Don't fly a lot? You should still get a loyalty account. Here's why. | Cruising Altitude

• Frequent flyer programs are for everyone, even if you don’t travel often.
• You can earn miles and spend your way toward status by using an airline’s co-branded credit card.
• For travelers who don’t fly often, you don’t need to put too much thought into your miles.

You don’t need to be a frequent flyer to be a Frequent Flyer.

If you ever travel by plane, it’s worth signing up for the airline’s frequent flyer program. Not doing so means you’re leaving money and potential perks on the table, and possibly making your journey a little more complicated than it needs to be.

“Frequent flyer programs are for everyone,” Loulu Lima, founder of the Texas-based travel agency Book Here Give Here, told me. “Every single airline allows you to register for free to earn points.” 

So next time you book a trip, make sure you have one of those magic numbers linked to your reservation. And for the uninitiated, here’s what you need to know about how it all works.

Should I sign up for a frequent flyer program?

In general, airlines want travelers to register for frequent flyer programs.

The fancy corporate talk in their literature will say it helps you get a more personalized experience. The cynics among us might wonder what they’re really doing with the data they collect through your profile. Still, no matter the company’s ultimate motivation, the fact is airlines make it easy to register.

“Everybody’s got them. Everybody’s got a different version of the same, even the cheap airlines,” Lima said. “All they ask for is your name, the address and your phone number, and you use that number every time you book.” 

In reality, you’re probably providing the airline with all the information you need to create a frequent flyer account when you book your ticket anyway, but having it linked to a frequent flyer number makes it easier for the airline to track your behavior between trips and learn your preferences like window versus aisle seat. It also saves you from having to type out your address and middle name every time you book a ticket on that airline.

I have accounts with all four major U.S. airlines: American, Delta, United and Southwest, plus JetBlue, because its main hub at John F. Kennedy International Airport is just down the road from my apartment. I also signed up for a Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer account earlier this year because of some of the perks it unlocked for me on board. 

Last week's Cruising Altitude:Only a carry-on for extended trips? 4 tips to pack like a pro.

What are the frequent flyer perks?

Even before you start earning miles, there are benefits to registering for a frequent flyer program.

Delta Air Lines, for example, provides free Wi-Fi on most of its aircraft for all SkyMiles members. If you don’t have an account, you usually have to pay for that access.

But once you start flying with your account, the benefits only grow, up to and including things like lounge access or +1 passes when you have elite status. 

“Each airline has different rules about how much you earn based on the fare basis code,” Lima said. “The more expensive the ticket, the more miles you earn, and you can use these miles for purchasing a free ticket or getting upgrades.”

Some airlines like United and JetBlue even let groups pool their miles to make redemptions easier.

And, of course, if you fly enough with one airline, you can earn elite frequent flyer status, which comes with even more perks, such as free checked bags, complimentary upgrades and more.

How to manage your frequent flyer miles

For travelers who don’t fly often, Lima said you don’t need to put too much thought into your miles.

“Most of them don’t expire, or if they do expire, as long as you book something and you fly before they expire, then you’ll keep on earning,” she said. “It’s so worth it; there’s no reason not to have it.”

You don’t even necessarily need to have an account with every airline to get some benefits.

“You can manage a lot of them based on code shares and alliances,” Lima said. “Each of the major airlines all have alliances, and they all kind of work together.” 

Without getting too wonky, there are basically three major airline alliances in the world: oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam. In the U.S., American Airlines is a member of oneworld, United Airlines is a member of Star Alliance and Delta Air Lines is a member of SkyTeam.

As someone who travels fairly regularly, I have a frequent flyer account with the major U.S. airline in each alliance and link it to any reservation I make on any airline within that alliance. This way, I accumulate all of my miles in a few concentrated accounts rather than having a smattering of points on airlines that I may fly only as a one-off based on whatever trip I’m taking. 

If you’re not sure which airlines are in which alliances, there are a few ways to find out. Of course, you can check each alliance website to see who the member carriers are. Or, when you’re searching for flights on platforms like Google Flights, you can often see that tickets on the same flight are listed by multiple carriers – a good indication of partnerships and code sharing for that itinerary. If you’re booking directly with an airline, their partners’ flights will often be listed when you initiate your search.

“This is definitely something you should not sleep on. It’s free money. I can’t emphasize that enough,” Lima said. “Why wouldn’t you want something for free? 

Should you get an airline credit card?

You can also earn miles and spend your way toward status by using an airline’s co-branded credit card. For infrequent travelers, it may not be as worthwhile to pursue this option because many of those cards require hefty annual fees. But if you live in a city with limited airline options and take one or two trips a year, it may still be worth signing up for the credit card of your preferred carrier, because they often come with other perks like free checked bags that can help offset that fee.

“If you buy a lot of stuff, you can earn points,” Lima said.

She pointed out that general points cards like the Chase Sapphire or Amex Platinum allow you to transfer points to multiple airlines and can be a better option for those who only fly once or twice a year because they give you more flexibility with point redemptions. 

Full disclosure: I don’t have any airline credit cards and just use a general points program for all my spending (but no, I don’t endorse a particular one, so I won’t tell you which).

How to get started with a frequent flyer program

• Register for an account.
• Remember to link the number to your reservation.
• Keep track of your miles as you earn them.
• Enjoy the perks.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.