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Mileage/Award Ticket Brokers: Are they legit? [consolidated]

Old Feb 23, 2015, 11:33 pm
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Are they legit? Short answer: No

Virtually all award programs prohibit the sale, barter and purchase of awards and/or miles (except through channels specifically identified in the program T&C and/or endorsed by the program). Many airlines are known to audit their FFPs for such fraudulent transactions, and to aggressively enforce their programs' rules.

By definition, so-called "mileage" brokers are not legitimate. It is important to understand that they do not actually broker miles, but rather act as a middle-man to facilitate the purchase of award tickets. The seller redeems miles from his/her account for an award in a buyer's name. The broker pays the seller on behalf of the buyer. A clear audit trail is left in the process.

Consequences

If this activity is identified by the airline, the seller will lose any miles remaining in his/her account, the account will be terminated, and the seller will be banned from participating in that airline's program. The seller may also be subject to payment of monetary damages. Buyers, when attempting to travel on a purchased award, may be denied boarding at any point on the itinerary. At best, a special trip might not happen. At worst, the buyer might be stranded halfway around the world and forced to purchase a significantly more expensive one-way ticket in order to get home.




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Please be reminded that FlyerTalk Rules prohibit posts that support, encourage or promote fraudulent activities against individuals or companies.
Posts naming specific mileage brokers and/or containing links to broker websites
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Mileage/Award Ticket Brokers: Are they legit? [consolidated]

Old Feb 21, 2015, 11:21 pm
  #136  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
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Originally Posted by calvinoeh
Has anyone used a mileage broker? They legit? Seems like a good way to top up miles?
Bought from them a couple of times. Also bought from another mileage broker. Both great companies.

Last edited by beckoa; Feb 23, 2015 at 3:56 am Reason: Removing URL's
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Old Mar 1, 2015, 1:41 pm
  #137  
 
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I just sold [content removed by moderator]. It was a really smooth transaction. Good communication throughout and he paid in advance (a good rate).

Last edited by aBroadAbroad; Mar 1, 2015 at 9:32 pm Reason: Pursuant to wiki.
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Old Mar 1, 2015, 2:10 pm
  #138  
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Originally Posted by Alexi102000
I just sold [content removed by moderator]. It was a really smooth transaction. Good communication throughout and he paid in advance (a good rate).
How much did you get?

Last edited by aBroadAbroad; Mar 1, 2015 at 9:32 pm
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Old Mar 27, 2015, 11:16 pm
  #139  
 
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Closing out an account and selling the miles seems pretty low risk. The money is in your bank account before the award flight is taken. If not just call and complain / cancel award reservation.

But who in the WORLD would buy a ticket from these "brokers" - it seems like so much can go wrong. The original seller reneges, the broker goes back on the deal, the airline cancels the tickets out - then you are left with a wrecked trip which has got to be super expensive to fix.

So I have no idea how these businesses stay in business unless some of them have really worked it out so the flyer is OK.
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Old Mar 28, 2015, 9:42 am
  #140  
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Over the years, I've heard more than one story of a would-be flyer showing up at a check-in counter, asked to wait and in a chat with a suited person or two, told they could fly if they purchased an available (current, walk-up) fare.

I'd never risk that, myself, and figure if I left someone out there holding the bag with miles or points I sold a broker, my karma would be the mother of all IRROPS and airline foul-ups.
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Old Apr 1, 2015, 11:17 am
  #141  
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Originally Posted by sfoflyer12
Closing out an account and selling the miles seems pretty low risk. The money is in your bank account before the award flight is taken. If not just call and complain / cancel award reservation.

But who in the WORLD would buy a ticket from these "brokers" - it seems like so much can go wrong. The original seller reneges, the broker goes back on the deal, the airline cancels the tickets out - then you are left with a wrecked trip which has got to be super expensive to fix.

So I have no idea how these businesses stay in business unless some of them have really worked it out so the flyer is OK.
In a sense, the money really isn't in your bank account until about three weeks after you deposit a check, which could be fake. Similarly, AFAIK PayPal can claw back payments, in this case in particular if the broker claims that the airline didn't permit the passenger to travel. If the broker refuses to ultimately pay you, what could you do? Complain to the airline that you sold your miles and the broker didn't pay? Since airlines claim that they own the miles, I don't think police or other law enforcement would intervene.

I'm not sure that many brokers stay in business under the same name for very long.
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 9:21 pm
  #142  
 
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Cool Is it Illegal to buy Airline miles from other websites?

Just wanted to know if it was illegal to buy reward miles from other websites

Last edited by aBroadAbroad; Apr 26, 2015 at 5:55 pm Reason: Removed link
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 9:29 pm
  #143  
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If you are detected, the tickets will be cancelled. If miles are put into your account, you may have your account closed and lose all your miles and status.

It's not illegal, just against program rules. A good number of FTers have gotten severe sanctions for doing these things.

Not worth it, IMO.

Here's a long thread with horror stories.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...solidated.html

Safe travels,

Doc

Last edited by Doc Savage; Apr 24, 2015 at 10:31 pm
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 11:20 pm
  #144  
 
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I think if you were to do it once or twice for not a lot of miles, you should be okay.

Say if you needed to top off for a ticket and only did it once.

However, the only problem is to be weary of sellers like you posted. These guys might make a ton of transactions, and this draws the eyes of the AA companies.

If you were to buy from some random guy or your firend, they will never know you paid.

But when they already suspect someone of selling miles and they see them giving miles to a lot of people, and you buy from them too, then you can be in deep trouble.
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Old Apr 26, 2015, 12:02 am
  #145  
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Yes, let's be clear on vocabulary. Illegal as in break the law, prosecuted by the D.A. in court, possible fine and/or prison, criminal record? No.

Illegal as in contrary to program rules, subject to sanctions by the airline such as ejection from program, confiscation of all miles, etc.? Usually.
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Old Apr 26, 2015, 12:07 am
  #146  
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For a few miles even, why take the risk? you can easily buy a few miles directly from the airline. You won't get a good price, but for a few miles to top off an account for an award ticket you want, the additional cost won't make much difference.
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Old Apr 26, 2015, 2:33 pm
  #147  
 
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I wanted to buy 113,000 miles for a first class ticket.
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Old Apr 26, 2015, 4:23 pm
  #148  
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Cool

Originally Posted by eshinn
I wanted to buy 113,000 miles for a first class ticket.
If the airline wants to be very mean, they let you fly the outbound flight and cancel the return, leaving you stranded and needing to buy an expensive last minute ticket home.
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Old Apr 26, 2015, 5:24 pm
  #149  
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All kinds of urban myths such as saying it's OK to do it once. It's not.

For all you know, you are buying from an undercover airline operation !
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Old Apr 26, 2015, 5:50 pm
  #150  
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Please continue the discussion in the Information Desk forum.

--jpdx, MR Moderator
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