When Do My Miles Or Points Expire?

Nice roundup!

Its been posted on the forum that once the co opp card gets combined with the mileage plus card, the co miles will expire if there isn’t activity.
Is that incorrect?

I haven’t checked but from what I remember Jetblue miles expire after 12 months even if you have activity. The only way to make them stay is with the card. This is a while back, so it may have changed.

if you have a spirit cc I forget if you have to use it or not but your points won’t expire

@Yitzi:
As long as you have a Continental or United card your miles shouldn’t expire.

@Efi:
The policy as written in the post is correct.

@Danny:
The cc doesn’t help. You still need activity every 3 months to keep your miles alive.

Lufthansa Miles & More, IIRC 3 years after those miles were earned, regardless of activity.

Anything you can do if the miles actually expire? Specifically with American. Thanks

@Dan:
Sure!
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/4926

One more way your points expire: that’s when YOU do. Remember the saying I made up decades ago when TWA started it’s mileage program: “MIZTVOS ARE THE FREQUENT-FLYER MILES AWARD FOR THE ULTIMATE JOURNEY”. thanks. HB.

Dan, can you give me a tip on a credit card that has the lowest possible apr rate but does have miles/points or cash back? thanks alot!

@jj:
http://www.dansdeals.com/go/slate/

thanks alot Dan, it doesnt look like it has miles that you can earn or cash back though?

@jj:
That’s the price you pay for getting 15 months of free balance transfers and 0% APR.

gotcha, thanks!

hey dan,
if my wife and i have a family account with british airways, and one of us cancels our card, will spending on the other card extend the expiration for all the miles?

Regarding spending $10 at a Starwood bar or restaurant without being there on a stay – I tried this recently at a Sheraton restaurant and was told to talk to the front desk – and the front desk gave me a blank stare. I kept the receipt – any way to claim the Starpoints credit at this point?

@mord:
I’m not familiar with BA family accounts, sorry.
Maybe someone else can chime in?

@Steelsnow:
Call SPG.

Dan,
On February statement I and my wife both received 7% dividend on 2011 earnings on Sapphire preferred. We both received 100,000 signup points and for both of us it showed on statement as 50,000 bonus and 50,000 “courtesy adjustment.”
Interestingly, she received dividend on entire 100,000 and I only on the 50,000. Curious how it worked for everyone else.

Dan,

Nice roundup! maybe you can give us a roundup about the fees charged by the airlines for changing or cancel their reward tickets?

thanks.

Steve– My wife and I received the 7% dividend for the entire 100K points. Mommypoints reports that she didn’t receive the 7% from the courtesy adjustment, and wrote to them (not sure if she has heard back). I’d write to them and ask for the dividend for the extra 50K points, doesn’t hurt to ask. Dan, thanks for the roundup of when points expire, sure appreciate it!

@Travis Swanson:
@Travis
Thanks. I have already sent a secured message to them – unsuccesfully.

dan:

I have not received my 7% January bonus for my Sapphire card. When should i expect that?

@steve -how did you receive the extra 50K ?
also, on the united explorer which is now giving 40K miles, is there a way to get more via the secure message ? how does that work again ?

I have chase freedom card that was closed by chase without warning. I have points on the account but its all frozen.
How can I get them to transfer to another account. Customer service and the upper echelons didn’t want to do anything for me/ I stand to lose 130,000 points! Help!

Anyone have the 20 percent Virgin America code the arent using. I have one but need 3 more. Will pay. Thanks. chabadscv@aol.com

I want to thank you very much for your great advice about writing to chase.com in the secure message center to increase the mileage promotion. I wrote to them and they are giving me more mileage and slos my husban 2 separate accounts. thanks again

dan can i transfer ba miles to ur points?

Can you give us your source for the improved expiration policy of Starwood Starpoints? I can no longer find mention of any expiration policy in its terms and conditions.

Thanks.

Dan
Great post!
For airmiles I have many options keep points active
* fly on airline
* transfer points from reward program (spg, amex-mr, ultimate-rewards) to airmile plan
* buy airmiles from airline
* cc dining pgm to earn miles
* cc shopping pgm to earn miles
* internet explorer search toolbar airmile rewards

But what options do I have to keep hotel points active (after cancelling cc) – so that they do not expire?

For hotel points I am only aware of the following options
* maintain an active hotel-cc (above)
* book a night at a target hotel (register with your membership rewards id)

@allen:
There is a roundup linked in the “mileage posts” tab, but it’s a bit out of date.

@zev:
No.

@Gary Steiger:
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/preferredguest/legal/spg_terms.html
Section 4.2 has the new improved language and it’s confirmed by Starwood here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starwood-preferred-guest/1319844-new-expiration-policy.html

@pat:
The real question is if booking and cancelling a hotel award stay will count. Well, obviously booking will count, but the question is if you cancel it will they retroactively not count that as activity?

The other new question with Starwood now is if transferring points between family members will count as activity.

Anyway the other option is transferring points from a credit card, as outlined here: http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/20144

I had 1,000 Starwood points in an account for 4+ years that never expired. No clue as to why.

dan, what happened to my continental miles?

Dan,
Do you have any recommended cc’!s that will allow me and my family to fly on American Airlines and not to have to pay $25.00 per piece of luggage this coming Pesach.

Dan,

If you can please suggest a workaround for the following issue I would appreciate it: Last year I used the Amex Platinum $200 credit by purchasing AA gift cards-refunds were issued within a week. The other day I tried to purchase another AA gift card to be applied to the 2012 calender year. However, I was quite surprised to learn that AA, due to impending NJ regulations, is no longer selling gift cards to anyone whose credit card billing address is in NJ.

Are there other options to get gift cards from other airlines which can be resold and still get credited for the purchase? If yes, will Amex allow me to switch out to that airline even though it is after 1/31. This year, I have not yet spent any money on the previous year’s airline. Officially they do not allow switching after January and they already locked me in to American. Thank you.

@Fed-up:
Only their executive club credit card or the amex plat will help with that.

@Joe:
Just call to switch it to any other airline.

Spirit i think u need activity once a month

jet blue dosent expire anymore- please fix