Frequent Flier Miles Expiration Policies
I've got miles. I've accumulated
frequent flier miles on several different airlines. The reason I have so many miles spread out over different programs is simple; I don't always have the luxury of flying the same airline every time I travel on business. Previously this was not a problem because I would just get to them within a certain period of time. Now it appears that even the
best airlines are getting stricter about enforcing their mileage policies by making miles expire at a certain date. Here's what you need to know about the policies at some of the biggest airlines.
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AirTran: Points in A+ Rewards expire after 12 months.
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American Airlines: AAdvantage miles expire after 36 months of inactivity.
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Continental Airlines: OnePass miles do not expire. There is a written policy that says they do, but the airline does not enforce the policy.
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Delta Airlines: Delta SkyMiles expire after two full years of inactivity.
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JetBlue: TrueBlue points expire one full year from the date that they are earned.
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Northwest Airlines: Northwest WorldPerks miles expire if none are earned for three calendar years.
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Southwest Airlines: Rapid Rewards points expire after 24 months.
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United Airlines: Mileage Plus miles expire after 36 months of inactivity. Starting at the end of this year, miles will expire after 18 months of inactivity.
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U.S. Airways: Dividend Miles expire after 18 months of inactivity.
Keep these expiration policies in mind when you travel. We all work hard for our miles, and we should be able to make the best use of them.
