Buy Airline Miles for .7 Cents a Piece or 33% off Gift Cards Today at Noon (Via Wyndham Points)
I've completely updated this post, because this is actually a spectacular deal if you want to buy airline miles for .7 cents a piece!
Today's installment of Daily Getaways are packages of Wyndham points, which are marketed as free nights, but like other packages they are actually packages of points which get deposited into your account. Per the redemption T&C "Within 10 business days of purchase, XX,XXX Wyndham Rewards® points will be posted to your Wyndham Rewards account. (You must provide your account number at time of purchase.)" To get an account, sign up here.
Even better- you get 10% off these prices if you use an Amex card. You may purchase a max of 6 sets of points across all Wyndham offers, which would be 2 of the 15,000 points and one of the other 4.
15,000 points for $50, .3 cents a point, maximum purchase of 2
28,000 points for $69, .25 cents a point, maximum purchase of 1
32,000 points for $100, .32 cents a point, maximum purchase of 1
50,000 points for $130, .26 cents a point, maximum purchase of 1
48,000 points for $150 (yes, you read that correctly, you pay more for less points), .32 cents a point, maximum purchase of 1
Free nights start at 6,000 points a night and go up to 16,000, but if you have no plans to stay at a Wyndham, Ramada, Howard Johnson, Travelodge, Microtel, Hawthorn, Knights Inn or Super 8, you can redeem them for airline miles or gift cards.
Per Loyalty Traveler's expert analysis,,
"Buy 48,000 points for $135 (AmEx) or even $150 and convert to 19,200 miles in American, Air Canada Aeroplan, Continental, Delta, Frontier, United and US Airways and a few others."
Click here to see airline transfer ratios- this may be a good time to stock up and transfer to American while they still count all miles towards lifetime elite status qualification. In general it is 12,000 airline miles for 30,000 Wyndham points. If you bought one of every package using an Amex card (and 2 of the $50 package), you'd spend $494.10 for 190,000 Wyndham points, which would convert to 76,000 airline miles, which equates to about .7 cents a point, which is a huge, huge, huge discount from the normal 2.7+ cents per point the airlines sell mile purchases. US Airways is even running a transfer bonus of up to 75% on hotel transfers, so you could get a trans-Atlantic business class ticket for less than $500. The biggest issue I see is that these will most likely sell out quickly, so have your browser loaded and ready at 12pm EST SHARP.
Gift cards might also be a smart play. For example, you can buy 50,000 points for $117 with your American Express card and then redeem those points for$200 in gift cards, (split into two $100 cards that cost 25,000 points each). Gift cards include popular brands like Amazon.com, Brooks Brothers, Best Buy, Bloomingdales, Williams Sonoma, Home Depot, Target, Saks, etc. Per TPG reader Ramalama- standard shipping is included, making these even more valuable (as long as you use them!)
I don't actively participate in the Wyndham program, so feel free to share your experiences in the comment box below. I'm almost tempted to buy some points for the miles - even the 33% off Saks gift cards has the wheels turning!
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.