Purchase bonus points and miles with these September deals

Loyalty programs generate significant revenue for airlines and hotel chains by creating multiple income sources, one of which involves selling airline miles and hotel points directly to customers.

By selling points and miles, programs can quickly boost their cash flow as travelers pay in advance for future trips. However, travelers should consider buying points and miles primarily when discounts or bonus promotions are available.

This overview highlights the best current sales on airline miles and hotel points, including some offers that may be tailored to specific travelers. Before diving in, let’s explore when it’s beneficial to buy points and miles.

Is purchasing points and miles a good idea?

Before diving into points and miles sales, there are a few factors to consider.

Buying points and miles is typically beneficial for specific travelers and at particular times. Generally, it’s more advantageous to earn points and miles for "free" through welcome bonuses linked to travel rewards credit cards.

That said, taking advantage of points and miles sales can be worthwhile for those who have exhausted their credit card options and can derive significant value from their rewards. It can also be a smart move when additional points are needed to secure a particular redemption.

We typically advise purchasing points or miles only if you have a specific use in mind. In such cases, buying points and miles can save you a significant amount of money. Otherwise, you risk facing unexpected devaluations.

With that said, here are the latest promotions for purchasing points and miles.

Current promotions for buying airline miles

American Airlines AAdvantage

• Current promotion: Discounts ranging from 10% to 35%
• Purchase rate: Starting at 2.45 cents per mile
• TPG September 2024 valuation: 1.6 cents per mile
• End date: Unknown
• Purchase AAdvantage miles

American Airlines AAdvantage is offering discounts of up to 35% on miles, depending on your purchase amount. A minimum of 6,000 miles is required to qualify for a 10% discount, with larger purchases yielding greater discounts. The highest 35% discount applies when buying 150,000 miles, reducing the cost to 2.45 cents per mile. While this is considerably higher than TPG's current valuation of American miles, purchasing American miles for specific premium rewards may still be a wise choice.

Air Canada Aeroplan

• Current promotion: Up to 85% bonus points available
• Purchase rate: Starting at 1.4 cents per point
• TPG September 2024 valuation: 1.5 cents per point
• End date: October 10
• Purchase Aeroplan points

Air Canada Aeroplan is currently providing bonus points of 50%, 60%, or 85%, depending on the number of points purchased. A minimum of 4,000 points must be bought to receive the 50% bonus, resulting in a rate of 1.7 cents per point. If you buy 25,000 points or more, you’ll receive the maximum 85% bonus, reducing the price to 1.4 cents each, which is slightly below TPG's September 2024 valuation of 1.5 cents.

While this may not be the best offer we've encountered, it could be beneficial to top up your Aeroplan account if you have a specific redemption in mind. Options like booking a business-class flight, utilizing a stopover for 5,000 points, or securing a round-trip economy ticket within North America are great ways to maximize your Aeroplan points.

JetBlue TrueBlue

• Current promotion: Up to 125% bonus points (targeted)
• Purchase rate: 1.33 cents per point
• TPG September 2024 valuation: 1.3 cents per point
• End date: September 15
• Purchase TrueBlue points

JetBlue TrueBlue is currently offering a bonus of up to 125% for purchases of at least 3,000 points. Although this offer is reportedly targeted, it appears that most TrueBlue members are receiving the same bonus. This promotion reduces the cost per point to a flat 1.33 cents, which aligns closely with TPG's September valuation of 1.3 cents each. Given that TrueBlue points usually cost around 3 cents each when bought directly from the airline, this is a great deal. If you're planning a JetBlue redemption and need a few more points, this could be an excellent option.

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards

• Current promotion: Save up to 50% (targeted)
• Purchase rate: Starting at 1.5 cents per point
• TPG September 2024 valuation: 1.4 cents per point
• End date: September 25
• Purchase Rapid Rewards points

Southwest Rapid Rewards members should check their accounts for a potential "mystery offer" to purchase points at a discount. Discounts of 40% are available for buying 3,000 points or more, and 50% off when purchasing at least 5,000 points. The 50% discount lowers the price to 1.5 cents per point, which isn't exceptional since TPG currently values Rapid Rewards points at 1.4 cents each as of September 2024.

However, if you need extra points for an upcoming redemption, this is a great opportunity to acquire them at a significantly reduced price. Additionally, Southwest now offers a Cash + Points redemption option, allowing you to pay for part of your flight with Rapid Rewards points and the remainder with cash.

United Airlines MileagePlus

• Current promotion: Up to 100% bonus miles (targeted)
• Purchase rate: Starting at 1.75 cents per mile
• TPG September 2024 valuation: 1.35 cents per mile
• End date: September 20
• Purchase MileagePlus miles

United Airlines MileagePlus is offering a personalized promotion for each member. For instance, I have a 30% bonus for purchasing at least 5,000 miles, a 65% bonus for 20,000 miles, and a full 100% bonus for 40,000 miles. Your offer might differ. If you qualify for the 100% bonus, the cost would drop to 1.75 cents per mile, which is significantly higher than TPG's September 2024 valuation of 1.35 cents for United miles. Consequently, unless you have a specific redemption planned and need to boost your balance, we advise against buying additional miles.

Promotions for purchasing hotel points

Choice Privileges

• Current promotion: Up to 30% bonus points (targeted)
• Purchase rate: Starting at 0.8 cents per point
• TPG September 2024 valuation: 0.6 cents per point
• End date: September 24
• Purchase Choice Privileges points

Choice's "September flash sale" for points seems to be personalized, potentially differing from one member to another. My specific offer includes a 20% bonus for purchasing between 6,000 and 11,000 points, or a 30% bonus if I buy 12,000 or more. If I opt for enough points to qualify for the 30% bonus, they would cost me 0.8 cents each. Given that TPG's September 2024 valuations value Choice points at 0.6 cents, it may not be worthwhile to purchase unless you're in urgent need of a few extra for an upcoming redemption. While my targeted offer is somewhat lackluster, yours might be more appealing.

Hilton Honors

• Current promotion: Up to 100% bonus points (targeted)
• Purchase rate: As low as 0.5 cents per point
• TPG September 2024 valuation: 0.6 cents per point
• End date: September 24
• Purchase Hilton Honors points

Hilton's current promotion for buying points is also targeted. The best offer we’ve seen provides a 100% bonus on points purchased, effectively doubling the points for the same cost. Typically, you need to buy at least 5,000 points to qualify for this bonus. The maximum 100% bonus reduces the cost to just 0.5 cents per point, making it a fantastic deal, especially since TPG values Hilton points at 0.6 cents each based on our September 2024 evaluations.

If you're looking to accumulate Hilton points or have a dream tropical Hilton getaway in mind, now is the perfect time to make a purchase. Additionally, you can now book nearly 400 Small Luxury Hotels of the World properties using Hilton Honors points.

Marriott Bonvoy

• Current promotion: Up to a 45% bonus (targeted)
• Purchase rate: As low as 0.86 cents per point
• TPG September 2024 valuation: 0.85 cents per point
• End date: September 23
• Purchase Marriott Bonvoy points

Marriott Bonvoy is running a targeted promotion for individual members. For instance, I can receive a 45% bonus when I buy 2,000 points or more. If you're eligible for this bonus, you'll only pay about 0.86 cents per Bonvoy point, which is nearly aligned with TPG's September 2024 valuation of 0.85 cents. This could be a great opportunity if you're considering booking one of the top Marriott all-inclusive resorts or Homes & Villas vacation rentals using points.

World of Hyatt

• Current promotion: A 20% discount
• Purchase rate: 1.9 cents per point
• TPG September 2024 valuation: 1.7 cents per point
• End date: October 8
• Purchase World of Hyatt points

World of Hyatt, known for being one of the most award-friendly hotel programs, is offering a 20% discount on point purchases, bringing the price down to 1.9 cents per point. While this may appear to be a good deal compared to the usual 2.4 cents charged by the hotel, it's still on the higher side relative to TPG's September 2024 valuation of 1.7 cents per Hyatt point. Therefore, we advise against purchasing points now unless you urgently need to boost your balance for an upcoming redemption.

Which credit card should you use to buy points and miles?

Many of these promotions are processed via Points.com instead of directly through the hotel or airline, which means you won’t earn bonus rewards with most travel rewards cards. It's best to use an everyday spending card that provides a good return on non-bonus spending.

The main exception to this is American Airlines. This airline is said to code mileage purchases as airfare, so you might want to utilize a credit card that earns bonus miles on airfare for maximum rewards when buying AAdvantage miles.

Alternatively, if you're aiming to meet a minimum spending requirement for a welcome bonus on a new card, using that card could be beneficial.

Be aware that some cards may charge foreign transaction fees when purchasing points or miles from international programs, so consider using one of the following cards:

• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 2 miles for every dollar spent on all purchases with no foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees)
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 2 miles for every dollar spent on all purchases with no foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees)

In summary

Purchasing points and miles isn't always advisable, but it can be beneficial in certain scenarios, particularly if you can leverage a current promotion. Generally, it's wise to have a specific redemption planned before deciding to pay for points and miles.