When you’re an avid collector of journey rewards, you may wager that many of the currencies you have amassed have an expiration date. Not like many bank card assertion credit that reset on the finish of the 12 months, most factors, miles and journey credit expire primarily based on whenever you earned them.
This may increasingly appear alarming at first — or, on the very least, inconvenient to watch — but it surely’s actually not that unhealthy. In nearly each case, you may push the expiration date by merely incomes or redeeming a single level. When you’re a frequent traveler, you should not have a lot to fret about.
Even higher, some factors and miles won’t ever expire so long as you have got a bank card that earns these rewards.
By understanding every program’s guidelines, you may keep forward of deadlines and keep away from shedding out on flight credit, lodge certificates and different perks you have got labored laborious to earn.
This is what to find out about expiration guidelines throughout main airline and lodge loyalty applications.
Associated: Why factors and miles are a nasty long-term funding
When do factors and miles expire?
Various loyalty applications supply factors that by no means expire, however many impose expiration dates — typically one to 3 years after your final account exercise. In case your steadiness is nearing expiration, some applications present easy methods to increase it, whereas others supply fewer choices.
Airline factors and miles expiration
| Airline program | Expiration time period |
|---|---|
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No expiration (so long as your account stays energetic and in good standing). |
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18 months from final exercise; could be prolonged with exercise (incomes, redeeming, donating, transferring or changing factors).
Observe: Aeroplan has paused the expiry of factors till Nov. 30, 2026. |
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Air France-KLM Flying Blue
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24 months from final exercise; could be prolonged with exercise.
Elite and Elite Plus members are exempt from mileage expiration. |
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Alaska Airways/Hawaiian Airways Atmos Rewards
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No expiration (so long as your account stays energetic and in good standing). |
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American Airways AAdvantage
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24 months from final exercise; could be prolonged with exercise (incomes mileage credit score from any AAdvantage participant or redeeming miles for any AAdvantage award).
Miles don’t expire for members beneath 21 and first AAdvantage bank card holders. |
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36 months from incomes (can differ relying on the mileage account group).
Mileage doesn’t expire whilst you have ANA Diamond Service member standing. |
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12 months from final exercise; could be prolonged with exercise (together with any miles accrual transaction or spending on a cobranded bank card).
24 months if you happen to maintain elite standing. |
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36 months from final exercise; could be prolonged with exercise (gathering, spending, shopping for or sharing Avios). |
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18 months from final exercise; could be prolonged with exercise (incomes or redeeming miles). |
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No expiration (so long as your account stays energetic and in good standing). |
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Three years from incomes; could be prolonged for a further 12 months (if set to run out in 90 days) for a cost of $20 per 1,000 miles.
Miles don’t expire whilst you maintain Platinum standing. |
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18 months from incomes; could be prolonged 18 further months by flying with Etihad Airways or any associate airline.
Platinum and Diamond members are exempt from mileage expiration. |
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EVA Air Infinity MileageLands
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36 months from incomes; could be prolonged with exercise. |
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12 months from final exercise; could be prolonged with exercise. |
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36 months from final exercise; could be prolonged with exercise. |
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36 months from incomes. |
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No expiration (so long as your account stays energetic and in good standing). |
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10 years from incomes; no approach to lengthen. |
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36 months from incomes; no approach to lengthen.
Expiration is waived for Frequent Traveller, Senator or HON Circle members (throughout their standing). Some cardholders of a Miles & Extra bank card might be able to stop miles from expiring (varies by nation). |
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18 months from final exercise; could be prolonged with exercise. |
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Qatar Airways Privilege Membership
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36 months from incomes.
Avios don’t expire if you are a Platinum member. |
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Singapore Airways KrisFlyer
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36 months from incomes.
Fundamental members can lengthen validity for six months, and Elite Silver and Gold members can lengthen for 12 months for a charge. Miles don’t expire for PPS Membership and Solitaire PPS Membership members. |
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No expiration (so long as your account stays open and in good standing). |
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Turkish Airways Miles&Smiles
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Three calendar years after they’re earned, however could be prolonged for a charge. |
As you may see, these insurance policies differ vastly. Some applications rely any exercise as eligible to increase the expiration date, whereas others do not permit extensions or cost a charge.
Lodge factors expiration
| Lodge program | Expiration time period |
|---|---|
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12 months from final exercise; could be prolonged with exercise (incomes or transferring factors). |
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No expiration (so long as your account stays energetic and in good standing). |
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18 months from final exercise; could be prolonged with exercise. |
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24 months from final exercise; could be prolonged with exercise. |
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12 months from final exercise; could be prolonged with exercise (incomes or redeeming factors).
No expiration for elite members. |
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24 months from final exercise; could be prolonged with exercise. |
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24 months from final exercise; could be prolonged with exercise (incomes factors or miles and redeeming or buying factors).
Factors by no means expire for members with Lifetime elite standing. |
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24 months from final exercise; could be prolonged with exercise. |
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24 months from final exercise; could be prolonged with exercise. |
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4 years after the checkout date of the keep for which they had been earned, or 18 months with no account exercise; could be prolonged with exercise. |
As with airways, there’s a variety of expiration insurance policies. Whereas most lodge factors (excluding Greatest Western Rewards factors) do expire, most applications mean you can lengthen the validity of your factors with exercise.
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Associated: Greatest lodge rewards applications on the earth: Which one is best for you?
Rental automobile factors expiration
| Rental automobile program | Expiration time period |
|---|---|
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60 months (5 years) from incomes.
If you’re a resident of Ontario, your factors don’t expire however could also be canceled attributable to inactivity. |
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24 months from final rental exercise; could be prolonged by incomes or redeeming factors. |
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36 months from the final qualifying rental or points-earning occasion. |
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5 years from incomes (doesn’t apply to residents of Canada).
Moreover, all factors in your account will expire after 12 months of no rental exercise. “Exercise” means incomes or redeeming factors on a rental; transferring factors doesn’t qualify. |
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Rental credit by no means expire so long as you stay a member.
Free Days expire Dec. 31 of the 12 months following the 12 months by which they had been earned. |
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24 months from the tip of the quarter by which they had been earned. |
These rental automobile loyalty applications allow you to maintain on to your factors for one to 5 years after you earn them or your final qualifying exercise. Some mean you can reset the clock with exercise, however others do not, so you should definitely verify your program’s coverage to keep away from forfeiting helpful rewards.
When do flight credit expire?
Airline credit typically expire — however not at all times. Every airline publishes distinctive phrases, so you will have to learn the effective print. This is a fast rundown of the foundations for the most well-liked airline credit.
Alaska Airways
When you cancel your nonrefundable Alaska Airways flight or change it to a flight that prices lower than your unique ticket, you will get a credit score certificates for the remaining worth of your ticket. This expires both 12 months from the difficulty date of your unique ticket or 30 days from the date of alternate or cancellation (whichever is bigger). Credit score certificates have to be used to buy a brand new ticket earlier than the expiration date passes, however the brand new flight can happen as much as 11 months later.
Associated: Learn how to save tons of on flights with the Alaska Airways Companion Fare
American Airways
Vacationers with unused tickets will obtain a flight credit score for future journey with American Airways. To make use of them, it’s essential to guide your new flight and journey inside one 12 months of the unique ticket date.
You may additionally obtain a visit credit score for quite a few causes, together with a cancellation, a refund, as compensation or when you do not totally use a flight credit score. Journey credit are legitimate till 11:59 p.m. Central time on the date listed on the credit score.
Lastly, if you happen to obtain a paper journey voucher, you will have one 12 months from the date it is issued to make use of it.
Associated: Greatest makes use of of American Airways AAdvantage miles
Delta Air Traces
On account of an unused ticket or a paid service that was solely partially used (resembling a flight, seat improve or journey voucher), you could obtain a Delta eCredit. These expire one 12 months from the date of difficulty.
Associated: Delta SkyMiles: Your full information to incomes, redeeming and elite standing
Frontier Airways
Frontier points flight credit and vouchers (or digital journey certificates) with a 12-month shelf life. Nonetheless, you may guide journey past that window.
Southwest Airways
Once you cancel a Southwest flight or swap to a less expensive fare, you will obtain a flight credit score to make use of towards future Southwest flights. Flight credit created on or earlier than Might 27, 2025, don’t expire. Flight credit from reservations booked and/or voluntarily modified on or after Might 28, 2025, can have a specified expiration date primarily based on the fare and type of fee. Observe that primary fares expire six months from the date the fare was booked.
Southwest LUV Vouchers, alternatively, are doled out as compensation for issues like flight delays. These expire one 12 months after the difficulty date, they usually have to be redeemed and all journey accomplished by the expiration date.
Associated: Learn how to redeem your factors with the Southwest Speedy Rewards program
United Airways
When you cancel your United Airways flight or change it to a inexpensive choice, you will obtain a future flight credit score. To make use of it, your future journey should start earlier than the expiration date, which is often one 12 months from the date of difficulty. The precise expiration date might be listed on the credit score itself.
You may additionally obtain a journey certificates, which is a gesture of goodwill from United for doing issues like giving up your seat on a full flight. This additionally expires after one 12 months, however your journey does not have to start by that date. As a substitute, you want solely guide the journey earlier than it expires; journey can happen nicely past the expiration date.
When do companion cross certificates expire?
| Airline | Companion certificates/cross | Expiration/use guidelines |
|---|---|---|
|
Companion Fare |
Have to be redeemed inside 12 months of difficulty; journey could be booked as much as 12 months past the difficulty date. |
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Companion certificates |
Sometimes expires 12 months after difficulty. Each reserving and journey have to be accomplished by the expiration date. |
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Companion certificates |
Sometimes expires 12 months after difficulty. Each reserving and journey have to be accomplished by the expiration date. |
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Companion Move |
Legitimate for the rest of the 12 months earned and the next calendar 12 months. |
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N/A (United provides different flight credit relatively than companion certificates) |
N/A |
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N/A (JetBlue provides different flight credit relatively than companion certificates) |
N/A |
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Companion certificates |
Sometimes expires 12 months after difficulty. Each reserving and journey have to be accomplished by the expiration date. |
Retaining observe of companion certificates and passes is essential, as expiration guidelines differ by airline. Planning forward ensures you get the total worth of those perks.
When do lodge free evening certificates expire?
Lodge credit can also have various expiration guidelines, however you will largely discover that certificates will expire a 12 months after they’re issued. Let’s take a look at the phrases revealed by the most well-liked lodge chains.
Alternative Lodges
Not like many lodge loyalty applications, Alternative does not supply annual free evening certificates.
Hilton
Hilton free evening certificates are legitimate at practically any Hilton lodge on the planet (with a couple of exceptions). If you will discover a normal room for as much as 150,000 Hilton Honors factors, you may probably use your free evening certificates there.
These certificates usually expire inside one 12 months of the difficulty date.
Associated: Hilton free evening reward redemptions: 10 finest inns on the earth to make use of your award certificates
Hyatt
Free evening certificates earned from the Hyatt bank card and thru the Model Explorer perk are legitimate for one 12 months from the date of difficulty. Free evening certificates earned as a Milestone Reward are legitimate for 180 days (6 months) from the date of difficulty. When utilizing one in all these, it’s essential to try previous to the expiration date.
Associated: Learn how to earn, use and take advantage of your Hyatt free evening certificates
IHG Lodges & Resorts
Choose IHG cardholders will obtain a free evening certificates price as much as 40,000 factors after every account anniversary. You may have 12 months to finish your keep from the difficulty date. Moreover, InterContinental Ambassador members obtain an annual free evening certificates that expires 12 months from the difficulty date.
Marriott
Marriott free evening certificates are legitimate for one 12 months from the date of difficulty. You should verify in to your keep on or earlier than the expiration date.
Associated: Learn how to earn and use a Marriott Bonvoy 35,000-point certificates
Wyndham Lodges & Resorts
You’ll be able to’t earn a free evening certificates with Wyndham Rewards — the one approach to keep free of charge is by utilizing factors.
Backside line
Journey rewards include a variety of expiration guidelines, and conserving observe of them is the easiest way to ensure you do not lose worth. Whereas some factors and miles by no means expire so long as your account stays energetic, most flight credit and lodge certificates have agency deadlines primarily based on after they had been issued.
One of the best ways to keep away from shedding worth is to often evaluate your balances, verify every program’s insurance policies and set reminders for rewards approaching their expiration date. With a bit planning, you may make sure the factors, miles and credit you have earned truly get used — and ship the utmost worth they’re designed for.
