Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
FREQUENT FLYER GLOSSARY
What are gift miles?
Gift miles are award miles or points that a member arranges to be credited to a different member's account, usually by buying them from the programme and sending them on, or by moving them across through a transfer facility the programme operates. The term matters because miles are a benefit held inside a loyalty programme rather than the member's own property, so they can only be handed to someone else where the programme's rules allow it; those rules also settle who may receive a gift, how much may move and what the transaction costs.
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Miles do not pass from hand to hand like cash. United's MileagePlus Rules say that mileage, benefits, certificates, account numbers, Premier status and awards earned under the programme may not be transferred or assigned except as expressly permitted by United in writing or under programmes United authorises. [6]
- That permitted route is the Transfer Miles Program, which lets accrued mileage move to another MileagePlus account and carries its own terms and conditions on united.com. [6]
- Buying, gifting and transferring are treated as related transactions: American Airlines uses the single label "Buy, gift or transfer miles" in its AAdvantage navigation. [3]
- Spending miles on a ticket for somebody else is a separate facility from putting miles in their account, and United limits such awards to non-commercial use. [6]
What makes gifting miles different from a credit-card transfer?
A credit-card transfer moves points out of a bank or card scheme and into an airline or hotel currency. The partner list, the exchange rate applied and the smallest amount that can be sent come from the card scheme's own terms; the mechanics are covered under transfer partner, transfer ratio and minimum transfer, and the whole sequence is set out in the transfer points checklist.
A gift between two people works differently. The miles are already inside the airline or hotel currency, sitting in one member's balance, and passing them on means asking the programme to move them from one account it controls to another. That is why the loyalty programme's rules, not the card scheme's, decide whether the gift can happen at all and on what terms. [6]
Because all three transactions end with miles landing in an account, programmes often present them together: American Airlines lists "Buy, gift or transfer miles" as one item in its AAdvantage site navigation. [3] At United, the published route for moving mileage between accounts is the Transfer Miles Program, and members must comply with that programme's own terms and conditions. [6]
How does United MileagePlus treat gifting and transferring miles?
The MileagePlus Rules start from a default of no transferability and then name the routes United allows. The table below summarises what those rules provide. [6]
| What the member wants to do | What the rules provide |
|---|---|
| Move accrued miles to another MileagePlus account | Permitted through United's Transfer Miles Program, subject to that programme's terms and conditions. [6] |
| Give or assign miles outside an authorised route | Mileage, certificates, PlusPoints, Premier Qualifying Credits, account numbers, status and awards may not be transferred or assigned except as expressly permitted by United in writing or under programmes United authorises or sponsors. [6] |
| Sell or barter miles | Sale, barter or other unauthorised transfer is expressly prohibited, and accounts or members involved may face United's remedies. [6] |
| Book travel for another person | An award may be issued at the member's request in the name and for the use of another person, for non-commercial purposes only, after the member validates the account with a password or other security measure. [6] |
| Pass on miles after a death or divorce | United may, at its sole discretion, credit all or part of the accrued mileage to authorised persons on receipt of documentation satisfactory to United and payment of applicable fees. [6] |
| Hand a friend the account login | Only the member named on the account is entitled to access account information, and members must not share credentials; a member who shares them is responsible for the third party's actions on the account. [6] |
Is giving an award ticket the same as gifting miles?
No, and the two provisions sit in different parts of the rules. The transfer provision moves accrued mileage from one MileagePlus account to another through the Transfer Miles Program. [6] The award provision lets the member spend their own miles on a ticket issued in another traveller's name, for non-commercial use and after account validation. [6]
The practical difference is who ends up holding the miles: after a transfer the recipient has a balance of their own to spend later, while after an award the recipient holds a ticket and the miles are gone. A gift-miles page therefore answers two separate questions — who may hold the miles, and who may fly on them. [6]
What limits and exceptions apply?
- Business accounts cannot pass miles on. For MileagePlus members that are not individuals, none of the accrued mileage, certificates, benefits or awards are transferable as part of a transfer of, or assignment by, the business. [6]
- Employee recognition is carved out. A business member that provides mileage awards to its employees for recognition or incentive purposes, rather than as wages or compensation for services, does not breach the prohibition on sale or barter. [6]
- Miles bought or bartered in breach can be taken back. The acquisition, use or attempted transfer of miles obtained by purchase, barter or other unauthorised transfer may lead United to exercise its remedies. [6]
- Discretion applies after a death or divorce. Crediting all or part of a member's mileage to authorised persons is at United's sole discretion, conditional on satisfactory documentation and payment of applicable fees, not an automatic right of inheritance. [6]
- One account per person. Only individuals are eligible for MileagePlus membership, and each individual may maintain only one account; duplicate accounts are subject to cancellation, and mileage earned in two or more different accounts generally may not be combined. United's rules add that, notwithstanding this, MileagePlus may in certain circumstances permit members who are not individuals to participate, and the rules set separate conditions for business members. [6]
- The rules can change. United reserves the right to change the rules, conditions of participation and mileage levels at any time with or without notice, including modifying or regulating the transferability of awards or benefits, even where that affects value already accumulated. [6]
Frequently asked questions
Can I move my miles into someone else's account?
At United, accrued mileage may be transferred to another MileagePlus account through the Transfer Miles Program, whose terms and conditions members must follow. [6]
Can I sell or swap my miles for something else?
No. MileagePlus prohibits the sale, barter or other unauthorised transfer of miles, certificates, PlusPoints, awards, benefits or status, and accounts involved may be subject to United's remedies. [6]
Can I use my miles to book a flight for a friend?
Yes, within limits: an award may be issued in the name and for the use of another person, but only for non-commercial purposes, and only after the member validates the account. [6]
What happens to miles when the account holder dies?
United may, in its sole discretion, credit all or a portion of the accrued mileage to authorised persons on receipt of documentation satisfactory to United and payment of applicable fees. [6]
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. It covers United MileagePlus and American Airlines AAdvantage; other programmes, including Delta SkyMiles, The British Airways Club, KrisFlyer and Flying Blue, are not covered here.
- American Airlines AAdvantage buy, gift or transfer miles page, checked 18 October 2026
- United MileagePlus Rules, checked 18 October 2026