5 Ways to Sell Your Airline Miles for Cash (Legally!)

Let me explain…

Airlines are against their customers selling their miles directly, which is why most, like American Airlines, have long policy sheets that you have to fill out when you first sign up for their loyalty program. They don’t like it because they want to control the value and distribution of their loyalty programs.

Now, airlines being against it doesn’t mean selling your miles is illegal. There are no federal laws prohibiting selling airline miles.

Okay, it’s not illegal, but you don’t want to violate the Terms and Conditions of the frequent flyer program of your favorite airline because you want to keep flying and earning more miles.

Well, you can use mileage brokers to safely sell your miles without violating any airline policy.

So, here’s the thing…

Airlines are against their customers selling their miles directly, which is why most, like American Airlines, have long policy sheets that you have to fill out when you first sign up for their loyalty program. They don’t like it because they want to control the value and distribution of their loyalty programs.

Now, airlines being against it doesn’t mean selling your miles is illegal. There are no federal laws prohibiting selling airline miles.

Okay, it’s not illegal, but you don’t want to violate the Terms and Conditions of the frequent flyer program of your favorite airline because you want to keep flying and earning more miles.

Well, you can use mileage brokers to safely sell your miles without violating any airline policy.

How Much Are Your Airline Miles Worth?

Generally, you can expect to earn somewhere between 1 to 1.8 cents or more per mile.

But obviously, the exact number depends on each airline and their frequent flyer program. Keep in mind that even then, these numbers can fluctuate based on other events and even seasons.

To help you understand how much your miles could be worth, here are a few examples that are correct at the time of writing this guide:

• Delta SkyMiles: Delta’s SkyMiles can go for 1.2 to 1.5 cents per mile. This makes them less valuable when selling but still useful for booking flights or upgrades.
• United MileagePlus: United miles are generally more valuable, with an average worth of around 1.3 to 1.5 cents per mile.
• American Airlines AAdvantage: AA’s miles are worth about the same as Delta miles, between 1.2 to 1.5 cents per mile.

Of course, when you are selling your miles, you are not going to get the redemption value of your miles. Buyers buy miles through third-party platforms like brokers to get better deals, so they can pay less than the face value. Otherwise, they’d just buy the miles directly from the airlines.

Best Ways to Convert Your Miles to Cash

If you want to convert your miles directly to cold hard cash, your best bet is to sell them.

And no, you don’t want to sell miles on eBay.

Sure, some people do buy and sell frequent flyer miles on eBay, but I wouldn’t recommend it!

Then where do you sell your miles?

You have two options:

1. Sell miles via Mileage brokers
2. Sell directly to buyers

Best Mileage Brokers to Sell Your Miles

Your best option is going through what are known as mileage brokers who offer miles resale services.

Mileage brokers are essentially middlemen who can help you sell off those miles without breaking any of the airline’s terms.

There are a few trustworthy mileage broker sites out there that you can use to sell your miles.

They connect people like you and me who want to sell their miles with buyers looking to purchase them for a variety of reasons (booking flights, upgrades, etc.).

Here are a few of the most trusted mileage brokers:

1. MilesBuyer.com
2. The Points King
3. The Miles Broker
4. Flip My Miles
5. The Miles Market

Pros & Cons of Using a Miles Broker

Like any option, there are pros and cons to selling your miles on a mileage broker website.

Pros:

• Convenience: Brokers handle the transaction, making it easier for you (the seller).
• Security: Legit brokers have secure and legal transactions.
• Fast Processing: You can typically sell your miles quickly and have the money in your account in a short time.

Cons:

• Lower Price: Obviously, brokers don’t do this for free. They take a commission, which eats into your profit.

Overall, I think this is the safest and best option for selling unused miles.

A Few Tips

You should always keep the following tips in mind when trying to sell your miles to a broker:

• Make sure to check the exact terms of the mileage broker after you have registered with the broker’s program (but then again, perhaps you’ve already done this while researching which broker to sign up with).
• Keep in mind that some brokers actually require an interested party to buy the miles before agreeing to sell your miles for you. Other brokers, on the other hand, will get your miles to join them in their miles bank.
• You should also check whether the broker requires a minimum number of miles for each transaction. Some mileage brokers will only agree to sell your miles for you if you have 100,000 or more miles to sell.
• Make sure to follow each step that the brokers require, plus properly and carefully fill out those forms. Otherwise, you might end up losing your miles after the broker voids the transaction. Don’t rush. Take your time in understanding all of the stipulated terms and conditions before you decide to sell those miles of yours.

Of course, if you don’t want to go through the hassle of using a mileage broker, you can always sell your miles to your friends and family, or give them as a gift.

Other Ways to Sell Your Miles

I personally prefer selling miles for cash through the websites mentioned above, but if you’d rather do something else, you have a few options:

Here are a few more legal ways to sell or use your miles without breaking any rules:

Book flights for other people

One way to “sell” your miles without violating airline rules is by booking a flight for a family member or friend.

Since you’re technically not “selling” your miles and are just transferring their value by paying for someone else’s ticket, airlines are okay with it. But there is no need to let them know either!

Book hotel stays or car rentals

Another option is to use your frequent flyer miles to book hotels or car rentals through affiliated programs, which are usually available through airline partners.

Don’t need a car or hotel stay for yourself?

No worries! Find a friend or family member who needs them and “sell” your miles to them that way!

How to Redeem Your Miles for Points

Airlines now offer much more flexible frequent flyer miles. So, if you don’t want to use your miles for a free night stay at a hotel, you can use them for something else.

Many airlines nowadays have partnered up with Points.com, where you can sign up for free and redeem your miles for everything from vacation packages and rental cars to tickets, gift cards, and more.

Airlines that have partnered with Points.com include American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, and Korean Air.

Although redeeming your miles for rewards is a good option when you want something other than what the airline offers as rewards, keep in mind that a good chunk of your miles will be lost as transaction or processing fees.

Wrapping Up

Selling airline miles is a great way to make extra cash, but please make sure to read the terms of your airline’s loyalty program to understand what you can and cannot do.

And thankfully, you have a few options if it turns out one is against your favorite airline’s policies.

Have you sold your miles before, or are you thinking about selling your miles? I’d love to hear about your experience. Leave a comment below!