Originally Posted by
i_gtgo
Moremilesplease - I know those accounts are active as he has credit cards from the airlines he's accrued those miles on.
I'm not sure that merely having a credit card actually protects the miles in a frequent-flyer account, although making an occasional purchase on the card normally would.
I did a quick search and found that there are various websites which will buy your miles for a penny or so per mile. They say that selling miles isn't illegal except in Utah. Not sure how they are buying miles when the airlines themselves frown at such activity.
There is a difference between "not permitted" (by the airline) and "illegal" (against the law).
I don't know how reputable any of the mile buying and selling websites are. If things go wrong, your elderly relative might lose all his miles.