HAVE miles, will travel - this seems to be the current motto for credit card holders in Singapore.

With the recession hitting people hard in their pockets, more are cashing in their reward points from their credit cards for air tickets.

Citibank's cards marketing director Alice Fok said redemption of points for travel purposes has more than doubled in the first three months of this year, compared to the same period last year.

Comparing the first three months of this year to the earlier three months, 10 per cent more American Express card members cashed in their points to travel.

HSBC also told The Straits Times that it had seen increases, although it did not give figures.

Credit card companies usually give members reward points when they use their cards for purchases. These points can then be exchanged for not just air miles but also a vast amount of other purchases and products, ranging from designer clothing and fine dining to music video games such as Guitar Hero.

Mr Lawrence Wee, 36, who handles customer loyalty at Robinsons, plans his travels around the amount of credit card points he accumulates.

'I mostly travel around Asia because I'm very impatient. The moment I get enough points on my credit card to travel, I travel!' said the American Express Gold Card holder.

Mr Wee last used his credit card points for a trip to Bangkok three months ago.

Credit card companies are also introducing more perks to encourage their customers to continue to travel.

Read the full report in Monday's edition of The Straits Times.