Earn hundreds (possibly thousands) of bonus miles with these airline shopping portal promotions
Editor's Note
Maybe you're planning a major vacation, or you simply want to top off your airline account with some extra rewards. Did you know you can use an online shopping portal to earn cash back or additional airline points or miles for each dollar you spend? Seriously, earning these rewards may be one of the best kept secrets in the world of points and miles — and we are here to clue you in.
Right now, several airline shopping portals are offering holiday bonuses that give you a chunk of miles when you spend a certain amount. This is in addition to the per-dollar rewards you would normally receive when using these portals (for example, 3 miles per dollar spent at a given store). You generally don't have to spend the minimum amount at once; you can reach it by making multiple smaller shopping trips over the course of the promotion. With one of these bonuses, you can get a much higher return on your spending than you normally would through the portal.
Keep reading to check out the latest airline shopping portal promotions.
Related: Airline and hotel dining rewards programs: Which is best for you?
Alaska Mileage Plan Shopping
Dates: Through May 12
Offer:
- Earn 400 bonus miles when you spend $100
- Earn 1000 bonus miles when you spend $400
Click here to visit the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan shopping portal.
American Airlines AAdvantage shopping
Dates: Through May 12
Offer:
- Earn 500 bonus miles when you spend $200
- Earn 2,000 bonus miles when you spend $800
United MileagePlus Shopping
Dates: Through May 12
Offer:
- Earn 500 bonus miles when you spend $100
- Earn 2,500 bonus miles when you spend $400
Click here to visit the United MileagePlus shopping portal.
Related: The best credit cards for online shopping
Bottom line
If you plan on doing some online shopping for yourself or for Mother's Day, you might as well be rewarded for it. Aside from purchasing gifts or one-off items online, this is also a great chance to stock up on things you'd normally buy anyway.
For example, the United Airlines portal is currently offering up to 2 miles per dollar spent on purchases at Walmart. If you spend $100 (which isn't hard to do when stocking up on household items and groceries), you'll receive a total of 700 miles in your United MileagePlus account — 200 miles for the purchase, plus 500 bonus miles. If you frequently fly United, this is a great way to boost the miles in your account, which you can redeem for your upcoming travel plans.
If you're like us and can't pass up a good rewards deal, then happy shopping.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app