Got Extra Airline Miles? Donate Them To Immigrant & Refugee Families

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Finished jet-setting for the summer and still have tons of miles left? Consider donating them to an immigrant or refugee family in need through an organization like Miles4Migrants.

The organization, which collects and uses donated frequent flyer miles to arrange travel for refugees and to reunite immigrant families separated at borders, went viral after Beth Wilensky, a law professor at the University of Michigan, tweeted out a suggestion for those looking to help out families in need. The tweet then resulted in more than 7.3 million miles being donated to Miles4Migrants, according to CNN.

“[We] have big plans for use of these miles…both to support separated immigrant families, and continue our global family reunification work with refugees around the world,” a spokesperson told Lifehacker.

My husband travels a lot. Downside: he’s gone a lot. Upside: frequent flyer miles. We just used some to fly a 3-yr-old and his dad, who had been separated at the border, from Michigan (where the son had been taken) to their extended family. DM me if you have miles to donate.

— Beth Wilensky (@bethwilensky) August 6, 2018

Ever since President Donald Trump’s zero-tolerance policy took effect, more than 1,800 children separated at the border between the U.S. and Mexico have been reunited with parents and sponsors. Although hundreds of them still remain apart, according to Time.

The process for donating miles to Miles4Migrants is simple: input your name and contact information into the form, and choose your donation from more than 15 travel loyalty programs, including JetBlue TrueBlue, American Airlines AAdvantage, Southwest Rapid Rewards. And voila, you’re all set.

While this isn’t the only way to give back to parents and children separated at the borders, it’s certainly an important one. Because let’s be honest: plane tickets are not cheap, and every little bit of help counts.

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