Frequent flier miles: use or lose?
Changes in many airline loyalty programs are shortening the lifespan of frequent-flyer miles, so experts are advising travelers to use up their allotment as fast as possible.
“If you’re a collector of frequent-flier privileges and enjoy the periodic pleasure of using your ‘miles’ to fly for free to some attractive place, then steel yourself, have a drink and beware of darkening clouds,” travel expert Arthur Frommer writes in the Houston Chronicle.
Both United Airlines and US Airways recently cut in half the amount of time in which miles in inactive accounts will expire, from three years to just 18 months, for example.
Delta made a similar change last year, saying miles would be purged from inactive accounts after two years.
“Obviously, the airlines are out to reduce the ‘free’ travel privileges you thought you safely possessed. And people who are infrequent fliers needing more than 18 months to accumulate the necessary numbers are out of luck,” Mr Frommer writes.
But there are some simple steps that fliers -– even infrequent ones -– can take to protect their miles. One is to simply keep an account “active,” which can be done by any activity that adds or subtracts miles from the account.
Getting frequent-flier miles for ordering flowers, for example, will keep an account active. A credit card that gives you miles with preferred airline also does the same, but Mr Frommer warns of steep annual fees or interest rates.
Mr Frommer says fliers may want to consider earning your miles on the two airlines that don’t purge miles from inactive accounts: Continental or Aloha.
“Continental has a written policy stating that miles can expire if none are earned in 18 months, but the airline doesn’t act on it,” said spokesman David Messing.” At the other end of the spectrum, USA TODAY says “AirTran and JetBlue have the strictest expiration policies, with credits or miles expiring one year after they are earned.”
JetBlue points, however, can be extended for frequent-flier members who use the JetBlue-branded American Express card.
If there is a positive side to all this, Mr Frommer writes, “the airlines claim that their new policy is favorable to frequent fliers by weeding out infrequent fliers and thus lessening the competition for seats when it comes time to redeem points.”
Report by David Wilkening
David
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026