For those of us into collecting miles & points, one thing to always be on the lookout for is mileage expiration policies. Programs have different policies when it comes to whether miles expire, and if so, what activity will prevent your miles from expiring.
Even as someone who probably dedicates way too much time to loyalty programs, I’ve had airline miles expire on me, and it’s such a frustrating feeling. In this post I wanted to take a close look at airline mileage expiration policies. When do airline miles expire, and what can you do to prevent them from expiring? In a separate post I looked at hotel points expiration policies.
In this post:
When do airline miles expire?
The major airline loyalty programs have varying policies when it comes to miles expiring. The policies most commonly fit into one of three categories (in order of generosity, starting with the best policy):
- Miles don’t expire, with no need for activity
- Miles expire after a certain amount of time, but only if you don’t have any account activity
- Miles expire after a certain amount of time, regardless of whether or not you have any account activity
With that out of the way, let’s look at the policies of the major airline loyalty programs.
Air Canada Aeroplan points expiration policy
Air Canada Aeroplan points expire after 18 months of inactivity. Any points earning or redemption activity resets the expiration of your points by a further 18 months.
Air France-KLM Flying Blue mileage expiration policy
Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles expire after 24 months of inactivity. Note that only select activity can reset the expiration of your miles, and that includes crediting a flight to the program, or earning miles with a co-branded Air France-KLM credit card. Other points earning activity won’t reset the expiration of your miles.
Alaska Mileage Plan mileage expiration policy
Alaska Mileage Plan miles don’t expire. However, if you don’t have any account activity for over two years, your account may be locked for security reasons, and your miles may be accessed by contacting Mileage Plan and verifying personal details.
All Nippon Airways Mileage Club mileage expiration policy
All Nippon Airways Mileage Club miles expire 36 months after they’re earned. This is a hard expiration, and there’s no way to extend your miles further. The only exception is for million miler members, as their miles never expire.
American AAdvantage mileage expiration policy
American AAdvantage miles expire after 24 months of inactivity. Any mileage earning or redemption activity resets the expiration of your miles by a further 24 months. Furthermore, AAdvantage members under the age of 21, as well as primary cardmembers on a co-branded American Airlines credit card from Barclays or Citi won’t have their miles expire, regardless of account activity.
Avianca LifeMiles mileage expiration policy
Avianca LifeMiles expire after 12 months of inactivity. Note that only earning miles will extend the expiration of your miles by a further 12 months, as redeeming miles doesn’t change your mileage expiration (unlike with most other programs).
British Airways Executive Club Avios expiration policy
British Airways Executive Club Avios expire after 36 months of inactivity. Any Avios earning or redemption activity resets the expiration of your Avios by a further 36 months.
Delta SkyMiles mileage expiration policy
Delta SkyMiles don’t expire, regardless of whether or not you have any account activity.
Emirates Skywards mileage expiration policy
Emirates Skywards miles expire roughly three years after they’re earned. I say “roughly,” because in reality they expire at the end of your birthday month three years after they’re earned. In other words, if you earned miles on January 1, 2023, and your birthday is on April 1, then your miles would expire on April 30, 2026. This is a hard expiration, and there’s no way to extend your miles further without paying extra.
The only exception is that Emirates Skywards Platinum members aren’t subject to mileage expiration policies for as long as they maintain the status.
EVA Air Infinity MileageLands mileage expiration policy
EVA Air Infinity MileageLands miles expire 36 months after they’re earned. This is a hard expiration, and there’s no way to extend your miles further.
Etihad Guest mileage expiration policy
Etihad Guest miles expire after 18 months of inactivity. Any mileage earning or redemption activity resets the expiration of your miles by a further 18 months.
JetBlue TrueBlue points expiration policy
JetBlue TrueBlue points don’t expire, regardless of whether or not you have any account activity.
Lufthansa Miles & More mileage expiration policy
Lufthansa Miles & More miles expire 36 months after they’re earned. This is a hard expiration, and there’s no way to extend your miles further. The only exceptions are for Miles & More elite members, and those holding a co-branded Lufthansa credit card.
Qantas Frequent Flyer points expiration policy
Qantas Frequent Flyer points expire after 18 months of inactivity. Any points earning or redemption activity resets the expiration of your points by a further 18 months.
Singapore KrisFlyer mileage expiration policy
Singapore KrisFlyer miles expire 36 months after they’re earned. This is a hard expiration, and there’s no way to extend your miles further. The only exception is for PPS Club and Solitaire PPS Club members, as miles don’t expire for these members.
Southwest Rapid Rewards points expiration policy
Southwest Rapid Rewards points don’t expire, regardless of whether or not you have any account activity.
Turkish Miles&Smiles mileage expiration policy
Turkish Miles&Smiles miles expire 36 months after they’re earned. This is a hard expiration, and there’s no way to extend your miles further without paying a fee.
United MileagePlus mileage expiration policy
United MileagePlus miles don’t expire, regardless of whether or not you have any account activity.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points expiration policy
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points don’t expire, regardless of whether or not you have any account activity.
How do you prevent airline miles from expiring?
Are you finding yourself in a situation where your airline miles are expiring imminently? As you can see, programs have varying policies, with some programs letting you extend the expiration of your miles in conjunction with account activity.
For those programs, what’s the easiest way to reset your airline mileage expiration? You’ll want to check the policy of each specific program, but here are some methods that generally work:
- Most airline loyalty programs let you donate miles to charity, so even a small mileage donation could reset your mileage expiration
- Most airline loyalty programs have online shopping and dining portals, allowing you to earn bonus miles for those activities; that would also reset your mileage expiration
- Most airline loyalty programs have co-branded credit cards, and any spending on those credit cards would earn miles that would reset your mileage expiration
- Most airline loyalty programs sell miles directly to consumers, and even buying a small number of miles would reset your mileage expiration
- Several airline loyalty programs partner with major transferable points currencies, and transferring a small number of of points would reset your mileage expiration
- This is the most obvious, but redeeming miles for a flight, or taking a flight that earns you miles, would also reset your mileage expiration
If you have any airline miles that are close to expiring, just keep in mind how long it could take for miles to post to your account as qualifying activity. For example, if you spend money on a co-branded credit card, it could take weeks before those miles post to your airline account (it usually takes at least until a few days after the statement closes). Meanwhile donating miles to charity, buying miles, or transferring points from another currency, is typically a near instant process in terms of resetting expiration.
Bottom line
Miles earned with airline loyalty programs have varying expiration policies. Some programs don’t expire miles even without activity, other programs only expire miles if you don’t have any activity for a certain period of time, and some programs expire miles after a certain amount of time regardless of activity.
For airline programs that let you reset miles with activity, fortunately that’s quite easy to do, as generally any mileage earning or redemption activity would qualify. Just make sure you always keep an eye on expiration policies.
What has your experience been with airline miles expiring?
Sadly this does not answer the question of WHY air miles expire - it merely gives details of different airlines policies. WHAT is the actual reason that airlines take away airmiles earned from purchasing their services/goods. In effect. it seems you are loaned airmiles by the airlines not given them to keep and use. The loyalty program rewards you with airmiles which are yours only temporarily. No reason as for as I can discover is...
Sadly this does not answer the question of WHY air miles expire - it merely gives details of different airlines policies. WHAT is the actual reason that airlines take away airmiles earned from purchasing their services/goods. In effect. it seems you are loaned airmiles by the airlines not given them to keep and use. The loyalty program rewards you with airmiles which are yours only temporarily. No reason as for as I can discover is given as to why the airline is allowed to remove air miles from your account. The method to maintain them is of course spend more money to the airline- not unlike the supermarket stamps in the 60s which were banned. Their partner hotels, car rentals etc. where you can gain airmiles (not usually a large number in reality) are most likely the more expensive ones. If you purchase airmiles to keep them at a high level you have no protection from having them removed at a later date - because you don't own the airmiles the airline apparently appears be the owner. Consider buying 6 tins of beans from your favourite supermarket and 3 months later comes to collect 2 tins because you have not used them!!!
Am I missing something here with airline loyalty programs that would justify the system majority employ?
Do Qantas Frequent Flyer points or Air Canada Aeroplan points revalidate after 18 months from the date of transfer if we transfer from our credit card partner?
It is my understanding that with a high status miles do not expire both with Krisflter and Skywards?!
In addition, earning points with ACCOR ALL also does prolong miles expiry for flyingblue!?
@ Wigand Weirich -- Good catch regarding KrisFlyer and Skywards, I updated the post to reflect that. I might be missing something with Accor, do you mind pointing to where you saw that? Thanks!
Two additional information worth mentioning: holding Emirates Platinum and Singapore Airlines PPS/PPS Solitaire miles won’t expire respectively
@ Benj -- Updated the post to reflect that, thanks! :-)
I have quite a lot of Philippine airlines miles that i have no idea how to use as they don’t fly out of London anymore, can’t find anyway to buy more or spend them without actually going to the Philippines.
What about Lufthansa?
36 months hard loss. Elite status as well m&m credit cards keep the miles alive
@ Robt. -- I went ahead and added Lufthansa's policy to the list, thanks for the idea.
Qantas 18 months.
Redemption does not extend Lifemiles. I tried.
@ BM -- Updated post to reflect that, thanks!
Does anyone have a suggestion/path to follow? I have a close friend who's husband died and she has been a basket case ever since trying to get her affairs in order. She just found out that both her husbands and her AA miles expired approx one year ago. He handled everything for her so she doesn't know if there is any recourse to get them back. Please help if you can, it is so sad!
Does transfering a BA Avios to Qatar Avios (and back) count to keep it alive?
For ANA, miles don’t expire once you reached the million miler status with the program. Probably not in the reach for many, but might be worth mentioning.
Also, if you don’t know what to do with ANA miles and they are about to expire, you can convert them into Sky Coins right before they expire (sky coins are valid for 1 more year), conversion rate can be good depending on your airline status, then...
For ANA, miles don’t expire once you reached the million miler status with the program. Probably not in the reach for many, but might be worth mentioning.
Also, if you don’t know what to do with ANA miles and they are about to expire, you can convert them into Sky Coins right before they expire (sky coins are valid for 1 more year), conversion rate can be good depending on your airline status, then those coins translate into 1:1 currency (i.e. 100.000 coins = 100.000 yen), which you can use to book flights with or reduce the price for your flights etc. As these are not miles, the flight purchased with coins (that you converted from miles) then earn you at least some miles again. Might not always be the best choice but better than letting them expire. :)
@ Ben -- Updated the post to reflect that, thanks! :-)
If I have AA miles that are expiring, will booking a redemption and then cancelling it at a later date affect the expiry date?
You could try it and report back.
It might but be aware that some airlines claw back the miles later on. I had miles that were booked for a flight. I cancelled and rebooked due to a blizzard and previous bad experience with this airline during a blizzard. The airline, SQ, required the miles be refunded and then rebooked. They did that but refused to help when the computer system seized the miles as they were refunded.