If you’re eager to explore the world of travel rewards and want to earn points and miles for travel, it’s essential to understand how the most popular airline loyalty programs function. That includes understanding how to redeem your points and miles and whether they expire.
With some loyalty programs, your points or miles may expire if there is no recent activity in your loyalty account. With others, rewards never expire as long as your account remains open. Expiration rules can vary between airline loyalty programs.
It’s crucial to review expiration rules so you know what to expect so you don’t lose the points and miles you’ve earned. We’re here to help you gain the knowledge you need to get maximum value from your airline and credit card rewards. Let’s dive into the details.
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Do credit card points expire?
I have some good news — many credit card points don’t expire. Each credit card rewards program outlines the specific expiration rules in its rewards program guide. You’ll want to look into each rewards program to understand the specifics, so you’re not caught off guard.
Generally, you can expect your credit card points to remain active and usable if you follow the rules outlined by your credit card issuer. If you don’t follow these rules, you could lose your points.
Here’s a little more info:
Points never expire for the following credit card rewards programs as long as you have an active credit card in good standing:
- American Express Membership Rewards Points
- Capital One Points
- Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
- Bilt Rewards Points
However, some credit card rewards programs allow for points to expire. For example, with select older Citi credit cards, points expire after a set period. You could lose your unused points if you have one of these credit cards and don’t redeem your points before they expire. You can view our Citi ThankYou Points guide to learn which credit cards are impacted.
Credit card rewards programs can change, so it’s essential to review your rewards program guide periodically to stay informed of any upcoming changes that could impact your rewards.
As a reminder, it’s best to use your rewards sooner rather than later. Points can be devalued the longer you hold onto them, and your redemption options can change. You can maximize the value of your credit card points by redeeming them soon after you earn them.
Do airline miles expire?
Some airline loyalty programs allow miles to expire. This usually happens if an account has been inactive for an extended period.
However, some airline loyalty programs don’t have mileage expiration rules. If your account remains open and in good standing, you can keep your miles until you’re ready to use them.
The following airline loyalty programs specify that their miles never expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing:
- Delta Air Lines SkyMiles
- Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
- United Airlines MileagePlus
If you have unused miles, keep your airline loyalty program account open and in good standing. This way, you don’t risk account closure. You won’t have to worry about this unless you’re using your account to commit fraud, have suspicious account activity, or break other program rules.
These airline loyalty programs state that miles can expire
The following airline miles may expire due to account inactivity:
- Air Canada Aeroplan: Miles expire after 18 months of account inactivity
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue: Miles expire after two years of account inactivity
- Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan: Miles technically don’t expire. However, your account can be deactivated after 24 months of inactivity.
- American Airlines AAdvantage: Miles expire after 24 months of account inactivity
- British Airways Executive Club: Avios expire after 36 consecutive months of account inactivity
- Copa Airlines ConnectMiles: Miles expire after 24 consecutive months of account inactivity
- Finnair Plus: Miles expire after 18 consecutive months of account inactivity
- Iberia Plus: Avios expire after 36 months of account inactivity
- LATAM Pass: Miles expire 36 months after your last flight
- Aer Lingus AerClub: Avios expire after 36 months of account inactivity
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club: Avios expire after 36 months of account inactivity
Do airline credit card miles expire?
Whether or not airline credit card miles expire depends on what your credit card issuer has decided. Typically, credit card issuers follow the airline loyalty program’s rules. If an airline’s loyalty program states that miles never expire, you can generally expect that any miles that you earn by using the airline’s branded credit card follow the same rules.
For some airline loyalty programs (especially many of the major domestic airlines in the United States,) your miles will remain yours as long as your loyalty program account remains open and in good standing. Having a co-branded credit card often satisfies that requirement.
Of course, it’s best to review your airline credit card’s program guide to double-check the specific rules regarding the expiration of miles. Program rules can change.
If you have a branded credit card for any of the following airlines, any miles earned won’t expire as long as your airline loyalty program account remains open and in good standing:
- Delta Air Lines
- Hawaiian Airlines
- JetBlue
- Southwest Airlines
- United Airlines
Technically, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles don’t expire. However, your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan account can be closed due to inactivity. Alaska Airlines may deactivate your account after 24 months of inactivity. As long as you’re using your credit card to earn miles or earn or redeem miles in other ways, your Mileage Plan account will remain active due to recent activity.
How to keep your airline miles from expiring
The good news is even if you have airline miles at risk of expiring, you can take action to avoid losing them. The easiest way is to keep your account active. By having some activity in your loyalty program account, you can ensure your miles don’t expire before you use them.
Use your airline credit card: If you have an airline credit card, using your card for everyday purchases will allow you to earn miles and keep your account active.
Book a flight: If you’re at risk of losing your miles soon, you may want to log into your rewards account and book a flight. Flying is considered account activity and can help prevent your miles from expiring.
Redeem miles for an award flight or seat upgrade: If you need to book a flight for an upcoming trip, consider redeeming your airline miles for an award flight. This will count as an activity within your rewards account and can help prevent any remaining miles from expiring. Another option, if available, is to redeem miles for a seat upgrade for a flight you already booked.
Buy miles: Many airline loyalty programs allow travelers to purchase miles. Buying miles counts as account activity and can help you keep existing miles from expiring. Keep in mind that mile purchases typically aren’t a great value. Unless you’re short of a few miles for an award flight redemption, you should explore other methods first.
Use your go-to airline’s shopping portal: Some airlines have designated shopping portals that travelers can use to earn miles when they shop online. You can earn miles when you activate offers and make eligible purchases with participating retailers. Earning miles through these portals counts as account activity and can keep your miles from expiring.
Do hotel points expire?
Many popular hotel loyalty programs allow points to expire, and typically, credit card issuers mimic the hotel loyalty program’s rules.. That means hotel credit card points can expire.
Typically, this happens if your account is inactive after a certain period. Usually, hotel card points expire after 12 to 24 months of inactivity. But if you continue to have activity within your account, you can keep your points until you’re ready to use them. Of course, expiration rules vary by hotel loyalty program, so it’s best to review the terms and conditions of each program.
Here’s what to expect if you have a branded credit card tied to the following hotel programs:
The following hotel points may expire
Choice Privileges: Points expire after 18 months of account inactivity.
Hilton Honors: Points expire after 24 consecutive months of account inactivity.
IHG One Rewards: Points expire after 12 months of account inactivity. However, points never expire for elite members.
Marriott Bonvoy: Points expire after 24 consecutive months of inactivity.
World of Hyatt: Points expire after 24 months of inactivity.
Wyndham Rewards: Points expire four years after they post, but an account can be canceled after 18 consecutive months of account inactivity.
The following hotel points don’t expire
Best Western: If you have a Best Western credit card, you don’t need to worry about your points expiring as long as your Best Western Rewards account remains open and in good standing.
Redeem your points and miles now
This is a good reminder to use the travel rewards you earn. Whether you earn rewards from an airline or hotel loyalty program or by using a branded airline credit card, you worked hard to earn your rewards and want to avoid losing them. Furthermore, points and miles get devalued from time to time, so using them sooner rather than later is best practice.
If you prefer to redeem your points or miles for travel, point.me can help you find the best award flight redemption to maximize the value of your rewards. Redeeming your rewards for flights can help you save money on travel. The more money you save, the more you can explore the world.
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