When do airline miles and hotel points expire and how do you keep them alive?
This article explain the expiration policies of the main US airline and hotel programs and how to keep points and miles alive.
It is important that you pay close attention to those points you have stockpiled and be sure to keep accounts active. What counts as qualifying activity to extend the life of miles? Here are the policies for major US airline and hotel programs and those programs that partner with credit card issuer transferable points programs.
Airline Programs
Aeromexico Rewards
Aeromexico Reward Miles do not expire.
Air Canada Aeroplan
Update: Air Canada Aeroplan has paused the expiration of points through November 30, 2026. This means that between now and November 29, 2026, any Aeroplan points that were supposed to expire won’t until November 30, 2026. After 11/30/26, Air Canada Aeroplan points will expire after 18 months of inactivity. Any activity extends miles. The easiest methods would include a transfer from Amex Membership Rewards or Capital One miles or earning miles through Air Canada’s shopping portal.
Air France KLM Flying Blue
Update: Starting 5/4/26, all Flying Blue miles earned going forward, regardless of how they were earned, will reset the expiration date of a member’s full balance of miles. Flying Blue miles expire after 24 months after they are earned (from credited flights) or 24 months of inactivity (for miles earned from transfers or the shopping portal). It has long been thought that only crediting paid flights to Flying Blue or putting spend on an Air France credit card would extend miles, but if your only source of earning is by transferring from credit card currencies or other non-flight partner activity, you can extend by simply transferring the minimum from a credit card program or earning points through the shopping portal or other non-flight partners. See this post for more.
Alaska Airlines/Atmos™ Rewards
Alaska Airlines miles deposited into your Atmos Rewards account do not expire as long as your account is active. Activity in an account includes redeeming an Atmos award or accruing points in the Atmos Rewards program.
American Airlines AAdvantage
American Airlines miles expire after 24 months of inactivity. Any earning or redeeming keeps them alive. The easiest methods are to maintain an American Airlines credit card, earn miles through the AAdvantage eShopping portal or AAdvantage dining program, earn miles with a Bask Bank savings account, or redeem miles for an award. Note: AA miles for a child’s accounts (younger than 21) do not expire.
Amtrak Guest Rewards
Amtrak Guest Rewards points expire after 24 months of inactivity and one easy way to keep points active is to spend using the Amtrak shopping portal. Points do not expire if you’re an Amtrak credit card holder.
ANA Mileage Club
ANA miles expire 36 months after they are earned and typically can only be extended by achieving top-tier ANA Diamond status. There is a lot of complexity around which miles expire when and the expiration of the miles depends on how the miles were earned and which mileage group they fall under. Learn more here.
Avianca LifeMiles
Avianca miles expire after 12 months of inactivity, but it is easy to keep miles alive by transferring the minimum from Amex, Citi, or Capital One. Note: Redeeming miles does not extend their validity.
Avios (British Airways Club, Aer Lingus, Finnair, Iberia)
Avios expire after 36 months of inactivity. Transferring from Amex, Capital One, or Chase or earning miles through the British Airways shopping portal should extend the life of your Avios. Note that transferring Avios from one program to another (i.e. from Iberia to British Airways) does NOT reset the clock.
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles expire after 18 months of inactivity and any activity should reset the clock (including transfers from Amex, Citi, Chase, or Capital One).
Delta SkyMiles®
Delta SkyMiles do not expire.
Emirates Skywards
Emirates Skywards miles expire 3 years after the year in which they were earned at the end of your birthday month. In other words, miles earned in 2026 will expire in 2030 at the end of the month in which you were born. You can pay a fee to extend miles for 12 more months as long as you do it within 6 months prior to expiration. Note: Earning or redeeming miles doesn’t extend the expiration date.
Etihad Guest
Etihad Guest miles expire after 18 months of inactivity. The only way to keep Etihad miles alive is by earning miles on a flight operated by Etihad or a partner airline.
EVA Infinity MileageLands
EVA Infinity MileageLands miles expire 36 months from accrual and can not be extended.
Frontier Airlines
Miles are valid for 12 months and any activity should reset the clock.
JetBlue TrueBlue
JetBlue TrueBlue miles never expire.
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Qantas Frequent Flyer points expire after 18 months of inactivity, but you can keep miles alive by earning or redeeming them. The easiest way to earn Qantas points is by transferring from programs like Amex Membership Rewards or Capital One miles.
Qatar Airways Privilege Club Avios
Qatar Privilege Club miles expire 3 years from when they were earned. Those miles earned from January 1-June 30th expire on June 30th of the 3rd year. Those miles earned from July 1-December 31st expire on December 31st of the 3rd year. The only way to extend validity is by paying a fee.
Singapore KrisFlyer
Singapore KrisFlyer miles expire 45 months from the end of the month when they were accrued. Basic members can pay to extend miles by 6 months (at a cost of 1,200 miles plus $12 per 10,000 miles), and elite silver and gold members can extend by 12 months. The extension must be done prior to expiration. Expired miles can no longer be extended.
Southwest Rapid Rewards
Southwest Rapid Rewards points never expire.
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus miles expire 3 years from accrual. Miles can not be extended.
Turkish Miles & Smiles
Turkish Miles & Smiles miles expire at the end of the third full calendar year following their processing date. For example, miles earned anytime in 2026 expire on December 31, 2029. Members can pay a fee of $20 per 1,000 miles to keep them alive.
United MileagePlus
United MileagePlus miles do not expire.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points do not expire.
Hotel Programs
Accor Live Limitless
Points expire 12 months from the date they are credited to your account, and each new credit resets the clock on your entire balance. Transfer points in from Capital One, Citi ThankYou, or Bilt Rewards as these transfers into the account count as a qualifying earn and reset the clock.
Choice Privileges
Choice Privileges points expire after 18 months of inactivity. Earn or redeem to extend the life of points, but note that booking and cancelling an award stay will not extend the life of your points. Booking a stay that you complete will extend points or booking a cash & points stay will extend points. Alternatively, a purchase through the Choice Privileges shopping portal or card-linked offers should extend points or you can keep points alive with their credit card. Points never expire for those with elite status.
Hilton Honors
Hilton Honors points expire after 24 months of inactivity. To keep them alive, earn or redeem. If you won’t be staying at a Hilton property soon, you could transfer from Amex Membership Rewards points or earn points through the Hilton Honors shopping or dining programs.
World of Hyatt
World of Hyatt points are forfeited after 24 months of inactivity. Any activity resets the clock, so the easiest way to keep points alive is by transferring from Chase Ultimate Rewards or Bilt.
IHG One Rewards
IHG points expire after 12 months of inactivity. Earning from stays or partners, redeeming points, or having elite status (such as the free Platinum status that comes with the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card) keeps IHG points alive.
Marriott Bonvoy®
Marriott Bonvoy points expire after 24 months of inactivity. Earning with partners, including via the Marriott Bonvoy credit cards, or transferring points from Amex Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards keeps points alive. Other ways to keep points alive include stays at participating Marriott properties, purchasing at least 1,000 points (cost = $12.50), and converting points to miles or miles to points with airline partners. It is interesting to note that redeeming points for hotel awards does not count as activity until the completed stay posts to your account. See this article for more.
Wyndham Rewards
Wyndham Rewards points expire 4 years after accrual or after 18 months of inactivity. The 18-month counter can be extended with any activity, including points earned from paid stays or the Wyndham Rewards shopping portal, points transferred from Capital One, or award redemptions.
(Some of this content originally appeared on The Frequent Miler and has been posted with permission.)
