How to use your points to make a reservation for someone else?
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Give a loved one a trip with your points
Yes, you can book a flight or a hotel night in someone else's name with your points, without transferring your points to them. It's often the simplest and cheapest way to give a trip: you keep control of the booking and avoid transfer fees. We show you how it works with Aeroplan, Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, World of Hyatt and bank travel points.
Book a flight for a loved one
With most airline programs, including Aeroplan, you can use your points to pay for someone else's ticket, even if you're not flying with them. You don't need to top up their account to give them a flight.
Remember this above all: booking a ticket in a loved one's name costs you less than transferring your points to them. With Aeroplan, transferring points to another member has a fee: the price is shown at checkout on Points.com, plus taxes and processing fees. Only Aeroplan Family Sharing lets you pool your points for free, with up to 8 members of the same family.
Take a 12,000-point Aeroplan flight to New York. If you transfer those points to your loved one, you pay fees on top of the points. If you book the ticket in their name from your own account, you only pay the points and the ticket taxes.
To book, you simply enter the passenger's details in your account: their legal name and date of birth, exactly as they appear on their ID. The rest works just like booking your own ticket.
To build up the points you need quickly, a card like the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card gives you a welcome offer in Aeroplan points. With that balance, you can already give several getaways for under 25,000 points.
Featured
- Annual feeNo annual fee the first year
- $0 $139
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$1,000Annual fee rebated$139Total$1,139Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $1,139
- Welcome offerAfter $12,000 in 12 months
- Up to 50,000 points
Apply Now
on TD's website
- Annual fee
- $120
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$700Total$700Plus $200 of bonus paid after the first year, not counted in this total.Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $700
- Welcome offerAfter $7,500 in 6 months
- Up to 45,000 points
Apply Now
on American Express's website
Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
Keep in mind that your personal perks don't follow the ticket. The free checked bag tied to your card or status, for example, doesn't apply to the person you book for.
Your loved one can still enjoy these perks with their own credit card: several of them apply no matter who paid for the trip.
The same goes for insurance: your card's coverage doesn't extend to the person you're booking with your points for. If they hold a card like the National Bank World Elite Mastercard®, however, they're still covered for emergency medical care.
For other coverage, such as flight delays or lost luggage, consider giving them travel insurance. soNomad offers affordable products.
Book a hotel room for a loved one
Most hotel programs let you use your points to pay for someone else's room. Paying with points also makes check-in smoother: with a credit card in a third party's name, the hotel may ask for an authorization form or hold up the check-in.
Marriott Bonvoy lets you give up to five award stays per calendar year: this is the "Gifted Award Reservation." You can only book it through Marriott Bonvoy customer support, with your member number, your name and the name of the person staying at the hotel. You'll find every step on Marriott's help page.
Note that neither you nor your loved one earns points or elite night credits for this stay. Your status benefits don't apply either.
Your Marriott Bonvoy free night certificate, however, can't be used for a gifted reservation: the program's terms reserve it for the member whose name is on the certificate. You can still apply it to a second room in your name for a friend or family member, if you're staying at the same hotel on the same dates.
Your Marriott Bonvoy free night certificate renews every year if you hold the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card or the Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card. Both cards also come with generous welcome offers.
- Annual fee
- $120
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$600Total$600Plus $100 of bonus paid after the first year, not counted in this total.Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $600
- Welcome offerAfter $3,000 in 3 months
- Up to 70,000 points
Apply Now
on American Express's website
Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
- Annual fee
- $150
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$700Total$700Plus $100 of bonus paid after the first year, not counted in this total.Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $700
- Welcome offerAfter $5,000 in 3 months
- Up to 80,000 points
Apply Now
on American Express's website
Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
Hilton Honors goes even further: you add your loved one's name to the booking before you confirm it. Search for a room for two adults on Hilton's website, then fill in the "Add guest names" section of the confirmation screen. If you aren't staying with them, Hilton Honors terms call for the award to be issued in their name: they must then be a member of the program, which is free to join.
What’s more, you can pool your points with your friends and family for free (Points Pooling), in blocks of 1,000 points: they can then use them directly from their account.
Book with bank travel points
With a bank's travel points, it's even simpler: you book in your loved one's name and pay with your points, just as you would for yourself.
With TD Rewards, for example, you book a room in a loved one's name on Expedia For TD and use your TD Rewards points at their best value there, even if you aren't travelling with them.
Sponsored
- Annual feeNo annual fee the first year
- $0 $139
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$800Annual fee rebated$139Total$939Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $939
- Welcome offerAfter $7,500 in 6 months
- Up to 160,000 points
Apply Now
on TD's website
The same principle applies to CIBC Aventura points: you redeem them for a statement credit on a travel purchase, such as an all-inclusive package down south for your parents. The bank only checks that it's a travel purchase, not who's going on vacation.
Exclusive
- Annual feeNo annual fee the first year
- $0 $150
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$771Annual fee rebated$150Total$921Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $921
- Welcome offerAfter $20,000 in 12 months
- Up to 115,000 points
- Ends Dec 7, 2026
Apply Now
on BMO's website
On Booking.com, you can also book for friends while still getting your Genius discounts. You then pay for that booking with your travel points to make it a gift.
Airbnb also allows bookings for another person. Another option: give an Airbnb gift card bought at the grocery store with your American Express Cobalt® Card, which earns up to 5x the points on groceries, subject to the card's terms. Your loved one gets a great gift, and you earn points along the way.
- Annual fee
- $191.88
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $255
- Welcome offerGet 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months
- Up to 15,000 points
Apply Now
on American Express's website
Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
Transfer or give points to a loved one
Marriott Bonvoy authorizes free transfers of up to 100,000 points per calendar year, while Hyatt lets you give your points for free, entirely online, on its Purchase and Gift Points page: 1,000 points minimum, then in blocks of 500, up to 525,000 points per calendar year.
You can also buy points for someone else. In programs where transfers come with a fee, such as Aeroplan outside Family Sharing, compare the price of buying points as a gift with the price of a transfer before you pay.
Your loved one then books as they wish and pays the taxes with their own credit card, which gives them access to its insurance. Also watch for bonus points promotions on purchases: depending on the program, they apply to gifted points too.
If your program allows it, you can also transfer your points directly to that person: see our guide on transferring and combining points between people.
Bottom Line
A trip paid with your points is one of the most appreciated gifts. In most programs, book directly in the person's name: you avoid transfer fees and stay in control of the booking. Save transferring or gifting points for programs where it's free, such as Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors and World of Hyatt.
Whether you want to bring the family together, help a loved one come visit you or treat them to a vacation in the sun, your points can become a memory they'll keep for a long time.
Also create your free Milesopedia member account to get member-only offers and choose your newsletters.
Exclusive
- Annual feeNo annual fee the first year
- $0 $150
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueAnnual fee rebated$150Total$150Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $150
- Welcome offer$150 annual fee rebated
- First Year Annual Fee Rebate
- Ends Nov 4, 2026
Apply Now
on National Bank's website
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I book an Aeroplan ticket for someone else?
Yes. You book from your Aeroplan account with your points, entering the passenger's legal name and date of birth exactly as they appear on their ID. You don't need to travel with them.
How much does it cost to transfer Aeroplan points to someone else?
Outside Family Sharing, transfers have a fee: the price is shown at checkout on Points.com, plus taxes and processing fees. Aeroplan Family Sharing, on the other hand, lets you pool points for free with up to 8 members of the same family.
How many gifted stays does Marriott Bonvoy allow?
You can gift up to 5 points stays per calendar year by booking through Marriott Bonvoy customer support. Neither you nor the guest earns points or elite night credits for that stay.
Can I gift a Marriott Bonvoy free night certificate?
No. Marriott Bonvoy terms reserve the certificate for the member named on it. You can still apply it to a room in your name for a loved one if you stay at the same hotel on the same dates.
Can I share Hilton Honors points with a family member?
Yes, for free, by direct transfer or Points Pooling, in blocks of 1,000 points. Each member can send up to 500,000 points per calendar year.
Can I give World of Hyatt points?
Yes, for free and entirely online, on the World of Hyatt Purchase and Gift Points page. Gifts start at 1,000 points, then go in blocks of 500, up to 525,000 points per calendar year. Both accounts must be open for at least 60 days.
Do my card benefits apply to the person I book for?
Generally, no. Free checked bags, status benefits and most insurance tied to your card stay in your name. The traveller can still rely on the medical insurance of their own card, such as the National Bank World Elite Mastercard.