By Joseph Hellman-Benjamin, Founder and CEO of The Points King. Last updated: October 12, 2026. Editorial Policy
How do you buy airline miles from someone? There are three routes. You can buy from the airline itself, which usually costs about 3.5 cents a mile at list price and closer to 1.5 to 2.5 cents in a sale. A relative or friend can transfer miles to you through the airline for a fee, or simply book the award ticket in your name for free. Or you can buy from a private person or a broker, which every major US airline’s rules forbid. The first two carry no rule risk. The third can cost you the miles and the ticket.
I am Joseph Hellman-Benjamin, and I have run The Points King since 2017. We sell miles for several programs, so I am an interested party on this exact question. That is why the airline’s own options and the rules come first on this page. There are no affiliate links on this site.
Buying Miles From the Airline: 2026 Prices
| Airline | List price per mile | Recent sale price | Yearly limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| American AAdvantage | 3.5 cents before tax | About 1.9 to 2.3 cents (50% and 40% off, July 2026) | 300,000 miles |
| United MileagePlus | 3.5 cents plus 7.5% tax | About 1.9 cents (targeted 100% bonus, September 2026) | 200,000 miles |
| Alaska Atmos Rewards | 3.5 cents | About 1.9 cents (targeted bonus, October 2 to 19, 2026) | 150,000 for non-elites |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | 3 cents | About 1.5 cents (targeted 50% off, through October 29, 2026) | No annual cap; 60,000 a day |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | About 3.2 cents | About 1.5 cents (120% bonus, ended October 1, 2026) | 200,000 points before bonus |
| Delta SkyMiles | 3.5 cents | About 2.5 cents (50% bonus sale, ended September 30, 2026) | 60,000 miles |
Sources: One Mile at a Time on American, on United, on Alaska and on JetBlue; AwardWallet on Southwest; Delta and Upgraded Points. Several airlines sell through Points.com, so the charge does not count as airfare on your credit card. Purchased miles never count toward elite status.
Cents per mile before tax; United’s list price carries 7.5% tax on top. American’s sale range of 1.9 to 2.3 is plotted at its midpoint. Sales are often targeted and time-limited, and yearly limits apply.
Is Buying Miles Worth It?
Only for a specific award you have already found. Even sale prices of 1.5 to 2.5 cents a mile sit above what the miles are usually worth: NerdWallet puts American at 1.7 cents, Alaska, JetBlue and Southwest at 1.4, and Delta and United at 1.2 (NerdWallet, October 2026). So buying miles to hold loses money. Buying the last 10,000 miles to complete a business class seat worth several thousand dollars can save a lot.
The test: take the cash price of the ticket, subtract the award’s taxes and fees, and divide by the miles. If each mile is worth more than you would pay for it, buying makes sense. Our buy miles vs. cash calculator does the math, and is it worth buying airline miles works through six examples.
Getting Miles From Family or Friends, Within the Rules
If someone you know has miles, they can move them to you through the airline, for a fee. Or they can do what costs nothing: book the award ticket in your name from their own account. Every airline allows that, as long as no money changes hands.
| Airline | Transfer to another member | Free sharing or pooling |
|---|---|---|
| American | $5 per 1,000 miles, up to 200,000 a year | None |
| United | $7.50 per 500 miles plus $30 a transaction | Pooling for up to 5 members, who need not be related |
| Delta | 1 cent a mile plus $30 a transaction | None |
| Southwest | About $5 per 500 points | None |
| JetBlue | Not the usual route | Points Pooling for up to 7 members, free |
| Alaska Atmos | Fee applies | Free sharing for Atmos Summit cardholders, up to 10 accounts |
From Thrifty Traveler, The Points Guy, AwardWallet and Delta’s own page. A 30,000-mile transfer costs $150 at American and $330 at Delta, so having the other person book the ticket for you is often the better deal. See using miles to buy a ticket for someone else.
Buying From a Stranger or a Broker: What the Rules Say
This is where the risk sits, and it sits with whoever’s account and ticket are involved:
- American: members “may not, at any time, purchase, transfer, sell, advertise for sale, or barter” miles, and a passenger who uses a purchased award ticket can be liable for damages (AAdvantage terms).
- Southwest: “At no time may a Member sell, purchase, redeem, broker, or barter their points,” and such points and tickets are void (Rapid Rewards terms).
- Delta and United prohibit the sale or barter of miles and award tickets and can cancel tickets and close accounts, as The Points Guy summarizes.
Enforcement happens. Alaska once cancelled nine business class tickets booked from a new account that had just bought 225,000 miles (One Mile at a Time). In June 2026 Air France cancelled a family’s Flying Blue tickets, citing “miles resale,” even though the report found no sale had happened (Aviation A2Z). Programs act on patterns, and the traveler pays for a new ticket.
There is also plain fraud. Someone on a forum or classified site can take your money and transfer nothing. Get the price in writing, pay with a method that has buyer protection, and deal only with a business you can identify. None of that removes the airline’s rule.
How to Decide
- You have a specific award in view and are a little short: buy from the airline, ideally during a sale.
- You hold Amex, Chase, Citi, Capital One or Bilt points: transfer them to a partner airline instead of buying anything. See Chase transfer partners.
- A relative has miles: ask them to book the ticket in your name.
- You are considering a broker, us included: compare the written price with the airline’s own price and read the risks first.
The Points King sells miles for programs including Delta, Southwest, JetBlue and Lufthansa. Each page states what that airline’s rules say before you ask for a price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you legally buy miles from someone?
I am not a lawyer. Buying miles from a private person or broker breaks every major US airline’s program rules, which let the airline void the miles and the tickets. Buying from the airline, or receiving a paid transfer through the airline, is within the rules.
What is the cheapest way to get airline miles?
Transferring credit card points you already have, or having a friend or relative book the award for you. After that, an airline’s own bonus sale, which in 2026 has brought prices to about 1.5 to 2 cents a mile.
Do bought miles count toward elite status?
No. Purchased miles are for awards only.
How much does it cost to transfer miles to someone else?
It varies: American charges $5 per 1,000 miles, Delta 1 cent a mile plus $30, and United $7.50 per 500 miles plus $30. JetBlue and United also offer free pooling.
Is it worth buying miles for an economy ticket?
Rarely. Cheap economy fares usually cost less in cash than the miles would cost to buy.
From the 2026 price table on this page. Alaska’s 150,000 is for non-elite members, JetBlue’s 200,000 is before bonus, and Southwest has no annual cap but sells at most 60,000 points a day. Purchased miles never count toward elite status.
Sources
- Delta: buy, gift, transfer and donate miles, read October 12, 2026
- One Mile at a Time: buying American miles, updated July 31, 2026
- One Mile at a Time: United buy miles promotion, September 10, 2026
- One Mile at a Time: buying Alaska miles, October 2, 2026
- AwardWallet: Southwest buy points promotion, October 7, 2026
- One Mile at a Time: buying JetBlue points, August 20, 2026
- Upgraded Points: Delta buy miles sale, updated October 1, 2026
- NerdWallet: how points and miles values changed in 2026, October 1, 2026
- Thrifty Traveler: transferring miles to someone else, 2025
- The Points Guy: airlines that allow pooling, June 26, 2026
- American: AAdvantage terms, updated January 13, 2026
- Southwest: Rapid Rewards terms, read October 12, 2026
- The Points Guy: what can get you banned by an airline, October 1, 2025
- One Mile at a Time: Alaska cancels award tickets, 2019, updated 2021
- Aviation A2Z: Air France cancels Flying Blue tickets, June 16, 2026