Nobody likes the feeling of being a few thousand points short of a free flight or hotel night. Some airlines offer the option of purchasing the remainder to make up the difference. While other rewards programs don’t offer the option of using cash for the difference which can be rather annoying.
A great tip for families is to share rewards with each other, when possible. Sometimes your account balance is just shy of what’s required to book a hotel award night or an award flight.
Being able to transfer points from one account to another has been a feature of manyrewards programs. Some reward programs to charge fees for transferring points.
Here is a guide to show you the fees and limitations to pool points with Airlines and Hotels:
US Airlines
| Program | Cost | Limitations |
| Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | US$10 per 1,000 miles + US$10 | 30,000 max/transaction, 100,000 |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | US$12.50 per 1,000 miles | 200,00 max/year |
| Delta Skymiles | US$10 per 1,000 miles + US$30 | 30,000 max/transaction, 150,000 max/year |
| HawaiianMiles | FREE | Only for co-branded cardholders |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | FREE | For family members: 2 adults, 5 children |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | US$10 per 1,000 miles | 2,000 minimum, 60,000 daily maximum |
| Sun Country Ufly | FREE | Sharing wth 10 other people |
| United MileagePlus | US$15 per 1,000 miles + US$30 | 25,000 max/transaction, 100,000 max/year |
International Airlines
| Program | Cost | Limitations |
| ANA Mileage Club | FREE | Up to 8 family members who live outside of Japan |
| British Airways Executive Club | FREE to 7 people living in the same address | 162,000 Avios max/year |
| Emirates Skywards | US$25 per 1, 000 miles + US$30 | Receiving account must have previous activity |
| Etihad Guest | FREE | Up to 8 members per Family Guest account |
| Flying Blue | €3 per 250 miles | 50,000 max/transaction to another member |
| JAL Mileage Bank | FREE for up to 9 members per Family Club account | Members must live outside Japan, 1,000 miles fee to setup Family Account and 1,000 miles for each member |
| Korean Air SKYPASS | FREE for up to 5 family members | Must prove relationship between family members |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | FREE | 600,000 max/year |
| Qatar Privilege Club | US$13 – 15 per 1,000 miles | 60,000 max/year |
| Virgin Australia Velocity | FREE for up to 6 family members | Must all live in the same address and only 2 can be over the age of 18 |
Hotels
| Program | Cost | Limitations |
| Club Carlson | FREE | Must live in the same address |
| Hilton Honors | FREE with 10 other members | 500,000 max/pool, 2,000,000 max/member |
| IHG Rewards | US$5 per 1, 000 points | None |
| Marriott Rewards | US$10 per tranasction, FREE for Elites | 50,000 max/year |
| Starwood Preferred Guest | FREE | Must live in the same address and recipient must be a member for at least 60 days |
| World of Hyatt | FREE | 1 transaction every 30 days |
What is your experience with pooling points with your friends and family?
I’m definitely bookmarking this page for future reference. All laid out perfectly. Thanks for your dedication to this hobby.