Using My Spirit Miles...For Someone Else
A few months ago I stood in line with hundreds of other would-be-travelers to get certificates for 20,000 free Spirit miles in celebration of their new Houston routes. Including my parents, my family scored 100,000 free miles that day just for waiting in a pretty short line. It was great! Spirit is a very no-frills airline, but I didn't care. Free travel is free travel, and I was happy to try Spirit out for myself. My parents had already tried it out here and had no real complaints.
I knew that Spirit miles expire after three months of no account activity, but I wasn't quite sure how they manage that expiration. I had logged into my account and didn't see any evidence that they were about to expire even though I knew their time was probably short-lived since I got the miles back in October. Sure enough, I got an alert from Award Wallet last week that they will expire on January 31st. That meant I had to book a flight using them by that deadline. The flight didn't have to happen by then, but I had to commit to my travel plans. After looking at all the trips we are lucky enough to have on the books for the rest of the year, it was clear that adding another one just was not in the cards. Husband is maxed on vacations, our parents are maxed with keeping C while we go on some trips, and we are just maxed out in general on being away from home. It is a great problem to have, but the reality was clearly that we were not going to be able to use the free miles.
I played around a little and saw that you can use the miles to book a flight for someone else. Perfect! While I am lucky enough to have an over-filled travel schedule, I know not all of my friends and family members are in the same situation. I posted on my personal Facebook account that I had a few free Spirit flights if anyone wanted them. I honestly didn't know if I would get a response or not - sure enough within seconds/minutes I had a few different friends who were interested and within about 20 minutes one couple had lined up family members to keep their two young kids while they traveled, and they had found award availability to Vegas using my free miles. They haven't had a kid-free vacation in a long time, and I am so excited for them! Much, much better than having the miles expire unused.
I know some of y'all also got free Spirit miles, so in case you aren't going to be able to use them either, consider sharing them with someone else. To use them for someone else all you really need to do is delete your Spirit number on this page and then enter the other person's info. Also make sure to warn the recipients about some of Spirit's fees and how to avoid most of them (feel free to send them to my parent's trip review linked above that covers most of that info).
I know some people will likely comment that they wouldn't even want their enemies to fly Spirit, much less their friends. That's all well and good, but how insanely fortunate are many of us in the miles and points world that we are able to share trips like this with friends and family members. At the end of the day it is just an airplane that gets you from Point A to Point B, and as long as it is safe, that is all that matters. I seriously don't think that my friends are going to care that Spirit charges them for a drink. They are going to be thrilled to have a few kid-free days in Vegas where they can have some real drinks.
Never turn down some free travel - just be ready to share it with friends if you aren't able to use it. Have you ever been able to share some travel you weren't going to be able to use with friends or family members?
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.