Don’t let those valuable airline miles disappear
You’ve done the hard work and earned some points, but if you’re not able to make use of them straight away, will they disappear? The rules differ based on the airline and frequent flyer program. They tend to favour the consumer, but understanding expiration is important.
Why do airlines expire miles?
Airline miles (or Avios points) have value to the airline and sit on their balance sheet until they’re redeemed for a flight. Whilst airlines have become far better at handling those points, the reality is you don’t want them to sit there forever. Expiration rules protect airlines against having a growing and unwieldy pile of points that will never get used, and just keep on growing.
Point expiration isn’t about punishing customers. It’s about protecting the finances of the airline. That’s why you typically see generous expiration rules, but by having rules, there’s a level of control created.
The concept of expiration also helps motivate customers to do something. Either spend their points, earn points, or at least remain more active in their account.
When do Avios points expire?
Avios expire after thirty-six months of inactivity on your account. Three years is generous, and almost any form of activity will reset the clock on how long those points last. That could be a flight, or it could be other ways of adding to your points, including:
- Using the Avios Shopping website, and successfully earning points from a transaction.
- Buying Avios via Avios.com
- Whilst Boosting Avios will technically reset the clock on expiration, you can only boost recent transactions. If you have recent transactions, you have already reset the clock on expiration.
- Earning points directly from a partner (like Uber)
- Transferring in points from a partner (like Amex MR points or a hotel partner).
When do Virgin Atlantic points expire?
Virgin go one better than BA. Back in late 2020, they stopped expiration altogether, meaning that your Virgin points will last forever. Prior to that, points would disappear after thirty-six months.
I used to have to find a way to get a transaction into my and my wife’s Virgin accounts to keep our small, but reasonable, stash of points active. Usually, that was via the Virgin Shops Away site, their equivalent to Avios Shopping. Thankfully, we don’t need to do that anymore.
When do Qatar Avios points expire?
Qatar follow the same rules as British Airways: points expire thirty-six months after the last activity on the account.
Just like BA, that clock can be reset in a number of ways: earning via flights, buying points or other methods of earning points. That includes points you get from Qatar’s lengthy list of banking and retail partnerships.
If you do happen to have any points that expire, Qatar allow you to bring them back to life (revalidate them). The cost is $0.015 per point.
When do Iberia Avios points expire?
Iberia Avios expire thirty-six months after the last activity. That could be earning or spending points. This is in line with other Avios-earning airlines, aside from Finnair.
What’s better about Iberia is that they promise to email you two months before your points are due to expire.
When do Finnair Avios points expire?
Finnair likes to be different. Their points expire eighteen months after the last activity on the account. That’s half the time of other airlines like BA, Iberia and Qatar.
Their rules around when the eighteen-month clock starts are also….unique. If a transaction takes place on the first of the month, then the eighteen-month window starts in that month. On any other day, it’s the following month.
You can reset that clock in the usual ways: collect Avios from flights, or pay for extras, collect points from partners, gain Avios via a Finnair Visa card or buy points.
The lowest number of points you can buy directly from Finnair is 1,000 Avios, which currently costs €27.
When do Aer Lingus Avios points expire?
Aer Lingus follows BA, Qatar and Iberia: their Avios expire after thirty-six months of no activity. You can reset that clock in the usual ways: pay for a flight with cash and earn points, or earn points through their AerClub eStore (similar to Avios Shopping) or via partners.
When do Emirates Skywards miles expire?
Emirates Skywards points expire three years after the last activity, in the month that you were born in. If you have Skywards Platinum status, then your miles will not expire.
You can, however, pay to retain these miles for a further twelve months. If you have expired miles, you can pay to have them reinstated upto six months after the expiration date.
The exception to the expiration rules is anyone under eighteen who has a Skysurfer account. Once a child reaches eighteen years old, their Skysurfer account automatically changes into a standard Skywards account, and the expiration rules begin.
When do Etihad Guest miles expire?
Etihad Guest miles expire eighteen months after the last eligible transaction. Transactions that will reset the clock, including taking a flight and earning miles, using miles to book a flight or upgrade, or earning points through branded credit cards or partners.
You can also restart that clock by buying something from the Etihad Guest Reward Shop (their version of the Avios Shopping website) and earning points from that transaction.
If you have Platinum status, then your miles will never expire.
When do Singapore KrisFlyer miles expire?
Singapore KrisFlyer miles expire thirty-six months after they have been earned. Unlike other airlines, you cannot reset the clock. Miles expire at the end of the thirty-sixth month. If you have elite PPS Club membership, then your miles will never expire.
You can, however, pay to extend the life of your miles. These can be extended for a maximum of twelve months, depending on your KrisFlyer status.
Not only can you lose your points, you can also lose your account. If the airline sees no activity for forty-five months, it may close down your account.
What about credit card points?
American Express Membership Reward Points do not expire. Capital On Tap points will expire twenty-four months after the previous redemption or transaction.
On both, you will lose access to your points if you cancel your card.
HSBC Premier points have to be redeemed within three years of earning them or they will expire at the end of that calendar month. Closing down your Premier account will also mean that you lose access to your points.
Revolut follows a similar set of rules: their RevPoints are valid for three years, after which they expire.
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