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Is there a way to trade miles or points? [Consolidated]

Old Mar 4, 15, 12:15 pm
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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.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
  • 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
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.

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.



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Is there a way to trade miles or points? [Consolidated]

Old May 25, 12, 8:01 am
  #1  
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Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 143
Is there a way to trade miles or points? [Consolidated]

I have many delta frequent flyer miles i don't need, and would love to switch them to united...is there a way to do this, or no?
pemarsh is offline  
Old May 25, 12, 8:03 am
  #2  
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Home Airports: CAE/CLT
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, National Executive
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Originally Posted by pemarsh
I have many delta frequent flyer miles i don't need, and would love to switch them to united...is there a way to do this, or no?
There are ways to shuffle miles, but it triggers a MASSIVE devaluation.
Gamecock is offline  
Old May 25, 12, 8:04 am
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Rust belt
Posts: 300
Originally Posted by pemarsh
I have many delta frequent flyer miles i don't need, and would love to switch them to united...is there a way to do this, or no?
points.com and there are fees.
snugglening is offline  
Old May 25, 12, 8:09 am
  #4  
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Originally Posted by pemarsh
I have many delta frequent flyer miles i don't need, and would love to switch them to united...is there a way to do this, or no?
Methinks the very intent of loyalty programs may be lost here.

The intermediaries you have to go through to transfer miles extract so much value along the way, it's typically not worth it.
BearX220 is online now  
Old May 25, 12, 8:14 am
  #5  
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Here today, gone tomorrow
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Or you could contribute to Flyertalk (ie post more) and when you get to 180 posts, you will be able to access Coupon Connection and maybe trade them in there.
louie-m is offline  
Old May 25, 12, 8:52 am
  #6  
 
Join Date: May 2004
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Originally Posted by pemarsh
I have many delta frequent flyer miles i don't need, and would love to switch them to united...is there a way to do this, or no?
Give Webflyer Mileage Converter a try.
lin821 is offline  
Old May 25, 12, 10:10 am
  #7  
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
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Programs: AS, AA Gold, and Hilton
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Originally Posted by BearX220
Methinks the very intent of loyalty programs may be lost here.

The intermediaries you have to go through to transfer miles extract so much value along the way, it's typically not worth it.
There are trading programs,but you lose so much that the're worthless. The objet of a FF program is to create loyalty. Delta doesn't want to help UA and UA doesn't want to help Delta.

The only way is if you can find a carrier in the Delta alliance to use the miles on.

What you want is like buying from Target and returning it to Walmart. Sorry it doesn't work.
jjmiller69 is offline  
Old May 25, 12, 10:21 am
  #8  
 
Join Date: May 2008
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I echo Louie's comment. Trading in Coupon Connection is probably your best option. You have to have a minimum number of posts on FT to use it. Probably there is someone out there with United miles who wishes he had Delta miles.

One issue is that you will probably have to trade in the form of redeemed awards. You can't move your DL miles to his account and his UA miles to your account, without fees almost as much as the miles are worth. You basically have to have an award you want to redeem, and have the other party be in the same boat. If you have a Chase rewards account, they can transfer their Chase points to you, and you can hold them until you're ready to redeem, and in effect the other party has been able to transfer their Chase points to DL.
redtop43 is offline  
Old May 25, 12, 10:23 am
  #9  
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
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Excuse me, but the famous case of Nordstom's taking back returned tires (they don't sell tires at Nordstrom's) proves that buying at one retailer and returning to another does work.

You just have to realize that the only three things certain in life are death, taxes and that internal controls degrade over time.

I see Tiny Tim (Geithner) over at the US Mint nodding his head and hear MarathonMan chuckling out loud.

Originally Posted by jjmiller69
There are trading programs,but you lose so much that the're worthless. The objet of a FF program is to create loyalty. Delta doesn't want to help UA and UA doesn't want to help Delta.

The only way is if you can find a carrier in the Delta alliance to use the miles on.

What you want is like buying from Target and returning it to Walmart. Sorry it doesn't work.
AlohaDaveKennedy is offline  
Old May 25, 12, 11:38 am
  #10  
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
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Tip

Thanks for this tip very valuable information.

Originally Posted by louie-m
Or you could contribute to Flyertalk (ie post more) and when you get to 180 posts, you will be able to access Coupon Connection and maybe trade them in there.
steventravel is offline  
Old May 25, 12, 11:54 am
  #11  
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 101
Coupon connection would most definitely be your best bet, get posting!
tru2logan is offline  
Old May 25, 12, 3:52 pm
  #12  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Florida
Posts: 238
points.com is an alternative, though there are fees, I've used them to move like 4-5k miles from an unused account before... though it takes a while. and the site is pretty buggy.
onefasteuro is offline  
Old May 26, 12, 5:28 am
  #13  
 
Join Date: May 2004
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Originally Posted by louie-m
Or you could contribute to Flyertalk (ie post more) and when you get to 180 posts, you will be able to access Coupon Connection and maybe trade them in there.
According to our Community Director on May 25, 2011, OP doesn't need to make any more post just to gain access to CC because OP should have been grandfatered in:

Originally Posted by SanDiego1K
I've gotten some very thoughtful notes from those who have had access to Coupon Connection, and did not want to lose access with the new entry requirements. These are all people who had access by May 10 when Talkboard enacted the new requirements. I am very open to those. I do not want the FlyerTalk experience to change for those who were participating. But if you never had access, I am not granting waivers. Talkboard went thru a lengthy, careful consideration of the metrics to use for participation in Coupon Connection. I am honoring the limits they have imposed.

SanDiego1K
Community Director
For those who are not familiar with the discussion, please visit this legend discussion thread over Technical Issues Forum:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/techn...ed-issues.html
lin821 is offline  
Old Jul 9, 12, 10:29 am
  #14  
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 142
Best way to trade points?

Is there a good page or blog that helps newbees wanting to trade points and miles?
Thanks?
cfuss is offline  
Old Jul 9, 12, 10:33 am
  #15  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 7
I like points.com. It does not work with all programs, and it costs a little bit but has allowed me to transfer points out of programs I don't use and into points that I can take advantage of.
rbarker33 is offline  

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