Mar 4, 2015, 11:15 am
Last edit by: aBroadAbroad
Please read this wiki before posting questions or comments.
Overview
Virtually all award programs expressly prohibit the buying, selling and bartering of awards and other instruments through any means other than those they specifically endorse. Members should be aware of the risks involved. For example, American Airlines, has actively pursued violators, closing members' accounts, rescinding their miles and banning them from program participation.
There are a few program-approved ways of transferring or converting miles/points between programs, or even a possibility of offering or requesting lodging or transportation awards. Note that most of the approved methods incur an "exchange cost" that significantly reduces the net miles/points.
The Coupon Connection
FT hosts a limited-access forum where established, active members may exchange and/or offer limited unneeded travel-related items. Coupon Connection (CC) is NOT a marketplace, and the buying and selling of any items is strictly prohibited. This includes any transactions that attempt to circumvent the no-cash provision. Eligible members are able to see The Coupon Connection in the FlyerTalk Forums Index, listed in the "Community" category, when logged onto the site. Those who cannot see the CC forum are ineligible to participate. Minimum eligibility criteria include 180 days of FT membership and 180 contributive posts (non-substantive count-padding types of posts will be deleted at moderators' discretion; those who embark on "posting runs" for the purpose of increasing their post-counts will be barred from participation). Access to CC is a privilege, is not guaranteed, and is subject to revocation.
Overview
Virtually all award programs expressly prohibit the buying, selling and bartering of awards and other instruments through any means other than those they specifically endorse. Members should be aware of the risks involved. For example, American Airlines, has actively pursued violators, closing members' accounts, rescinding their miles and banning them from program participation.
See also: Account Audit/Fraud Issues - Busted Selling Miles in the AA forum.
Legitimate Transfer Resources There are a few program-approved ways of transferring or converting miles/points between programs, or even a possibility of offering or requesting lodging or transportation awards. Note that most of the approved methods incur an "exchange cost" that significantly reduces the net miles/points.
Examples
Most award programs permit members to redeem awards, upgrade certificates, etc., as gifts to family and friends, as long as such gifts are not conditioned on any kind of barter, payment or reciprocity. The airlines are known to sometimes question the account holder and/or award recipient to ensure proper compliance with the program's terms and conditions.- Webflyer Mileage Converter is a tool for finding possible points/miles conversions
- Credit card points may be transferable to various hotel and airline programs, e.g. American Express Membersip Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Some hotel program points can be transferred to various airlines, often at no cost and with a net gain in miles, e.g., Starwood Preferred Guest
- Points.com is a miles/points conversion service
The Coupon Connection
FT hosts a limited-access forum where established, active members may exchange and/or offer limited unneeded travel-related items. Coupon Connection (CC) is NOT a marketplace, and the buying and selling of any items is strictly prohibited. This includes any transactions that attempt to circumvent the no-cash provision. Eligible members are able to see The Coupon Connection in the FlyerTalk Forums Index, listed in the "Community" category, when logged onto the site. Those who cannot see the CC forum are ineligible to participate. Minimum eligibility criteria include 180 days of FT membership and 180 contributive posts (non-substantive count-padding types of posts will be deleted at moderators' discretion; those who embark on "posting runs" for the purpose of increasing their post-counts will be barred from participation). Access to CC is a privilege, is not guaranteed, and is subject to revocation.
This is a member-maintained Wikipost.
Any FlyerTalker with at least 90 days of membership and 90 contributive posts may edit this wiki.
Any FlyerTalker with at least 90 days of membership and 90 contributive posts may edit this wiki.
Is there a way to trade miles or points? [Consolidated]
Feb 25, 2016, 8:05 pm
#76
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,139
You might give http://www.webflyer.com/programs/mileage_converter/ a try, but I doubt you have enough transferable miles to get anywhere close to your goal. Most airlines are dead-end programs.
Feb 25, 2016, 8:08 pm
#77
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,018
What research on this have you done?
Anyway getting a first class award USA to Thailand will be hard. Have you flown international airlines in business class? A surprising number of USA people think first class is like AA/UA/DL domestic first in a old tired MD80, B757, B737, A320 or what ever
Effectively freq flyer miles can be moved from one ffp to another ffp. Some you can transfer on www.points.com, but the exchange rate is extremely bad (not worth doing)
AA offer one way awards. No idea if DL offer one way awards (and I am a member of DL's ffp)
Many threads on Chase Ultimate rewards: just have a look.
Starwood SPG allows you to transfer points to a range of airline ffp's. With Marriot & Starwood merging who know what will happen or be available in the future
Anyway getting a first class award USA to Thailand will be hard. Have you flown international airlines in business class? A surprising number of USA people think first class is like AA/UA/DL domestic first in a old tired MD80, B757, B737, A320 or what ever
Effectively freq flyer miles can be moved from one ffp to another ffp. Some you can transfer on www.points.com, but the exchange rate is extremely bad (not worth doing)
AA offer one way awards. No idea if DL offer one way awards (and I am a member of DL's ffp)
Many threads on Chase Ultimate rewards: just have a look.
Starwood SPG allows you to transfer points to a range of airline ffp's. With Marriot & Starwood merging who know what will happen or be available in the future
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Feb 26, 2016 at 2:54 pm
Feb 25, 2016, 8:16 pm
#78
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
Meanwhile, Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer to United and Southwest, but not to Delta or AA. And again, while you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to a hotel program and then on to an airline, you again get only about 1/5 that way (and thus less than 10,000 miles).
So first I would start by set your sights on something lower than first class. Is business class not good enough? It'll need somewhat less miles, that's why I mention that.
Both DL and AA allow one-way redemptions. You may have enough at DL for one way in business, but that's hard to predict, since DL's program has so many different redemption levels. You could work at getting more miles in another program for the other direction. But I don't think you're anywhere close to having enough combinable miles to do even both directions in business class right now.
Feb 26, 2016, 6:22 am
#82
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New York, NY
Programs: AA Gold. UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt (Lifetime Diamond downgraded to Explorist)
Posts: 6,776
Yes DL added 1 way awards but I also think they charge a fee for foreign originating 1 way award flights so be wary of that and that with DL you cannot obtain a first class award ticket outside of the US.
Don't give up that easily. You can still use your hotel points for hotel stays.
Some credit card signup bonuses + your UR points might get you a J class award to BKK 1 way.
Don't give up that easily. You can still use your hotel points for hotel stays.
Some credit card signup bonuses + your UR points might get you a J class award to BKK 1 way.
Feb 26, 2016, 8:41 am
#83
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NRT / HND
Programs: AA EXP, NH Plat, Former UA 1K
Posts: 5,665
How to convert miles
Delta miles unfortunately can't be used for first class on anything, and that's the only one with any sizable balance.
I'd put some serious effort into some good sign up bonuses on credit cards to boost the AA balance. UA (Chase Ultimate Rewards) is pretty poor for First or even Business redemption on partner airlines.
Go business one way on DL miles in Skyteam and First the other (with a significant boost from sign up bonus) on OneWorld the other.
I'd put some serious effort into some good sign up bonuses on credit cards to boost the AA balance. UA (Chase Ultimate Rewards) is pretty poor for First or even Business redemption on partner airlines.
Go business one way on DL miles in Skyteam and First the other (with a significant boost from sign up bonus) on OneWorld the other.
Feb 28, 2016, 5:05 pm
#84
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,404
IME DL business class availability to/from BKK (connecting through NRT) is pretty decent. It should be considered more of a business first product as seats are flat beds with all direct aisle access on international wide body aircraft. The DL lounges at NRT are also pretty good, although the AF lounge used at BKK for departures isn't much but it is close to the gate, which is a long walk from the check in area.
Last edited by MSPeconomist; Mar 1, 2016 at 12:16 pm Reason: typos
Feb 29, 2016, 9:19 am
#85
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
Apply for an American Express card (that you've never had before) that earns either Delta miles or Membership Rewards points (which transfer 1:1 to Delta) that has a good signup bonus and increase your Delta miles. Of course that'll take at least a few months. (There are solutions, but there are no quick solutions, other than deciding to pay cash.) If that still doesn't get you quite enough, either just do more spend on that card, or apply for yet a different Amex card in that category and repeat. Just remember to go only for one which have historically good bonuses, since Amex has a once-in-a-lifetime bonus policy (in the USA on a per-card basis).
Last edited by sdsearch; Feb 29, 2016 at 9:24 am
Mar 1, 2016, 12:20 pm
#86
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,404
My guess is that current low awards on DL USA-BKK one way cost about 80,000 miles in DeltaOne = international business class. The OP has enough miles for this but is far from having enough for a RT on DL in business class.
FF programs generally allow you to purchase some redeemable miles (some have annual limits on this) but the cost is generally more than the miles are worth. This is useful to top up an account for a particular available award ticket, but sometimes even though you're paying a lot per mile, it can be much cheaper than the purchase of a ticket.
FF programs generally allow you to purchase some redeemable miles (some have annual limits on this) but the cost is generally more than the miles are worth. This is useful to top up an account for a particular available award ticket, but sometimes even though you're paying a lot per mile, it can be much cheaper than the purchase of a ticket.