Starlux Will Sell You Miles at 4 Cents Each. Alaska Charges Less.
- 6 hours ago
- 5 min read
Starlux Airlines began selling COSMILE miles through Points.com in August 2026 at $40 per 1,000 miles, or 4 US cents each. Most airline programs charge a third of that during a decent sale. Buying enough miles for a one-way Starlux first class seat between Taipei and the U.S. West Coast costs $4,800. The cash fare on that route runs near $12,000.
The short version
Price: $40 per 1,000 COSMILE miles, sold in 1,000-mile increments.
Annual cap: 150,000 miles per COSMILE member per year.
Purchased miles expire 36 months after purchase and are non-transferable.
Starlux first class Taipei to the U.S. West Coast: 120,000 miles now, 130,000 from October 1, 2026.
Alaska's Atmos Rewards prices the same first class seat from 110,000 points and business from 75,000.
Why does this matter if you have never flown Starlux?
Starlux Airlines is the Taiwanese carrier that has spent the last few years building a reputation for premium cabins on the transpacific run. It flies to Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Ontario and Phoenix from its Taipei hub, plus one European route to Prague. Until this month there were only two ways to get COSMILE miles: fly Starlux, or credit a partner flight to the program. COSMILE has no transfer partnership with Chase, Amex, Citi or Capital One, so a U.S. points balance could not reach it.
Selling miles changes that. It also puts a price tag on the program for the first time, and 4 cents is a high one.
What does a Starlux award cost in bought miles?
Starlux prices awards between Asia and North America or Europe on a fixed chart, and buying the miles at 4 cents each turns that chart into a dollar figure. The table below sets Starlux's own pricing against what Alaska's Atmos Rewards charges for the same cabin on the same route.
Cabin | Starlux COSMILE miles | Cost to buy at 4 cents | Alaska Atmos Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
Economy | 50,000 | $2,000 | From 37,500 points |
Premium economy | 60,000 | $2,400 | From 50,000 points |
Business | 90,000 | $3,600 | From 75,000 points |
First class | 120,000 (130,000 from Oct 1, 2026) | $4,800 ($5,200 from Oct 1) | From 110,000 points |
Set that against the cash fare. A one-way Starlux first class ticket from San Francisco to Taipei runs around $12,000, and Taipei to San Francisco around $9,300. Spending $4,800 to fly a seat priced at $12,000 is a real discount, even at a bad mileage rate. The 150,000-mile annual cap matters here, since you cannot buy enough miles in one year for a round trip in business or first class. This is a one-way tool.
Is transferring to Alaska cheaper than buying Starlux miles?
Alaska's Atmos Rewards program books Starlux flights on a distance-based partner chart, and every Taipei route except Phoenix falls in the 5,001 to 7,000 mile band. Atmos prices that band from 37,500 points in economy, 50,000 in premium economy, 75,000 in business and 110,000 in first class. Every one of those numbers beats what Starlux charges through its own program.
Two catches. Those are starting rates, so real availability often prices higher, and first class award space through Atmos is scarce enough that it frequently does not appear at all. Bilt Points are the only transferable currency that reaches Alaska, so most people need a Bilt card or an Alaska co-branded card to build a balance. Atmos also runs buy-points sales at rates far below 4 cents, which makes buying Alaska points and booking Starlux the cheaper path when the seat is available.
Etihad Guest added Starlux redemptions in August 2026 too, at rates that do not compete with Alaska. We compared all three routes in our guide to booking Starlux with points.
What are the rules on buying COSMILE miles?
Starlux sells COSMILE miles in 1,000-mile increments through Points.com, with a ceiling of 150,000 miles per member per calendar year. Purchased miles stay valid for 36 months from the purchase date. They redeem for Starlux and partner award tickets, upgrade awards, Miles and Cash bookings, the Starlux Shop and flight simulator sessions. They do not count toward membership renewal or status upgrades, and they cannot be transferred to another member. Every mileage transaction is nonrefundable.
One practical note on payment. Because Points.com processes the sale, the charge does not code as airfare or travel, so a card with a travel bonus category earns nothing extra here. Put the purchase on whatever card is working toward a welcome offer or a spending threshold.
What this means for you
Buying miles at 4 cents is almost never right, and this is the narrow case where it might be. The rule that holds: find the seat first, confirm it is bookable, then buy exactly the miles that seat needs. Never buy COSMILE miles to hold. A program with no transfer partners and a 4-cent sale price has every incentive to reprice its chart, and the October 1 first class increase from 120,000 to 130,000 miles shows it already is.
Check Alaska first every time. If Atmos Rewards shows the seat, transferring or buying Alaska points wins on price. Buy Starlux miles only when Alaska shows nothing and the cash fare is four figures. Our points and miles valuation guide covers how to compare the two paths in dollars rather than in miles.
FAQ
How much do Starlux miles cost to buy?
Starlux sells COSMILE miles for $40 per 1,000 miles, which works out to 4 US cents each. Miles are sold in 1,000-mile increments through Points.com, and there is currently no bonus or discount promotion on the purchase.
How many Starlux miles can I buy in a year?
COSMILE members can purchase up to 150,000 miles per year. That is not enough for a round-trip business or first class award between Taipei and the United States, so buying covers one direction at a time.
Do purchased Starlux miles expire?
Purchased COSMILE miles are valid for 36 months from the date of purchase. They also do not count toward membership renewal or status upgrade qualification, and they cannot be transferred to another member.
Can I transfer credit card points to Starlux COSMILE?
No. Starlux COSMILE does not partner with Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou or Capital One. Buying miles or crediting a flown segment are the only ways to add miles to a COSMILE account.
Is it cheaper to book Starlux through Alaska Atmos Rewards?
Usually yes. Alaska's Atmos Rewards prices Starlux flights between the U.S. West Coast and Taipei from 75,000 points in business and 110,000 in first class, below what Starlux charges in its own program. Award availability through Atmos is limited, particularly in first class.
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