Ends Today: Buy Discounted Miles From Alaska, United, Hilton, Hyatt, And IHG

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-United: Get 50% off purchased miles through 08/31
For example 150K miles will cost $2,821.88, or 1.88 cents per mile.

-Alaska: Get 40% bonus miles when purchasing miles through 10/06
For example 56K miles will cost $1,182.50, or 2.11 cents per mile. There is no limit to how many Alaska miles you can buy.

-Hilton: Get 80% bonus points when purchasing miles through 08/31
For example 144K points will cost $800, or 0.55 cents per point.

-Hyatt: Get 30% bonus points when purchasing miles through 08/31
For example 71.5K points will cost $1,320, or 1.85 cents per point.

-IHG: Get 50%-100% bonus points through 08/31.
This promotion varies based on your account. With a 100% bonus 120,000 points would cost $690 (0.575 cents per point).

Buying miles is hardly the most cost-effective way to collect miles. It’s always better to earn the miles from opening and spending on credit cards for example.

However it can make sense to buy miles, when they are discounted, in 2 scenarios. The first is when you’re close to an award but need some topping-up.  The second is when you have a specific award in mind and it makes financial sense to buy the miles.

Hilton:

-Let’s say you want to stay at the Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem, probably the nicest hotel in Israel. A 5 night stay from October 6-11 for example would run $750/night (plus 18% VAT for locals). However it’s just 64K points per night with a 5 night stay or 80K points per night without a 5 night stay.
When buying points for 0.55 cents each that’s $352 per night on a 5 night stay or $440 per night without a 5 night stay.

Need the full 320K points for a 5 night stay? Just open multiple Hilton accounts in your name and then merge the accounts via this link.

Alaska:

-Say you want to fly from JFK to the Maldives in Emirates First Class. You know, the one with the golden suite and a shower onboard.

You could spend $18K:

mle1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or you can use 90K Alaska miles, which would set you back some $1,899 with this promotion. There’s a limit of 56K miles per transaction, but there’s no limit on how many transactions you can make.

mle2

 

 

 

 

 

 

With Alaska you can also get a free stopover on a one-way award, so you’d be able to stopover in Dubai/Abu Dhabi for as long as you want.

-A round-trip award from JFK to Tel Aviv via Seoul in Korean business class would set you back 140K while a round-trip award from JFK to Johannesburg via Hong Kong in Cathay first class would be 140K round-trip as well. Each of those come with 2 free stopovers to boot.

United:

-A flight from Bangkok to Sydney will set you back 30K United miles in business or 40K in first.

 

bkk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A paid flight would be $3,150 in business or $3,650 in first. But at 1.88 cents per mile you can effectively buy the business flight for $564 or the first flight for $752 with a 1 hour massage in the first class lounge in Bangkok included.

IHG:

IHG runs PointBreaks which allows you to book rooms at rotating hotels for just 5,000 points per night.   That’s just $28.75 for a room if you buy points at .575 cents each. Those hotels rotate every couple of months.

IHG also has 9 hotels in Israel that start at 10K points, or as low as $57.50 per night when buying points with a 100% bonus.

Hyatt:

Once you’re used Alaska miles to get to the Maldives, the Park Hyatt has exceptional reviews and is a great value.

Checking random rates in January and February shows a nonrefundable rate of $1,335 or a refundable rate of $1,570 after tax. The refundable rate with points is just 25K. If you buy points at 1.85 cents each that’s $462.50 per night.

Other award winning Park Hyatt hotels in Buenos Aires, Melbourne, Milan, NYC, Paris, Seoul, Sydney, Tokyo, and Zurich will also provide exceptional values.

Of course there are dozens more examples for each of these programs, the key is having a specific redemption in mind before buying.

Do you ever buy miles from the airlines or hotels? Sound off in the comments!

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24 Comments On "Ends Today: Buy Discounted Miles From Alaska, United, Hilton, Hyatt, And IHG"

All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.

abraham

nice.

Anonymous

(plus 18% VAT for locals)

you should change above to “all those that entered Israel with Israeli passport.”

Sure?

I thought Alaskan stopovers on oneways were only if the whole ticket is on AS metal. CMIIW

Anonymous

@Sure?: Wrong.

Sure?

You’re right, one stopover on an international oneway
On domestic awards you’re only allowed a stopover if it’s AS metal.

nate

@Dan
when i called the hilton honors program they told me that the waldorf in israel doesnt have a 5th night free when staying five nights. anyone know how this works?

Dan

@nate:
You go to Hilton.com. You book 5 nights. It charges you for 4.
Phone reps are brainless.

nate

@dan
im trying to purchase the points to go in february but with such a good deal id get it done now. when i search on waldorf website and hilton.com it still gives me the rate of 400k points for the 5 night stay. for the sample dates you gave it quotes 320000 points. so i dont want to purchase the points and pay the 400k points in the end.

Dan

@nate:
Are you signed into an account before searching?
Dates?

nate

@dan
yes i sign in to my account. i currently dont have have any points in that account right now. does that affect anything? and the dates im currently searching are the 2nd of february 2016 to the 7th

Dan

@nate:
Showing 64K/night for me for those dates, though I have sufficient points in there.

nate

@dan
it has a message at the top of the screen that says
The requested rate is not available. View other available rooms and rates below.

again, is that because i have no points?

Dan

@nate:
Probably, as it just worked for me.

nate

@dan

so it seems thats because i have no points? if i were to buy the points and it still wouldnt come up would they refund me?

Dan

@nate:
I don’t see why it wouldn’t work if you have the points.

nate

@dan
ok thanks a million dan gonna give it a try

nate

@dan
lastly, must i open two hilton accounts and merge them if i need the full 320k points?

Z

United is only showing 35% off. Am I doing something wrong? Is the 50% only a targeted offer?

Nn

Some accounts are only showing 35%. Elite accounts especially

PeterK

United: I too only received a 35% off discount offer. But, I’m only a silver. However, my wife is Platinum and she received 50% off so it must be targeted.

Aaron

@Dan
I purchased 3 sets of 80k Hilton points with 3 different accounts. Same info on all 3 besides for email. Will that be an issue Dan?

AA

Do AS points post quickly?

AA

@AA:

Update: They posted immediately.

Nate

@Dan
I’m currently on hold with Hilton honors because I called to inquire about my purchase of points with the reward bonus, and they’re telling me they don’t see anything and that it takes 90 days before you’re allowed to buy points. Anyone help?!

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