The three major incentive programmes in South Africa are run by South African Airways, Sun Air and British Airways, which recently incorporated Comair as a franchise into its network.
The airlines have a range of partners involved in their schemes, ranging from banks to car rental companies and hotel groups, all of which allow you to accumulate points or miles on money you spend with them.
Rewards vary from exotic holidays to small retailers offering you the well-known "two for the price of one".
The key is to find out what it costs to become a member. Then find out how many points or miles you need to qualify for the most basic reward. Do a quick calculation and see if it's worth it.
Here are examples of loyalty or incentive programmes on offer.
SAA VOYAGER PROGRAMME
South African Airways Voyager programme allows you to accumulate air miles whenever you fly on it,or any other of SAA's Voyager partners.
You can qualify for a free SAA return domestic flight once you have accumulated 17 500 Voyager miles. For a flight to Europe you will need 60 000 miles in economy class. The Voyager miles you earn are valid for three years after the year in which they were earned.
Diners Club, Nedbank, MTN and Global One transactions are linked to your Voyager programme.
There is a difference between base miles and bonus miles.
Base miles are awarded by SAA for actual miles flown on SAA and the airline's partners, and the use of other partners' services to accumulate miles for awards. Bonus miles are awarded, for instance, for travelling business or first class.
SUN AIR AIREWARDS
This incentive programme offers two types of AiReward miles - Reward Miles and Sun Miles. They both count towards meeting the mileage requirements for rewards.
Reward Miles are earned for joining the programme; for converting from another airline incentive programme; and by linking your bank cards to the scheme. You are awarded points for miles flown on partner airlines. You can get extra mileage by flying a higher class category.
Miles are valid for three years. There is no membership or joining fee. The minimum number of miles you need to qualify for a free return domestic flight is 17 500 miles. A return trip to London will require 50 000 miles.
BRITISH AIRWAYS EXECUTIVE CLUB
All new members join the programme on the Blue tier. Membership is free.
As a member you get various benefits such as priority wait-listing and miles when you shop on board. As you accumulate more points you are eligible for the Silver and Gold tiers, where you enjoy additional benefits associated with each tier. The miles you earn are valid for five years from the date of travel.
NEDBANK VOYAGER PROGRAMME
Nedbank offers its Visa and Mastercard credit cardholders the opportunity to participate in the South African Airways Voyager programme.
When you participate in the scheme you earn one Voyager mile for every R5 you spend on your card. Also, if goods or services from another Voyager partner such as Avis car rental, MTN or Southern Sun are bought using your credit card, you earn miles.
Nedbank also runs promotions where you can earn double miles for every R5 spent, or bonus miles in addition to your standard miles that you normally earn. Membership to the programme will cost you R57 a year.
FIRST NATIONAL BANK AIREWARDS PROGRAMME
First National Bank is phasing out is own incentive programme, the Values Programme, introduced in June 1996, which offered you cash back for amounts of money spent.
The bank has linked up to Sun Air's incentive programme, AiRewards.
FNB's Values programme comes to an end at the end of November. If you want to convert your points to the AiRewards programme, you must do so before then.
If you choose not to join the new programme, you can instruct the bank to credit your account with the cash value due to you. You need to check the back of your statement to see the cash value of your Value points. If you have fewer than 4 000 Values and you do not enrol with the new programme, you will forfeit them.
On joining the new programme you qualify for 2 500 miles and existing Values points will be converted to air miles on a one-point to one-mile basis.
So, for example, if you have accumulated 1 500 Values points to date, you will be credited with 1 500 miles.
After that you get one mile for every R5 you spend on your First National Bank credit card and bonus miles if you spend with other participants in the AiRewards scheme. Membership of AiRewards will cost you R57 a year.
STANDARD BANK ACCOLADES PROGRAMME
Although Standard Bank's incentive programme, Accolades, offers air travel as part of its rewards, the bank is not a partner in one of the airline programmes. The fee for joining Accolades is R35 if you have a Blue card and R45 for a gold card.
Every time you spend R10 on your Standard Bank MasterCard you get one point. Points are also earned for all new or existing Standard Bank home loans registered for R75 000 or more and for new Stannic instalment finance deals with a debt of R20 000 or more.
Rewards range from a case of wine, (3 000 points) to a London return flight (30 000 points).
Unlike many loyalty programmes where points or miles are valid for three to five years, Accolades points are valid for 15 years.
CLICKS CLUBCARD
Retailer Clicks runs an incentive programme at its 161 stores countrywide. Membership is free.
Your first R10 spent in a Clicks store using your ClubCard earns you a point and thereafter each R5 earns you a point.
For every 50 points you accumulate, you get a cash-back voucher on a quarterly basis.
As a ClubCard holder you are also entitled to a five percent discount on jewellery or cosmetic purchases and two percent on all other items. This will be "paid" out to you in the form of the quarterly cash-back voucher.