The golden rule for every world traveler is to never miss a chance to earn points, either airline points, hotel points or credit card points. All of these points are a form of currency that at some point can be converted into another currency; for instance, funneling credit card points into your favorite frequent flyer program, or used to buy goods and services (anything from a free flight or hotel stay to a coffee machine or headphones.
So you can sign up for any airline or hotel loyalty scheme through which you might earn points. If you are going to travel on an airline you've never flown before, it can make sense to join their frequent flyer program, considering most are free, and there's not the option to earn points in the reward scheme of a partner airline where you already hold a fair few points.
Some loyalty schemes are free to join, you can sign up online. These schemes can offer your advantages, such as an upgrade to a larger Premier room on one of the hotel's top floors, free WiFi Internet, credit for the minibar or the hotel's restaurant bar, handy for a cocktail at any time.
That could be just a welcome triple-treat and it could cost nothing except for the few minutes necessary to join the reward program.
Most business travelers have more control over where they stay, but sometimes, often, there will be times when a client or a conference gets you out of your comfort zone and you end up visiting a new hotel brand. So, if you find yourself in that situation, go online and look at signing up to their loyalty scheme, so you can make the most of the perks of the scheme.
Image from
marriott.com