Our guide to... How to donate unused frequent flyer miles to charity

Miles (or points) are a perk of frequent travel and can be redeemed on future flights, upgrades, experiences, merchandise, car hire, accommodation and so on.

But sometimes it's hard to spend them - air tickets may be restricted by time and destination, for instance - and travellers can instead make a difference by donating points to non-profit organisations and charities around the world.

AIR FRANCE AND KLM

Flying Blue lists 18 charities to which its members may donate miles, including Aviation Sans Frontières, which provides air transport during humanitarian crises, the French Red Cross and WWF. flyingblue.com

ALASKA AIRLINES

The Alaska Airlines LIFT miles programme offers members the chance to support 12 selected charities - these include Alaska Airlines Disaster Relief Pool, the Nature Conservancy and the United Negro College Fund, which helps under-represented students to become highly-qualified graduates. alaskaair.com

AMERICAN AIRLINES

AAdvantage focuses on four types of charitable organisations - those that work to support social good, global health and wellbeing, heroes, or the planet. A minimum of 1,000 miles is required, although members with fewer than this can donate their entire balance. Charities include Unicef, Stand Up To Cancer and the Gary Sinise Foundation. aa.com

THE LUFTHANSA GROUP

Miles and More, the frequent flyer programme for Lufthansa Group airlines, has partnered with Help Alliance, which supports more than 40 projects worldwide. You can either make a free donation between 3,000 and 50,000 miles which is then allocated to the project most in need, or support a specific cause. Examples include providing emergency aid for the German Red Cross currently helping those affected by war in Ukraine, or helping to build a training centre for school-leavers in Togo. miles-and-more.com

CATHAY PACIFIC