We frequently see loyalty programs sell points at a discount, and for many this is an opportunity to buy points at a cost that makes sense, especially for aspirational redemptions.
At the moment we’re seeing several loyalty programs offering great deals on purchased points, most of which I’ve written about in the past several weeks. In this post I wanted to provide a consolidated rundown of the best deals currently available for buying points.
In order of promotion expiration dates:
- Through April 24, 2019, Iberia Plus is offering up to a 50% bonus on purchased points / buy Avios for as little as 1.35 cents each / more info here
- Through April 30, 2019, American AAdvantage is offering up to a 67% bonus on purchased miles / buy miles for as little as 1.92 cents each / more info here
- Through May 19, 2019, Alaska Mileage Plan is offering up to a 50% bonus on purchased points / buy miles for as little as 1.97 cents each / more info here
- Through May 28, 2019, Hilton Honors is offering up to a 100% bonus on purchased points / buy points for as little as 0.5 cents each / more info here
- Through May 1, 2019, IHG Rewards Club is offering up to an 80% bonus on purchased points / buy points for as little as 0.56 cents each / more info here
- Through May 15, 2019, Marriott Bonvoy is offering up to a 25% discount on purchased points / buy points for as little as 0.9375 cents each / more info here
In each of the above cases I linked to a post that talks about when it does and doesn’t make sense to buy points from those programs, so check that out. Don’t necessarily assume that a 100% bonus in one program is a better deal than a 50% bonus in another program, since different programs have different value propositions to begin with.
With the exception of buying American AAdvantage miles and Iberia Plus Avios, all the other points purchases are facilitated by points.com. Those purchases don’t qualify as airfare or hotel purchases, which should impact the credit card you use.
For points.com purchases I’d recommend using a card on which you’re trying to reach minimum spend, or otherwise a credit card that maximizes your return on everyday spend, like the Chase Freedom Unlimited® or Citi® Double Cash Card.
In the case of American AAdvantage and Iberia Plus, points purchases are processed directly, so would qualify as airfare. Therefore I’d recommend using one of the following cards:
| Card | Points earned on airfare spend |
|---|---|
| The Platinum Card® from American Express | 5x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent |
| Citi Prestige Card | 5x ThankYou points per dollar spent |
| American Express® Gold Card | 3x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® | 3x Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | 2x Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent |
Are you taking advantage of any of the opportunities to buy points at the moment?
Hi Ben – can you include when you personally purchase points? I know everyone’s needs are different, but it would provide an interesting insight when a deal is good enough for you to act on it. And I’ve never seen you include that information in point sale/bonus posts.
How about a link to your original story for each of the 6 mileage sales, that would help in making an informed decision.
@ S Miller, Lucky does provide that with the “More Info Here” hyperlink? Not sure what you are missing.
I second @Daveryn – it would add another element to these points buying stories.
I’m not sure Ben really needs to buy points that often and unlike many of us probably collects hundreds of thousands in referrals. This isn’t really a stock guidance where he’ll say (I’d buy 50,000 here) – really depends on your situation. The only speculative buys I can think of in last 5 years are US Airways miles at 1-cent each, maybe SPG points at 2.3-cents (40%off). Iberia is prolly the best deal above – if you can maximize those miles.
First experience, buying point from Iberia is NOT directly from the airline. It is show up as processed by point.com. It will not be classified as travel and I wasted a few thousands points on this one.