How to make the most of your airline frequent flyer miles

Accumulating airline miles isn’t the hard part — it’s learning how to use them wisely. Maximize your return with these tips.

Book one-way travel: A recent study from NerdWallet shows that 62 percent of one-way flights offer better point values than round-trip flights. Look for one-way deals instead, so that even if you have to pay a portion of your fare out of pocket, you’ll still save money.

Only redeem your miles on flights: It’s tempting to redeem airline miles on magazine subscriptions or apparel, especially when you get a notice that they’re about to expire. Expiration dates can be reset in a number of ways, however, including buying additional flights and donating miles. With so many options, there’s no reason to redeem your miles on anything not powered by jet fuel.

Wait for a good sign-up deal: The Chase Sapphire Reserve card has previously offered up to 100,000 points as a sign-up bonus, compared with its current offer of 50,000 points. American Airlines is now offering up to 75,000 miles for new cardholders, up from 65,000 just a few months ago. Typically, you’ll see special deals when a card launches, around the holidays and occasionally in-flight.

Avoid using miles to book during peak travel times: The difference in miles required to book a flight during peak travel times can sometimes cover the cost of multiple tickets. Big events such as the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta can exponentially increase the cost of award travel. Aim to redeem on obscure dates and times instead.

Use your miles for places that don’t go on sale regularly:Once you accrue enough miles to redeem on a flight, choose a destination that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to find for cheap.

CARL COURT/GETTY Redeem miles for places that are usually pricey to travel to from the U.S., such as Tokyo.