I recently wrote about the rules surrounding selling airline miles. Generally speaking, it violates the terms of airline frequent flyer programs to buy & sell miles, but it’s not illegal.
Continue reading: Is It Safe To Buy Airline Miles From Brokers? Not Really, But…
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
I am curious regarding the purpose of all these enticing pictures in the article 🙂
The disconnect we often see between the pictures posted and the text accompanying each picture can be hilarious sometimes.
Interesting. Thanks for this! I have always wondered how this works. Several friends have shared too-good-to-be-true deals with me, which I suggested they pass on. Figured it had to be something like this.
Normally your posts get like 40 replies in 5 minutes. These two regarding buying/selling/brokering miles have got 4 and 6 after many hours. I don't think that's a reflection on your writing skills, but rather, it demonstrates that people are sick to death of how corporations treat humans. Corporations can continue to be as cutthroat and anti consumer as possible while we can or wont do anything to stop them. The reason people are silent here is because it's becoming a bigger and bigger problem. It doesn't matter that there are 2 or 3 choices in each industry, because they are all owned by the same insitutional investors and all of them have silently coluded to let service standards drop to amost comical (but more tear-inducing) levels. At this point it seems unstoppable and everyone is in quiet denial that this is our new reality. I think your blog is one of the last places someone can express a view like the one I just expressed without being censored, and tbh I wonder how long the powers that be will let such a popular and frequented blog be as free to comment as we are here. I don't think you know how much power you yield just by being one of the last holdouts of industry buy-out. I love you for that.
"I know you warned me not to use mileage brokers but we did it anyway and now we're in big trouble with the airline" is a conversation we have far too often with AwardCat clients.
When airlines find out (not if, but when) here are some of the things they do to you:
- Intentionally strand you in a connecting city, far from home
- Close your frequent flier account with the airline
- Confiscate all of your miles with the airline
- Notify card issuers of any affiliated credit cards that you have violated the terms and conditions of their program, which can result in your credit card accounts being shut down
- You can sometimes even be banned from flying with the airline
Why do airlines react this way? Here's a reason that Ben didn't touch on: Airlines *sell miles for cash* and they do not want competition from other businesses for their own product. Mess with airline revenues, and they're going to mess with you.
So, here's the key takeaway: You can buy miles safely, without involving brokers at all. Just buy miles directly from the airline! Often you can buy them on sale for less than mileage brokers sell them for (there were two recent opportunities to buy Alaska Airlines miles well below market by taking advantage of a Hawaiian Airlines points sale). We have assisted many clients in purchasing points directly from airlines, and then booking excellent, high-value itineraries with these miles. If you do this, you'll be totally in the clear.
The activities of mileage brokers harm legitimate consumers who are vying to redeem their own miles, so I'm not sure cracking down on them is an example of evil, anti-consumer corporate behavior. Furthermore, the idea that some nameless, faceless corporate entity is trying to censor your beliefs in this comment section is such a needless self-victimization.
I think the stuff you're doing is too strong for you and makes you delusional.
An Indonesian content creator got jailed in Singapore for buying stolen miles/accounts from a broker and using them.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/man-krisflyer-compromised-accounts-bought-food-jail-5280226
I find it so amazing when people make complaints like this - as if they’re not familiar with corporate history at all. Have you gotten a visit from the Pinkertons and some shotgun toting thugs recently as was common for decades in American history?
The idea that insitutional investors control corporations is patently ridiculous. Theyre index funds and there are more activist funds than ever that invest alongside them. Elliott mgmt is even going after airlines today.
There is a travel advisor that I follow that brags they work with a company that sells discounted business class tickets. She uses them for her personal flights (once to Bali for 2 people and then once to Australia for 8 people after Christmas) and her clients have access as well. This can only be a mileage broker, right? How else could a company offer discounted tickets?
Who exactly are these brokers. Are they a company or person. While I would never buy miles from anyone other than the airline directly it would help to know the exact details of these so called brokers? Apart from what they do the article does not specify who they are?
The big issue now is they have AIs scanning for award tickets and then they sell them. They do a quick name change and they are done and the ordinary people trying to use their miles have no chance!