Staying at a hotel doesn't just have to be about enjoying the short time you're there anymore, with hotel loyalty schemes encouraging visitors to think of the long term by offering points and air miles with every visit. But, before deciding whether you'd rather save up loyalty points or collect air miles, there are a number of factors to consider. For example if you travel often and are likely to accumulate air miles on a frequent basis then saving up air miles might be the right choice for you, enabling you to save for free flights in the future.

However, while free flights are tempting, you may find a cheaper alternative and, as a result your air miles will be wasted. Also, many people typically collect only a handful of points every year or two which is an insufficient amount to qualify for a free flight. As a result, the collectors of the air miles simply forget about them and let them lapse. This can also cause travellers to look at whether other loyalty schemes might be better suited to them, such as collecting loyalty points.

Loyalty points earned from a hotel are a little bit more complex than earning air miles, as the rewards they offer can vary widely with each hotel chain. While this may be a downside to some, others may find that this is an advantage as it makes the points more versatile. However, a good hotel loyalty scheme will allow you to swap the accumulated loyalty points for air miles or other rewards if you wish.

However, many loyalty point schemes tend to offer much better value in terms of the percentage of reward given against the amount spent. For example, staying at a particular hotel for one night may earn you 50% of the points needed for a free night's stay and, therefore, after two nights stay, a free night at the hotel is earned.

Many regular travellers consider the fact that hotel loyalty points can be saved up as a major advantage when picking between the points and air miles. This means that after a few stays at a particular hotel you may be entitled to a free stay - an excellent reward for loyalty, particularly to those who travel on business regularly, as the points will soon mount up. These points could also be exchanged for extra perks during your stay at a hotel, rather than a free stay, such as free use of the swimming pool or fitness facilities. Visitors to certain hotel chains may also find the amount of benefits they enjoy increasing the more they stay with that particular chain.

So, when considering joining up to a hotel loyalty scheme, it's important to take into consideration your individual circumstances, especially how much you travel, how much you spend and how often you stay in hotels and how often you use the facilities. You might find being in such a scheme to be hugely beneficial not only to you, but also your wallet!

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