Dubai, UAE, October 17, 2015: If your travels have been weighing heavily on your budget recently, you may not be travelling smart. You don’t always have to pay with cash for your flights; you can also pay with your miles. This method of buying a flight ticket in the UAE was also the topic of one of our previous articles, but the primary goal of this article is to show you how to earn miles using the most popular programs in the UAE.

The most popular miles programs in the UAE are: 

• Emirates Skywards
• Etihad Guest
• Air Miles

Emirates Skywards

Generating miles with Emirates Skywards is quite simple. The program includes two different types of miles. They are Skyward Miles and Tier Miles. Let’s see how to earn miles with each of the two programs. 

1.    Tier Miles

You can earn Tier Miles in addition to Skyward Miles whenever you fly with Emirates. Moreover, you can’t spend these miles and they are only used to build up your tier status from Blue through Silver and Gold to Platinum. 

2.    Skywards Miles

You earn these miles through flights, promotions and partner offers, and they can be redeemed for a variety of rewards. 

Great advantage of miles programs is the ability to earn miles even when you don’t fly with that particular airline. Emirates is no exception, and you can generate Skywards Miles when you’re a customer of one of the company’s global partners e.g. banks, car rentals, hotels, retail and lifestyle partners etc. 

Other ways to boost your Skywards Miles include:

• Receiving a transfer of miles from a family member or a friend
• Purchasing miles at a special rate
• Using the company’s Miles Accelerator feature
• Collecting bonus miles when your family members or friends fly with Emirates
• Participating in various promotions e.g. refer a friend

Etihad Guest

As a member of the Etihad Guest program you earn miles whenever you fly with Etihad Airways or with the company’s airline partners. Moreover, miles can be generated by using services of Etihad’s non-airline partners such as telecom companies, retail chains, hotels, leisure partners etc. 

Just like with Emirates, you can sign up for Tier Miles; they are used towards the eligibility for upgrade to premium tiers. 

Air Miles

The program itself is free-to-join and members can earn miles while shopping for electronics, treats and gifts or while visiting retail stores. If you are an HSBC Credit Card holder, you earn your miles whenever you use the card. Moreover, you can shop at over 120 brands across the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar in order to boost your miles. 

All miles programs offer a wide range of promotions and benefits for their members. You can always find detailed lists of airline and non-airline partners, and tips on generating miles on companies’ websites as well. Happy flying!