‘I love getting things for free’ – are air miles, Avios and Aer Lingus’ AerClub worth it?

How do loyalty clubs work and are they worth the effort? Here’s how to make airline loyalty programmes work for you

Aer Lingus uses Avios as currency, as does BA and Iberia

Catherine Murphy

JT Genter has mastered the art of air miles. The Floridian accountant turned digital nomad travels more than 320,000km a year with his wife Katie while working as editor-in-chief of AwardWallet, a website that tracks over 600 loyalty programmes around the globe.

Even by US standards – where collecting air miles via everyday credit card use is the norm – this points master is special. He has earned and redeemed an incredible 10 million air miles over six years.