Don’t need miles? Then be a hero

More than 300,000 people in the U.S. have earned more than 1 million miles each, and several have more than 30 million miles in their accounts, says Randy Petersen of InsideFlyer.

At the other extreme, many program members have accounts with few miles because they no longer fly that airline.

If you have more miles than you can use or have too few miles to claim a free ticket, you can donate your miles to a charity affiliated with your mileage program. Log on to your program’s website and search for “donate miles” or “charity miles” for a list of charities your program supports.

One suggestion: Operation Hero Miles (www.heromiles.com) accepts mileage donations to help families and friends visit wounded soldiers at military hospitals and rehabilitation facilities. Since its inception in 2003, Hero Miles has given more than 5,000 free tickets.

-- Charles Lockwood