How to Earn Airline Miles Without Flying

Traveling can be expensive, but airline miles offer a way to reduce your costs—or even fly for free. While most people think you have to fly often to earn miles, that’s only one part of the story. There are many other effective strategies that allow you to accumulate thousands of airline miles without setting foot on an airplane.

Whether you’re based in the United States, exploring Europe, or living in Brazil, this guide will show you how to earn airline miles from everyday activities and smart choices. These strategies work for beginners and frequent travelers alike and can help you fly farther, faster.

1. Get a Travel Rewards Credit Card

One of the easiest and most powerful ways to earn miles is through a travel credit card. These cards offer miles or points for every dollar (or real/euro) you spend. Some examples:

• United States: Cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or American Express Platinum offer huge welcome bonuses (often 60,000+ miles) and points on dining, travel, and groceries.
• Europe: Use cards like the American Express Gold International or country-specific options from Air France/KLM Flying Blue or Lufthansa Miles & More.
• Brazil: Banks like Banco do Brasil, Bradesco, and Itaú offer cards linked to Smiles, LATAM Pass, and TudoAzul, earning you miles on purchases in reais.

Tips:

• Always pay off your balance monthly to avoid interest.
• Choose cards with high welcome bonuses and low fees.
• Watch for special promotions like “double miles” months.

2. Shop Through Airline Portals

Many airlines offer online shopping portals that reward you with miles when you make purchases through their links. For example:

• U.S.: Use AAdvantage eShopping, United MileagePlus Shopping, or Delta SkyMiles Shopping.
• Europe: Lufthansa and British Airways have online mall platforms linked to partners like Amazon and Apple.
• Brazil: Smiles, LATAM Pass, and TudoAzul offer shopping partners like Netshoes, Magalu, and Ponto.

Example:

If you were going to buy new headphones from Apple, first visit your airline’s shopping portal, click the link to Apple, then make the purchase. You’ll earn 2–5 miles per dollar/euro/real spent—on top of any credit card points.

3. Earn Miles for Dining Out

In the U.S., programs like AAdvantage Dining and MileagePlus Dining let you earn miles just by linking your credit card and eating at participating restaurants.

In Europe and Brazil, this option is less common, but there are emerging platforms:

• Europe: Some hotel loyalty programs like Accor Live Limitless let you earn points on food & beverage expenses at partner restaurants and convert those to miles.
• Brazil: Smiles Club and LATAM Pass often run promotions with local restaurants and delivery apps (like iFood or Rappi).

Tip:

Use your rewards credit card when dining to double-dip on miles.

4. Book Hotel Stays with Airline Partners

Airlines often partner with hotels to reward your stays. You can either earn airline miles directly or hotel points that can be transferred into miles.

• U.S.: Book with Hilton, Marriott, or IHG and link your airline loyalty program.
• Europe: Accor, IHG, and Radisson partners offer direct miles for bookings.
• Brazil: Hotels often offer Smiles or LATAM miles promotions—especially during holidays.

Tip:

Use airline-branded booking engines like Rocketmiles or Kaligo to earn bonus miles on hotel stays.

5. Rent Cars with Airline Programs

Renting a car can earn you hundreds or even thousands of miles if you choose the right partners:

• U.S.: Hertz, Avis, and Budget are frequent partners of Delta, United, and American Airlines.
• Europe: Europcar and Sixt offer mileage earnings with programs like Miles & More or Flying Blue.
• Brazil: Localiza and Unidas often team up with LATAM Pass and Smiles.

Strategy:

Look out for promo codes or bonus mile deals that offer “1,000 extra miles” per rental.

6. Pay Bills and Services with Points Partners

In Brazil, many utility companies and apps allow payments through cards linked to mileage programs. Examples include:

• RecargaPay, PicPay, and Mercado Pago allow you to pay bills using a credit card—earning you miles if the card is linked to a mileage program.
• These apps often promote 10,000-mile bonuses for new users.

In the U.S. and Europe, while direct bill payment with mileage earnings is less common, you can still earn miles by paying via your rewards card.

7. Refer Friends and Earn

Most loyalty programs and travel cards offer referral bonuses. You can earn miles by recommending your favorite travel card or airline program to friends.

• Chase and Amex in the U.S. offer 10,000–15,000 bonus points per referral.
• In Brazil, LATAM and Smiles occasionally launch “Invite a Friend” campaigns with bonuses up to 5,000 miles.

8. Sign Up for Airline Promotions

Always subscribe to your preferred airline’s newsletter or check their app for deals. Many airlines run limited-time offers like:

• Double miles on specific routes
• Bonus miles for completing a survey or downloading the app
• Social media contests or giveaways

9. Buy Miles Strategically

You can buy miles directly from most airline programs, but this is only recommended when there’s a bonus (30%–100%) and you need to top up for a redemption.

• Example: Smiles offers 100% bonus campaigns frequently.
• TAP Miles&Go and Flying Blue have recurring promotions.

Important:

Buying miles without a plan can be a waste. Only do it when it completes a high-value redemption.

10. Use Mileage Marketplaces

Especially popular in Brazil, platforms like MaxMilhas and 123Milhas allow you to sell your excess miles or buy discounted flights using someone else’s miles.

This isn’t permitted in the U.S. and Europe by most programs, but it’s widely used in Brazil and can be a smart strategy if done carefully.

How Many Miles Can You Earn Without Flying?

You can earn tens of thousands of miles each year with the right strategy. For example:

Activity	Estimated Annual Miles
Credit Card Spending (US$1,500/month)	18,000–24,000 miles
Welcome Bonus (Travel Card)	40,000–80,000 miles
Shopping Portals & Dining	5,000–10,000 miles
Hotel & Car Rentals	5,000–15,000 miles
Promotions & Referrals	10,000+ miles

With these methods combined, you could earn enough for a round-trip flight from São Paulo to Miami or from Lisbon to New York—without ever flying beforehand.

Final Thoughts: Travel Smarter, Earn Faster

You don’t need to be a frequent flyer to earn frequent flyer miles. In fact, smart travelers in the U.S., Europe, and Brazil are earning thousands of miles every year just from everyday spending and digital habits.

By using the right cards, shopping portals, apps, and promotions, you can build a powerful mileage balance that gets you closer to your dream destinations.

Miles aren’t just for business travelers anymore. They’re for anyone who wants to travel better, for less.