Frontier Miles is running a buy-miles bonus that can reach 150 percent through August 28, 2026. AwardWallet reports that members who purchase at least 10,000 miles during the window can receive the top 150 percent bonus, bringing the effective cost to about 1.08 cents per mile after the usual tax recovery fee.
That is a dated decision for anyone who already has a specific Frontier award target and is short on miles. It is not a freebie for casual stockpiling, because purchased miles do not earn status and Frontier miles expire after 12 months without earning activity.
- Program: Frontier Miles buy and gift miles promotion.
- Deadline: August 28, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET per AwardWallet.
- Top bonus: 150 percent on purchases of 10,000 to 50,000 miles.
- Lower tiers: 100 percent from 2,000 miles and 120 percent from 5,000 miles.
- Effective top rate: About 1.08 cents per mile after tax recovery fee.
What the current buy-miles tiers pay
AwardWallet lays out a tiered bonus structure on the Points.com purchase flow Frontier uses. Buying 1,000 miles earns no bonus. Purchases of 2,000 to 4,000 miles earn a 100 percent bonus, 5,000 to 9,000 miles earn 120 percent, and 10,000 to 50,000 miles earn 150 percent.
At the top tier, a 50,000-mile purchase before bonus can return 125,000 total miles when the 150 percent bonus posts. AwardWallet says Frontier does not cap the number of transactions in the promo window, so multiple purchases may be possible, though each transaction still has to make mathematical sense for your award plan.
Upgraded Points separately reports the same August 28 end date and the same 150 percent bonus for purchases of 10,000 or more miles, which independently corroborates the headline terms travelers are seeing in the loyalty press this month.
The carrier’s public Buy and Gift Miles page is the official entry point for members who want to open the purchase flow after logging in. Promo pricing and bonus tiers appear in that purchase experience rather than as a long static brochure on every public page.
What the fees and fine print change
The base sticker rate is not the final cost. AwardWallet notes a 7.5 percent tax recovery fee at checkout that lifts the no-bonus cost to about 2.69 cents per mile. The 150 percent bonus is what compresses the all-in rate to roughly 1.08 cents when you buy enough miles to hit the top tier.
Purchased miles are non-refundable and typically post within 24 hours. They can be used toward Frontier Miles awards, but they do not count toward status upgrades. That matters if you were hoping a cash purchase would move a status bar.
Expiration is the other hard constraint. Frontier miles expire after 12 months without earning activity, so a large buy only makes sense if you will redeem or keep the account active well before that clock runs out.
Standard Frontier Miles terms still apply on top of the promotion language, so treat the promo math as a temporary price layer rather than a rewrite of the whole program.
When buying is rational and when it is not
Buying only helps when the award you want is already priced and the cash alternative is worse after taxes and bag fees. AwardWallet examples around international leisure routes and some domestic one-ways show redemptions that can beat the purchase cost when the cash fare is high and the award chart is low.
It is usually a weak move to buy miles with no itinerary, then hope value appears later. Frontier award pricing is loosely tied to cash fares, and many redemptions land closer to basic-economy style products without free seat selection or a standard carry-on, depending on the award type.
A cleaner use case is topping off. If you already sit a few thousand miles short of a booked award and the bonus tier lands in your range, a small purchase can be cheaper than changing dates or buying a cash ticket tomorrow.
For program basics and bag rules that affect whether an award is actually cheap, use Deep Arrival’s live Frontier Airlines guide and the house carry-on size chart before you assume a miles ticket is a full-service product.
What to do before August 28
First log into Frontier Miles and open the current buy flow so you see the live bonus table for your account rather than only a third-party screenshot. Second, price the exact award you want, including taxes and any bag fees you will still pay. Third, compare that all-in miles cost with the cash fare on the same dates.
If the math only works at the 150 percent tier, buy at least 10,000 base miles in one transaction rather than splitting into smaller buys that fall into weaker bonus bands. If you need more than 50,000 base miles, plan separate transactions carefully and recheck the portal after each purchase.
Skip the promo if your miles would sit idle for months or if you do not already fly Frontier enough to keep the account active. A cheap cents-per-mile number is still a loss when the miles expire unused.
Members who gift miles to another account should run the same deadline and tier math, because the promotion language covers buy and gift activity in the current loyalty press coverage. Confirm the live portal still shows the bonus on the gift path before you pay.
If two people in the same household both need miles, separate member logins can keep each purchase inside the cleanest tier without forcing one account to overbuy for no reason.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Already have a priced Frontier award shortfall | Buy only the miles needed to clear the award, targeting the best bonus tier you can reach. |
| Can buy 10,000 or more base miles with a use case | Use the 150 percent tier before the August 28 deadline and compare against cash. |
| Would buy under 2,000 miles | Expect little or no bonus and usually skip unless the shortfall is tiny and time-critical. |
| Have no award plan and inactive earning history | Do not stockpile; expiration risk outweighs the temporary rate. |
| Need status progress more than awards | Skip purchased miles because they do not count toward status upgrades. |
- Set a hard calendar alert: August 28, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET ends the current bonus window.
- Price the award first: Do not buy miles until the redemption and taxes are on screen.
- Hit the tier intentionally: Structure the purchase to reach 10,000 base miles if you want the 150 percent bonus.
- Keep the account active: Plan earning or redemption inside 12 months so purchased miles do not expire.
- Recheck bag and seat fees: Award value can shrink after carry-on and seat charges on basic-style products.
The decision rule is simple: buy only when a specific Frontier award still looks cheaper after the bonus, fees, and expiration risk, and finish the purchase before the August 28 cutoff.
When does the Frontier Miles 150 percent buy-miles bonus end?
AwardWallet reports the promotion ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on August 28, 2026.
How many miles do you need to buy for the 150 percent bonus?
The top 150 percent bonus applies to purchases of 10,000 to 50,000 miles in a transaction, according to AwardWallet’s tier table.
What is the effective cost per mile with the 150 percent bonus?
About 1.08 cents per mile after the tax recovery fee when you buy enough miles to hit the top bonus tier.
Do purchased Frontier Miles count toward status?
No. Purchased miles can be used for awards but do not count toward status upgrades.
Do Frontier Miles expire after you buy them?
Yes. Frontier miles expire after 12 months without earning activity, so buy only if you will redeem or keep the account active.
