US Airways offers miles for merchandise

Members of US Airways’ frequent flyer program can earn miles for merchandise at the US Airways Dividend Miles Shopping Mall, a collection of 70-plus online retailers, including drugstore.com, gap.com, Lands’ End, macys.com, Staples.com, and so on.

The payout is generally between one and 10 miles per dollar spent, with most clustered in the two- to three-mile range.

Miles earned at the mall through December 31 qualify for US Airways’ current promotion, which awards elite-qualifying miles for an expanded range of activities, including hotel stays and car rentals.

This isn’t the largest such mileage mall—most other airlines have these malls, and some boast more than twice as many participating retailers. Neither is it the most generous, as the earning rates tend toward parity among the various malls. But the availability of elite-qualifying miles through the end of the year gives US Airways’ a competitive edge, at least while the promotion lasts.

As always, it’s worth reemphasizing that shoppers must make a stop at the airline malls’ landing pages to sign in with their frequent flyer numbers before following the links to the online retailers’ sites. Otherwise, miles for purchases can’t be tracked and retroactive claims won’t be honored.