While it is great getting miles and points “for free” through credit card bonuses, any one that has been around this game long enough knows that is getting harder and harder to do! The more you sign-up for, the harder it gets to cash in on the big bonuses! That’s why it can (sometimes) make sense to buy miles and/or points and treat it as getting a better travel experience for the cost of economy.
9 Sales on Miles and Points Going On Right Now
So, here are 9 sales on miles and points going on right now. I will tell you right up top – not all of these sales are good! Also, I get a commission if you make a purchase on those points through my links so do keep that in mind! If you want to earn a little extra back yourself, start out at TopCashBack to see what percentage you can earn on your purchase.
Hyatt Points – Receive a 40% Bonus
This is one of the better sales for sure if you value stays at Hyatt properties. Read this post to see if such a purchase is right for you but I will say there are some situations where it can definitely make sense to buy points for award stays, especially if you value Hyatt points at over 2 cents each on such redemptions.
The Sale
- Link: Buy Hyatt Points
- Buy 5,000 – 55,000 points and receive a 40% bonus
- Works out to 1.71 cents per point
- Sale is good through August 27
Alaska Airlines – Up to a 50% Bonus
On the airline side, it doesn’t get much better than a sale on Alaska Airline miles! This is thanks to the incredible airline partnerships they have with airlines like Cathay Pacific that let you use miles for business class or first class around the world at very reasonable prices.
The Sale
- Link: Buy Alaska Miles
- Buy 10,000 – 19,000 miles = 20% bonus
- Buy 20,000 – 39,000 miles = 35% bonus
- Buy 40,000 – 60,000 miles = 50% bonus
- Different members may have different amounts – see your own account to find out for sure by clicking the link above
- Sale is good through August 30
Radisson Rewards – Up to 50% Bonus
Mark this under “a good sale if you need to top up for an award” type sale. I have purchased points in the past when there was a bonus transfer opportunity to Aeroplan because it made buying Aeroplan miles in this way cheaper. However, I never purchased points with them just to book a stay outright. Take note that they have increased the annual limit of purchased points to 120,000 points.
The Sale
- Link: Buy Radisson Reward Points
- Buy 3,000 – 10,000 = 10% bonus
- Buy 11,000 – 50,000 = 25% bonus
- Buy 51,000 – 120,000 = 50% bonus
- Sale is good through July 28
IHG – Up to 100% Bonus
IHG points can have a good value for things like PointBreaks or even hotels in some abnormally expensive areas. However, keep in mind that you can always buy IHG points for cheap as well by simply doing a Cash and Points booking and then cancelling the booking (you will receive the points back instead of the cash you used for that part of the reservation).
The Sale
- Link: Buy IHG Points
- Buy 5,000 – 100,000 = Receive a 100% Bonus
- Sale is good through August 23
United Airlines – Up to 40% Bonus
Mark this as a “if you need to top up” type of sale. I have only bought United miles a couple of times and that was just to top up for an award I had to book that day. Still, if you are in that boat, at least you can do it with a bit of a bonus. However, always remember that you can transfer Ultimate Reward points at 1:1 too United.
The Sale
- Link: Buy United Miles
- Buy 5,000 – 14,000 miles, save 20%
- Buy 15,000 – 29,000 miles, save 30%
- Buy 30,000 – 175,000 miles, save 40%
- Sale is good through July 26
Southwest – Get 35% Off
Another one that is a “if you need to top up” sale! Since Southwest points are very much revenue based, I would normally not advise buying them. However, if you are preparing for a big redemption and you don’t want to transfer over Ultimate Reward points (which can also be transferred to Southwest at 1:1), this could work out for you.
The Sale
- Link: Buy Southwest Points
- Buy 3,000 or more and get 35% off (which equals 1.95 cents per point)
- Sale is good through August 14
JetBlue Sale – Up to 40% Off
And, yet another sale that is a “just if you need a few points”! Since JetBlue is also a revenue based program, there are very few reasons it would make sense to buy points outright for an award. But, if you need a few points for a big redemption and you don’t want to transfer points from another program, this could work for you – maybe! 🙂
Sale Details
- Link: Buy JetBlue Points
- Buy 3,000-9,500 points = 20% discount
- Buy 10,000-29,500 points = 30% discount
- Buy 30,000 points = 40% discount
- Sale is good through July 31
American Airlines – Get up to 100,000 Miles and Get a 10% Discount
American Airline miles can still be very useful – at least until they go revenue based also. So, if you have a redemption in mind, definitely give this sale a look.
- Link: Buy American Airline Miles
- Buy 11,000 – 20,000 = 2,500 bonus and 10% off
- Buy 21,000 – 50,000 = 5,000 bonus and 10% off
- Buy 51,000 – 75,000 = 20,000 bonus and 10% off
- Buy 76,000 – 100,000 = 32,500 bonus and 10% off
- Buy 101,000 – 125,000 = 50,000 bonus and 10% off
- Buy 126,000 – 149,000 = 75,000 bonus and 10% off
- Buy 150,000 = 100,000 bonus and 10% off
- Sale is good through August 2
Avianca LifeMiles – Get up to a 145% Bonus
LifeMiles can be very useful but also quite quirky. It is always a good idea to just buy if you need miles for an upcoming reservation and that is especially true with LifeMiles.
While there is a 125% bonus available for everyone, if you buy through this link below (that is from OMaaT), you can get a 145% bonus.
- Link: Buy Avianca LifeMiles
- Buy 1,000-10,000 LifeMiles, get a 105% bonus
- Buy 11,000-50,000 LifeMiles, get a 110% bonus
- Buy 51,000-100,000 LifeMiles, get a 135% bonus
- Buy 101,000-200,000 miles, get a 145% bonus
- Good through July 31
Summary
So, there you have it! If you want to pay economy prices for better travel, buying miles and points can be a great way to do that. Just remember that you are subject to the whims of award programs and devaluations so make sure you have a redemption in mind.
