How to Transfer Miles to Another Person

Written by Jay Pagkatotohan | May 23, 2024 3:00:00 AM

Flying doesn’t just take you from point A to point B. It also offers certain privileges, especially if you’re loyal to an air carrier. For one, you can earn airline miles, which you can use to book your next flight.

But what are miles exactly? Can you transfer them? If so, how to transfer miles to another person? You’ll learn that and more in this nifty guide.

What are Airline Miles?

You earn airline miles as a reward every time you fly with a particular airline. The more you fly with an airline, the more miles you earn.

Note that not all airlines use miles to refer to these earnable rewards. Some use the word “points,” but the system works just the same.

What can you do with the miles you earn? Depending on the airline, you can use miles to book your next flights, get a seat upgrade, or redeem other benefits like lounge access, and priority check-in and boarding. Note that you can get the said benefits only when you’ve earned enough miles in your account.

How to Earn Miles

To earn these enticing rewards, you first need to enroll in your air carrier’s frequent flyer program. Once you’re a member, start racking up miles by:

Booking flights - The main method of earning airline miles is flying with the airline. For each flight you book, you earn corresponding miles or points. The number of miles, however, will depend on the cost of the flight or the distance traveled.
Availing of flight add-ons - Depending on the airline, you can earn miles or points by availing of add-ons, such as baggage and meals.
Spending at the airline’s program partners - Airlines partner with establishments like malls, hotels, gasoline stations, and even car rental companies. If you purchase something from these partners, you’ll earn a specific number of miles.
Getting a credit card that earns miles - Travel and co-branded credit cards earn miles every time you spend. Some cards even issue free airline miles once your credit card application is approved.
Converting your credit card points to miles - Got lots of rewards points in your credit card account? Check with your bank if you can convert them into miles. Generally, banks allow this.
Buying miles from the airline - Some airlines allow you to top up by buying miles directly from them. You can also buy miles to top up another person’s account.

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Can You Transfer Miles to Another Person?

Are frequent flyer miles transferable? Yes, they are!

Major airlines here and abroad allow their frequent flyer program members to transfer miles or points to another member's account. However, certain conditions are in place. For instance, there’s a maximum number of miles you’re allowed to transfer to another member.

Why Should You Transfer Miles to Another Person?

Is transferring miles to another person worth it? Generally, yes. Here’s why you should transfer miles:

You can save miles before they expire - Sadly, some miles do expire. If you don’t want your hard-earned miles to go to waste, transfer them to your family and friends.
You can help someone book a flight – Say your sister is planning a trip, but she worries she doesn’t have enough money for flight tickets. If you’re feeling generous, you can transfer some of your miles to her account so she can book her flight.
You can enjoy a more comfortable flight - If someone transfers miles to your account, you can use the total to upgrade your seat, granted that you have enough miles to cover it.

How to Transfer Miles to Another Person

Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, and AirAsia allow you to transfer miles to another person. Learn how to transfer per airline:

✈️ Cebu Pacific

Cebu Pacific’s frequent flyer program is integrated into an incentive system called Go Rewards. The said program lets you earn rewards not only from Cebu Pacific but also from merchants like Robinsons Supermarket, Caltex, Maxicare, Toys R Us, Uncle John’s, and more.

To earn Go Rewards points with Cebu Pacific, book flights or pay for add-ons like baggage, meals, and sports equipment space. Points are credited to your account when you input your Go Rewards membership number during the booking process. Since it’s an integrated rewards system, you can use the points you’ve earned from other merchants to book a flight with Cebu Pacific.

Your Go Rewards points will be forfeited if you remain inactive for one year. If you’re inactive for three years, your Go Rewards account will be closed.

How to Transfer Cebu Pacific Go Rewards Points to Another Person

Here’s how to transfer airline miles to another person with Cebu Pacific:

Download the Go Rewards mobile app and register
Use the app’s Send Points feature. To access that, look for the Send Points tab/button.

Note: You can send a minimum of 0.01 points and a maximum of 3,000 points per day.

✈️ Philippine Airlines

Mabuhay Miles is Philippine Airlines’ frequent flyer program.^[2] Earn miles by booking flights (including codeshare flights) or transacting with non-flight partners like Petron, Hertz, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Wharf Hotels, and more. You can also buy miles from PAL and even reinstate your expired miles.

Your Mabuhay Miles won’t expire if you stay as an active member. However, if you become inactive for two consecutive years within a fixed review period, PAL will forfeit all your redeemable miles.

How to Transfer Mabuhay Miles to Another Person

To do a Mabuhay Miles transfer, follow these instructions:

Download the Buy Miles / Miles Transfer Form from the official PAL website.^[3]
Fill out the form by providing pertinent details such as your Mabuhay Miles number, name, and signature.
Head to your preferred PAL Ticket Office. Submit the transfer form together with the payment. You’ll also need to present original and photocopies of a valid government ID with your photo and signature.

Notes:

Mabuhay Miles members can transfer a minimum of 1,000 miles and a maximum of 150,000 miles to another Mabuhay Miles member within a calendar year.
The Mabuhay Miles transfer fee is US$15 (or around ₱870 as of this writing) per 1,000 miles.
You can authorize a representative to facilitate the Mabuhay Miles transfer application. Just make sure they bring a valid government ID with their photo and signature.

✈️ AirAsia

AirAsia Points is AirAsia’s loyalty program. As with the other frequent flyer programs, you can earn points by booking flights with AirAsia and purchasing add-ons, such as pre-booked meals, pre-booked baggage, and pick-a-seat.

You can also earn AirAsia points by transacting with any of the airline’s partners worldwide. These include Agoda, Avis, Lazada, ZALORA, and more.^[4]

Note that your AirAsia points are valid for 24 months from the date of issuance. If you haven’t used the expired points by then, AirAsia won’t reinstate them.

How to Transfer AirAsia Points to Another Person

To transfer AirAsia points, here’s what to do:

Open your AirAsia MOVE app.
Tap your profile.
Choose Transfer Points, then enter the recipient’s name and AirAsia member ID.
Tap Continue and follow the succeeding prompts to complete the transaction.

Notes:

You cannot transfer points more than twice per calendar month.
The total AirAsia Points you transfer or receive should not exceed 5,000 points.
Suspended or blacklisted AirAsia Members under the rewards program aren’t allowed to participate or transfer points.
You'll need to pay a transfer fee in the form of AirAsia points. Here are the accepted transfer denominations and their corresponding transfer fees:

Final Thoughts

If you’re a frequent flyer, you can easily collect airline miles. You can then use them to book your next flights!

Want to bring someone along? Fortunately, miles are transferable. Now that you know how to transfer miles to another person, it’s time to share them—that is, if you want to!

Before you fly off, get travel insurance. Protect yourself from financial losses due to unforeseen events and inconveniences, ranging from flight delays and trip cancellations to accidents and illnesses.

Compare your options with Moneymax and apply for the insurance policy that suits your travel style and budget:

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