Using miles to get ticket for someone else?
 

Is it possible to redeem your miles for a ticket in another person's name? I recall reading on ua.com that you can do it for relatives and friends? How do they know who is a 'friend'? Are there people who make a business out of this, i.e you pay them for a ticket?

Yes, you can redeem your miles for pretty much anyone, whether friend, family, or random stranger. All you need is their name, pretty much... and a credit card (yours or theirs) to pay for the taxes.

There may be people who do this as a "business" but selling award tickets is a violation of the agreement for pretty much every mileage program and people who buy and/or sell such tickets are subject to having their accounts terminated.

The answer is generally yes, you can redeem for someone else. The process varies by airline, subject to their security protocols, which are in place to minimize fraud. Please visit the specific airlines website for the rules and regulations applicable.

As to your question regarding selling miles, here on Flyertalk the subject is not actively discussed or condoned. Every program prohibits it.

If you have any further queries on these subject, please send a message to the forum moderators, for assistance.