Buying miles at their "sticker price" (without a bonus) is almost always a losing game. You will likely pay 2–3 cents per mile for something worth only 1–1.5 cents. How to Calculate the Value
Earn extra miles for every dollar you spend at stores you already shop at.
Value per Mile=Cash Price of TicketTotal Miles NeededValue per Mile equals the fraction with numerator Cash Price of Ticket and denominator Total Miles Needed end-fraction buying miles worth it
There are only a few specific scenarios where buying miles makes financial sense:
It is almost never worth buying miles for a standard domestic coach seat. The cash price for these flights is usually low enough that the miles you’d buy would cost more than the ticket itself. Buying miles at their "sticker price" (without a
Treat buying miles like a surgical strike. Get in, buy exactly what you need for a specific flight, and get out. Anything else is just giving the airline a free loan.
Sometimes, buying miles during a 100% bonus sale is cheaper than paying the cash price for a business or first-class ticket. For example, if a business class seat to Asia costs $6,000, but you can buy enough miles to book it for $3,000, you’ve just saved 50%. Value per Mile=Cash Price of TicketTotal Miles NeededValue
Is Buying Airline Miles Actually Worth It? The Truth Revealed