Airline, Hotel Programs That Have Still Paused Point Expiration Due to COVID-19

Editors Note: This post is no longer being updated. The information below is being left for reference but may be out of date.

When the COVID-19 pandemic brought most travel to standstill, many airline and hotel programs paused point expiration. This was a relief for travelers worried that a lack of activity could lead to losing large sums of points.

However, as more people are traveling these days, airline and hotel loyalty programs are resuming normal expiration policies. Here is the latest information on point expiration rules related to COVID-19.

Airlines

*Activity doesn’t extend expiration

Airline Mileage Expiration Still Paused

Air Canada Aeroplan

• Points expiration has been extended multiple times, now through May 31, 2023.
• Points typically expire after 18 months of inactivity.

All Nippon Airways

• ANA miles expiring between March 31, 2020 and February 28, 2023 are extended through March 31, 2023.
• ANA miles typically expire at the end of the month 36 months after earned. Generating activity doesn't extend this expiration.

Frontier Miles

• Due to the pandemic, Frontier paused the expiration of miles until further notice.
• Frontier will give a 90-day notice before resuming the expiration of miles.
• Frontier Miles typically expire after 6 months of no activity.

Japan Airlines Mileage Bank

• JAL Mileage Bank miles that expire on or before February 28, 2023 will be credited back to you as e JAL points that expire on March 31, 2023.
• Any e JAL points that expire before February 28, 2023 will now be extended to this date.
• JAL Mileage Bank miles typically expire at the end of the 36th month after they were earned.

Korean Air SKYPASS

• Korean Air SKYPASS miles typically don't expire for 10 years after accrual.
• Still, Korean Air SKYPASS has extended the expiration date of mileage expiring in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Miles accrued between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011 will be valid through June 30, 2023. Miles accrued between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012 are extended to December 31, 2023.

Singapore KrisFlyer

• Singapore Airlines has extended the expiration of KrisFlyer miles multiple times. See the chart below for a visual of these expiration policies. Points are now expiring on July 31, 2023 at the earliest.
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles expire after 36 months from the month of their accrual.

Airlines That Have Resumed Expiration

American Airlines AAdvantage

• Miles began expiring again on April 1, 2022.
• AAdvantage miles typically expire after 24 months of no qualifying account activity.

British Airways Executive Club

• Never paused expiration.
• Avios expire after 36 months of zero qualifying account activity.

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

• Never paused expiration.
• Asia Miles earned on or before December 31, 2019 expire 3 years after being earned, regardless of activity.
• Asia Miles earned on or after January 1, 2020 expire only if your account goes 18 months without qualifying activity.

Emirates Skywards

• Emirates paused expiration for Skywards Miles until August 31, 2022.
• Skywards Miles are valid for three years after they are earned.
• Skywards Miles expire at the end of your birth month in the third year after they're earned.

Etihad Guest

• Never made an official statement on point expiration policy related to Covid.
• Etihad Guest Miles expire after 18 months with zero qualifying account activity.

Flying Blue (Air France/KLM)

• Flying Blue paused miles expiration until the end of 2022.
• Flying Blue miles typically expire after 24 months of no qualifying account activity.
• However, Flying Blue miles never expire for Flying Blue elite members.

LATAM Pass Miles

• Expiration resumed in 2020.
• LATAM Pass Points expire 24 months from the date the miles are credited, regardless of activity.
• LATAM Pass Miles expire after 36 months of inactivity.

Malaysia Enrich

• On March 26, 2021, Enrich miles and Golden Lounge Access Vouchers due to expire between April 30, 2021 and November 30, 2021 were extended to December 31, 2021.
• Then, on November 22, 2021, Malaysia extended mileage and lounge access vouchers through December 31, 2022.

Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Brussels, Eurowings, Swiss, LOT Polish)

• Never paused expiration of miles.
• The only two options presented to extend miles validity—aside from standard qualifying activity—are to pay to protect your miles from expiring or pay to transfer your miles to a travel partner.
• Miles & More award miles expire after 36 months, regardless of account activity.

Qantas Points

• Never paused expiration of miles.
• However, members located outside of Australia may be able to extend the expiration of points. Check your inbox for an email from Qantas with the subject “Important information: extend your Qantas Points expiry date”. In this email, there's a link that you can click to extend your expiration by 6 months.
• Qantas Points expire after 18 months with no qualifying account activity

Qatar Avios

• Never paused expiration of miles.
• Qmiles now require activity every 36 months to avoid expiration. That's much better than the former policy where miles expired after three years, regardless of activity.
• Qatar offers a program to ‘Extend and Revalidate' Qmiles for a fee.

Royal Air Maroc

The deadline for the mileage extension has come and gone. You had the opportunity to extend miles expiring on March 31, 2022, making them now expire December 31, 2022. However, you had to take a flight and enroll in this offer by March 31, 2022. Anyone who didn't participate is now subject to miles expiry. The details are here.

Turkish Miles & Smiles

• Expiration resumed on January 1, 2022.
• Turkish Miles & Smiles miles expire at the end of the third full calendar year after their processing, and this happens at 23:59 local time in Turkey.
• Members can pay $10 per 1000 miles to extend their validity for another three years.

Airline Miles That Never Expire

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

• Alaska miles don't expire. However, your account can be closed for lack of activity. You can pay a fee to recover closed accounts, though.
• Typically, members need to earn or redeem at least a mile in a 24-month period to avoid account closure.

Delta SkyMiles

• SkyMiles never expire as long as you have an account with Delta.

Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles

• As of April 12, 2021, HawaiianMiles no longer expire.

JetBlue TrueBlue

• JetBlue TrueBlue Points never expire.

Southwest Rapid Rewards

• Southwest Rapid Rewards Points never expire.

United MileagePlus

• United MileagePlus never expire.

Virgin Atlantic Points

• It was reported that Virgin extended points due to expire between April and September 2020 for six months. However, this wasn't noted on the Flying Club's website.
• Then, as of September 24, 2020, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club rebranded as Virgin Points and eliminated expiration entirely.

Hotels

Hotels That Have Resumed Expiration

Accor Live Limitless

• ALL-Accor Live Limitless paused point expiration through December 15, 2020 for general members, due to COVID-19.
• Elite members (Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond) expiration paused through December 15, 2022.
• Officially, ALL-Accor Live Limitless points typically expire if you have no activity over a 12-month period.

Choice Privileges

• Expiration resumed on January 1, 2022.
• Choice Privilege points typically expire after 18 months of zero qualifying account activity.

Hilton Honors

• Hilton paused Hilton Honors points expiration through December 31, 2022.
• Hilton Honors points typically expire after 24 months with zero qualifying account activity.

IHG Rewards

• IHG paused IHG Rewards point expiration through December 31, 2022.
• IHG Rewards points typically expire after 12 months of zero qualifying account activity.
• Points never expire for IHG elite members.

Marriott Bonvoy

• Marriott paused Bonvoy point expiration through December 31, 2022.
• Marriott Bonvoy points typically expire after 24 months of zero qualifying account activity for Club Members. Members with any status above that don't have expiry dates.

Melia Rewards

• Expiration was paused through June 30, 2022. However, points now expire once again.
• Melia Rewards requires activity every 12 months to avoid your points balance expiring.

Radisson Rewards

• Radisson Hotels suspended its point expiration policy through June 30, 2022.
• Typically, Radisson Rewards points expire after 24 months of no earning or redeeming activity.

World of Hyatt

• Expiration resumed on January 1, 2022.
• World of Hyatt points expire after 24 months of zero qualifying account activity

Wyndham Rewards

• Expiration resumed on January 1, 2022.
• Wyndham Rewards points typically expire after 18 months of zero qualifying account activity.
• Additionally, all Wyndham Rewards points expire four years (48 months) after they’re earned, regardless of activity.

Hotel Points That Never Expire

Best Western Rewards

• Best Western Rewards points never expire.

Are there any other major programs that you feel we should have included? Let us know in the comments.

AwardWallet Tip of The Day

Wondering how AwardWallet determines a loyalty program account expiration date? When you click the expiration date next to your account, AwardWallet will give you a detailed description of how that date was calculated. Expiration dates calculated by AwardWallet (rather than listed on your loyalty program account page) have a special icon to let you know that we did the math for you.
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