Frequent Flier Miles

If you travel a lot for work, you are probably well aware of frequent flier miles. They really add up quick and you can earn free trips and so on. I use American Eagle out of Willard Airport, and I have miles with them. If Willard would fly to Midway Airport, we could use Southwest, as for every 8 round trips you make, you get one for free. That's a good deal. We recently heard that if you use Avis rental car, they will add to your frequent flier miles as well with their rental cars. I used Avis recently, and sure enough, they added 50 points to my total.

I also have a similar program set up with Marriott hotels. With the Marriott rewards, you get free nights stay too, so I always stay with them. I started with them early on because there's one across the street from the U of I medical center, and that's where they put me up when I need to take a trip to Chicago. I abhor debt, but if you don't mind taking a small hit on your credit report, if you sign up for a Marriott credit card, you get 25,000 points and a free nights stay (after a 50$ purchase). Cancel the card and take the freebie. Never hurts to ask and investigate.