights. But in order to save up for a business class flight to the Maldives and back, a businessman at the Platinum level will have to fly Moscow - Yekaterinburg - Moscow 23 times. If he made monthly flights to Berlin, he could buy a ticket to Male in 20 flights.

When flying from Moscow to Yekaterinburg and back in economy class at the Budget fare, an Aeroflot Bonus member receives a maximum of 2,222 miles. It turns out that he will be able to buy the same ticket for miles only for the tenth such flight. It will cost him the same amount to upgrade to business class.

Some companies make it possible to pay for a ticket partly in cash, partly in miles - such a system operates in the Skywards program from Emirates, as well as in the programs of Utair and Ural Airlines. The last two even equated miles to rubles, essentially introducing a cashback that can be used for air travel and other services.

Unobvious benefit

The rate of write-off of bonus miles is much worse than the rate of accrual, states Shatilin. In addition, the number of tickets available for purchase with miles is most often limited - according to Shatilin, there are no more than 1–2% for each flight: “To popular destinations and in the [high] season, keep track of tickets that can be purchased for bonuses, it is necessary strongly in advance; besides, they may not exist at all. The exception is monetary programs that work on the principle of cashback, he adds. In addition, as a rule, you can not pay with miles for the entire cost of the ticket, but only for the fare without fees, recalls Parfenok: “Fees can reach up to 20,000 rubles, most often, the longer the flight and the higher the class of service, the larger they are.” For example, an Aeroflot business class flight on the Moscow-Paris route in September this year will cost 50,000 miles and 22,749 rubles. fees. Flying the same route in Air France Business Class will cost you a minimum of 52,000 Flying Blue miles plus fees. Members of one alliance provide passengers with the opportunity to spend bonus miles of their airline on partner flights, but this is completely unprofitable. For example, a business class flight from Moscow to Paris with Air France will cost 90,000 Aeroflot Bonus miles plus fees.

Before spending miles on a flight, you need to make sure that it is not possible to buy an air ticket at a lower price for the same destination from another carrier, Shatilin warns: it is often cheaper than paying the fees of your airline and paying extra miles for the fare.

You need to be careful if the flight is code-share (one company operates the flight, and its partners can sell tickets for it under their own code. - Vedomosti), adds Shapirovsky: “Let's say if you fly with Air France, which shares code with Aeroflot from the same alliance, then Air France points are not fully converted into Aeroflot points, since in the understanding of the carrier they may have different values. If Aeroflot operates a flight and shares the code with Air France, then you will receive your Aeroflot Bonus points in full.”

Accumulated miles may expire. For example, Emirates and Air France miles live for three years from the date they are earned. Utair writes off 100 accumulated miles every month if the passenger has not flown with the airline's aircraft for six months. Aeroflot miles are completely burned out if the participant has not made a single flight in two years. “Also, the airline can change the number of miles needed to buy a ticket at any time, so it’s better to spend miles: if you save them for a long time, you can never save up for something significant,” explains Parfenok.

Olga Stepanova

Reading time: 9 minutes

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The term “airline loyalty programs” has been heard by everyone who has to fly frequently by planes today. Such programs are a kind of encouragement that air carriers please their regular customers for their choice. Each flight brings the client “points”, with which you can later become the happy owner of a free air ticket.

What are miles, what are they "eat" with, and are they so profitable?

What are bonuses, loyalty programs and mileage programs - define the concepts

Of course not!

Each air carrier is looking for its own benefit, which, in this case, consists in returning the client to the cabin of his particular aircraft.

Of course, one should not expect excessive generosity - flights, thanks to which you can accumulate bonuses, are strictly regulated (for one flight - a limited number of award tickets, especially during the season), and you can use miles only under certain conditions. Still, miles are beneficial for those who have to constantly fly, and loyalty programs can be used to their advantage. Unless, of course, you keep track of the expiration date of your accumulated miles, for promotions, and regularly improve your status.

Miles - what is it and why are they needed?

The term "miles" is now commonly used to call the unit in which air carriers evaluate our customer loyalty.

The bonus programs of companies are similar in their scheme to similar programs operating in large retail chains: I bought products (ticket), received bonuses (miles), spent on other products (air tickets, car rental, etc.).

Miles are classified as follows:

1. Premium. You can spend these bonuses directly on tickets or on an upgrade. The expiration date of such miles is 20-36 months, after which they simply burn out.
2. Status . And these miles can be exchanged for awards. In addition, they can improve the level of service. The more miles you have, the more important you will be. For example, you will be able to check in for your flight without a queue or be allowed to enter the VIP lounge area for free. Resetting status miles takes place on December 31st.

Bonus programs are beneficial…

• With constant flights. At least more than 3-4 per year. Regular flights for work and business very tangibly demonstrate the benefits of bonus programs.
• When flying with aircraft of the same carrier (carriers included in 1 alliance).
• With consistently frequent and high spending and a large number of bank cards (note - most carriers are partners of banking organizations). The more purchases and cashback, the more miles.

Where do miles come from?

The number of miles you can earn depends on…

1. Your loyalty card status.
2. From the route and distance (the larger it is, the more bonuses).
3. From the booking class.
4. And from tariffs (on some tariffs, miles are not provided at all).

All information is usually provided on the websites of carriers, where you can even calculate how many miles you will be given for a particular flight.

Types of bonuses and airline loyalty programs

You become a member of the loyalty program through ...

1. Registration on the carrier's website. You get your personal number and then keep track of how many miles you have, where you spent them and how much more you need.
2. carrier's office. Fill out the form, get your number and loyalty card.
3. When issuing a bank card , which is in partnership with the carrier. With such a card, you pay for purchases and earn miles at the same time.
4. During the flight itself . Individual companies can also issue loyalty cards in the cabin.

What are bonus programs?

There are about 250 air carriers in IATA, most of which offer their own programs and different mileage accrual algorithms.

The largest airline alliances - and their bonus programs:

• Star Alliance. Consists of 27 companies, including Lufthansa and SWISS, Turkish Airlines and THAI, United and South African Airways. For these companies, the key BP (note - bonus program) is Miles & More.
• skyteam . The alliance consists of about 20 companies, including Aeroflot and KLM, Air France and Alitalia, China Airlines, and others. The main BP is Flying Blue.
• Composition - 15 air carriers , including S7 Airlines and British Airways, American Airlines and airberlin, Iberia and others. Each company has its own program.

Considering that each carrier has its own program (most often), it simply does not make sense to list all types of programs - you can find them on the official websites of the companies.

For example, S7 Airlines' BP is called S7 Priority, Aeroflot's BP is Aeroflot Bonus, and UTair offers several programs at once - for business, family and ordinary trips.

How to choose the right program and earn miles?

When choosing a bonus program for yourself, consider the main thing:

1. Where do you fly most often? . For flights within the country, it is better to choose Aeroflot Bonus, and when traveling to Asia, Qatar Airways BP may suit you.
2. Purpose of participation in the program. Why do you need points? They can be exchanged for a free ticket (once) or for bonuses (such as skip-the-line check-in).
3. - or still achieve comfort during flights? The type of accumulated miles depends on this answer.
4. Business class - or economy? The first option is more profitable in miles.

How to earn miles?

Take from the main sources. Namely:

• Fly with companies of the same alliance - or with aircraft of the same company if it is not part of any alliance.
• Use the services of carrier partners.
• Use bank cards with "mile" cashback.

You can also earn miles for…

1. Entry into the program.
2. Holidays and birthdays.
3. Participation in polls, quizzes, competitions of carriers.
4. Newsletter subscription.
5. Active writing reviews.

And you can get extra miles…

• Buy on the carrier's website.
• Buy from other holders of similar cards. Cardholders often sell miles they don't have time to redeem when they expire and no travel is expected.
• Choose indirect flights. More connections, more miles.
• Get through the use of co-branded cards.
• Get by using the services of partners. For example, a night at a carrier's partner hotel can earn up to 500 miles.
• Look for programs “Every n-th flight is free” (if you fly often to one point).

And don't forget to spend your miles before they burn out!

The maximum "expiration date" of a mile does not exceed 3 years.

Remember, that…

1. There are bans on bonuses when flying on special routes.
2. Miles are not credited for tickets purchased on hot sale or special fares.
3. Tickets purchased with "miles" are most often non-refundable.

How to use airline miles correctly to save on air tickets - seasoned tips

What is the best way to spend your accumulated miles?

• Study calculators and the programs themselves on sites.
• Fly long routes.
• Look out for family and package upgrades.
• Carefully choose an alliance of companies so that even international flights become more profitable.
• Explore catalogs that offer services and products for miles. They can pay for a hotel room and rent a car. It is more profitable to pay for only part of the goods or services.
• Sell ​​miles when they expire and no trips are expected.

For how many miles will you get a free ticket?

The price of one award ticket starts from 20000 miles. Some carriers - from 9000 miles.

But remember that miles will be counted towards the fare, but you will have to pay the fees yourself (and they can be up to 75% of the ticket price). There are companies that allow you to pay even fees with miles, but such carriers are rare (for example, Lufthansa).

Be sure to check before exchanging miles for a ticket whether this exchange will be in your favor.

Comparison of loyalty programs of various airlines

The choice of program primarily depends on "point B". If you live in the capital and usually fly, for example, to Krasnodar, then Aeroflot's BPs (BP Aeroflot Bonus) and Transaero (BP Privilege), Ural Airlines ( Wings), S7 ( A priority) and UTair ( Status) and Family Status.

Remember that programs for comparison should be chosen from carriers of the same alliance! Low-cost airlines also have a BP, but you will have to pay for membership.

Special Internet services will help you not to get confused in the BP, allowing you to choose your program and compare it with others.