Your Guide to Buying Airline Miles
By: Mileage Geek
Categories: Air Miles, Airline Miles
If you are interested in buying air miles, but you are new to travel, then you may be wondering how to accrue, buy and use them to your advantage. The fact is there are many benefits to buying miles, and this guide will help you through the process.
Obtaining Air Miles
Today I’ll show you how you can buy miles online on your Favorite Airlines in 3 easy steps.
Normally the typical way you earn miles is by frequent flying, or by spending a lot of cash on your credit card. But let’s be real, it would take you many, many trips or a lot of spending on your credit card to accrue enough points for a single trip.
Well, I am here to tell you, no more waiting to earn miles, no taking trips to rack up miles, and no more shopping on your credit card to earn points.
As one of the best kept secrets in air travel, you can buy miles to get tickets in the first and business class without breaking the bank. You get the best bang for your buck when you use these miles on long-haul flights between countries. Most people are not excited about flying in coach for 10 to 12 hours, so sitting in the better, premium cabins is a great way to travel.
Buying miles is a simple task. Some people go directly to the airlines to buy their miles,(way too expensive and limited to the number of miles you may purchase in a year) others use their credit cards to accrue them, and some have discovered that you can go to Mileage Brokerage Websites and buy as many miles as you need for as low as 1.6 -1.8 cents a mile and any number of times with no restrictions.
Compare the Cost of Using Miles Versus Paying in Cash
“International Travel: The Numbers Game”
International Travel is where it works best, the general consensus is that buying miles for Business and First Class tickets in the case of international travel will save you around 30-70 percent of the published Airline price.
A Business Class ticket to Europe requires 80,000 miles. The average cost of a mile is 0.016-.02cents. This amounts to $ 1600-$2000, Now compared to the published fare of Airlines and other travel sites. The average business class fare to Europe varies from $3400 – $5000. It is evident that in this scenario, buying miles is way cheaper.
Asia: A Business Class ticket from New York to Hong Kong costs anywhere between $8000-$10,000. Let’s apply the same calculation as before: The miles required are 145000 with an average cost of 0.02 cents a mile. This gives a cost of $2900-$3000. Again a massive difference.
Of course, keep in mind you still have to pay the airline taxes. So the long and short of it is that whether you are contemplating buying miles for a Domestic ticket or International ticket, be it for coach , business or first class, check for fares online on sites like Kayak, Expedia among others and then compare the fares with the cost of the miles you wish to purchase. If the ticket price is cheaper online, buy that. If buying miles is cheaper then go with this option. It’s straightforward.
Are Air Miles Right for You?
It is important to note that air miles may not be the best fit for everyone. If you only take one trip per year across state lines, then you are probably better off just buying a ticket. However, if you travel more often and you want to sit in the premium cabins without breaking the bank, then purchasing air miles is a must.