Six major U.S. airlines no longer expire miles. Most international programs still do, usually after 18 to 36 months of inactivity. Here's the full list, sorted by how strict the rule is.
If your miles live in one of these programs, you have nothing to track. Activity does not matter. The miles stay in your account as long as the account stays open and in good standing.
Everything else expires miles after a period of inactivity, after a fixed number of months from earning, or both. The full chart is below.
Inactivity-based programs reset the clock with any earning or redeeming activity.
| Program | Expiration rule | Resets with activity? |
|---|---|---|
| Delta SkyMiles | No expiration | n/a |
| United MileagePlus | No expiration | n/a |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | No expiration | n/a |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | No expiration | n/a |
| Alaska Mileage Plan | No expiration | n/a |
| Hawaiian HawaiianMiles | No expiration | n/a |
| Frontier Miles | 6 months of inactivity | Yes |
| Spirit Free Spirit | 12 months of inactivity | Yes |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | 24 months of inactivity | Yes |
Frontier and Spirit have the strictest U.S. inactivity windows. American is the largest legacy U.S. carrier that still expires miles.
A mix of inactivity-based and earn-based expiration. Read the third column carefully.
| Program | Expiration rule | Resets with activity? |
|---|---|---|
| British Airways Executive Club (Avios) | 36 months of inactivity | Yes |
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue | 24 months of inactivity | Yes (earning only) |
| Lufthansa Miles & More | 36 months from earning | No (held card holders excluded) |
| ANA Mileage Club | 36 months from earning | No (Diamond status excluded) |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 36 months from earning | Limited extensions available |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 18 months of inactivity | Yes |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 18 months of inactivity | Yes |
| Aeromexico Club Premier | 24 months of inactivity | Yes |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 12 months of inactivity | Yes |
"From earning" rules are the most dangerous, because no amount of activity will save miles once the 36-month timer starts. Plan around the earn date, not the last activity date.
Found your program in one of the chart rows above? Set a reminder for the date your balance is at risk.
Done in seconds. No sign-up required.
Credit card programs work differently from airline programs, and the expiration rules depend on where the points actually live.
Once you transfer points from a credit card program into an airline program, the airline's expiration rule takes over. A transfer to American sets a 24-month inactivity clock. A transfer to Avios sets a 36-month inactivity clock. The flexibility of holding points in the credit card program disappears the moment they leave it.
The highest-risk situation is a sizeable balance in a "from earning" program like Lufthansa Miles & More, ANA, or Singapore KrisFlyer. Activity won't save those miles, so the only protection is to either redeem them or earn more before the 36-month deadline. A reminder set 90 days out is the difference between a planned redemption and a zeroed account.
Frontier's six-month inactivity window is the other one to watch. It's short enough that any extended break from low-cost-carrier travel can wipe a balance, and the program doesn't have many alternative ways to keep miles alive.
If your program does have an inactivity clock, the next two questions are: when does it run out, and what counts as activity? See how to check when your miles expire for the lookup steps in each program, and how to keep frequent flyer miles from expiring for the cheapest ways to reset the clock.
For the broader reminder strategy, the frequent flyer miles expiration reminder page covers when to set the alert and how the follow-up sequence works.
Six major U.S. carriers no longer expire miles for any reason: Delta SkyMiles, United MileagePlus, Southwest Rapid Rewards, JetBlue TrueBlue, Alaska Mileage Plan, and Hawaiian HawaiianMiles. Several international programs also have no-expiration policies for elite members or specific card holders, including parts of Lufthansa Miles & More.
Air France/KLM Flying Blue and American Airlines AAdvantage are among the strictest mainstream programs, both expiring miles after 24 months of inactivity. Aeromexico Club Premier expires after 24 months as well. The hard-deadline outliers are programs like Lufthansa Miles & More, where most miles expire 36 months after they were earned, regardless of activity.
Yes. American Airlines AAdvantage miles expire after 24 months of inactivity. Any qualifying earning or redemption activity resets the 24-month clock. Co-branded card spend, shopping portal purchases, and dining program activity all count.
Credit card miles you have already transferred to an airline follow that airline's expiration rules. Points held inside flexible programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, or Capital One miles do not expire as long as your card account remains open and in good standing. Closing the card typically forfeits the points.
No. Delta SkyMiles do not expire. The program removed all expiration in 2011, so any miles earned since then remain in your account indefinitely as long as the account stays open.
Yes. British Airways Avios expire after 36 months of account inactivity. Any earning or redemption activity, including a small Avios shopping portal purchase or transfer from a credit card partner, resets the 36-month clock.
Once you know your program's expiration rule, set the date and stop tracking it in your head. Free, no account, follow-ups included.
Set My Miles Expiration ReminderLast modified: