Points and miles represent real money—and unlike the dollars in your bank account, they can vanish without warning. Different programs have wildly different expiration policies: some expire after 18 months of inactivity, others never expire, and a few have changed their rules mid-stream, catching loyal members off guard. This guide covers every major program's policy and the simple tricks to keep your balances alive.
Why This Matters
According to industry estimates, over $48 billion worth of loyalty points go unredeemed each year in the United States alone. A significant portion of that is due to expiration—members who earned points, forgot about them, and let them lapse. The airlines and hotels are counting on this. Their balance sheets improve every time points expire.
Below, we catalog the expiration policies for every major airline and hotel program, highlight the ones that have recently changed (for better or worse), and provide a simple system for ensuring you never lose a single mile to inactivity.
Program Policies
Delta and United: never expire. AA and Marriott: 24 months inactivity. BA Avios: 36 months. Turkish: 3 years from earning (cannot prevent). Credit card points: never expire while card is open.
The Activity Reset
For inactivity-based programs, a minimal transaction resets the clock: shopping portal purchase, dining program transaction, or transferring 1,000 credit card points. Two minutes of effort saves thousands in miles.
Protection Strategy
- Set calendar reminders 30 days before each program's expiration.
- Hotel programs are lenient and reset with any earning activity.
- Credit card points are always safe with an open account.
Track all balances at the Pointify Travels Wallet.
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