How to maximise your air miles: confessions of a frequent flyer

Many people think they need to travel frequently and great distances before airline miles really begin to pay off. The truth is, as I recently discovered, that with a little extra effort you can climb loyalty programme levels and see your mileage accrual double. Hallowed lounge access becomes available, and waiting to check in and board the aircraft is something "other" people do.

The trick to getting the most out of airline loyalty programmes is to understand how they work. Sixty-two of the world's biggest airlines belong to one of three alliances: Oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam. This means every single flight counts, as you can earn points across a network. So, for example, if you're an Air New Zealand Airpoints member, you can still earn points flying Lufthansa as they're both members of Star Alliance. The more you fly, the more you earn; the higher the class of cabin, the more you earn; and don't forget that staying at hotels, hiring cars and using your credit card can also juice your points totals.

Every loyalty programme uses different terminology, and it can seem quite daunting, but the broad methodology is the same. Knowing the difference between ordinary points/miles (usually corresponding to the number of miles flown) and tier points (the points that allow you to move through different status levels) is key. If you want to add jet fuel to your earning potential, checking out online forums such as FlyerTalk will open up a world of possibilities.

After years of passively and inconsistently collecting points, I realised that I was nearing British Airways (BA) Silver status (Sapphire status in the Oneworld network). This may not sound as grand as gold, platinum or diamond in the precious metal stakes, but the step up for flyers from BA Bronze to Silver is massive in terms of comfort and convenience, including business class lounge access, priority check-in and boarding, and extra luggage allowance across the entire One World network.

Nearing my goal of 600 tier points needed for Silver status, my situation was also pressing as my tier point counter was creeping towards its annual reset date (tier points are annual accumulations and reset to zero after 12 months, air miles on the other hand, last for years). I turned to FlyerTalk and Altimtr websites, and suddenly the crazy world of mileage runs, travelling purely for the sake of points, opened up to me.