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 — and all five charge roughly the same standard rate: about 3 to 3.76 cents each. On MileMarketplace, the same five currencies typically trade for about 1.5 to 2 cents, often 40 to 60% below what the airline itself charges, 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 our live marketplace price. "Airline 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. "Our marketplace price" reflects the live index and also moves with supply.

How much does it cost to buy United MileagePlus miles?

United charges $35 per 1,000 miles plus a 7.5% federal excise tax — about 3.76 cents per mile at standard rates, a figure corroborated across independent trackers. 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, United MileagePlus miles typically run around 1.65 cents per mile on the live market, about 56% below United's standard direct price, any day, without needing 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's Buy Miles page starts at 3.76 cents per mile for small purchases, but a standing volume discount — not a time-limited promo — brings the price down to as low as 2.26 cents per mile once you buy in the 151,000–200,000-mile range. 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, American AAdvantage miles typically run about 2.0 cents per mile on the live market — roughly 47% below American's starting rate, and still cheaper than AA's own price unless you're buying at the very top volume tier. 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: $35 per 1,000 miles plus a 7.5% federal excise tax, about 3.76 cents per mile — one of the highest standard direct rates of the five programs here, confirmed on delta.com itself. 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, Delta SkyMiles typically run about 1.5 cents per mile on the live market, around 60% below Delta's standard direct price — the widest gap of the five programs here. 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. 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, Alaska Atmos Rewards miles typically run about 1.8 cents per mile on the live market, about 52% 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: $30 per 1,000 points, or 3.0 cents per point at standard rates, confirmed directly on southwest.com. Unlike the others, Southwest currently has a real, live promo — up to 45% off, bringing the effective price down to about 1.65 cents per point, running through July 22, 2026. That's worth flagging plainly: on this specific promo, Southwest's own price can match or beat typical marketplace pricing, so it's worth checking southwest.com before you buy elsewhere while the sale lasts.

One clarification worth making: Southwest's often-cited "~1.3 cent" figure 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 isn't individually tracked in our price index the way the other four programs are; expect roughly 1 to 2 cents per point on the live market (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.
• Buy from a listing where payment is held until the miles are confirmed in your account, with a refund if delivery doesn't happen as described.
• 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?

On MileMarketplace you see live, per-mile pricing for United MileagePlus, American AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles, Alaska Atmos Rewards miles and Southwest Rapid Rewards points side by side, pay a flat 5% buyer fee, and your payment is held until the miles are confirmed in your account — with a refund if an order can't be delivered as described. 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.