Can I Use Airline Miles to Buy a Ticket for Someone Else? Rules by Airline for 2026

By Joseph Hellman-Benjamin, Founder and CEO of The Points King. Last updated: October 11, 2026. Editorial Policy

Can I use airline miles to buy a ticket for someone else? Yes. American, Delta, United, Southwest, Atmos Rewards (Alaska and Hawaiian) and JetBlue all let you book an award ticket in another person’s name. The traveler does not have to be a relative, you do not register them in advance, and you do not have to fly with them. Two limits apply everywhere: the name cannot be changed once the ticket is issued, and you may not take payment for it. Several foreign programs are stricter and only allow family or a short registered list.

I am Joseph Hellman-Benjamin, and I have run The Points King since 2017. We buy miles and points, so I should be plain about where the line sits. A ticket you give to a friend is allowed. A ticket booked in return for money is what the airline rules below prohibit, and that is the rule a sale of miles runs into. There are no affiliate links on this site.

Contents hide
1 US Airlines: Booking an Award Ticket for Someone Else
2 What Changed in 2026
3 Foreign Programs That Limit Who Can Fly on Your Miles
4 How to Book the Ticket
5 Who Controls the Ticket Afterward
6 Booking for a Child Flying Alone
7 Book, Transfer or Pool: Which Is Best?
8 A Gift Is Allowed. A Sale Is Not.
9 Frequently Asked Questions
9.1 Can I use my miles to book a flight for a friend who is not family?
9.2 Do I have to be on the same flight?
9.3 Can I change the name on an award ticket later?
9.4 Who gets the miles back if the trip is cancelled?
9.5 Can someone pay me for booking them a ticket with my miles?
9.6 Is an award ticket I give away a taxable gift?
9.7 Does the person flying get my free checked bag or upgrade?
10 Sources
11 Update Log

US Airlines: Booking an Award Ticket for Someone Else

Program Book for anyone? Changes and cancellations Worth knowing
American AAdvantage Yes. You name the traveler when the ticket is issued. Free to cancel before departure; miles go back The name cannot be chosen or changed later
Delta SkyMiles Yes No change or redeposit fee on trips starting in the US or Canada; Basic awards carry a penalty in miles Children and infants in a seat cost the same miles as adults
United MileagePlus Yes No change or cancel fee; $125 to get miles back after a no-show Miles in a free family pool can be used for anyone, in the pool or not
Southwest Rapid Rewards Yes No fees Only the member can change the booking; the traveler cannot
Atmos Rewards (Alaska, Hawaiian) Yes Free, but Saver awards cannot be changed Partner awards carry a $20 fee per person each way
JetBlue TrueBlue Yes $150 to change or cancel a Base award Free pooling for up to seven people

Sources: American and Delta program terms, Southwest terms, and AwardWallet on booking for other people (July 7, 2026) and on award change fees (October 4, 2026). United’s rules page would not load when this was checked, so the United row rests on AwardWallet and Upgraded Points.

What Changed in 2026

  • March 1, 2026: American’s updated terms took effect. They keep the rule that an award can be issued in any name you give at ticketing, alongside a broad ban on selling and bartering.
  • June 2026: United made pooled miles usable on more than 40 partner airlines, Upgraded Points reported.
  • July 1, 2026: Atmos Rewards raised its partner award fee from $12.50 to $20 per person each way, and on July 2 its phone booking fee from $15 to $30, per NerdWallet.
  • July 2026: Qatar Airways Privilege Club began limiting awards for other people to saved lists, One Mile at a Time reported.
  • August 2026: Singapore Airlines added to its FAQ that a newly added nominee can only be booked on flights leaving more than 72 hours later, per Mainly Miles.
  • December 17, 2026: Asiana is due to merge into Korean Air, and Asiana Club miles will convert to SKYPASS, Prince of Travel reported.

Foreign Programs That Limit Who Can Fly on Your Miles

This is where people get caught. If your miles are in one of these programs, check the rule before you promise anyone a ticket.

Program Who can receive an award Registration and cost
Singapore KrisFlyer Up to five nominees; anyone can be one Free to add; locked for six months; US$30 or 3,000 miles to remove online for base members; new nominees wait 72 hours
ANA Mileage Club Spouse or partner and relatives within two degrees Must be registered in advance; up to 10 people; 5,000 miles per change
Japan Airlines Mileage Bank Family within the second degree of kinship Proof can be requested
Korean Air SKYPASS Registered family members only Documents proving the relationship
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Up to five Redemption Group nominees First five free; US$50 per change online
Qantas Frequent Flyer Eligible family members only No list; Qantas can ask for proof
Qatar Airways Privilege Club Up to four members on My List and six non-members on Family and Friends Account must be 30 days old with one qualifying activity; Gold and Platinum exempt
Air China PhoenixMiles Up to ten registered assignees 30 day wait after the list changes
British Airways Club Anyone, unless you have a Household Account With a Household Account: household members plus up to five on a Family and Friends list

Sources: Mainly Miles for Singapore, ANA, AwardWallet for Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Cathay Pacific, the Qantas Frequent Flyer terms effective June 9, 2026, One Mile at a Time for Qatar, Air China and British Airways. I go through the Air China rules in my Air China PhoenixMiles guide, and the Singapore nominee system comes up in using SIA miles on Turkish Airlines.

Programs with no limit on who you book for, per AwardWallet: Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, Emirates Skywards and Etihad Guest. Lufthansa Miles & More allows awards for relatives and acquaintances, booked by the member personally.

How to Book the Ticket

  1. Log in to your own loyalty account and search for an award flight as usual.
  2. At the passenger step, enter the traveler’s details in place of yours: the name exactly as it appears on their ID or passport, date of birth and gender. Add their Known Traveler Number if they have one.
  3. Pay the taxes and fees with your card. From a US airport the security fee is $5.60 per one-way trip, per the TSA. International awards carry more, and some programs add carrier surcharges.
  4. Send the traveler the confirmation code. They check in and fly like any other passenger.

Check the spelling twice. American and Delta both state that an issued award ticket cannot be moved to another name. A wrong name means cancelling and booking again at whatever the price is that day.

Who Controls the Ticket Afterward

  • The miles are yours, so the booking is yours. Southwest says only the member can change the trip; the traveler has to ask you. Plan on making any change yourself in every program.
  • Cancelled miles come back to you. Delta redeposits miles to the member’s account, and Southwest returns points to the account that paid.
  • The traveler earns nothing. Award tickets do not earn redeemable miles. Southwest and JetBlue say so in their terms.
  • Your elite perks stay home with you. Free bags and upgrades for companions apply when the elite member is on the same reservation, per The Points Guy. The traveler can add their own loyalty number to use their own status.

Booking for a Child Flying Alone

You can book a child on your miles, but the unaccompanied minor fee is paid in cash on top. AwardWallet listed these in August 2026:

Airline Fee How to book with miles
American $150 each way Phone only
Delta $150 each way, covers up to four children Phone only
United $150, covers up to two children On the website, not the app
Southwest $100 each way, ages 5 to 11 Online or by phone
JetBlue $150 each way, ages 5 to 14 Online
Alaska $50 nonstop, $75 with a connection Online

Book, Transfer or Pool: Which Is Best?

Booking the ticket from your own account is free. Moving the miles into the other person’s account is not:

Program Cost to transfer miles to another member Free pooling
American $5 per 1,000 miles No
Delta $10 per 1,000 miles plus $30 per transaction No
United $15 per 1,000 miles plus $30 per transaction Yes, up to five members
Southwest $10 per 1,000 points No
Atmos Rewards $10 per 1,000 points; free for holders of certain Atmos and Hawaiian cards No
JetBlue Pooling is the free route Yes, up to seven people

Sources: AwardWallet for American, Delta, AwardWallet for United, Thrifty Traveler for Southwest (December 2025), Alaska and The Points Guy for pooling. Book directly unless the other person needs the miles in their own account, for example to top up for a trip they are booking themselves. More on spending miles well in my five rules for using airline miles.

A Gift Is Allowed. A Sale Is Not.

Every program I could read draws the same line. You may name anyone as the traveler. You may not sell or barter the ticket or the miles.

  • American lets you issue an award in any name, subject to its rule against selling and bartering. Its definition of barter covers handing over a ticket in exchange for payment. A ticket obtained that way can be cancelled or the traveler refused boarding, and the member can lose the account and owe the fare.
  • Delta voids tickets from a sale, makes the holder buy a new one at the going fare, and can bill the member the fair market value.
  • Southwest voids points and rewards that are sold or brokered, can close the account even if the deal was not completed, and can seek damages and legal fees.

So booking a flight for your mother, with nothing in return, is within the rules. If a friend pays you for the miles, that is a sale under the same terms, however informal it feels. This is also the rule a mileage broker’s business runs into, mine included: when you sell miles, the tickets issued from them are for people you do not know. The risks of selling miles and points page explains what a program can do, this review of airline program rules has the wording for more airlines, and how to turn airline miles into cash compares a sale with the official options. If you still want a quote, the form is on the sell airline miles page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use my miles to book a flight for a friend who is not family?

Yes, in the six big US programs. None of them asks for a family relationship. In ANA, Japan Airlines, Korean Air and Qantas, awards are limited to family.

Do I have to be on the same flight?

No. The US programs let you book for someone else whether or not you travel.

Can I change the name on an award ticket later?

No. American and Delta both state that an issued award cannot be moved to another name. You cancel it and book a new one.

Who gets the miles back if the trip is cancelled?

You do. Miles return to the account that paid for the ticket. Refundable taxes go back to the card that paid them.

Can someone pay me for booking them a ticket with my miles?

Not under the program terms. American, Delta and Southwest all prohibit selling or bartering award tickets, and they can cancel the ticket and close the account.

Is an award ticket I give away a taxable gift?

The IRS treats a transfer with nothing received in return as a gift, and its annual exclusion is $19,000 per recipient for 2026. I know of no IRS guidance specific to award tickets. Ask a tax professional if the amounts are large.

Does the person flying get my free checked bag or upgrade?

Generally not, unless you are on the same reservation. They can add their own frequent flyer number and use their own status.

Sources

Update Log

  • October 11, 2026: Rewritten in the first person by Joseph Hellman-Benjamin. Cut from about 6,500 words to the rules that matter: who you can book for in each US program, the foreign programs that restrict it, 2026 changes, fees, transfers and pooling, and the line between a gift and a sale, with dated sources.
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