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It’s typically not a great idea to buy miles from the airline for a simple reason: purchased miles cost more than they’re worth when redeemed. Most airlines charge around three cents per mile on average. Considering you can transfer miles to an airline at a 1:1 ratio with an eligible credit card, or earn miles at better rates directly with cobranded cards, buying miles directly usually isn’t worth it.
But on some rare occasions, it can make sense to buy miles. Here are the most common reasons you might choose to purchase miles.
There are three instances where it could make sense to purchase airline miles.
Occasionally, some loyalty programs will run promotions or sales for buying miles. Depending on the loyalty program, you could find miles selling at a price closer to what they’re worth when redeemed.
It might make sense to buy miles using Avianca LifeMiles, for example, as this program is known for offering frequent sales.
It could be worth buying extra miles if you’re just short the few miles needed for a redemption. Of course, you will won’t get a great value for those last few miles, but your eventual redemption of accrued miles could make the trade-off worth it.
Many loyalty programs require you to earn or spend miles within a certain time period in order to keep your account open and avoid forfeiting your accrued miles.
Consider purchasing miles if you have a cache of miles on a loyalty program account you don’t use very often, and you don’t have an eligible credit card that can earn miles to that account. Buying miles will count toward mile accrual requirements and keep your account open.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re purchasing miles:
Provided it’s part of a larger strategy, buying airline miles can help you inch toward your next big redemption. Just make sure it’s not your primary method of earning miles — the cost of purchasing miles will far outweigh your ultimate redemption value.
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