How Much Does It Cost to Buy US Airline Miles in 2026?

United, American, Delta, Alaska and Southwest all let you buy miles or points directly. United and Delta list miles at 3.5 cents each plus a 7.5% federal excise tax, about 3.76 cents including tax; American runs from about 3.76 down to about 2.25 cents with volume (WalletHub, September 2026); Alaska is reported at about 3.76 cents (AwardWallet, June 2026); and Southwest shows its price at checkout (AwardWallet reports 3 cents per point). On MileMarketplace, the lowest listings for United, Delta, American and Alaska ran 1.75 to 2.0 cents per mile in the October 1, 2026 snapshot, about half of United's and Delta's price including tax, with no promo to wait for and no large minimum purchase.

This guide lines up the airline's own "buy miles" price against our live market for each of the five, flags which promos are currently live versus recently lapsed, and calls out the one gotcha worth knowing for each program. Prices below are current as of July 2026 and move — check the miles price index for today's figures.

How much do US airline miles cost to buy in 2026?

The table below sets each airline's official direct price against the lowest marketplace listing in MileMarketplace's October 1, 2026 snapshot. "Airline's official buy price" and "current airline promo" are as researched and dated — promo bonuses rotate every few weeks, so verify today's offer on the airline's own site before assuming it's still running. Marketplace prices move with supply; the price index shows live listings.

How much does it cost to buy United MileagePlus miles?

United charges 3.5 cents per mile ($35 per 1,000 miles) plus a 7.5% federal excise tax — about 3.76 cents per mile including tax (United buy-miles page, accessed 2026-10-05; WalletHub, September 2026). United has run promotions with bonuses up to 100%, which would bring the effective price near 1.88 cents per mile, but the most recent window found in our research had already ended (June 24, 2026), so treat that discount as dated rather than live — check united.com for today's actual offer before assuming it's active.

On MileMarketplace, the lowest United MileagePlus listing in the October 1, 2026 snapshot was 1.75 cents per mile, about 53% below United's price including tax, with no need to time a promo or buy a large block. United's real advantage: unlike American and Delta, it generally doesn't pass through carrier-imposed fuel surcharges on its own flights or most Star Alliance partner awards — a gotcha that works in your favor here rather than against you. Buying direct only beats our market if you happen to catch a live, deep promo.

How much does it cost to buy American AAdvantage miles?

American shows its Buy Miles price only after sign-in. WalletHub's September 2026 table starts at 3.76 cents per mile for small purchases, and a standing volume discount — not a time-limited promo — brings the price down to about 2.25 cents per mile at the 151,000-mile tier. That's the cheapest official direct rate among the five programs here, though it requires a large upfront purchase, and American's own FAQ caps combined buy-and-gift purchases at 300,000 miles a year.

On MileMarketplace, the lowest American AAdvantage listing in the October 1, 2026 snapshot was 2.0 cents per mile — roughly 47% below American's 3.76-cent starting rate, and still below even its top-tier rate of about 2.25 cents. The gotcha: American passes through British Airways' and Iberia's own fuel surcharges on award flights those two carriers operate, which can add $150 to $600 or more in cash on top of the miles — book AA-operated or other Oneworld partner metal to avoid it.

How much does it cost to buy Delta SkyMiles?

Delta's Buy Miles page states the price plainly: 3.5 cents per mile ($35 per 1,000 miles) plus a 7.5% federal excise tax, about 3.76 cents per mile including tax (Delta buy-miles page, accessed 2026-10-05) — one of the highest standard direct rates of the five programs here. No dated, currently-live Delta promo could be confirmed at the time of this research; the most recent bonus on record dates to late 2025, so don't assume a live discount is running without checking delta.com directly.

On MileMarketplace, the lowest Delta SkyMiles listing in the October 1, 2026 snapshot was 1.75 cents per mile, about 53% below Delta's price including tax. The gotcha: Delta passes through carrier-imposed surcharges on itineraries departing Europe and on SkyTeam partner awards like Air France-KLM and Virgin Atlantic, which can meaningfully raise the all-in cost of a redemption — price those in before comparing against cash.

How much does it cost to buy Alaska Atmos Rewards miles?

Alaska's program, rebranded Atmos Rewards, prices its own miles the same way United and Delta do: $35 per 1,000 miles plus a 7.5% tax recovery fee, about 3.76 cents per mile at standard rates (AwardWallet, June 2026). Alaska runs a heavy promo cadence — a recent offer discounted miles by up to 100%, as low as 1.88 cents per mile — but that specific window had already lapsed (found ending July 5, 2026), so treat it as a recent example of Alaska's typical promo depth rather than a live rate; Atmos tends to roll a new sale quickly.

On MileMarketplace, the lowest Alaska Atmos Rewards listing in the October 1, 2026 snapshot was 2.0 cents per mile, about 47% below Alaska's standard direct price. Alaska's standout advantage: it charges no carrier-imposed fuel surcharges on partner-airline award redemptions, a real differentiator versus American and Delta. The gotcha: Alaska raised its per-passenger partner-award booking fee from $12.50 to $20 each-way as of July 1, 2026 — a separate line item from any fuel surcharge.

How much does it cost to buy Southwest Rapid Rewards points?

Southwest prices its points differently from the other four: Southwest shows its price at checkout, and AwardWallet reports a base rate of $30 per 1,000 points, or 3.0 cents per point. Southwest ran a promo of up to 45% off — about 1.65 cents per point — through July 22, 2026. That sale has ended, but it shows plainly that Southwest's own price can match or beat typical marketplace pricing, so check southwest.com for today's offer before you buy elsewhere.

One clarification worth making: Southwest's often-cited "~1.25 cent" figure (The Points Guy, October 2026) is an estimated redemption value — what a point is worth toward a flight — not its purchase price, and the two shouldn't be conflated. Southwest had no live listing in MileMarketplace's October 1, 2026 snapshot (see the price index for current listings). Note: Rapid Rewards is measured in points, not miles.

How buying miles below retail works

Buying below retail follows the same basic process across all five programs — the steps below cover the marketplace route:

• Confirm the award you want first. Search live availability for the flight you're planning so you're buying miles for a seat you can actually book, not a hypothetical one.
• Check today's price on the miles price index for the program you need, so you know the live per-mile or per-point rate before you commit.
• Compare that price against what the airline itself is charging right now — including any live promo — using the table above as a starting point.
• Backed by our full-refund guarantee — if we can't deliver as described, you're refunded in full. Orders are paid securely at checkout.
• Redeem the miles for your chosen flight, factoring in any fuel surcharges the program charges on that specific award.

Where can you buy these miles below retail?

Backed by our full-refund guarantee — if we can't deliver as described, you're refunded in full. Orders are paid securely at checkout. There's no large minimum purchase and no promo window to catch; you can buy the exact amount you need, the day you need it.

Not sure buying beats paying cash for your specific trip? Our should I buy miles? checker compares the cash fare against the cost of buying the miles for your route.

For one program in detail, see how to buy Delta SkyMiles and how to buy Southwest Rapid Rewards points; for a popular redemption, see how many miles you need to fly to Hawaii.