A Beginner's Guide to Airline Shopping Portals: How to Earn Bonus Points and Miles

Many newcomers to the world of points and miles mistakenly believe that the only way to build loyalty with an airline is by flying often or using a cobranded airline credit card.

However, there are plenty of other methods to rack up points and miles, and one of the simplest is through online shopping portals. These platforms reward you with points and miles (and sometimes even status) without leaving your house.

Shopping portals complement your points and miles earnings from flights and credit cards, offering the chance to double or even triple your rewards. While there are portals that offer cashback or hotel points, this article will focus specifically on airline shopping portals.

What exactly are online shopping portals?

Online shopping portals allow you to earn bonus points and miles when shopping at various online stores. These rewards are in addition to the points or miles you would normally earn by using a rewards credit card for your purchase.

You can accumulate points and miles whether you're making small buys like ordering photos or large purchases like a new MacBook Air. For instance, American AAdvantage eShopping offers 4 miles per dollar at 1-800-Contacts for essential items like contacts.

For example, if you spend $500 a year on contacts, here's how the rewards could add up:

• $500 at 2 miles per dollar on everyday spending with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card gives you 1,000 Capital One miles (valued at $18.50 based on TPG's July 2024 valuations).
• $500 at 4 miles per dollar on 1-800-Contacts through the American Airlines shopping portal gives you 2,000 AAdvantage miles (valued at $31 based on TPG's valuations), plus Loyalty Points to help you advance to the next status tier.

You've earned 3,000 miles simply by saving time and preordering your contacts.

How to make the most of airline shopping portals

Here's how to make the most of your purchases through these portals and maximize your rewards.

Step 1: Choose an airline

All major airlines offer shopping portals, so it's crucial to select one from an airline you frequently fly with. You can check out our latest valuations to see which airline miles hold the most value. Additionally, American AAdvantage eShopping purchases earn both status-qualifying Loyalty Points and redeemable miles.

Most airlines only reward you with redeemable miles or points for shopping portal purchases, so if you're aiming for AAdvantage elite status, American Airlines might be your best bet.

Here are some of the popular airline shopping portals:

• Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Shopping: Earn bonus miles at over 1,100 retailers.
• American Airlines AAdvantage eShopping: Earn bonus miles at over 1,200 websites.
• British Airways Avios eStore: Earn bonus Avios from over 1,100 brands.
• Delta Air Lines SkyMiles Shopping: Earn bonus miles at over 1,000 stores.
• JetBlue TrueBlue Shopping: Earn bonus points at more than 900 retailers, plus earn points when shopping inflight at Amazon.
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Shopping: Earn bonus points at over 1,100 retailers.
• United Airlines MileagePlus Shopping: Earn bonus miles at over 1,100 locations.

Before you can start earning points or miles, you’ll need to create an account with your chosen airline. Setting up an account is quick and essential. Once completed, simply log into the shopping portal using your loyalty account credentials.

Step 3: Shop via the portal link

To start earning points or miles, visit your chosen shopping portal first and search for the retailer you'd like to shop from.

By clicking on a retailer's name, you’ll be directed to their page within the shopping portal, where you can view the rewards available (which change regularly) and any current discounts. From there, click 'Shop now' to proceed to the retailer’s site and complete your purchase.

Step 4: Install the browser extension (optional)

Shopping portal extensions are browser add-ons that make it easy to activate rewards while shopping online. Once the extension is installed, you'll receive a pop-up notification when the site you're on offers points or miles, and you can simply click 'Activate.'

These extensions create a smoother shopping experience, allowing you to earn rewards and take advantage of bonus offers without needing to visit the shopping portal first.

Whether you use an extension or access the portal directly, it may take several weeks for your points or miles to appear in your frequent flyer account, depending on the portal.

Helpful tips and reminders

Here are some key things to keep in mind when using shopping portals:

• If you're using a plug-in, make sure to activate the points or miles when prompted to ensure you don’t miss out.
• When shopping through a portal, always click the link provided and complete your purchase on the new page. Don't navigate away and return later, as this may cause you to lose the bonus.
• Enable cookies in your browser for the retailer’s site, as this allows the portal to track your purchases and give you the proper rewards.
• Stick to the promotions or promo codes listed on the portal, as using external codes could disqualify you from earning points or miles.
• Consider using a shopping portal aggregator like Cashback Monitor to compare reward rates across various portals, helping you quickly find the one that offers the best return for the retailer you're shopping with.

These tips will help you make the most of your rewards and ensure a seamless experience while shopping through portals.

The Bottom Line

Online shopping portals are a simple way for travelers and online shoppers alike to rack up points and miles. You can start earning bonus rewards right away without needing credit card approval. If you have a travel rewards credit card, this is an ideal opportunity to double-dip and maximize your earnings.