vendredi 4 août 2017
Make-A-Wish's Campaign Encourages Travelers to Donate Miles to Help Grant a Kid's Dream
When Make-A-Wish was started in 1980, its very first wish was from a kid who wanted to be a policeman, the second a fireman, according to the foundation's CEO, David Williams. "As you might imagine over the years, kids are much more interested in an experience, and a lot of times those experiences involve travel," he told us. "Now, we're at the point where three-quarters of all our wishes involve travel. So, that's where our need for points, vouchers, miles is so much greater now than before."
Instead of (or in addition to) making a cash contribution, you can choose to donate your miles toward helping make a child's dream come true. Make-A-Wish teamed up with frequent-flyer site The Points Guy to promote awareness about Wishes in Flight. Although the campaign is only running through August in honor of the organization's Airline Appreciation Month, travelers can continue to donate any unused miles and points for as long as they'd like. Those who are part of the mileage rewards programs of American Airlines, Delta, United, Southwest, and JetBlue can donate directly from the airline's website or through Make-A-Wish's online form. Other carriers, including Alaska Airlines, Sun Country, and Hawaiian Airlines, also accept miles.
Many people don't realize that their miles will go to waste if unused. You can pay it forward rather than allowing them to expire, because every mile counts toward granting a child's wish! In 2016 alone, Make-A-Wish was able to fulfill 15,328 wishes - 75 percent of which required travel accommodations. Every year the foundation needs 2 billion miles to carry out the requests.
"Frequent-flyer miles aren't just for a vacation; you can actually change people's lives," said Brian Kelly, founder and CEO of The Points Guy. "And, actually, donating your miles will even keep your account active. If you donate even a couple thousand miles, it'll reset the clock. A lot of frequent-flyer accounts, you'll lose your miles if it goes dormant for too long, so it's a great way to not only give back but also to keep your accounts active."
The other great thing is that none of the points and miles expire once they are donated, giving the foundation enough time to allocate them.
Each carrier varies on minimum donations, but it's a doable amount from 500 to 2,000 miles. If you're feeling extra charitable, anyone who donates 5,000 or more miles is eligible to win a personal consultation with The Points Guy himself, who will help you earn your miles back by maximizing your strategy. Simply email donatemiles@thepointsguy.com and you could be one of five winners.
"These are for kids who didn't do anything wrong; they just happened to draw the short end of the stick in terms of receiving a terrible diagnosis," said David. "They're battling their illness, and we come along and ask a very simple question, and it really doesn't only benefit the child but it benefits the entire family. It's something that's immediate - it's local, it's tangible - and I think people are looking for a way to make a difference, and this is a very easy way to do it."
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