Nine Ways to Rack up Frequent Flyer Mile 1. All the major airlines now offer Visa, MasterCard, or American Express credit cards in their names, and some have more than one card. These cards give travelers one mile in exchange for a dollar charged. The standard rate is five miles for every dollar of long-distance time.
Diners receive a certain number of miles for each dollar they spend at participating restaurants.
Larger orders bring additional miles. American Airlines, Northwest and United all have variations on this theme. United also offers miles for remodeling loans. American Express also has an investment program it offers to several different airlines, Petersen says. Some airlines partner with charities by giving frequent-flyer miles to those who donate to that charity.