Loyalty programs have grown considerably in Brazil. Only last year (2016) were more than 12 million new fans, making the total number of loyal consumers hit the 90 million mark, according to the Brazilian Association of Companies of the Loyalty Market (Abemf).

The first of this segment in the national territory was Smiles, of Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes, created in 1994 and since then, other companies such as TAM, Azul and Avianca have also designed in this market and launched their own loyalty programs – LATAM Fidelidade, TudoAzul and Friend, respectively.

Over the years, the way to collect the score has reinvented itself and currently purchases using a registered credit card, whether of any product, become points to be exchanged for miles or rewards. Following the same bonus line, the concept of loyalty network emerged, promoting the generation of points from credit card purchases, in partner stores (even in cash), or miles traveled. Rewards have also been transformed, once summarized into miles for airline tickets, now also encompassing diverse products ranging from electronics to cell phone recharges.

However, all these awards have validity, varying from one company to another, and many of them, in all the programs mentioned, end up winning, that is, the consumer ceases to enjoy his right, often for lack of information.

Here are some tips for consumers to use their miles in the best way:

1- Once expired, miles can be reactivated, but for this you must pay a fee on each of them. Precisely for this reason, this option is not the most advantageous. Often this procedure is more expensive than buying new tickets or adding new miles.

2- If the consumer is not available to use the miles or needs extra capital, selling them is a good option. There are several companies specialized in this segment in the market, but most of them have a rather bureaucratic process. In this context, Vip Milesinova offers this service in a much simpler and more efficient way, since it carries out the quotation of miles immediately on the site itself – a much more practical process, with autonomy to the consumer who knows the value that will receive for their miles just in time.

3 – If you choose to take advantage of your points to travel, planning is key. The sooner the tickets are purchased, the cheaper they will be and the closer to the trip, the more expensive.

4- It is important to know the best time to convert your credit card points to miles, searching the information with the program manager is a good alternative. Promotions are always advantageous because, in addition to the miles, the consumer can still earn a percentage in bonuses that revolves around 30% to 100%.