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Frequent flyers and travel enthusiasts are always looking for ways to maximize their points and miles. While most of these rewards come from welcome offers and everyday spending on rewards credit cards, there’s another way to quickly amass a significant stash: buying them.
For those uninitiated, this idea might seem counterintuitive. Why spend money to get something you can earn through everyday spending or travel? As it turns out, buying points and miles can actually be a smart move, but only under the right circumstances.
Of course, there are plenty of times when buying miles doesn’t make sense at all. There are many factors to consider, including personal travel goals, the value of miles being purchased and the potential rewards they can unlock.
In this article, we’ll explore the central question: is buying miles worth it? We’ll start by looking at the idea of buying points and miles as a whole, and then consider the pros and cons of doing so in various scenarios. If you’re considering purchasing miles, this guide will help you better determine if it’s a worthwhile investment or a questionable alternative that may not deliver as expected.
Demystifying the Art of Buying Miles & Points
The practice of buying miles and points is simple. Airline and hotel loyalty programs usually sell their currencies at a fixed rate which you can purchase anytime. They also frequently offer sales or other bonus promotions which can make the offer a little more enticing.
Let’s start off with a quick pros and cons analysis of the practice of buying points.
Pros of Buying Miles and Points
- It’s a shortcut. Buying miles expedites your path towards a reward redemption. Imagine you’re just a few thousand miles short of an award flight or a luxury hotel stay. Instead of having to wait weeks or months to accumulate the necessary miles through regular spending, you can simply buy them and complete your booking.
- It provides flexibility and convenience. In general, booking award seats, especially those in business- and first-class cabins, has gotten more difficult over the years. Often, you’ll need to book them the moment you find availability. If a sudden travel opportunity arises and you don’t have enough points to book it, purchasing miles to cover the difference is the quickest and most flexible solution.
- Booking with points can be cheaper than with cash. Sometimes, the points price of a redemption is lower than its corresponding cash price. That is, even if you were to purchase all the miles for an airline seat upfront, it would be cheaper than booking that same seat with cash. The only downside of a points booking is that they don’t earn elite-qualifying miles or nights like cash bookings do, but that doesn’t matter if all you care about is getting the airline seat or hotel room itself.
- There’s a potential to double dip on rewards. In addition to the miles you purchase, you’ll earn points or miles from the credit card used for the purchase transaction itself. For added rewards, consider using a card that lets you earn miles or points for dining as well. If an airline sells their points directly, the purchase can often code as airlines or travel, which often have bonus multipliers on different rewards credit cards. The following airlines are known to sell miles directly: American Airlines, Avianca, British Airways and Delta Air Lines. You can consider this list of the best credit cards for buying miles to maximize your double dip.
Cons of Buying Miles and Points
- It’s unnecessary spending. One significant drawback of buying miles is that it’s an additional expense. For points and miles enthusiasts, the goal is to maximize our points without having to increase spending. Purchasing miles directly contradicts this principle.
- You risk overpaying for miles. When airlines and hotel programs price their points, they’re not trying to sell them at a loss. The cost per mile or point when purchasing them can sometimes exceed the value you would get from using them. Always do the math before purchasing anything.
- You risk encountering availability drops. Even if you have enough miles or points for a redemption, finding award availability is still often the biggest challenge. Because of this, buying points preemptively is generally not a good idea.
- Points and miles devalue over time. Airline and hotel loyalty programs are almost always guaranteed to undergo regular devaluations. This makes buying miles a challenging decision since the points you purchase today may decrease in value over time, be it in a few years or even just months from now.
Factors to Consider Before Taking the Plunge
Given these pros and cons, there’s really no way to generalize whether buying miles is always good or always bad. It will always come down to your individual scenario, and the specific points and miles currencies you’re looking to purchase. Here are a couple key factors to consider that may sway you more in one direction versus the other.
Current Mileage Balance
Before purchasing any miles or points, take stock of your current balances. If you already have enough to make a target redemption, there’s obviously no need to buy more.
What if you’re short a few thousand miles or so? If all you need is a small top-off, you may consider buying the difference to lock in that redemption. If you’re far from your goal, buying miles may not be the most economical choice, especially if you have time to earn them through other means.
Upcoming Travel Plans
Are you traveling soon, or do you still have lots of time before your next planned trip? If you see award availability for an upcoming trip but don’t have enough points, buying them and booking now can give you peace of mind. However, if your travel plans are uncertain or flexible, it’s better to wait until you firm up your itinerary.
Award Availability
A general rule of thumb is to hold off on buying miles unless you’re sure you can use them. In other words, a precursor to buying miles is that you can confirm award availability for your desired redemption. Anything else would be a speculative purchase, and can backfire if availability never opens up.
Cost-effectiveness
Get in the habit of crunching the numbers for your desired redemptions. In particular, calculate the out-of-pocket costs it would take to buy all the necessary miles for a redemption, and compare this to the retail cash price. If it’s cheaper to buy with cash, it’s definitely not worth purchasing miles.
Promotional offers
If you’re already considering a miles purchase, you might choose to wait for the next promotion. Promotions can provide bonus miles or discounts, significantly enhancing the value of your purchase.
However, don’t just blindly purchase miles during every single promotion. It’s still better to consider a promotional offer in conjunction with the other factors, since preemptively purchasing miles can backfire.
Airline Miles vs. Hotel Points: Which One Should You Buy?
When deciding to buy loyalty program currencies, one consideration to make is whether to purchase airline miles or hotel points. Both can provide significant value under the right circumstances.
For instance, buying airline miles is typically more advantageous for securing premium cabin flights, such as business- or first-class seats where cash prices are high. This is especially true when the miles are being offered in a sale. To illustrate this, let’s say you’re eyeing this flight in American Airlines’s Flagship Business class from New York (JFK) to London (LHR):

$4,433 is pretty steep. The same flight can be purchased at a miles rate of 62,000 AAdvantage Miles and $5.60 in taxes and fees:

How much would it cost to buy 62,000 miles? There’s actually a 15% promotion at the time of writing, so this would cost $1,982.84 out of pocket:

Even without the 15% discount, 62,000 AAdvantage miles would cost you $2,332.75. While this is still quite steep, it’s nearly a 50% discount off the original cash price.
Similarly, let’s consider a hotel chain like Hyatt. Often, you’ll find it more advantageous to buy points if you plan to stay at more aspirational properties. Consider the beautiful Alila Ventana Big Sur, an all-inclusive Hyatt property that routinely goes for $2,000 to $3,000 a night:

The Alila Ventana Big Sur is a Category 8 Hyatt property, meaning it would cost anywhere between 35,000 to 45,000 Hyatt points per night for this standard 1 King Bed room. Even if we were to take the higher end of this, purchasing 45,000 Hyatt points outright would only cost us $1,080 out of pocket:

Again, this represents over a 50% discount over the cash price of $2,581.38. Both of these examples show that if you were planning on paying cash for these premium travel experiences anyway, purchasing airline miles or hotel points could be much more economical.
Soar High With Airline Miles: Unlocking Premium Travel Experiences
Purchasing airline miles can open up a world of premium travel experiences, which can really enhance your next vacation. Here are some of the primary benefits of buying airline miles:
- Accessing premium cabins: If you’re just a couple miles short of a premium cabin redemption, you might want to top-off your balance by purchasing the difference. This can be well worth it if you value flying in a lie-flat seat and enjoying gourmet meals onboard.
- Booking last-minute award flights: Another advantage of airline miles is the ability to book last-minute award flights. Cash prices for flights typically increase exponentially the closer you get to the departure date, so using miles can be a cost-effective alternative. While many airlines are shifting to a dynamic pricing model for award redemptions, it’s good to have the option of choosing the cash rate or points rate in a time crunch.
- Taking advantage of limited-time promotions: Airlines frequently run limited-time promotions where miles can be purchased at a discount, or with a certain percentage of bonus miles. Just ensure that you have a plan for whatever miles you purchase. For instance, you might want to take advantage of a 50% bonus on Alaska miles if you plan on making a redemption through Alaska Airlines in the near future.
Overall, buying airline miles can be a strategic way to maximize your travel experiences. By carefully monitoring your mileage balances and redemption opportunities, you can purchase miles when it makes the most sense, such as during promotions or when you need a small top-off for a specific redemption.
Indulge in Luxury Stays: The Perks of Buying Hotel Points
Buying hotel points has its advantages too, and can make your stays much more luxurious and cost-effective. Here are some of the primary benefits of buying hotel points:
- Accessing luxury hotels: If you want to stay at high-end aspirational properties but are just a few points short of a free stay, you might want to purchase the points to top-off your balance. This can give you access to luxury hotels that might otherwise cost you thousands of dollars in room rates per night.
- Significant savings on accommodation costs: Most hotel loyalty programs have a system where you get the fourth or fifth night free on award stays only (IHG, Hilton, Marriott). This is most advantageous if you plan to stay at a single hotel during your entire trip. Since this only applies to award stays, buying the points for the stay could lead to greater savings.
- Taking advantage of limited-time promotions: Like airlines, hotel chains frequently hold promotions for their loyalty currencies. Buying them at a discount could help you cut costs on your next vacation, especially if you have a target redemption in mind. For example, you might choose to take advantage of a 100% bonus on Hilton points if you plan on staying at a property like the Waldorf Astoria Maldives.
Many hotel programs are set up to reward those who use their points on stays. In addition to earning hotel points through your everyday spending, taking advantage of the right promotions could help you simultaneously save money and level up your next hotel stay.
Savvy Strategies to Make the Most of Your Purchased Miles & Points
Maximizing the value of your purchased miles and points requires a strategic approach. The last thing you want is to have a bunch of miles sitting there unused. Here are some simple but effective strategies to help you get the most out of your travel investment.
Topping Off
The simplest way to maximize the value of purchased miles and points is to combine them with existing loyalty balances. In particular, if you’re just a few miles or points short of a redemption, purchasing a small top-off can help you reach an award booking faster. This approach is most useful for securing high-value redemptions, such as business-or first-class flights and luxury hotel stays.
Topping off is often the most effective strategy because it assumes you already have a target redemption in mind. After topping off, we recommend making the award redemption right away.
Consider the Transfer Partner Landscape
Certain loyalty currencies are easier to obtain than others. For instance, it’s relatively easy to obtain British Airways Avios, since many credit card rewards programs allow 1:1 point transfers to Avios (American Express, Bilt, Chase, CapitalOne, Citi and Marriott Bonvoy). In addition, you can directly earn Avios by flying on multiple airlines, all of which share the Avios currency (Aer Lingus, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia and Qatar Airways).
However, it’s a lot harder to obtain a currency like American Airlines AAdvantage miles. This is because none of the major credit card issuers allow point transfers to the AAdvantage program (Bilt ended its partnership with American Airlines in June 2024). Due to the lack of transfer partners, if you were to purchase miles, it generally makes more sense to go with AAdvantage miles over Avios.
Monitor and Utilize Promotions and Other News
Keep an eye out for promotions that offer bonus miles. If you want to purchase a particular loyalty currency, wait for a promotion if you can.
We also recommend keeping up with recent happenings in the points and miles world. Loyalty currencies can devalue or undergo significant changes, so take this into consideration before making a purchase.
Take Advantage of Award Chart Sweet Spots
At the end of the day, the usual rules for award travel still apply. That means studying award charts, and identifying sweet spots where the redemption value is high compared to the number of miles or points required. In particular, you should always compare the cost of purchasing the miles outright compared to the cash rate. Often, this can allow you to book premium travel experiences at a fraction of the cost.
Real-Life Examples: Success Stories of Buying Miles & Points
It can be inspiring and informative to hear concrete examples of how purchased miles and points can be used to unlock amazing travel experiences and significant savings. Here are some detailed case studies showcasing travelers who have successfully leveraged purchased miles and points.
Case Study 1: Family Vacation at Disney World
The Anderson family of four wanted to plan a family vacation to Disney World with a stay on resort property. They targeted the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, a Marriott property near the Epcot resort area.
For the dates that the Andersons want to travel, they see that the cash rate for five nights in a two-double room is $4,525, or $905 per night:

Rather than pay this cash rate upfront, the Andersons observed that the points rate for the same room cost 300,000 Marriott points (including the fifth night free benefit):

The Andersons were able to take advantage of a Marriott points promotion that ran from May to July 2024. During this promotion, you could purchase Marriott points with a 50% bonus. Ordinarily, Marriott points cost 1.25 cents apiece, and each member can purchase 100,000 points in a calendar year.
Luckily, the two Anderson parents are both Marriott members, and they both bought the maximum allotted points during the promotion. Each parent bought 100,000 points and each received an additional 50,000 points. Combined, they now have 300,000 Marriott points, and it cost them $2,500 out of pocket.
The Andersons used these 300,000 Marriott points to book a five-night stay at the Dolphin Hotel. The total cash cost would’ve been $4,525, but the Andersons spent only $2,500 for the same stay. In this case, purchasing Marriott points allowed them to enjoy a magical family vacation at Disney World with $2,025 in savings.
Case Study 2: Luxury Business-Class Flight to Asia
For an upcoming trip to Asia, Ryan was interested in the new Starlux Airlines business class route from San Francisco (SFO) to Taipei (TPE). However, a one-way seat in business class cost $3,409, much more than he was willing to pay.

Luckily, there’s a way to book Starlux Airlines award flights via the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. Saver award pricing on Starlux business-class flights on Alaska cost 75,000 Alaska miles one-way:

Ryan was able to capitalize on an ongoing Alaska Airlines promotion that ran until August 2024. During this promotion, Mileage Plan members could purchase miles with up to a 60% bonus. Ryan decided to purchase 95,000 Alaska miles, which awarded him 57,000 bonus miles to make 152,000 miles total. The final cost was $2,612.50.

152,000 Alaska miles were enough to book Starlux Airlines round-trip business-class flights between SFO-TPE, which would have otherwise cost over $7,000. By purchasing Alaska miles during a 60% bonus, Ryan was able to save big on luxury flights to and from Asia.
Cautionary Tales: When Not to Buy Miles & Points
While purchasing miles and points can offer great value, there are many situations where it’s not the best option. Understanding these pitfalls can help you avoid making costly decisions on your next vacation.
In the previous section, notice how the travelers who succeeded in making good use of their purchased miles followed these four general steps:
- They started with a clear travel goal in mind.
- They compared the cash rate and the points rate for their travel goal.
- After determining that the points rate was more cost-effective, they purchased the required points during a sale.
- They made the redemption immediately after purchasing the points.
Things can go wrong if you stray from this path. Here are some examples of what to avoid.
Unclear Travel Plans
If your travel plans are uncertain or likely to change, buying miles or points speculatively is generally not a good idea. Uncertain travel plans can lead to unused points or less-than-ideal redemptions.
For example, suppose you purchase airline miles during a promotion, but don’t have any upcoming travel plans. Even though you took advantage of the promotion, you may find yourself holding on to miles that could expire or lose value over time.
High Cost Per Mile or Point
The most important consideration when buying miles or points is the cost per unit. If the purchase price is significantly higher than the value you can get from redeeming them, it’s never a good deal. For example, if you’re paying 3 cents per mile but can only redeem them for a value of 2 cents per mile, you’re greatly overpaying for your travel.
Sometimes, discussing these numbers in terms of cents per point can be confusing. An easy alternative is just to compare the total cost of purchasing the points versus the total cash rate. For example, suppose there’s a domestic round-trip flight that costs $375 or 25,000 miles. Usually, it costs 3 cents per mile to buy, but there’s currently a promotion to buy the miles at 2.5 cents per mile. Despite this, it would still cost $625 to purchase 25,000 miles, so you’re easily better off buying the flight with cash and saving $250.
When considering the cash rate for properties, don’t forget to factor in any credits or promotions. For instance, you might be able to save on hotels when paying with cash if you have The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees) due to the $200 annual Fine Hotels + Resorts credit.
Promotions: Impatience and Overhype
Promotional offers can be a double-edged sword. Sometimes, airlines and hotels can use them to create a sense of urgency to purchase their loyalty currencies. It’s important to evaluate whether the promotion genuinely offers a good deal, or is simply a marketing tactic.
Conversely, if you have a specific redemption in mind, waiting for a big promotion can lead to huge savings. Airlines and hotels run promotions rather frequently, so consider waiting for the next one if travel isn’t urgent.
Limited Award Availability
Award availability plays a crucial role in the world of points and miles. If you’re unable to snag a redemption due to limited award availability, you could easily end up with an unused stash of miles and points. Some loyalty programs have notorious availability issues, making it difficult to find suitable redemptions.
For example, you might purchase hotel points to use for a future stay at a popular resort during peak season. When it came time to book the room, you notice there are no award rooms available for your travel dates. To avoid scenarios like these, minimize the time between purchasing the points and making the award booking. Ideally, purchase points only after you secure award availability first.
Insufficient Research
As a general point, insufficient research can be the downfall of many points and miles purchasers. It’s crucial to research a loyalty program’s rules, redemption options and overall value first. Understand how you will use your purchased points before even considering buying them.
The Bottom Line on Buying Miles & Points
Buying miles and points can be a powerful tool for deal-seeking travelers. Throughout this article, we’ve explored various facets of purchasing points, highlighting both the potential benefits and the situations where it may not be the best choice.
As you weigh the decision to buy points and miles, reflect on your travel aspirations and make sure the purchase aligns with those goals. To stay ahead of the game, ensure that you’re plugged in to your loyalty programs so you can catch the next big promotional sales. We have many other resources on 10xTravel to help you extract the most value out of your points and miles.
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Editors Note: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.