Selling frequent flyer miles may sound like an odd thing to do, but it's quite common these days. You can sell airline miles online to get cash or other travel rewards. Read on to learn about how selling frequent flyer miles works and whether you should do it yourself or go through an online broker instead.
Getting started
There are a few sites that will buy your airline miles. In general, you can expect to get between half and one cent per mile, depending on how many miles you have and which program they're from. This is a great way to make a little extra cash on an asset you may be willing to let go of anyway. Just make sure you first understand what you plan to do with those extra miles before going ahead with a transaction. Selling frequent flyer miles gives buyers some flexibility as far as what they want to use them for.
Why you should sell your points
There are many reasons why you might want to sell your points. Maybe you are on a trip where you don't have access to WiFi or cell service, or perhaps you aren't sure when you will use them. If you do decide to sell your airline miles, there are some things to keep in mind. One of these is that almost all airlines have limitations on how far in advance they can be used for domestic flights, so if your plans change and you want to use them at a later date, it may not be possible.
What are other ways to use your miles?
While you're thinking about how to get rid of your frequent flyer miles, consider all your options. Depending on what type of miles you have, there are plenty of ways to use them. For example, if you have American Airlines AAdvantage® miles, think about using them for American Airlines flights or using one of their many travel partners. Another benefit of selling airline miles is that it allows you to create different profiles in which your family can redeem different award tickets when they fly together. For example, one child might use 40,000 points each year while another only needs 20,000 points. The more creative you are with your points and miles, the less likely they will go to waste. Selling miles with an online broker ensures that valuable air time is used by someone who wants it—you don't have to deal with someone trying to take advantage of a lower value ticket because he doesn't know any better!
The bottom line? Whether you decide to sell your frequent flyer miles outright or offer up some valuable time as part of a point sharing arrangement with another member, holding onto those valuable air minutes just because you don't want them now isn't really saving money.
