Is Buying Airline Miles Worth the Risk? Not for Most Travelers
by admin
The world of airline miles has always fascinated travelers — from premium cabin redemptions to luxury flights at a fraction of the cost. But behind the scenes, there’s an entire underground marketplace many people don’t fully understand: airline mileage brokers.
Recently, I wrote about the rules surrounding selling airline miles. While selling or buying miles generally violates airline loyalty program terms, it isn’t illegal. But the reality is far more complex — and often risky.
Let’s take a deeper look into how mileage brokers work, why people use them, and what travelers should be aware of.
A Fascinating Look at the World of Mileage Brokers
The mileage broker industry is surprisingly large, with companies heavily advertising discounted business and first-class travel. But the transparency varies widely.
Some brokers promote themselves as offering “cheap business class tickets”, when in reality, they’re simply using miles from various accounts to book your flights. Others directly sell miles from accounts they control.
An investigative piece from The Milelion back in 2016 revealed just how vast this industry can be. One broker even claimed to have access to 500+ Singapore KrisFlyer accounts — a shocking indicator of how these underground networks operate.
While the industry has evolved since then, the fundamentals remain the same: high demand, high risk, low transparency.
My Take on other Mileage Brokers
While many mileage brokers run “legitimate” operations in terms of delivering what they promise, the risk always falls on the customer’s shoulders.
Here’s why:
🔸 1. You’re violating airline terms & conditions
Even if it’s not illegal, airlines take this very seriously. Their auditing teams are becoming extremely sophisticated and can easily detect suspicious redemption patterns.
🔸 2. Tickets can be cancelled at any time
Imagine booking a first-class flight to Europe… only for the airline to cancel your ticket days before departure because it was redeemed from a flagged account.
🔸 3. Your loyalty account can be shut down
If the airline links you to a brokered ticket, your miles may be wiped out and your account permanently closed.
🔸 4. Zero protection if things go wrong
Once you’ve paid a broker, you’re relying entirely on their integrity — and there’s little to no recourse if something goes wrong.
For these reasons, I personally do not recommend using mileage brokers.
How Other Mileage Brokers Get Their Miles
Mileage brokers don’t all operate the same way. Depending on the business model, they may:
✔ Buy accounts with large mileage balances
They purchase accounts from customers and redeem those miles for new clients.
✔ Use credit card churners
Some recruiters offer people money to sign up for credit cards, collect the miles, and hand over the accounts.
✔ Buy miles during promotions
They purchase discounted miles from airlines and resell them at a markup.
✔ Move transferable points
Some brokers convert points into airline miles — though many loyalty programs have now tightened regulations.
Ultimately, while some methods are more sophisticated than others, all of them carry significant risk for the end user.
A Better Alternative: Sell Your Miles Safely on Mileage Spot
Instead of dealing with risky mileage brokers or shady marketplaces, Mileage Spot offers a safe, transparent, fast way to convert your unused airline miles and credit card points into instant cash — without the fear of losing your accounts or bookings.
💰 Why Travelers Trust Mileage Spot
- Quick payouts
- SSL-secured & trusted platform
- No hidden fees
- Transparent offers
- 24/7 support
- Minimum sale starting at just 5,000 miles (depending on program)
If you have unused miles sitting in your account, converting them into guaranteed cash is far better than risking account shutdowns.
