How To Use Someone Elses Airline Miles? A Detailed Overview

Are you heading for a family vacation? Will you be flying to attend a business meeting? Whatever the purpose of your travel, do you want to book the flight tickets using miles? That’s great. Making flight reservations using accumulated miles can be a great way to save on air travel expenses. But are you short on loyalty points and are wondering if you can use miles collected by other family members? The answer is yes- many airlines allow passengers to use someone else’s miles during the journey. 

In this comprehensive guide, travelers will gain a clear understanding of how to use someone elses miles and various ways of redeeming miles from a separate account. In addition, learn what to avoid when using someone else’s miles to avoid trouble later. Keep reading.

Can I Use Someone Else’s Airline Miles?

The answer is yes. Passengers can surely use the miles earned by someone else for their own journey. Many airlines allow travelers to redeem another person’s frequent flier miles, but only the account holder may book a ticket for someone else. For instance, if you want to use the loyalty points of a family member or close friend, you will need to ask them to complete the reservation process, as you cannot access their account directly. It is not important that the registered owner will also have to travel with others; instead, they can just log in and fill in the details of the one who is actually traveling to complete the bookings. 

Various Methods To Use Airline Miles Of A Separate Account

If you want to use airline miles from a different account, there are several ways to do so. From using the account directly to family pooling and miles transfers, there are multiple methods for making reservations with someone else’s loyalty account. To learn the full details, refer to the following information. 

1- Book Directly From Account

The best and easiest way to use someone else’s miles is to ask the owner to reserve airline tickets from their account. They will just be required to log in, find the best flight options, and, instead of filling in their own details, fill in the personal information of the one who is actually traveling. By doing so, the reservations will be made in your name, and all recent flight updates will be shared with you. 

2- Family Pooling Procedure 

Ever heard of family pooling? Well, it is not a difficult thing to understand. In this process, members of a family are allowed to open a single account to collect miles. It means that every time an individual takes an air trip, the points they earn will be added to the family account. This method is especially useful for someone who travels frequently with their family.

3- Transfer Airline Miles 

Passengers can also use miles from a different account via transfer. Many airlines allow travelers to transfer their points to someone else’s account, after which the recipient can book a flight for themselves without relying on anyone else. However, keep in mind that transferring points may incur fees, and there will be minimum and maximum limits for the transfer.

Is It Legally Correct To Use Airline Miles Of Others?

Yes. Using someone else’s airline miles is completely legal, and there is nothing you need to worry about. Transferring or gifting miles, family pooling, and business travel reservations are usually permitted by most airlines, whether domestic or international. However, certain rules and regulations must be followed during the procedure; otherwise, travelers may encounter issues during the journey. These include:

• Purchasing or selling mileage tickets.
• Making unauthorized accounts.
• Sharing account details with other passengers.
• Violating the loyalty program agreement.

Any airline that verifies some fraud activities in the frequent flier program account can take strict action. Passengers may face ticket cancellations or might lose the miles they have collected in the long run. If the matter is worse, travelers can also encounter account suspension or permanent account closure.

Can Travelers Share Airline Miles To Family Members And Friends?

Travelers can surely share airline miles with their family members. However, many air carriers do not permit sharing with friends and restrict their use to immediate family members. For instance, All Nippon Airways allows one to share and transfer miles to a spouse, cousins, children, grandparents, and aunts and uncles. So, whichever All Nippon Airways destination one is flying to, make sure to collect loyalty points from an immediate relative. 

Another airline that offers miles sharing is Frontier Airlines, a budget-friendly carrier. Hence, if you are also looking to reduce air travel expenses and fly with utmost comfort, you can benefit from Frontier’s Discount Den Kids Fly Free benefit. The only drawback here is that the one with the miles account will also have to travel with others; otherwise, it might not be possible to get maximum benefits. 

How To Use Airline Miles From A Different Account?

Now that you are familiar with the airline miles account and sharing points, it is time to discuss how to use miles from another account. So, remain focused and learn each step of the procedure. This way, it will not be difficult for you to understand how the system works during future expeditions. Read carefully.

1. Firstly, the person who holds the airline loyalty program account will have to login in to their account. 
2. After login, the individuals will have to search for award travel. 
3. Once they complete the above step, they will see several flight options. Now, you can ask for this information from the account owner. 
4. Once you are able to choose the desired flight option, the account holder will fill in your details in the ticketing forms, which should match your government-issued ID.
5. If everything goes well, it will finally be the time for payment, which will be done using the miles. 
6. After the payment, the passenger, the one who will be flying to a certain destination, will receive the booking confirmation and will also get the tickets via email. 

While there will be no need to pay using money, there are several things for which you will still have to pay. It includes taxes and fees at the airport, and charges at the security screening, and more. Hence, be ready to pay for certain things, if not for flight bookings. 

How To Book Hotel Rooms For Someone Else Using Points? 

Many hotels around the world allow guests to earn points when they visit or stay on the premises. They can use the earned points to book hotel rooms for other people as well. That said, booking airline tickets using miles redemption is considered straightforward. However, the matter is not the same for hotel points, as they differ from program to program. Let’s have a look in detail.

Marriott Bonvoy allows someone to book a hotel room for others up to 5 times a year. The account owner will have to make the reservations via phone, as it won’t be possible online. While there won’t be any requirement to pay for the service, make sure you carry a credit card so that the reservations can be verified. The account holder will not be able to earn anything for their friend’s stay. 

World of Hyatt offers the best service to passengers booking hotel rooms through a member of the hotel’s program. While it is easier to book a hotel room for someone with hotel points online, it is important to connect with the agents by phone if one has to make reservations for someone else. Globalist members of Hyatt enjoy the best perks, and if anyone books rooms via them, they will enjoy the same benefits. 

Another good example of a hotel where you can book rooms during the trip is Hilton Honors. It allows travelers to make reservations for themselves and their friends. However, if you want to make two bookings, make sure to look for a single room with two beds, which you can easily find on the property’s official website. 

Can I Transfer Hotel Points To Another Traveler?

Yes. Passengers can surely transfer hotel points to others. But, just like airline points, one will have to pay a hefty amount for the transfer process. This includes IHG One Rewards, which charges $5 per 1,000 points, Hyatt, and Marriott. The transferable amount of Marriott is 100,000 points, which is limited to one year. This means you can distribute this amount to other members, earning 500,000 points. 

The concept of transferring hotel points is slightly different with Hyatt, as it allows the transfer to be completed without a fee. Anyone can share or receive points once per month, and there’s no need to pay any additional amount. However, you will be required to fill out a specific form so that the hotel knows about the transfers and receiving of the points. 

Ensure you transfer just enough points to your family or friends’ account. The reason for the statement is that if there are a few changes to the reservations, the miles will be credited back to the account from which they were redeemed, not the original one. By doing so, you will not have to worry about wasting all the crucial points you earned over time. 

Is Ticket Upgradation Possible With Airline Miles?

Along with flight booking, another question that often comes to passengers’ minds is whether it is possible to upgrade someone else’s flight tickets. The correct answer is yes. But it is only possible sometimes and not on a regular basis. Many airlines allow account holders to use their earned points to upgrade cabin class, switch from business class to premium class, and more. 

Furthermore, to upgrade the flight ticket, one has to be eligible for it, which depends on fare class, award availability, and guidelines of the airline. Hence, if you want to modify your travel plans using someone else’s miles, it is important to be aware of the airline’s rules and regulations. This will help you make the request in the correct way and enjoy the benefits of upgrading from the beginning to the end of the trip.

Final Thoughts

By now, you must have learned crucial details about ‘How to use someone elses airline miles’. The process is simple and one of the best ways to save money during air travel. One can either request others to make airline bookings using their account or ask them to transfer some points in their account to make the reservations. Family pooling is also another method, which works well for collecting combined rewards.

One important thing to keep in mind before using another person’s miles is to always check the policies of the airline, which will help you understand the taxes, fees, and other applicable charges. Make sure that you are not buying or selling the points, which is termed illegal and can put you in great trouble. Plan the journey in advance.

Often-Raised Queries