Frequent-Flyer miles have come of age. Twenty-one years ago this week, American Airlines launched AAdvantage, the world's first mileage-based frequent-flyer programme. Today, some loom people around the world belong to at least one such scheme. One in three American adults collects frequent-flyer miles. But how safe are they? Airlines first introduced mileage schemes to build up customer loyalty. They also provided a vast marketing database, allowing airlines to track a passenger's travel history and to focus advertising. Today, however, almost 50% of miles are earned without even leaving the ground. The biggest earners are credit-card spending and telephone calls, but car rental, hotels, share-trading or refinancing a mortgage all offer extra opportunities to top up your miles. In America you can even get miles on your income-tax payments, if you pay by credit card. The world's top frequent flyer, reputedly a publishing executive who charges his firm's postage bill to his own credit card, has racked up 25m miles-enough to fly London to Sydney return 250 times.
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