Despite almost 25 years of free flights, seat upgrades, and other perks, airline frequent flyer programs still seem too good to be true. It’s hard to believe anyone would give away something for nothing, just to build customer loyalty. So maybe you’re one of those travelers who never keeps track of your miles because you’re too busy, or because you think the rules of the game are too complex. Or maybe you’re a frequent flyer junkie who’s heard of others earning a million miles in a single weekend, and wants to know how to get in on the deal. Either way, it pays to be able to disentangle the truth about mileage programs from the myths surrounding them.

Myth 1: “Frequent flyer programs aren’t worth the bother. There’s too much hassle and too much paperwork.”

Reality: It’s not as much bother as you think — and the rewards are worth it.

In 2002, one airline — American — awarded 123 billion miles to the 45 million members of its AAdvantage program, who used them to claim more than 4 million awards in 850 destinations around the world. Those members earned hundreds of thousands of dollars in free travel just by doing what they would have been doing anyway: flying, staying in hotels, shopping, or dining out. Being part of a frequent flyer program does require time, paperwork, and business savvy, but so do checking accounts and financial investments, and few people would call them a waste of time.

Some participants hire consultants to manage their programs for them. Some use online automatic tracking systems, such as United Airlines’ ua2go.com, which show the miles they’ve earned through various methods and how close they are to earning rewards. And some, like Martianne Sullivan, rely on paper, pencil, and common sense. Sullivan, a teacher from Plymouth, Mass., who has worked in Japan and Semester at Sea programs, maintains a file on each of her frequent flyer memberships. “I write the last time I flew and how many miles I’ve earned on the front of each file,” she said. “When I’m getting ready to travel, I check off the list and find out which ones are getting close to a free ticket.”

Myth 2: “All frequent flyer programs are created equal.”

Reality: Almost every offer is unique — so get ready to shop around.

Most airlines award free travel based on the number of miles covered by a passenger. Southwest, on the other hand, offers one “credit” for each flight booked with the company. There’s a difference between “frequent flyer” programs, which reward all customers — even the ones who don’t fly — and “elite” memberships, usually reserved for high-end travelers. And there are many differences between miles programs offered by airlines and those offered by hotels or credit card companies.

For example, American Express’ “Member-ship Rewards” card offers participants the opportunity to earn points based on purchases that can be converted into airline miles —about one mile for every dollar spent. The same company’s “Delta Skymiles” card provides double the amount of miles per dollar for travel on Delta. But there’s a catch: points earned on the Delta card have to be redeemed within 36 months, while those on the Membership Rewards card never expire. “There’s not one rewards card that’s right for everybody,” said Desiree Fish, director of public affairs for American Express. “People seem to like having a lot of choices.”

The key to getting the most from your miles is concentrating on what you want from the program, rather than what airlines and other companies are offering. What airlines reach the destinations you regularly choose for business, personal, and vacation travel? What kind of award would you like to receive — free flights, upgrades, hotel rooms, cash, concert tickets, or even a donation to your favorite charity? How much are you willing to invest in order to get that award? Knowing the answers to these questions will make shopping for a mileage program a more satisfying experience.

Myth 3: “A mile is a mile is a mile.”

Reality: Miles can be priceless or worthless, depending on how they’re used.

What your miles are worth depends on how you spend them, according to Randy Petersen, the Colorado Springs–based publisher of Inside Flyer magazine. “In terms of dollars and cents, upgrades on international flights may be the best value,” Petersen said. “To upgrade from coach to first class on an international flight might cost you 30,000 miles, while a domestic ticket might cost you 25,000 miles. But that domestic ticket might be worth $400 to $500, while an international seat in first class could be worth as much as $5,000 for almost the same amount of miles.”

Not every program awards miles in the same way. Some airlines, and many hotels, award customers more mileage points for first-class flights or more expensive accommodations. The amount of miles needed to earn awards also varies from program to program: America West touts its Flight Fund as requiring the fewest, at 15,000. And miles are worth more when they can be used on other carriers that have entered into partnerships with your airline. “As a member of the Star Alliance, we can offer travel through our partners to Asia, South America, and Europe, as well as our own services throughout the East Coast,” said Amy Kudwa, public relations manager for us Airways.

Of course, money isn’t the only way to measure value. “If you’re out of a job, and you’re able to use the miles you’ve saved for a rainy day to visit an old college friend, then those miles are priceless, no matter how short the flight is,” Petersen said.

Myth 4: “I’ve already done my part by earning these miles. I shouldn’t have to do anything else in order to redeem them.”

Reality: It pays to be competitive.

It’s easy to forget that there are 120 million participants in frequent flyer programs worldwide, and that many of them probably want the same weekend in Vegas that you do. You stand a better chance of beating the competition if you’re willing to be flexible. “Most of the working world wants to go on vacation from Friday of one week ’til the Saturday of the next,” Petersen said. “But if you start your vacation on a Wednesday, and go until the following Tuesday or Thursday, there’s an 85 to 90 percent chance you’re going to get the award flights you want.”

It also pays to know the rules. Booking a round-trip ticket from Providence, r.i. to San Diego, with a layover in Chicago, would earn you two credits in Southwest’s Rapid Rewards program (or three if you booked online). However, if you booked the same trip as two round trips — between Providence and Chicago, and between Chicago and San Diego — you could earn up to six credits, because Southwest awards credits by flight, not by trip. With a little extra effort, you’d be a lot closer to earning the 16 credits needed for a free Southwest ticket.

Myth 5: “I don’t travel enough to earn frequent flyer miles.”

Reality: If you can’t be a frequent flyer, be a frequent buyer.

Mileage programs were originally designed to reward those passengers — usually business travelers — who spent a lot of time in the air. Today, airlines recognize those serious flyers through elite programs, which offer free upgrades, use of special pre-flight lounges, and other perks. “Those elite people make up about three to seven percent of the population of frequent flyer programs,” Petersen said. “About 90 percent aren’t really ‘frequent flyers’ at all.”

The good news is that there are many ways to earn “frequent flyer” miles without flying at all. The bad news is that some are less valuable than others. Southwest’s Rapid Rewards program awards credits instead of miles: one one-way flight, regardless of distance, is equal to one credit. Members can earn four credits by purchasing a Nextel phone, half a credit for renting a Hertz car, or one credit for spending $1,200 using a Southwest Visa card. But when Southwest offers flights with promotional fares as low as $29, spending $1,200 for a single credit seems extravagant.

Savvy travelers know to check their airlines’ Web sites and promotional emails for information about special deals that allow them to reap a miles bonanza. “You can sometimes get a lot of bonus points by opening a particular credit card account,” Martianne Sullivan said. “Sometimes, when I’m close to a ticket, I’ll order the credit card, use it once or twice, then close the account. You can also earn a lot of extra miles with some airlines by booking online.” (Southwest, for example, offers two credits for round-trip tickets purchased at the counter, but three for tickets purchased online.)

Myth 6: “I can never redeem my miles at the times when I really want to fly.”

Reality: Your airline’s “blackout times” may not apply to its partners.

Mileage programs aren’t just a way for airlines to reward faithful customers. They’re also a way for airlines to encourage those customers to fly when — and how — they want them to fly. That’s why they “black out” certain dates, making it impossible to claim free flights around holidays or other popular vacation times, and offer a limited number of award seats on their remaining flights. But you don’t have to play their game.

“Airlines want you to redeem your miles online,” Petersen said. “But they often make it difficult for you to redeem a flight on one of their partner airlines efficiently. If you can’t use your Continental miles to fly on a particular date, check to see if you can use them on Delta (a Continental partner). Or Alaska Airlines. Or Northwest. You may have to talk to an actual airline representative to be able to do it, but if you’re willing to be flexible, and start a little early, you can work toward that ‘yes’ answer.”

If you really can’t find a way to use your miles before they expire, you can always donate them. Most airlines offer miles donation programs, and American Express has just established a relationship with justgive.org, which allows members to choose from among thousands of charities. Some airlines allow customers to transfer miles between family members: American, for example, allows AAdvantage members to transfer up to 60,000 miles out of and 15,000 miles into their account each year. Selling your miles, however, is usually out of the question. “We’ve seen people try to sell their miles on eBay, and as a result, we patrol those kinds of sites pretty frequently,” said Mayer G. Becker, director of Mileage Plus communications for United Airlines.

Myth 7: “I’ll never be able to use my miles, because I make all my travel plans at the last minute.”

Reality: You can take advantage of the last-minute travel changes of others.

It’s okay to procrastinate, as long as you’re prepared to be persistent. “Airlines want you to plan in advance,” Petersen said. “Continental allows you to book flights up to 337 days in advance, and they would like you to book 337 days in advance. But do understand that when you’re told there are not seats available on a particular departure date that ‘no’ only means ‘not right now.’ Statistically speaking, 30 to 68 percent of people who book an awarded flight change their mind once they’ve booked. That means flight availability keeps changing.”

With a little bit of flexibility (could you fly at a different time, or from another airport?) you can often get the free — or almost free — flights you want, even when you’re up against a deadline. “I had to pay a $50 penalty fee when booking my ticket from Nice to America, because I was booking less than a month ahead of time,” said Martianne Sullivan. “But that $50 fee meant I was getting a $700 ticket for nothing. To me, that was worth it.”

Myth 8: “It’s cheaper to buy discounted flights online than it is to sign up for frequent flyer programs.”

Reality: It’s often better to cut out the middleman.

Discounted distribution services — like Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline, Travelzoo, and Travelocity —are great places to comparison-shop for fares, since they save you the trouble of looking through each airline’s schedule on your own. Once you’ve found the best deal, however, it can often be cheaper to book your flight directly through the airline, rather than through the site. It’s also a good idea to ask yourself whether “cheapest” always means “the best value.”

“There might only be a $10, $12, or $13 difference between the cheapest flight, period, and the cheapest flight available on an airline whose mileage program I’m enrolled in,” Petersen said. “Sometimes it’s better to look at the bigger picture.”

Most airlines will allow you to claim frequent flyer miles no matter where you booked your ticket. However, some hotels, car-rental companies and other mileage partners won’t award points for discounted services — so if you’re close to earning a free hotel stay, even a “guaranteed lowest price” on the Internet may not be worth it.

Myth 9: “The airline industry is in such chaos that by the time I earn enough miles for a free flight, my airline will have gone out of business.”

Reality: Even if the worst happens, your miles may not go to waste.

It seems as though one airline or another is always filing for Chapter 11. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the airline is going belly-up. Even when it does, the miles you’ve earned on that airline won’t go to waste if you act quickly.

“When twa merged with American, I was upset, because they hadn’t given their customers any notice,” Martianne Sullivan said. “I called up American, and said, ‘Look, I had ‘X’ number of miles on twa. I know you don’t have to honor them, but I would be one happy customer if you did.’ And they moved my miles over.”

Myth 10: “What happens to my frequent flyer miles is between me and my airline.”

Reality: There’s strength — and knowledge — in numbers.

You may find managing your miles to be a nuisance. For other people, finding the best deals for their rewards programs is an obsession. Hearing what they have to say — in magazines such as Inside Flyer, FrequentFlier.com, and the one you’re holding, and in online chat rooms like flyertalk.com — is one way to uncover once-in-a-lifetime deals.

“I heard about this program through flyertalk called the Latin Pass,” Petersen said. “If you flew all the partner airlines within Latin and South America, the program offered you a million-mile bonus. They figured only 60 people or so would ever take advantage of that.

“Well, I realized that if I spent ‘X’ amount of time and money, I could earn at least 50 free flights anywhere I wanted in Latin America,” Petersen said. “So I planned an itinerary, and I spent $1,700 and flew, non-stop, for two days. After one weekend, I earned about $30,000 to $40,000 worth of free travel that I can use for the rest of my life.”

Rewards Sampler

Alitalia Global Executive

Alitalia recently launched Global Executive Travel Rewards, a program designed to appeal to small to medium-sized companies. When employees travel in Alitalia’s Economy or Magnifica Class on eligible Alitalia published fares to destinations in Europe, the Middle East and South Asia, member companies earn points toward upgrades and free tickets. In addition, all employees continue to earn points in their personal frequent flyer accounts with any Skyteam partner airline, including Alitalia’s MilleMiglia and Delta’s SkyMiles. Member companies may also nominate one person to enjoy Club Ulisse status in Alitalia’s MilleMiglia frequent flyer program.

American Express Membership Rewards

American Express offers many types of Membership Rewards cards, but the basic principle is the same: For every dollar you spend using the card, you get a point. Points can be used for everything from a magazine subscription (400 points) to an airline ticket (one ticket on Southwest costs 20,000 points) to cash ($100 per 20,000 points). While many programs’ miles last just three years, these points don’t expire. However, you can lose a month’s points if you neglect to pay your bill on time. Cards that are co-branded with businesses such as Delta Air Lines and Starwood Hotels earn more points per purchase.

“It’s a huge program with a lot of flexibility,” said Desiree Fish, director of public affairs for American Express. “There are no limits to point acquisition and no expiration date, and you can use points for a number of airlines, travel, hotel and car-rental companies.”

Marriott Rewards

Marriott Rewards offers a quick return on investment. By offering customers 10 points for every dollar they spend, Marriott allows them to earn free hotel stays, golf and other benefits more quickly than they could with competing programs.

“In the ‘how much do you have to spend to make your dreams come true’ department, we do it 30 percent faster than our competition can,” said Holly Mendelson, director of marketing for Marriott Rewards.

While some hotel rooms may be “blacked out” or unavailable, members can stay in any room, anytime by spending 50 percent more points for their reward. Special “PointSavers” promotions throughout the year allow members to spend fewer, and receive more, points for particular locations. Members achieve “elite” status after staying in Marriott hotels 10 nights during one calendar year.

Starwood SPG

You can earn points toward a stay in any of Starwood’s more than 700 hotels and resorts — including Westin, Sheraton, Four Points, St. Regis and W — without ever setting foot inside a hotel. Starwood’s SPG program allows you to earn Starpoints by renting a car from Avis, riding an Amtrak train or making phone calls using AT&T.

You can also earn two Starpoints for every dollar you spend at a Starwood hotel or restaurant. That includes food and beverage charges, laundry and dry cleaning, even in-room movies and video games. As those points add up, you can put them toward air and ground travel, calling cards or retail gift certificates. You can’t use the same hotel stay to earn both frequent flyer miles and points toward another hotel visit, however.

United Airlines Mileage Plus

There are two ways to claim miles using United’s Mileage Plus program. Saver Awards require fewer miles, while Standard Awards offer more flexibility in terms of available flights and seat classes. There are no blackout dates for either Saver or Standard awards.

As one of the first and largest frequent flyer programs, Mileage Plus offers a comprehensive network of destinations: more than 160 in North America and more than 800 worldwide through United’s partnership in the 15-member Star Alliance.

“The combination of benefits available to elite travelers on United, together with the reciprocal benefits of the Star Alliance Silver and Gold programs, are among the most extensive of any airline,” said Mayer Becker, director of Mileage Plus communications for United Airlines.

US Airways Dividend Miles

It takes 20 percent fewer miles to claim an award on US Airways than on any other airline (if you’re flying between September and February, either in North America, or between the United States and Europe). US Airways’ Dividend Miles program also offers a variety of promotions and special offers to earn extra miles. For example, members can earn 15,000 miles by signing up for the US Airways Visa card, making it possible to earn enough miles for a reward in a single flight.

“We’re really excited about our partnership with other members of the Star Alliance,” said Amy Kudwa, public relations manager for US Airways. “Now our customers for business travel on the East Coast can use their miles for travel in the United States (or destinations worldwide, such as) Dubai (U.A.E.) or South Africa.”