Easy Ways to Prevent Your Miles from Expiring

Airline loyalty miles do not always last forever, and in fact, some expire very quickly. Some do have ever-active miles but as long as you have an “active account.” If you are unable to fly and earn miles, there are a few things you can do to prevent them from expiring. Here are some ways to keep your miles account active:

Use Your Airline Credit Card

The easiest way to keep your miles account active is to apply for an airline credit card. Use your card to pay for a latte, groceries, or even a tank of gas. Whatever you buy, your purchases will keep it active. However, check the pricing and terms as most milage cards have annual fees (some close to $100).

Purchase Something Online

A lot of airline mileage programs have online shopping malls, and in many cases, this is a good way to earn extra miles on things you may have already been planning to buy. Besides shopping at retail and department stores, you can also subscribe to newspapers and magazines. Just log in and shop through your mileage account. However, it can sometimes take a while for these miles to be credited to your account, so you may want to try something else.

Use Your Miles to Book a Flight

The most obvious way to prevent your miles from expiring is to actually use them. Redeem your miles to take a vacation, or consider giving someone a flight as a gift. Maybe someone who cannot afford a flight home for the holidays.

Use Your Miles for Non-Flight Rewards

If you do not have enough miles for a flight, check if you can redeem miles for non-flight rewards.

These often include gift certificates or the option to transfer miles to other reward programs. Redeeming even just a few of your miles will keep your account active.

Buy Miles

The final method to keeping your miles account active is to purchase miles from the airline. However it is not the cheapest as there is normally a minimum amount plus processing fees. It could end up costing you a lot. Still, if time is of the essence and you do not have any other option, it could save you from losing what you have earned and possibly have been hoarding for the perfect get away.