Miles and Points Auctions: A Beginner's Guide
You've been collecting airline miles or hotel points for years. Maybe you've redeemed them for flights, maybe they're just sitting there. Either way, there's a whole corner of loyalty programs you might not know about: experience auctions.
What are points auctions, exactly?
A few major airlines and hotel chains run auction platforms where you bid on experiences using your miles or points instead of cash. We're talking backstage concert passes, VIP sporting events, luxury travel packages, celebrity meet-and-greets — stuff that often isn't available to buy at any price.
The format works like any other auction. You place a bid in points, someone else bids higher, and it goes back and forth until the close date. Highest bidder wins.
Which programs run them?
The main ones right now:
United MileagePlus Exclusives — the biggest selection, covering sports, entertainment, culinary, and travel
Delta SkyMiles Experiences — smaller but curated, strong on music and dining
Hilton Honors Experiences — hotel and travel-focused, lots of resort packages
Marriott Bonvoy Moments — luxury travel and hospitality experiences
Alaska Mileage Plan — unique adventure and Pacific Northwest experiences
Wyndham Rewards — solid value plays if you watch the listings
Choice Privileges — newer to the auction space, growing catalog
IHG One Rewards — travel and entertainment experiences
Five things I'd tell a first-time bidder
1. Look at the bid history first — BidMiles tracks how bids have moved over time. If an auction jumped from 5,000 to 50,000 points in the last day, you're probably walking into a bidding war.
2. Set a ceiling and stick to it — Decide the max you're willing to spend before you bid. Auction fever is real and points are still worth something.
3. Watch the final hours — Most auctions see a spike in bidding right before they close. If you want to snipe, that's when to pay attention. If you want to avoid overpaying, it's also when to walk away.
4. Read the details carefully — Some experiences have blackout dates, travel windows, or age requirements. A "VIP Weekend" might not include flights or hotels.
5. Do the CPP math — Figure out what you'd normally get per point (flights, hotels) and compare. If you're getting 1.5+ cents per point on an experience you genuinely want, that's a strong redemption. If you're getting 0.3 cpp on something you're lukewarm about, your points are better spent elsewhere.
Why check BidMiles instead of each site individually?
Nine programs. Nine different websites. Nine different interfaces and listing formats. That's the problem BidMiles solves — everything in one feed, filterable by program, category, location, or date. You browse here, you bid on the source site.
No account needed, nothing to sign up for. Just search and go.