Buy bonus points and miles with these September promotions

Loyalty programs They are a great source of income for airlines and hotel companies because they support many sources of income. One of these sources of income is the sale air miles and the hotel is aimed directly at travelers.

Programs can get an immediate cash infusion by selling points and miles as travelers prepay for future travel. However, as a traveler, keep in mind that it typically only makes sense to buy points and miles when there is a discount or bonus offer available.

This roundup of points and miles offers shows you some of the best current deals on airline miles and hotel points, including some that may be specific. But first, let’s discuss When it makes sense to buy points and miles.

Should you buy points and miles?

There are a couple of things to keep in mind before taking advantage of points and miles sales.

First, purchasing points and miles only makes sense for certain travelers and at certain times. It’s usually much more convenient to earn “free” points and miles through welcome bonuses tied to Credit cards with travel rewards.

However, purchasing points and miles during good promotions can make sense for those who have exhausted their credit card options and can get great value from their rewards. It can also make sense when you need more points to secure a specific redemption.

Generally, we only recommend buying points or miles if you have immediate use in mind. In that case, buying points and miles can save you thousands of dollars. Otherwise, you’re leaving yourself open to unexpected devaluations.

Below we present the current promotions for the purchase of points and miles.

Related: How much are points and miles worth? Current TPG monthly ratings

Promotions for buying airline miles

American Airlines AAdvantage Card

• Current promotion:A discount of 10% to 35%
• Purchase rate:For only 2.45 cents per mile
• TPG September 2024 valuation:1.6 cents per mile
• End date: A stranger
• Buy AAdvantage miles

American Airlines AAdvantage Card offers up to 35% off miles, depending on how many you buy. You must buy at least 6,000 miles to get the 10% discount, and the discount increases as you buy more miles. You’ll get the highest discount of 35% when you buy 150,000 miles, which brings the price down to 2.45 cents per mile. This is significantly higher than TPG’s current valuation of U.S. miles, but buy american miles For specific high-level awards it might still make sense.

Air Canada plane

• Current promotion:Up to 85% bonus points
• Purchase rate:At just 1.4 cents per point
• TPG September 2024 valuation:1.5 cents per point
• End date:October 10th
• Buy Aeroplan points

Air Canada plane TPG is currently offering 50%, 60%, or 85% bonus points, depending on how many points you buy. You must buy at least 4,000 points to get the minimum 50% bonus, which gives you a rate of 1.7 cents per point. If you buy 25,000 or more, you’ll get the maximum 85% bonus, which brings the cost down to 1.4 cents each — slightly lower than TPG’s September 2024 valuation of 1.5 cents.

This isn’t the best deal we’ve seen, but it might be worth topping up your Aeroplan account if you have a redemption in mind. Booking a business class ticket, a scale by 5,000 points or a round-trip economy class ticket within North America are just a few ways to Maximize your Aeroplan points.

JetBlue TrueBlue

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

JetBlue TrueBlue TrueBlue is offering a bonus of up to 125% when you purchase at least 3,000 points. This offer is supposedly targeted at a specific audience, but it seems like most TrueBlue members are receiving the same 125% bonus. This bonus brings the cost per point down to a flat rate of 1.33 cents each, almost on par with TPG’s September valuation of 1.3 cents each. That’s a steal considering TrueBlue points typically cost 3 cents each when you buy them from the airline. If you have a JetBlue points redemption in mind and are short a few points, this is a solid option.

Southwest Airlines Quick Rewards Program

• Current promotion: Save up to 50% (target)
• Purchase rate: Only 1.5 cents per point
• TPG September 2024 valuation: 1.4 cents per point
• End date: September 25th
• Buy Rapid Rewards Points

Southwest Quick Rewards Members, check your account: You may be being selected for a “mystery offer” to purchase points at a discount. We’ve seen 40% discounts when you buy 3,000 points or more, as well as 50% discounts when you buy at least 5,000. The 50% discount brings the price per point down to 1.5 cents, which isn’t great considering TPG only values ​​Rapid Rewards points at 1.4 cents each as of September 2024.

But if you need some extra points for your next redemption, here’s a chance to get them for just half the regular price. Plus, Southwest Now Offers Cash + Points Redemptionwhich means you can book part of your flight with Rapid Rewards points and part with cash.

United Airlines MileagePlus

• Current promotion: Up to 100% bonus miles (target)
• Purchase rate: Only 1.75 cents per mile
• TPG September 2024 valuation: 1.35 cents per mile
• End date: September 20th
• Buy MileagePlus miles

United Airlines MileagePlus TPG is running a similar offer tailored to each member. Mine is a 30% bonus if you buy at least 5,000 miles, a 65% bonus if you buy at least 20,000, and a 100% bonus if you buy at least 40,000. Your offer could be better or worse. The 100% bonus would bring the price down to 1.75 cents per mile, considerably higher than TPG’s September 2024 valuation of 1.35 cents each for United miles. So unless you have a specific redemption in mind and want to top up your account balance, we don’t recommend purchasing additional miles.

Promotions for the purchase of hotel points

Privileges of choice

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

Choice points’ “September flash sale” seems to be targeted, so it can vary from member to member. My offer is for a 20% bonus on points between 6,000 and 11,000 or a 30% bonus on points of 12,000 or more. If I were to buy enough points to get the 30% bonus, they would cost me 0.8 cents each. Since TPG’s September 2024 valuations peg Choice points at 0.6 cents each, they’re probably not worth buying unless you desperately need a few more for an upcoming redemption. But while my targeted offer is a bit disappointing, yours may be better.

Hilton Honors

• Current promotion:Up to 100% bonus points (target)
• Purchase rate:For only 0.5 cents per point
• TPG September 2024 valuation:0.6 cents per point
• End date:September 24th
• Buy Hilton Honors Points

Hilton’s latest points-buying promotion is also aimed at this goal. The highest offer we’ve seen is a 100% bonus on points you buy, meaning you’ll get twice as many points for the same price. Offers vary, but you generally need to buy at least 5,000 points to get the bonus. The maximum 100% bonus halves the cost per point, which is now just 0.5 cents. This is a great deal considering TPG values ​​Hilton points at 0.6 cents each, based on our September 2024 valuations.

If you want to accumulate Hilton points or have a dream tropical destination in mind at Hilton, now is the time to buy them. Plus, you can now book nearly 400 Small Luxury Hotels of the World Properties Using Hilton Honors Points.

Marriott Bonvoy

• Current promotion: Bonus of up to 45% (target)
• Purchase rate: Only 0.86 cents per point
• TPG September 2024 valuation: 0.85 cents per point
• End date: September 23
• Buy Mariott Bonvoy Points

Marriott Bonvoy is offering another promotion aimed at individual members. For example, I can get 45% free bonus points when I purchase 2,000 points or more. If you have access to this 45% bonus, you’ll pay as little as 0.86 cents per Bonvoy point, close to TPG’s September 2024 valuation of 0.85 cents per point. This could be a worthwhile offer if you’re considering one of the Best Marriott All-Inclusive Resorts either Houses and villas for holiday rentals book with points.

Hyatt World

World of Hyatt, one of the The most awarded hotel programsHyatt is offering a 20% discount on point purchases, bringing the cost per point down to 1.9 cents. This may seem like a good deal considering these points typically cost 2.4 cents each when you buy them at the hotel, but it’s a high price compared to TPG’s September 2024 valuation of 1.7 cents per Hyatt point. As a result, we don’t recommend buying points now unless you need to top up your account for a redemption in the near future.

Which credit card should I use to purchase points and miles?

Most of these promotions are processed through Points.com rather than directly by the hotel or airline, so you won’t get any additional rewards with most travel rewards cards. You’ll need to use a Daily Spending Card offering a solid return on non-bonus spending.

The main exception to this rule is American Airlines. This airline reportedly codes mileage purchases as airline tickets, so you may want to use a credit card that earns miles. Bonus miles on airline tickets to get the most out of your AAdvantage miles purchase.

Or, if you are working towards a minimum spending requirement To earn a welcome bonus on a new card, using that card may be the best option.

Remember that you may incur foreign transaction fees on some cards when purchasing points or miles from a foreign program, so you may want to use one of the following cards:

In summary

Buying points and miles isn’t always a good idea, but it can make sense in some situations, especially if you can take advantage of a current promotion. In most cases, it’s best to have a specific redemption in mind before you consider paying for points and miles.