Holy Airline Miles Batman! Are People REALLY Selling Their Flight Perks Online?!

My Spidey Sense is Tingling...About Travel Deals?!

Alright web heads your friendly neighborhood Spider Man here swinging in with some news that's got me doing a double take! Seems like folks are getting their hands on sweet airline deals... by buying miles from strangers online! I know right? It's like finding out Aunt May's been secretly training in parkour. Apparently this Tracy Ren lady booked a trip to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris using miles she BOUGHT on Carousell – some online marketplace popular over in Asia. She didn't earn them she *bought* them! As in someone ELSE'S miles. This is getting weirder than a symbiote prom night.

Is This Legal? Am I About to Get Arrested?!

So naturally my Spidey sense started screaming 'Is this even LEGAL?!' Turns out it's a bit of a gray area. According to Aaron Wong from The MileLion (sounds like a cool villain name by the way) buying and selling miles online isn't against the law and Carousell doesn't seem to mind either. They're all like 'Hey not our problem! Blame the airlines!'. But wait! There's a catch and you KNOW I hate catches! (Except Gwen she's awesome!).

The Airline's Revenge: Forfeited Miles and Account Closures Oh My!

Singapore Airlines in this case has rules against selling or trading KrisFlyer miles. It's like trying to cut in line at a hot dog stand in New York – you're gonna get yelled at! If the airline catches you they can swipe those miles faster than I can say 'Shazam!' (Yeah I know that's not my line sue me!) They might even close your account! Plus there's the risk of getting scammed. Yikes! Moral of the story: don't trust everyone you meet online especially if they promise you a first class ticket to paradise for the price of a churro.

The Nominee Game: How the Sausage (or Miles) is Made

So how do these mile merchants get away with it? Apparently they either transfer credit card points directly (risky risky!) or name the buyer as a 'nominee' on their KrisFlyer account. Singapore Airlines lets you nominate up to five peeps to use your miles. Sneaky right? One seller even admitted to CNBC that they've been slinging miles this way for over a year! They even share their personal info to give buyers some 'comfort.' I share my personal info...with the Daily Bugle...and look how that turned out! J. Jonah Jameson is a menace!

Why Sell? Expiring Points and Cheaper Flights Apparently!

Why would anyone do this? Some folks are drowning in miles and don't want them to expire (use them or lose them!) while others are just trying to score cheaper flights. One seller even admitted to selling miles to fly on *other* airlines because Singapore Airlines is too pricey! Ouch! Talk about a burn! 'You sell those miles you get the funds and the same funds are used for your other bookings.' says our anonymous friend. Sounds like a win win...until you get caught that is.

Airline Crackdown: Are the Days of Discounted Miles Numbered?

Singapore Airlines is NOT happy about this! They're working with the authorities to shut down these mile peddlers. But according to Wong it's a game of whack a mole. They try to stop the sale of miles without making it too hard for the honest Joes. So what's a web slinger to do? Wong suggests using services like Citi PayAll and CardUp to earn miles on your bills. 'The irony that I see here is that you could do it – legitimately – for less.' he says. So remember folks with great power comes great responsibility...and maybe a slightly better way to earn airline miles.