Should you purchase points and miles?

Usually, you’d be better off redeeming points and miles that you already have, rather than purchasing more. That said, if your point balances are dwindling, and you have a redemption in mind where you know you’ll get more value than the cash price you pay for the points, then, yes, it can make a lot of sense to purchase the points. You might always find it worthwhile to purchase points if you just need a small amount to make a certain redemption or if you’re trying to keep miles from expiring.

How much does it cost to purchase points?

That depends on the program, but generally, it will cost anywhere from 1 to 3 cents per point. However, we recommend timing your point purchases alongside promotions that offer a discount or bonus when you buy — both of which bring down the per-point cost you’ll pay.

Are there limits to the number of points you can purchase?

Yes, most programs implement a maximum number of points you are allowed to purchase each calendar year, though the amount varies drastically by the program.

How often are there point purchase promotions?

This varies by program, but usually in any given month, there are multiple current purchase promotions. We update this page each month to help you stay up-to-date on all of the latest point promotions you can take advantage of.

Do purchased points count towards elite status?

Unfortunately, no airline or hotel programs count purchased points or miles towards elite status qualification.

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January 2025 Buy Points Promotions and Bonuses

Senior Content Contributor

Updated: January 17, 2025, 4:14am CST

Edited by:

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Latest Buy Points Promotions
When Should You Purchase Points?
Final Thoughts

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There’s no shortage of ways to earn points and miles. From credit card welcome offers to bonus categories to shopping portals to dining programs, the list goes on and on.

Given the numerous options, travelers are often conflicted about purchasing points for their trips. After all, why purchase points when you can amass points with your everyday purchases?

This is a fair point and a solution that works for many. However, there are some instances where purchasing points and miles can make sense. We will explore each of those options later in the post, but first, let’s dive into all of the current promotions that allow you to receive a discount or bonus on your points and miles purchases.

Latest Buy Points Promotions

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

Promotion:
- Buy 3,000 to 19,000 miles and get a 40% bonus (2.11 cents per mile)
- Buy 20,000 to 39,000 miles and get a 50% bonus (1.97 cents per mile)
- Buy 40,000+ miles and get a 60% bonus (1.85 cents per mile)
Deadline: February 21, 2025
Programs That Transfer to Alaska: Bilt Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy
Purchase Link

It can make sense to purchase Alaska miles if you have a specific redemption in mind that you know will provide more than 1.85 cents per mile in value. It also can make sense if you’re on the cusp of a redemption but don’t have quite enough miles to complete the booking.

American Airlines AAdvantage

Promotion:
- Purchase 6,000 to 24,000 miles and get a 10% discount
- Purchase 25,000 to 79,000 miles and get a 15% discount
- Purchase 80,000 to 104,000 miles and get a 20% discount
- Purchase 105,000 to 149,000 miles and get a 25% discount
- Purchase 150,000 miles and get a 35% discount (2.44 cents per mile)
Deadline: None specified
Programs That Transfer to American: Bilt Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy
Purchase Link

American Airlines AAdvantage is a well-known program, offering numerous redemptions. This sale doesn’t have an end date at this time, and it won’t make sense for most people — unless you’re redeeming your miles at a value above the costly price of buying them. We value AA miles at 1.4 cents apiece, so buying at 2.44 cents is best avoided in most circumstances.

Avianca LifeMiles

Promotion:
- Buy 1,000 miles, get a 120% bonus
- Buy 2,000 to 15,000 miles, get a 140% bonus
- Buy 16,000 to 35,000 miles, get a 150% bonus
- Buy 36,000 to 200,000 miles, get a 160% bonus (1.27 cents per mile)
Deadline: January 31, 2025
Programs That Transfer to LifeMiles: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Brex Rewards, Capital One miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, and Wells Fargo Rewards
Purchase Link

While this isn’t the best price we’ve ever seen on LifeMiles, it’s still a great price. We value LifeMiles at 1.4 cents apiece, so you can buy them for less than their average value. Plus, the program has attractive award pricing without hefty taxes and fees.

Choice Privileges

Promotion:
- Buy 1,000 to 4,000 points and get no bonus
- Buy 5,000 to 9,000 points and get no bonus
- Buy 10,000+ points and get a 40% bonus (0.74 cents each)
Deadline: February 6, 2025
Programs That Transfer to Choice: Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Wells Fargo Rewards
Purchase Link

At Upgraded Points, we value Choice Privileges points at 0.6 cents per point, meaning this 40% bonus promotion still costs more than that number. That said, it’s certainly possible to get more than 0.6 cents per point in value, depending on how you redeem Choice Privileges points.

Finnair Avios (Targeted)

Promotion:
- Buy 5,000+ Avios and receive a 10% discount (1.97 cents per Avios)
Deadline: N/A
Programs That Transfer to Finnair: Capital One Miles
Purchase Link

Finnair’s award chart allows you to redeem 62,500 Avios for a one-way business class flight from the U.S. East Coast to Finland.

You could purchase 62,500 Avios (at 1.97 cents each) for $1,231.25. Considering that same flight often costs over $4,000, you’ll save a lot by buying Avios here.

Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles

Promotion:
- Purchase 10,000+ miles and get a 50% bonus (1.87 cents per mile)
Deadline: February 21, 2025
Programs That Transfer to Hawaiian: Amex Membership Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy
Purchase Link

We value HawaiianMiles at 0.9 cents apiece. Buying miles at a price higher than that (1.87 cents each) doesn’t make sense in most situations.

Hilton Honors

Promotion:
- Purchase 5,000+ points and get a 100% bonus (0.5 cents per point)
Deadline: N/A
Programs That Transfer to Hilton: Amex Membership Rewards and Bilt Rewards
Purchase Link

We value Hilton Honors points at 0.5 cents per point, so this could be a good opportunity to stock up on points if you’re planning to make a redemption that offers higher value than that.

IHG One Rewards

Promotion:
- Purchase 5,000+ points and get a 100% bonus (0.5 cents per point)
Deadline: January 31, 2025
Programs That Transfer to IHG: Bilt Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards
Purchase Link

We value IHG One Rewards points at 0.5 cents per point, though you can certainly get more value than this if you redeem them strategically. If you have a plan for redeeming the points you’d purchase with this promotion and can redeem them above 0.5 cents apiece, buying could be worth it.

Radisson Rewards

Promotion:
- Purchase 1,000 to 250,000 points with a 50% bonus (roughly 0.39 cents per point)
Deadline: January 13, 2025
Programs That Transfer to Radisson: None
Purchase Link

We value Radisson Rewards points at 0.25 cents each. In general, purchasing through this sale is only practical if you’re topping up your points balance to make a redemption.

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards

Promotion:
- Buy 7,000+ points and receive a 50% discount (1.5 cents per point)
Deadline: February 23, 2025
Programs That Transfer to Southwest: Chase Ultimate Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy
Purchase Link

We value Southwest points at 1.3 cents apiece. In general, purchasing Southwest points is rarely a good deal, especially when you’re paying more than their average value, but it can make sense if you need to top off your account for a redemption.

Spirit Airlines Free Spirit

Promotion:
- Buy 1,000+ points and receive an 80% bonus
Deadline: January 17, 2025
Programs That Transfer to Spirit: Marriott Bonvoy
Purchase Link

At Upgraded Points, we value Free Spirit points at 1.1 cents per point, so we certainly wouldn’t advise speculatively purchasing points at this promotion’s 1.39-cents-per-point rate.

United MileagePlus

Promotion:
- Buy 5,000 to 14,000 miles, receive a 30% bonus
- Buy 15,000 to 39,000 miles, receive a 60% bonus
- Buy 45,000 to 125,000 miles, receive a 100% bonus (~1.88 cents per mile)
Deadline: January 31, 2025
Programs That Transfer to United: Chase Ultimate Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy
Purchase Link

We value United MileagePlus miles at 1.2 cents per mile, so even the 100% bonus is likely worth skipping unless you have a high value redemption lined up.

American Airlines B737 8 MAX at SNA — Sometimes it can make sense to purchase airline miles. Image Credit: Ryan Smith

When Should You Purchase Points?

As promised, let’s examine some examples of when it might be wise to purchase points and miles.

Topping Off Your Account

It can be frustrating to have a redemption you’d like to make, with available award space to boot, but you don’t have quite enough points or miles to make the booking. Of course, you could wait until you do, but if you’re looking to book a business- or first-class award ticket, award space can vanish quickly.

In cases like these, it can make sense to purchase a small number of points to acquire the number of points or miles needed to book the award.

Price Arbitrage

We frequently discuss the opportunity to take advantage of price arbitrage when talking about purchasing points or miles.

For instance, say you’d like to fly from the U.S. to Europe in business class. You pull up Google Flights, pop in your desired destination and travel date, and the results reveal that the best nonstop option is an American Airlines flight that costs a whopping $2,500 — yikes.

While the best award redemptions require locating award space at the saver level, assuming it is available on the date you’d like to travel, you could purchase the points needed for this ticket for far less. For example, you could purchase 58,000 American Airlines miles for just over $1,400 — more than $1,000 less than the retail price.

Bottom Line:

Simply put, purchasing points and miles can be a great way to get a substantial discount on flights you were planning to purchase anyway.

Preventing Points From Expiring

One of the annoyances of some loyalty programs is that their points or miles expire after a set period, usually 1 to 3 years. Depending on your travel habits, you may be at risk of your points expiring if you go long periods without earning or redeeming points within the program.

Fortunately, most programs count purchasing points as a qualifying earn activity, allowing you to extend the life of your miles simply by purchasing a small number of them.

Final Thoughts

In most cases, your primary points strategy should be earning them through new credit card welcome bonuses, everyday card spending, and other point-earning activities like shopping portals, as these activities shouldn’t require a significant expense beyond your everyday spending habits.

That said, there is a time and a place when it can make sense to purchase points and miles. In those cases, promotions that allow you to receive a discount or bonus miles on your purchase can offer you even more value.

Of course, you should always run the numbers when deciding which path makes the most sense for your next redemption, but it is always great to have options.