I am looking for a good way for my boss to earn free air miles. He is a diamond wholesaler and makes a lot of international trips with various airlines.

We currently use an AmEx card to rack up free miles, but we are very unhappy with their customer service and would love to drop them. Is there a comparable program that we can use?

HELP!!

I strongly urge leveraging your value as a consumer to assure that you receive the best service possible. Fortunately, you can build miles with a myriad of credit cards. In particular, I have found the Diners Club Card (800-234-6377) to be comparable to AmEx and, perhaps, to offer a higher level of service. The Diners Club Card is accepted widely, both domestically and internationally. Their loyalty program, The Reward Club, is consistently rated the best credit card incentive program. One reason for this consistent high rating is because their program points are redeemable with an array of partners. They can also be converted with any airline that has a frequent flyer program. Moreover, these points can be used to purchase merchandise, rental cars, and even used to upgrade your hotel room. The points do not expire and one dollar equals two points which equals one mile. Further, there is no limit to the number of points that can be earned in a year. The card has an $80 annual fee and there is no charge for Club Reward membership.

I suggest that when you call to request your card, you inform them that you are changing to this card because of the poor customer service you received from AmEx. Additionally, if you have a high charge volume with AmEx, let the Diners Club Card representative know. Most likely, your new business will be viewed as an excellent opportunity for the Diners Club Card Company to gain a quality, long-term customer. At the very least, you will probably be offered a waiver for your annual fee, sign-up bonus miles, and upgrade certificates for the airlines, car rental companies, and hotels. Remember to stress that you will be a very loyal customer; this will go a long way.

Good luck.
Joel