Watching your points balance grow over time toward your next flight redemption can sometimes be interrupted by unexpected point expirations. Each frequent flyer program has its own rules for how long points remain valid and points expiration dates exist for the following reasons:-
- Encouraging Active Participation
Airlines design frequent flyer programs to reward loyalty and ongoing engagement. By setting expiration dates, they motivate members to continue booking flights, earning points, and redeeming rewards regularly, making this approach taking a long term view on fostering loyalty and repeat business. - Managing Financial Liabilities
Points sitting in members’ accounts represent a potential future financial obligation for airlines. Expiring points allow airlines to limit these liabilities and better manage their financial risk.
The Different Ways Frequent Flyer Points Can Expire
Generally, frequent flyer programs fall into one of three categories based on how they manage point expiration policies.
| No expiry | Rolling expiry | Strict expiry |
|---|---|---|
| These frequent flyer programs are the most consumer-friendly, where you will never see any points deducted. |
Rolling expiry frequent flyer programs require account activity to prevent all your points from expiring. Typically, a period of inactivity ranging between 18 and 36 months will result in all your points expiring. There are some situations where earning or transferring points won’t reset the expiry clock on your account, most commonly with points transfers or family pooling. |
An expiry date is assigned to each point earned, with points expiring if they haven’t been used, typically within a three-year period. Frequent flyer programs may calculate expiry based on the date the points were earned and extend it to the end of the month in which they expire, each program has it nuances. |
In the event that your points expire, several Frequent flyer programs offer you the opportunity to earn your points back by completing specific challenges, such as booking a flight or paying a fee to temporarily extend the validity of your points.
Additionally, certain Frequent flyer programs will pause the expiration of points if you hold elite status, hold specific credit card, or pause your membership due a child being born or adopted all providing protection for your points.
Alaska Airlines & Hawaiian Airlines — Atmos Rewards
No Expiry
Even though your points don’t expire your Atmos Rewards may be placed on hold if there is no activity on your account in a two years period. This is purely a security measure, a call to customer service team to confirm your identity will restore access with your full points balance unchanged.
Virgin Atlantic — Flying Club
No expiry
Delta — SkyMiles
No expiry
United Airlines — MileagePlus
No Expiry
Qatar Airways — Privilege Club
Rolling Expiry – Points expire after 36 months of no qualifying activity
Transferring Avios between partner airlines wont’t reset or extent your Avios expiry date. Platinum members Avios don’t expire for all other members you can reinstate your Avios for USD 0.015 per Avios.
British Airways Executive Club
Rolling Expiry – Points expire after 36 months of no qualifying activity
Transferring Avios between partner airlines wont’t reset or extent your Avios expiry date.
Iberia Plus
Rolling Expiry – Points expire after 36 months of no qualifying activity
Transferring Avios between partner airlines wont’t reset or extent your Avios expiry date.
Velocity Virgin Australia
Rolling Expiry – Points expire after 24 months of no qualifying activity
Family Points Transfers and earning Status Credits won’t stop your Points from expiring. Transferring Velocity Points to KrisFlyer Miles will restart your points validity, providing 36 months of extra time.
American Airlines — AAdvantage
Rolling Expiry – Points expire after 24 months of no qualifying activity
AAdvantage miles do not expire if you hold an AAdvantage credit card or if you are under 21 years of age. Expired miles can also be reactivated within 24 months for a fee, up to a maximum of 500,000 miles.
Air France-KLM – Flying Blue
Rolling Expiry – Points expire after 24 months of no qualifying activity if the account holder is over 18 years old
If you hold a Flying Blue co-branded credit card or Silver status or higher, your points wont’ expire.
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Rolling Expiry – Points expire after 18 months of no qualifying activity
Family Transfers and Qantas Business Rewards transfers don’t reset expiry. Qantas sometimes allows expired points to be reinstated when you contact them and completing a reinstatement challenge.
Cathay Pacific — Asia Miles
Rolling Expiry – Points expire after 18 months of no qualifying activity
Air Canada — Aeroplan
Rolling Expiry – Points expire after 18 months of no qualifying activity
Aeroplan allows you to reinstate expired miles by paying a fee, or by taking an Air Canada flight within six months of your points expiring.
Etihad Guest
Rolling Expiry – Points expire after 18 months of no qualifying activity
Platinum and Diamond members Etihad Guest points don’t expire.
Finnair Plus
Rolling Expiry – Points expire after 18 months of no qualifying activity
Transferring Avios between partner airlines wont’t reset or extent your Avios expiry date. Holding top-tier status, such as Platinum or Platinum Lumo, your points won’t expire.
Air New Zealand – Koru
Strict Expiry – Airpoints expire four years after they’re earned and are removed from your account on your Koru membership anniversary month.
If you hold an Airpoints earning credit card or maintain Air New Zealand Gold status or higher, your Airpoints will not expire.
KrisFlyer – Singapore Airlines
Strict Expiry – Points expire after 36 months at the end of the equivalent month in which they were earned
Holding top-tier status such as PPS Club and Solitaire PPS Club members enjoy no points expiry. KrisFlyer miles that are due to expire, members can extend them once for six months for a fee of USD 12 per block of 10,000 miles, if you hold status with KrisFlyer you can extent once for up to one year.
Transferring KrisFlyer Miles to Velocity Points restarts the clock on their validity, providing
Emirates Skywards
Strict Expiry – Points expire after 36 months, specifically on the last day of your birthday month on the third year.
Skywards Miles set to expire within the next three months can be extended for an additional 12 months at a cost of USD 20 per 1,000 miles, with a maximum of 50,000 miles eligible for reinstatement per calendar year.
ANA Mileage Club
Strict Expiry – Points expire after 36 months at the end of the equivalent month in which they were earned
If you hold Diamond or ANA Lifetime Miles status your points won’t expire.
Japan Airlines – JAL Mileage Bank
Strict Expiry – Points expire after 36 months at the end of the equivalent month in which they were earned
If you hold JMB Diamond or JGC Premier status, your points won’t expire.
Thai Airways — Royal Orchid Plus
Strict Expiry – Points expire 36 months after earning, at the end of the third calendar year on 31 December points will be removed from your account
Malaysia Airlines — Enrich
Strict Expiry – Points expire after 36 months at the end of the equivalent month in which they were earned
Enrich Points can be extended for MYR 0.085 per point at least three months before their expiry date. Extensions will increase their validity by an additional 12 months.
Each frequent flyer program has its own approach to managing points expiry. Some allow extensions for a fee, while others offer protections through elite status or co-branded credit cards.
A key point to remember is, if you cancel an award flight booked with points that are close to expiring, the points returned to your account do not reset the expiry clock and will typically expire on their original schedule.
By familiarising yourself with each program’s expiry policies and planning ahead especially for programs with strict expiry rules, you can avoid unnecessary reductions in your points balance.
