Mileage tracking programs?

Dear Tim,

I understand that there are services available which track
your mileage programs for you. Do you know how I can find out about them?

Karen

Dear Karen,

There are several online “mileage managers” available (see the link to MileageMiner below).

To use the online services, enter your name, program account number, PIN (personal identification number), and the programs in which you participate. When you finish entering the information and press the “Agree” key, you grant the service limited power of attorney to access your frequent flyer accounts on your behalf.

The services, using your member number and PIN, periodically send a spider or digital robot out over the Internet to download account data from your account (which must, obviously, be available online). Since the aggregated account information is refreshed daily, and therefore, may be as much as 24 hours old, be aware that there may be a discrepancy between the mileage manager information and your actual account.

What you get is a consolidated statement, which shows current balances, elite status, recent transactions, etc. for ALL your accounts. It sure beats having to visit the websites of each and every program in which you participate.

The services typically charge $2-$3 per month, after an initial free, three-month trial period. However, some sites offer the service for less. For example, I signed up for the MileageMiner service on Excite, with six free months and $9.95 a year thereafter.

While these services are great for an “at a glance” look at
your total mileage portfolio, don’t overlook the importance of reconciling your earnings. Keep records of all mileage-earning transactions until you’ve verified, via an online mileage manager or by checking your accounts individually, that the correct mileage has been credited to your account.

For more information on MileageMiner, please visit
http://maxmiles.com/mileageminer/index.asp

Tim Winship
Contributing Editor
SmarterTravel.com