Airline Miles Just for Watching Advertisements

Starting today, e-Miles has launched a program awarding airline miles for watching online advertisements. Finally, a reason to justify that eight bucks you spend at the airport for a half hour of WiFi service.

e-Miles has partnered with Northwest, Continental, Delta and US Airways to offer the coveted miles. That’s better than gold and almost as good as two-dollar margaritas. Okay, even better than the margaritas.

Why are they doing it? It’s a marketing/research (spying) program much like the Kroger card that tracks what you do. That’s okay. Most of us can handle a little big-brother action to get the miles. I certainly can. Hal Brierley, head honcho at e-miles, remarked, “Advertisers can now eliminate waste in their advertising spending by targeting messages more effectively and guaranteeing engagement with their most desired audiences.”

Miles are deposited quarterly to your preferred airline in increments of 500. Yes, they do roll over if you’ve only earned a partial amount of the 500 miles. You get 250 miles for signing up, but the website doesn’t say how many you earn per ad. It’s probably chump-change in the mileage world, but it’s easy and free.

And is this another potential loophole for keeping your miles account active after the shortened activity timeframe? I’m not sure, but I’m thinking so. Hint hint.

Funny how other companies bombard you with ads everywhere, even in bathroom stalls, and you don’t even get so much as a “thank you.”

Via BusinessWire.