Booking a plane ticket isn’t the only way to earn frequent flyer miles — you can purchase miles directly from the airline to top up your account before your next award redemption. This can be an attractive option, especially for those new to the world of points and miles who haven’t had a chance to accumulate enough miles to book a free flight.
However, we don’t generally recommend purchasing miles, as it can be costly to do so. For instance, Delta SkyMiles cost 3.5 cents per mile to purchase. This far exceeds the typical value of SkyMiles, so you’re losing money by purchasing the miles rather than paying for flights outright. Plus, you can only purchase 60,000 SkyMiles per account per year (which would cost a whopping $2,100).
More often than not, you’ll pay more than what the miles are worth, so buying miles generally isn’t an effective way to pay for your next trip. However, there are exceptions you should know about. Here’s everything to know about buying miles.
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The basic rules of buying miles
If you’re considering buying miles, you should keep a few things in mind. First, you don’t want to buy miles without a plan to use them. Even if there’s a promotion and it seems like a reasonable price, most of the time, you can earn more points with a co-branded credit card or by utilizing transfer partners.
Having extra miles in your account is nice, but it isn’t a reason enough to complete the purchase. Plus, purchasing miles won’t count toward elite status. You’d be better off spending that amount on flight purchases that qualify toward status so that you can reap the rewards of your spending. On that note, be sure to understand what constitutes a good value for points compared to what you could earn with your credit card spending. Before buying miles, make sure there aren’t other ways you can earn those miles that are more cost-effective.
If you decide to purchase miles, you should only buy them directly from the airline. Never use a third-party site, as there is a high probability you will never see those miles. And when completing the purchase, use a card that double dips. If you buy United miles, use your United Explorer card to earn bonus miles on your spending. Alternatively, you could use a general travel rewards card like the Capital One Venture X, which earns two miles per dollar on all purchases. You’ll purchase however many miles you want, and then you’ll earn transferable credit card rewards, which you can use on a different redemption down the line.
When it’s a bad idea to buy miles
More often than not, it’s not a good idea to buy miles. If you spend more to purchase the miles than the miles are worth, you’re losing money. If that’s the case, there’s no reason to purchase miles or attempt an award redemption — you should just pay cash for your ticket.
When you don’t have a plan to use them soon
Award availability can change significantly from one day to the next. If you have a vague idea of how you’d like to use your purchased miles, there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to do so. You should only buy miles if you have a concrete plan for using them in the immediate future.
Even airlines that publish an award chart are known to update it regularly, so if you purchase miles without a plan, they could be devalued before you can use them. Loyalty programs are constantly changing, so purchasing miles speculatively isn’t a great idea.
When the points cost more than they are worth
If 60,000 Delta SkyMiles costs $2,100, you should be able to get at least a $2,000 flight with those miles, right? Unfortunately, that’s not the case. 60,000 SkyMiles might get you a $786 flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Raleigh, North Carolina, in Delta Comfort+. In this case, you’d lose money by purchasing miles — it would make much more sense just to purchase the flight in cash and earn miles toward your next redemption.
When it’s a good idea to buy miles
Although we don’t recommend buying miles speculatively, there are a few instances where it could make some sense.
When you’re just a little short for a redemption
It’s happened to all of us: you find a great deal on a perfect flight for your next vacation, but you’re just a few thousand miles short of being able to complete the redemption. If spending $100 on 3,000 miles can make the difference between booking a lie-flat seat across the Atlantic Ocean and sitting in the back of economy, it can be worth purchasing the miles to top off your account.
Still, remember that airlines often have transfer partners, so you might be able to transfer points from a credit card to top off your account. Keep the option of purchasing miles as a last resort.
When you need to keep your miles from expiring
Many people don’t realize this, but some points and miles expire. Each airline has its own policy, so check when yours might expire. Buying miles can keep your miles from expiring.
For example, American Airlines AAdvantage members over 21 need at least one qualifying activity (earning or redeeming miles) every 24 months to keep their miles. Purchasing miles could help keep your account active. But there are other, less expensive ways to do so, like earning miles through hotel and car rental partners or simply booking a flight. Airline credit cardholders are also typically not subject to mileage expiration as long as their account is in good standing.
When there’s a great sale or bonus offer on miles you know you’ll use
There are often sales on mileage purchases, so you should never pay full price for your miles. If you find a fantastic sale and you know you’ll use the miles quickly, it could make sense to purchase miles.
For instance, United has a sale on miles from April 14, 2025, through April 25, 2025:
- Buy 7,000 to 39,000 miles and get 20% off
- Buy 40,000 miles to 69,000 miles and get 35% off
- Buy 70,000 miles to 200,000 miles and get 45% off
So you could buy 100,000 United miles for $1,925, when the typical price is $3,500. If you have a business class redemption in mind that costs 100,000 miles, and the cash fare costs $7,000, purchasing the miles for less than $2,000 could make sense.
Avianca also regularly runs promotions for purchasing LifeMiles at a steep discount. In early April 2025, Avianca offered the following:
- Buy 1,000 to 20,000 Lifemiles and receive 115% additional miles
- Buy 21,000 to 50,000 Lifemiles and receive 125% additional miles
- Buy 51,000 to 200,000 Lifemiles and receive 135% additional miles
Lifemiles typically cost 3.3 cents per mile, so purchasing 100,000 miles would cost $3,300. However, if you took advantage of this promotion, you’d spend $3,300 for 100,000 miles and receive a bonus of 135,000 miles. Now, you’re paying just 1.4 cents per mile, which is a much better valuation. Then, you can take advantage of Star Alliance partners to book your next flight.
Never purchase miles if you don’t have an immediate use for them. Sales are flashy, but they aren’t rare, so don’t be tempted to make an erroneous purchase.
When the cash price of a fare is more expensive than buying miles
If you can take advantage of a promotion and find a great redemption, you can sometimes get outsized value from your miles. For example, right now I could purchase 110,000 United miles for $2,117.50. I could then use those miles on a one-way business class ticket from San Francisco to Hong Kong with a layover in Tokyo.
The same flight, booked in cash, would cost $3,267. So, I’d save over $1,100 by purchasing miles and using them to book my flight. Still, this is a complicated workaround, and I could probably find a cheaper flight redemption by booking through a Star Alliance partner airline like ANA.
Frequently asked questions about buying miles
Is it a bad idea to buy miles?
It’s not always a bad idea to buy miles, but you should be very hesitant before doing so. If you decide to purchase miles, ensure you get good value and use a credit card to earn bonus points on your transaction.
How much does it typically cost to buy miles from an airline?
Airlines typically sell miles for around 3.5 cents per mile. However, airlines often have sales or bonus mile promotions, so don’t purchase miles at full price.
How much does it cost to buy 100,000 miles?
It typically costs around $3,500 to purchase 100,000 miles without utilizing a promotion. Avianca Lifemiles periodically sells miles for under 1.8 cents each
Are “mileage multipliers” a good value?
Mileage multipliers, which allow you to accumulate miles faster by purchasing a multiplier on a specific flight or group of flights, are typically not a good value due to the high cost and low return.
Summary
Although buying miles isn’t always a bad idea, you should do so strategically and with caution. It will take a lot of planning and organizing to find a worthwhile deal, and it might be more complicated than it’s worth for the average traveler. Instead, focus on earning through credit card spending and booking award travel with your available points and miles.
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