Airline frequent flier miles?

[NOLA Pilot]

Is it possible to use other peoples miles?
If so what about using more then one persons miles on a ticket?

 

[retpd2001]

I believe so, I had an elderly aunt who wasnt going to travel any more and she transferred hers to my account, American Airlines. But then there is the issue of being able to actually get a ticket for them!

 

[Joshuajayg]

Last time I looked into that, they miles were transferable but they lost half their value in the transfer.

 

[flyingron]

American calls it "Sharing Miles," You can transfer your miles to another AAdvantage member. It's a 1:1 transfer, but there is a fee based on the number of miles transferred.
You can also use your miles to just buy them a ticket.

 

[orange]

I think all FF programs are very similar if not the same.

1. You can't book a ticket using another person's miles. That person has to book all tickets using the miles in their account. But see #3 for an easy alternative to this.
2. You can transfer miles to another member at 1:1 (never heard of getting half miles unless there is no fee in which case, lost miles are the "fee") for a fee, usually about $15 for each 1,000 miles. Often times, airlines give bonus miles when transferring or buying miles, so you may get an extra 25% or even 50% miles free. So if you transfer 10k miles for $150 fee, you my get 12,500 miles or even 15,000 in your account. Avianca which I fly often has a 2 for 1 promotion when buying or transferring miles every few months.
3. You can have the person who has the miles book a ticket in your name using their miles. It's better than transferring miles because there is no fee for this.
4. I don't think that you can book a ticket using miles from different accounts

 

[Shawn]

Depends on the program.

I have high 6 figures in Southwest points and I can not transfer points without loosing a lot of value, but if I make the reservation myself I can book anyone flights anywhere using my points at full value regardless if I am traveling or not.

I can not use two people's points for one flight reservation if that is what you are asking.

 

[Joshuajayg]

I think all FF programs are very similar if not the same.


2. You can transfer miles to another member at 1:1 (never heard of getting half miles unless there is no fee in which case, lost miles are the "fee") for a fee, usually about $15 for each 1,000 miles. Often times, airlines give bonus miles when transferring or buying miles, so you may get an extra 25% or even 50% miles free. So if you transfer 10k miles for $150 fee, you my get 12,500 miles or even 15,000 in your account. Avianca which I fly often has a 2 for 1 promotion when buying or transferring miles every few months.

It was Delta that I looked at transferring miles within several years ago. And I think the miles cost was the "fee." Maybe they just didn't like me

 

[X3 Skier]

3. You can have the person who has the miles book a ticket in your name using their miles. It's better than transferring miles because there is no fee for this.
4. I don't think that you can book a ticket using miles from different accounts

I've done No. 3 a number of times for friends and family and No. 4 is my understanding.

Cheers

 

[NOLA Pilot]

Thanks for all the help. You have answered all of the wifes questions.

 

[NoHeat]

It's just too hard to use miles.

On United and American, anyway. There are too few seats available for redemption, and the miles required have gone up. Besides that, the miles expire.

Imagine if money were so hard to use -- imagine a world where you couldn't buy much of anything you really want with money, you couldn't give money to someone without forfeiting much of it as a fee, you couldn't pool it with some else's, and on top of all that your money vanished after sitting idle 18 months in a bank account.

Miles offer more nuisance than value, even when you have well over 500,000 as I do.

 

[weilke]

Don't know whether you can use miles from different accounts to buy a ticket. I do know that you can combine miles from different accounts to buy business class upgrades. My wife regularly raids the kids united accounts if she wants to fly business .