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 many loyalty programs offer promotions when buying points, with several offers expiring soon. In this post I wanted to provide a recap of that, since it can be tough to keep track of the various deals out there. Many of these are among the best-ever deals we’ve seen from programs, which is fitting when you consider the circumstances.
Here are 10 of the best deals on buying points right now, in order of promotion expiration dates:
- Through April 16, 2021, Avianca LifeMiles is offering up to a 170% bonus on purchased miles / buy miles for 1.22 cents each / more info here
- Through April 27, 2021, Choice Privileges is offering up to a 40% bonus on purchased points / buy points for as little as 0.71 cents each / more info here
- Through April 27, 2021, JetBlue TrueBlue is offering up to a 70% bonus on purchased points / buy points for as little as 1.74 cents each / more info here
- Through April 30, 2021, World of Hyatt is offering up to a 25% discount on purchased points / buy points for as little as 1.8 cents each / more info here
- Through April 30, 2021, United MileagePlus is offering up to an 85% bonus on purchased miles / buy miles for as little as 2.03 cents each / more info here
- Through April 30, 2021, American AAdvantage is offering up to a 40% discount on purchased miles / buy miles for as little as 1.94 cents each / more info here
- Through April 30, 2021, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is offering up to a 50% bonus on purchased points / buy points for as little as 1.8 cents each / more info here
- Through May 3, 2021, IHG Rewards Club is offering up to a 75% bonus on purchased points / buy points for as little as 0.57 cents each / more info here
- Through May 11, 2021, 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 22, 2021, Alaska Mileage Plan is offering up to a 60% bonus on purchased miles / buy miles for as little as 1.85 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.
Of the above offers, I tend to think the best offers are those from Alaska Mileage Plan, Avianca LifeMiles, Choice Privileges, Hilton Honors, and World of Hyatt.
American AAdvantage and Avianca LifeMiles mileage purchases are processed directly. That means those purchases should qualify as airfare, and 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 |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® | 3x Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent |
| American Express® Gold Card | 3x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent |
| American Express® Green Card | 3x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | 2x Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent |
Other points purchases should be 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 spending, or otherwise a credit card that maximizes your return on everyday spending, like the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (review) or Citi® Double Cash Card (review).
However, keep in mind those two cards have foreign transaction fees, so you wouldn’t want to use them for any points purchases in foreign currencies. For purchases from foreign programs, use a card with no foreign transaction fees.
Are you taking advantage of any of the opportunities to buy points at the moment?
Avianca link expired.
@ Aleks — Whoops, my mistake, fixed!
Awesome thank you very much!
Why? Sounds hypocritical. First you promote that credit card points are more flexible and devalue less often then you promote buying airline and hotel points which have devalued quite a bit in recent times with little to no notice. And many people probably have points left over from last year, if they bought then.
Have you used the Bakkt App for trading points?
Beware of the Avianca offer. I thoroughly checked the Avianca Life Miles site after joining for available flights through Star Alliance carriers. I found an itinerary that worked, so I bought the miles through this 170% offer. Once the miles were purchased, then the booking would not go through—there was an additional fee of $100 and the website doesn’t provide a way to pay it; no itinerary goes through since they all have small fees attached, and no way to pay them. I emailed Avianca, used their WhatsApp (they said they don’t deal with Life Miles), and I am on my third hour on hold. No tickets, and they now have a few thousands of my dollars. Deeply concerned at this point. Think twice.
Booking is not going through on Avianca’s Life Miles site, and their WhatsApp doesnt handle miles. We’ve emailed and have not yet gotten a response, and we have been on hold for 3 hours and 40 minutes for customer service.