Top Tools For Frequent Fliers

Recently, at both the TechCrunch Disrupt show and the PhoCusWright Conference, I noticed, for the very first time, presentations on tools for frequent fliers that are far different from TripIt, TripCase and the other travel planning methods I currently use.

These sessions focused—finally—on the frequent-flier mile. I’ve enjoyed a long streak of paying attention to this specific group of travelers, so seeing the travel technology industry, including venture capitalists and angel investors, begin to fund and support new ideas for frequent fliers is a great thing. I also think it’s long overdue.

By the end of this year, I have no doubt that many, if not all, of you will have adopted some sort of new technology to assist with understanding the value of your miles and points, as well as the choices you can make with them. And with the help of these new tools, it will become considerably easier for you to use those miles and points. I like to think of this as Mint for Fliers, referring to Mint.com, a personal finance website that has received a lot of acclaim and a huge loyal following. There will be new websites similar to Mint, but instead of managing money, you’ll have tools to help you manage your miles and points much more effectively than existing tools, such as MileageManager.com.

These innovations will help you become a far more intelligent frequent flier because they won’t be only about how many miles you have—they will help you determine which bonus offers are the best for you, which one offers the best bang for the buck and how you should plan your award usage over the years ahead. Look for names such as MileWise, Superfly and Using Miles to catch your attention. These websites and their technologies are still in the beta testing stage, so allow some time for them to grow into their full potential. But this is still an exciting time for frequent fliers.

But wait, there’s more! I recently got involved in creating a new place online for frequent fliers to meet. It’s called MilePoint, and we’re driven by using the latest and greatest technology to make it easier to find and participate in the popular forum-type websites devoted to frequent fliers. It debuted in March, and you can check it out at milepoint.com.

Essential Tools for Managing Miles