How to Donate Airline Miles

Ack Ook/Flickr.com

One of the benefits of signing up for a frequent flyer program and then flying on its planes exclusively is that you amass airlines miles that you can then exchange for free flights, merchandise or other rewards. However, if you do not use the miles, they may expire. Instead of letting them go to waste, exercise your social responsibility by donating them to a worthwhile charity.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Step 1

Start with your frequent flyer website. Most of them already contain a donate button that lets you give your miles away with a click of a mouse. For example, the charities under Continental's OnePass program include such causes as the March of Dimes, Make-A-Wish Foundation and American Red Cross.

Step 2

Try a donor facilitator. If your airline does not allow donations or if you want to give miles to an organization that is not part of your program, go to a donor broker like the nonprofit MileDonor. Not only does it list all the frequent flyer programs and the charities they sponsor, you can donate to a charity of your choice or to an individual in need.

Step 3

Visit the website of a charity if it is not listed under any donation programs--it may have set up its own program. One such example is Soldiers' Angels, which provides transportation to soldiers and their families during death or serious illness. In this case, you retain control of your points until they are needed. You then convert them to an actual ticket that is then given to the recipient.

Step 4

Consider trading in your miles for merchandise to be donated. Frequent flyer points are not considered property, so their donations do not give you any kind of a tax deduction. However, many programs do offer goods for points. If you convert your miles to computers or watches, for example, and then give the property to a charity, you can deduct the donation. An example of this is the Medallion Marketplace from Delta Airlines (see Resources).

Resources

Article Written By Aurelio Locsin

Aurelio Locsin has been writing professionally since 1982. He published his first book in 1996 and had his first play produced in 2005. He is now a playwright, director and actor in Southern California. Locsin holds a Bachelor of Arts in scientific and technical communications from the University of Washington.

Editor's Pick

5 Top North American Wildflower Hikes

Springtime brings a sense of new beginnings and new life as flowers begin to bloom and fill the air with their sweet and pleasant fragrance. Luckily we can see wildflowers all summer long, since spring hits at different times throughout North America. See flowering cactu...
More National Parks...
Popular Article

National Park Substitutes: Great Spots Without the Crowds

Coping with crowds at national parks can get tiresome, especially during the peak tourist season. If you want to escape from the herd, or just take a breather from the bustle of bigger attractions, the United States has plenty of less-visited but still worthwhile spots t...
More National Parks...
Featured Destination

Prevent Yourself from Getting Lost While Hiking

When you're hiking you're going to want to make sure you stay found. What I mean by that is that you've put an itinerary in the car, you know the area that you're hiking to, you know the route and the trail you plan on being on, you know what the trail markers are going ...
More Camping Basics...