The concept of buying airline miles and hotel points often raises eyebrows among casual travelers. After all, aren’t these rewards meant to be earned through flying, staying at hotels, or credit card spending? While that’s traditionally true, strategically purchasing points and miles can actually unlock tremendous value—especially for luxury travel experiences that would otherwise be financially out of reach.
This comprehensive guide will help you understand when buying points makes financial sense, when it’s best avoided, and how to maximize your return when you do decide to purchase.
At its core, buying points or miles can be worthwhile when the value you extract from them exceeds what you paid. This value arbitrage is most commonly found in premium travel experiences, such as business class flights and luxury hotel stays, where the cash prices are disproportionately high compared to the points required.
Consider these real-world examples that illustrate the potential savings:
The Waldorf Astoria Maldives regularly prices at $2,700+ per night after taxes and fees. However, a standard room costs 200,000 Hilton Honors points. During frequent promotions, Hilton sells points for as little as 0.5 cents each, meaning you could purchase enough points for a night at this ultra-luxury property for approximately $1,000—a savings of over 60% compared to the cash rate.
The value proposition improves further when you factor in Hilton’s fifth night free benefit on award stays, effectively reducing your per-night cost to 160,000 points for more extended stays.
A one-way Lufthansa first-class ticket from Frankfurt to Boston typically costs over $11,000. However, you could redeem just 90,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points for the same experience. During promotions, Aeroplan often sells points for around 1.3 cents each, meaning you could purchase the necessary points for approximately $1,170—representing a 90% discount off the retail price.
There are several specific scenarios where purchasing points or miles can be a wise financial decision:
The most compelling reason to buy points is that it allows you to book luxury travel experiences at a substantial discount compared to cash prices. This value proposition is typically strongest for:
The key is to calculate your “cents per point” value for the specific redemption you’re targeting and ensure it significantly exceeds what you’re paying to acquire those points.
Sometimes you’re just short of the points needed for a valuable redemption. In these cases, buying a small number of points to reach your goal can make perfect sense, especially if:
For example, if you have 180,000 Hilton points but need 200,000 for that Waldorf Astoria Maldives night, purchasing the additional 20,000 points is likely worthwhile.
Many loyalty programs have expiration policies for inactive accounts. While buying points isn’t always the most economical way to extend expiration, it can be the quickest and most convenient option when you’re short on time.
Before purchasing points solely to prevent expiration, check if there are cheaper alternatives like:
Despite the potential benefits, there are several situations where purchasing points is inadvisable:
One of the cardinal rules of buying points is to follow an “earn and burn” strategy. Points and miles are depreciating assets subject to devaluation without notice. Purchasing points speculatively—without a specific, immediate redemption in mind—exposes you to significant risk.
Ideally, you should confirm award availability before purchasing points and redeem them immediately after acquisition.
The value proposition for buying points typically doesn’t hold up for economy class travel, especially on competitive routes where cash fares are relatively affordable. In these cases, you’ll often find that purchasing the ticket outright is cheaper than buying the points needed for an award booking.
If you can earn the required points through normal means (credit card spending, actual travel, shopping portals, etc.) before you need to make your booking, there’s usually no reason to purchase points outright.
The standard pricing for purchasing points is rarely a good value. Wait for promotional periods when programs offer bonuses (like “buy 100,000 points, get 100,000 bonus points”) or discounts that significantly reduce the cost per point.
Not all loyalty programs offer equal value when it comes to purchasing points. Here are some of the most lucrative programs to consider:
To maximize value when purchasing points, consider these strategic approaches:
Loyalty programs regularly offer promotions on point purchases. These typically come in two forms:
The best promotions can reduce the cost per point by 40-50% or more compared to standard pricing. For programs you frequently use, track historical promotions to identify patterns and optimal purchase times.
Before purchasing points, calculate the exact value you’ll receive from your intended redemption:
Only proceed if there’s a significant discount (at least 20-30%) when using purchased points versus paying cash.
When buying points, use a credit card that maximizes your return:
Be aware that purchases from international programs may incur foreign transaction fees, so use a card that waives these fees, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
You might wonder why loyalty programs would sell points at rates that allow consumers to get luxury experiences at steep discounts. The answer lies in the complex economics of loyalty programs:
These economic realities create opportunities for savvy travelers to extract significant value through strategic point purchases.
Before diving into the world of buying points, keep these important caveats in mind:
Buying points and miles can be a powerful strategy for accessing premium travel experiences at significant discounts. When approached with careful research, specific redemption goals, and during promotional periods, purchased points can unlock tremendous value that would otherwise be financially out of reach.
The key is to be strategic and disciplined:
By following these principles, buying points can become a valuable tool in your travel strategy, allowing you to experience luxury travel at a fraction of the retail cost.
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