Mike FriedmanWe’re approaching the end of the year, so it’s time to address one of the most important annual tasks that you have. No, I’m not talking about checking smoke detector batteries or changing the oil in your car. Rather, I need you to make sure you keep your points and miles from expiring.
[Updated: December 29, 2020]
Most programs are making exceptions to their expiration policies because of COVID-19. We will include those changes in italics at the beginning of each post.
Are Your Points Still There?
As you may know, most loyalty programs demand, well, actual loyalty from you. Whether they give it back depends on the program. Nevertheless, their game, their rules, so you have to play by them.
Most companies, though, are benevolent dictators. As long as you have some sort of activity in your account, whether that’s earning points or redeeming them, over an extended time period (usually 12-24 months), your expiration clock will start anew.
In other words, there’s no reason for your points actually to expire, unless you forget about them.
Just about any activity will count. Earning miles through dining, surveys or something else? Check. Redeeming miles for a flight or room? Check. Donating miles to charity through the site’s links? Yup. You get the point.
In other words, there’s no reason for your points actually to expire, unless you forget about them. That’s why it’s so important to check your accounts at least once per year, preferably twice per year, to make sure that you’re not on the verge of expiration. If you are, there’s usually a simple way to extend them.
Best thing to do to keep points and miles from expiring? Set a calendar invite for once per year. Maybe every six months, if you are cautious. Here are a few of the biggest programs’ expiration policies.
Keep Points and Miles From Expiring
Hotel Points
No expiration through August 1, 2021
Every 24 months. Marriott (which covers all the Bonvoy brands) has the strictest definition of what constitutes “activity,” though, so be careful to read through their policy. For example, a year or two ago, the company ran a Twitter contest. It was easy to earn points, but those points did not extend your account (which they noted in the terms and conditions).
No expiration through December 31, 2021
Hilton Honors is one of the tighter programs, with points expiring after 12 months of inactivity. They offer a ton of third-party relationships, though, so it should be easy to prevent expiration. Use your points to buy a gift card on Amazon or take a ride on Lyft (Don’t forget to sign up!).
No expiration through June 30, 2021
Every 24 months. Hyatt is one of the more generous programs when it comes to giving you time to extend your account. Just about any activity will count, including earning Hyatt points for stays at M life properties.
IHG:
No expiration through December 31, 2020. I’ve seen no indication that they’ve gone beyond that point.
Every 12 months. IHG Rewards Club is my least favorite of the major programs. Requiring activity every 12 months is not a particularly high hurdle, but few of their policies are particularly customer-friendly.
Airline Miles and Points
American: No expiration through June 30, 2021
Every 18 months. And this is why you need to check every six months, because they couldn’t just do 24. Any activity will keep your account going and, to their credit, they do you the courtesy of listing the exact date of expiration in your award wallet.
Delta: Score one for Delta. Their miles don’t expire.
United: Joins Delta in the “no expiration” club.
Southwest: No expiration.
JetBlue: Hooray for JetBlue! No expiration.
Remember, you probably have other accounts that you have opened over the years. Even a few thousand points will usually get you something, so check everything, and don’t lose them.
A Tool To Track Your Points – Award Wallet
AwardWallet is a handy tool to put everything together and track your points.
