(NECN/NBC: Chris Clackum) - Even travelers who frequently
use frequent flyer miles can only make an educated guess on how many points are
left in their balance.
A poll recently conducted by Princeton Survey Research found nearly three out
of four of us don't keep up with how many reward points we've accumulated.
Another survey by research firm Colloquy found $16 billion worth
of reward points and miles went unredeemed in 2011 alone, which, to travel
experts is beyond baffling.
Brian Kelly is the founder of the pointsguy.com. He was commissioned the recent
survey and says given how many reward programs there are, it's easy to understand
why some can't keep up. He recommends one of a dozen or so online trackers to do
it for.
It can get very confusing with multiple airlines, multiple credit cards but
these apps will ensure that these miles don't go to waste," says Kelly
There's also the option of converting points, or at the very least, donating
points about to expire to charity.