Experience "Selling" Miles?
 

Has anyone here actually sold FF miles through an outlet such as Craigslist, eBay, etc? Is such action illegal/against airline rules? What about "trading" miles on one carrier for miles on another? I was just screwing around on e-Bay and was surprised to see miles selling for some serious $$. I'd never personally consider doing it, but was just wondering if others had/why they do.

It's against the terms of the mileage program, and your account will likely be terminated.

Do a search; there have been several threads, especially in the UA forum about account audits lately. These auctions are usually shut down and people have had their MP accounts closed or mileage deducted. UA does apparently monitor eBay auctions. It's not allowed.

To reinforce the semantics: It is not illegal to sell or barter miles, but it is a violation of the Terms and Conditions of virtually all loyalty programs. One runs a very real risk of losing some or all accumulated points/miles if you are "caught" selling/bartering/trading.

Since this is not Mileage Run related, I am moving this thread over to MilesBuzz!.

Kind Regards


rcs85551
Moderator, Mileage Run forums

Flyertalk does have a forum (Coupon Connection) for members with more than 90 posts and 90 day membership (correct me if I'm wrong, but I think those are the conditions for viewing ) for trading travel related items, including miles - it is, however, absolutely forbidden to actually sell anything for cash; only trading is allowed.

Trading is considered bartering. This is also against the terms and conditions of most ff programs.

Not a good idea. :eek:

If you are going to do something like that is best to keep it a lot more private than an internet message board. Doing a deal for family or friends is probably the safest bet, and there was a place that someone I know, might have sold some miles to a while back, they paid 1.5 cents per mile fedex check upon reciept of the tickets, this was pre internet . e ticket era. Not really sure about their business model , but they always have said, tell your friends about us, but not strangers to protect everyone involved.

Just depends on your risk tolerance...it is against the rules in all cases.

miles&more-miles (program of LH, OS, LX and LOT) can indirectly be bought and sold without acting against any rules. And it is done extensivly. And such miles can be used for awards with any StarAlliance carrier.

(swiss) Coop Superpunkte (Superpoints) can be easily online transferred (free of charge) transferred from and to any Suppunkte-account and than be exchanged for miles of the miles&more program.

The way how to do it, how to calculate the miles, and promotions is discussed in the FlyerTalk miles&more forum (in the swiss = LX subforum).

Here is a link to one recent example

I have so far 'done' over 100 million points (that later were exchanged into miles) myself.

True, but that is not the norm across many of the FF programs. It is interesting that Miles&More allows this, though. I had no idea.

People need to read this board to gather the "evolved" information. It is ILLEGAL (criminal) in California. I haven't checked other states. (No, I don't know of anyone who has been criminally charged.)

Could you cite a reference for this statement? Preferably a URL. Thanks.

Searched and found one of my threads from 2003:

California Penal Code section §483:

quote:
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Ticket Scalping.
Except as otherwise provided in Section 26002.5 of the Government Code and Sections 40180.5 and 99151 of the Public Utilities Code, any person, firm, corporation, partnership, or association that shall sell to another any ticket, pass, scrip, mileage or commutation book, coupon, or other instrument for passage on a common carrier, for the use of any person not entitled to use the same according to the terms thereof, or of the book or portion thereof from which it was detached, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.


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I do not see how this section applies. If I cash in an award with your name on it, you are certainly entitled to use it by the terms of the ticket, regardless of whether you pay me for it or not. Not to mention that federal preemption makes any state laws pertaining to aviation illegal in the first place.