5 travel rewards myths that could cost you

The writer should have mentioned ways of maximizing the use of your credit card. I use mine to pay my rent, my pension contributions and contributions to an investment fund, among the usual things like shopping.

That gives me around 3,000 to 5,000 miles a month, easily a free international flight a year.

Be careful of mileage programs where miles have an expiry date. JAL Mileage Bank is one of those shifty programs. I had their card for years but was never able to use even 1 mile because the miles would expire before I could use them.

@miyakojimada

Just go to your local nenkin office and tell them you want to pay by CC. That's what I did after seeing a pamphlet announcing the option. They'll give you a form to fill out, which takes about a month to process.

Tell your landlord as well you want to pay by CC. Then you'll really rack up the airline points.

I'm hoping the health insurance office will one day follow suit.

10 years ago when booking a flight through it's official airline site, i didn't have to pay for the seats. It was like first come first serve basis. I could choose any available seats for free.

Now, to choose your preferable or available seats, i have to pay ¥ 3000 for each seats (Departure, Transit & Return). Total 12000, sometimes more. That is ridiculous.

So i don't bother and stuck onto whatever seats stamped on my boarding pass.

@ JeffLee How do you use your credit card to pay pension contributions? I'd like to do that!