DAY 10 - Don't Let Your Miles Expire.... EVER!

So, the first nine days so far have been like a newbie's guide to earning miles. From this point onward, I will talk about the basics of redeeming them like a pro so you can start using them on trips!

Before I get there, there is something BIG, that a lot of people seem to mess up:

DON'T LET YOUR MILES EXPIRE!

Why earn if you can't use them? I've heard countless stories of people who get all excited about this hobby, then some of their miles expire and then they get too frustrated to keep going. The good news is, that it is very easy to keep your miles from ever expiring. That way you can save them for your dream trip, or keep the miles in the bank for last minute needs.

Here are some important questions we will answer today:

• When you close a credit card, do you lose the miles or points you've earned?
• When do miles and points expire?
• How do I keep my balances active?
• How can I get reminders of balances soon to expire?

When you close a credit card, do you lose the miles or points earned?

This depends. When you have what is called a "co-branded" credit card, like the Delta American Express card, or the Citibank Hilton HHonors card, then no, your miles will not expire.

Co-branded cards deposit the miles you earn, directly into the frequent miler program that it is linked to. So when you spend $1000 on your Delta card, you will get 1000 Delta miles directly deposited to your SkyMiles account. Then, the SkyMiles will be subject to the expiry rules that Delta sets. By cancelling your AmEx card, you don't affect anything that is already transferred into SkyMiles.

But, if you have a credit card that has "transferable points" or "bank points" where your points sit with a program, like Ultimate Rewards from Chase, Arrival miles from BarclayCard, or Membership Rewards from American Express, then by canceling that card, you forfeit all the miles that have not been transferred into a program. The easy way to do this is when you are thinking of canceling, transfer all the points into the frequent flyer program of your choice before you pull the trigger. That way, everything you've earned is safe.

Keep in mind, that transfers are non-refundable, meaning once you send them to a program, you cannot send them back. We will cover the basics of transferable programs in my next post.

When do miles and points expire?

The easiest answer is: miles will expire due to a lack of activity in the program for an extended period of time.

Delta, JetBlue, and Southwest miles do not expire.

American, United, Hawaiian, and some others expire after 18 months of inactivity.

Alaska miles expire after 24 months of inactivity.

British Airways miles expire after 36 months.

Usually, your program's miles will not ever expire as long as you keep their co-branded credit card. But I wouldn't justify paying an annual fee on a credit card just to keep your miles active. The easiest thing to do is make sure there is some sort of activity--can be either earning, or redeeming--within the time frame mentioned.

How do I keep my balances active?

 

My last post mentioned dining programs and click through portals. They're an easy way to make sure that you are earning points, but they also ensure that your account never expires due to inactivity. For instance, if my United miles were set to expire soon, I'd likely make an online purchase using the click through portal so that I earn miles there, thus resetting the expiration clock to another 18 months. Keep in mind that miles from these methods may take anywhere from a day to a couple of weeks to post to your account, so make sure you allot enough time in case any issues come up. Airlines are sticklers, and will often make you pay a fee to reinstate your miles, even without a grace period.

Here are a few other ways to keep your miles from expiring if you need to have some activity in a pinch:

• Purchase miles with the airline: This is normally a really bad idea, as you end up paying more than what one mile is worth. However, if you need to keep a big balance active, you can purchase a small number of miles to keep the program going. United, for example charges $35 + tax for 1,000 miles.
• Donate your miles: all of the major airlines allow you to donate miles to non-profits such as the Make-A-Wish foundation or UNICEF. Obviously, this is best done out of the goodness of your heart, but the donation also keeps your miles active.
• BOOK A TICKET! Remember that it's not only earning that keeps you active, it's also redeeming your miles! If you know you're going somewhere in two weeks, book a ticket, and keep the rest of your miles active!

 

How can I get reminders of balances soon to expire?

 

Sign up for Award Wallet! If you haven't read my first post already, I detailed all the awesome features of this program. You can use it to track your balances, status, and expiration dates on all your accounts. I still have a few Premium subscriptions left if you use this code: free-bqokqr



Peace, love, and an extra pack of peanuts,

LC