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As this can be a great value, I often write about hotel points and airline miles promotions.
Although I don't recommend buying points without having a specific use in mind, there are some situations where you can achieve extraordinary value, especially for aspirational redemptions (whether it be a five-star hotel or first-class flight).
It's possible to get great deals on Cathay Pacific first-class redemptions by purchasing miles
Although we have seen a lot of devaluations to the award charts over the years, there have been few that were significant. However, we continue to see strong promotions for purchasing points. These promotions often improve to compensate for any devaluations that we have seen.
The main consideration when purchasing points is that the deal itself makes sense. However, I want to discuss which credit card you should use for buying points. It might not sound so obvious, as different credit cards go about points purchases differently.
The right credit card can make all the difference in the amount of value you receive.
Hilton points can be purchased for Conrad Bora Bora stays.
Maximize credit card points and rewards
It might not be as simple as you think. This is because loyalty programs make important decisions about how these purchases are processed.
You will want to use a creditcard that offers bonus points for hotel and airfare purchases, even if the airline or hotel program handles points purchases. This is because points are processed in the same manner as an airfare purchase.
Many loyalty programs use points.com for points purchases. However, this wouldn't be eligible as an airfare or hotel purchase. In that case, you will want to use a card that maximizes the return on your everyday spending.
Let's now discuss the most popular programs that allow you to purchase points and how they process transactions.
What loyalty programs allow you to purchase points directly?
These programs allow you to purchase points directly. They also make it possible for you to spend airline miles on points.
Avianca LifeMiles processes mileage purchases directly
These programs use points.com to purchase points (and points purchases with them don't qualify as hotel or airline spending).
Points.com is used to process Emirates Miles purchases
Points.com will process the purchase and you'll see a points.com logo near the bottom of the page.
What credit card is best to use for points purchases?
You can see that some airlines allow you to purchase points directly. You'll be best to use a card with bonus points for airfare purchases in these instances.
These cards typically include co-branded credit cards from the airline. If you don't have one, one of these flexible cards that offer bonus points for airfare purchases is your best option.
5x Membership Rewards points for every dollar spent directly on airlines or through Amex Travel. Then, 1x the Platinum Card from American Express. Learn More 3x Membership rewards points per $1 spent directly on airlines American Express Gold Card. Learn More 3x Ultimate Reward points per Dollar spent on airfare Chase Sapphire Reserve. Learn More 3x ThankYou Points per Dollar spent on airfare Citi Prime Card. Learn More 2x Ultimate Reward points per $ spent on airfare Chase Sapphire Prefered Card. Apply Now
You can see that some cards offer flexible points up to 5x per dollar spent. I value these points at 1.7c each. This is an 8.5% incremental return on spending that I find incredible.
You can also possibly take advantage of travel credits offered by cards for these purchases.
If you are buying points directly from an airline that handles mileage purchases, I recommend the following. What about other hotel and airline programs that process points through points.com, such as the one mentioned above?
Points.com purchases: My general advice is to:
Bottom line
Many people believe that buying miles is the best way to get five-star hotels or premium cabin tickets at huge discounts. It is important to learn how different programs handle your points and miles purchases in order to maximize your return.
As you can see, you can earn as much as 5x points for mileage purchases made directly by airlines and as much at 2x points for purchases made through points.com. Personally, I consider this an incremental return of 3.4-8.5%.
