Don’t let free travel go to waste. Unfortunately, in the travel rewards world, most points and miles have expiration dates.
Check out our list of the best credit card bonuses here.
We will go over 6 easy ways to keep your rewards active. So you will be able to continue to stock up on rewards towards your next dream vacation.
When do Points & Miles Expire?
Most rewards programs have currencies that expire after a period of inactivity, often two or three years. So if 24 or 36 months go by without you earning – or sometimes redeeming – points or miles, you’ll lose them.
Each program has their own expiration policy. Some are more restrictive while others are more lenient. Below you’ll find a list of the most popular airline and hotel programs with points and miles expiration details.
| Airline | Expiration Term | Can Extend with Activity? |
| AeroMexico | 24 months from last activity | Yes |
| Air Canada | 12 months from last activity | Yes |
| Air France/KLM | 24 months from last activity | Yes |
| Alaska Airlines | 24 months from last activity | Yes |
| Alitalia | 24 months from last activity | Yes |
| American Airlines | 18 months from last activity | Yes |
| ANA | 36 months from earning | No |
| British Airways | 36 months from last activity | Yes |
| Cathay Pacific | 36 months from earning | No |
| Delta | No expiration | – |
| Emirates | 3 years from earning | No |
| Etihad | 24 months from earning | No |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 18 months from last activity | Yes |
| Iberia | 36 months from last activity | Yes |
| JAL | 36 months from earning | No |
| JetBlue | No Expiration | – |
| Korean Air | 10 years from earning | No |
| Lufthansa | 36 month from earning* | No |
| Qantas | 18 months with no activity | Yes |
| Singapore Airlines | 36 months from earning | No |
| Southwest | 24 months with no earning activity | Yes |
| United Airlines | No expiration | – |
| Virgin Atlantic | 36 months with no activity | Yes |
| Hotel Chain | Expiration Term | Can Extend with Activity? |
| Accor hotels | No expiration with activity once a year | Yes |
| Best Western | No expiration | – |
| Choice Hotels | 18 months from last activity | Yes |
| Hilton Hotels | 12 months from last activity | Yes |
| Hyatt Hotels | 24 months from last activity | Yes |
| IHG | 12 months from last activity* | Yes |
| Marriott Hotels | 24 months from last activity** | Yes |
| Radisson Hotels | 24 months from last activity | Yes |
| Wyndham Hotels | 18 months with no activity & 4 years overall |
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We gathered information from public sources to form our best partner redemptions. This information is subject to change without notice.
Some programs will allow activity to extend your rewards expiration date. However, other programs will not allow any extensions at all.
If you’re looking for a program with no expiration on their rewards, check out:
- Delta SkyMiles
- Jetblue TrueBlue
- United Airlines
- Best Western Rewards
6 Easy Ways to Keep Your Points & Miles Active
There are lots of options to keep your points and miles from expiring. However, we will only focus on 6 of the easiest ways to do so. Remember, you will want to give yourself a few months before your rewards expire. This way, you’ll have enough time for the new activity to post to your account.
The most obvious way to keep your rewards active is by taking an eligible flight or by completing an eligible stay with the applicable airline or hotel chain.
For most airline and hotel programs, redeeming is also considered a valid activity to extend the lifetime of rewards. If so, booking an award flight or stay will also keep your account active.
You can also keep your account active by donating your rewards to charity. The points or miles are generally withdrawn from your account immediately, meaning you’ll extend the expiration date of your remaining account balance the moment you click the confirm button. This is the perfect solution if your rewards are expiring in a day or two.
Some loyalty programs waive rewards expiration if you hold one of their cobranded credit cards. For example, the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card gives you automatic IHG Platinum status. At this elite tier, your points will never expire.
You can also keep your account active by spending with a cobranded card. For example, a $1 purchase on the The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® will add a mile to your AAdvantage balance and extend your expiration date at the end of your billing cycle.
Most airlines and hotel chains have their own dining program. Simply link your credit card to the dining network, and you’ll get points or miles when you make a purchase at participating restaurants. Keep your account active just by eating out at a partner restaurant, even if it’s just a cup of coffee! Rewards earned this way usually post within a week.
Online shopping portals let you earn miles by clicking through to a participating merchant when making an online purchase. This might be the easiest option to keep your account active, because any purchase – even a music download or a movie rental – counts.
Another option is to transfer points from Chase Ultimate Rewards®, Capital One® Rewards, Citi ThankYou® Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards®. We recommend transferring the least amount possible. For most programs, that limit is 1,000 points.
If you don’t have a credit card with transferable points, you can convert points from most hotel programs, including Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors and Wyndham Rewards. These exchange rates aren’t the best, but it’s a good option to keep your miles from expiring.
Co-Branded Credit Cards
Like we said before, some loyalty programs will waive rewards expirations if you have one of their co-branded credit cards.
Here are some of the cards you should consider:
 The United Explorer Card offers 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. You'll earn: • 2x miles on United® purchases, dining, and hotel stays. • 1x mile on all other purchases Perks of this card include: • Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United Club with 2 one-time passes each year for your anniversary • Free first checked bag - a savings of up to $160 per roundtrip. Terms Apply. • Up to $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS fee credit • 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi on board United-operated flights and on Club premium drinks when you pay with your Explorer Card There is a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95. Member FDIC |
 The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card offers 70,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion(R) Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you'll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together. Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion Lounge when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card. Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a First Class, Delta Comfort+(R), or Main Cabin round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. You'll earn: • Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. • Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. • $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles(R) Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required. • $200 Delta Stays Statement Credit: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card Members can earn up to $200 back in the form of a statement credit annually on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com. • Receive four Delta Sky Club One-Time Guest Passes each year when you fly together on Delta. After that, you may bring up to two guests at a per-visit rate of $50 per person, per location. • Delta SkyMiles(R) Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees. Want even more flexibility? Take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com. Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. This card does come with a $650 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. (See Rates & Fees) Terms Apply. |
 The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card offers a Companion Pass good through 2/28/26 plus 30,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. In addition, you'll earn 6,000 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary each year. You'll earn: • Earn 3X points on Southwest purchases. • Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. • Earn 2X points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming. You're able to redeem your points for flights, hotel stays, gift cards, access to events and more. This card does carry a $99 annual fee, but there are no foreign transaction fee. |
 The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card offers 4 free nights (each Free Night valued at up to 40,000 points) after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months from account opening. You'll earn: • Up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts • 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants. • 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases This card offers several perks that you'll sure enjoy like: an Anniversary Free Night at IHG Hotels & Resorts (plus, enjoy a reward night when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG hotel stay) And as long as you're a cardmember, you'll have Platinum Elite status. You'll get Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $120 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card. There is an annual fee of $99. |
 The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card offers 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass(R) Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 4/29/2025. Get up to $50 in statement credits each quarter for purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio on your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card. That's up to $200 in statement credits annually. You'll earn: • Get up to $200 back each year on eligible Hilton purchases after you use your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card. • Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio. • Earn 6X Points for each dollar of purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations. • Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases. • Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card. Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status with your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card. Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn Hilton Honors Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year. This card does carry a $150 annual fee & no foreign transaction fees. (See Rates & Fees) Terms Apply. |
 The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card offers 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Each Card renewal year, get up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year (up to $25 per month) for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide. With this card, you'll earn: • 6X Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. • 3X points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines. • 2X points on all other eligible purchases. • $300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card at restaurants worldwide. A Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite member will earn 50% more points on eligible purchases at participating hotels for each U.S. dollar or the currency equivalent that is incurred and paid for by the member. Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($120) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck. $100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card. Free Night Award: Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. Certain hotels have resort fees. This card comes with a $650 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. (See Rates & Fees) Furthermore, enjoy unlimited airport lounge visits when you enroll in Priority Pass Select membership. Terms Apply. |
Reinstating Expired Points & Miles
If your account is past expiration, there is something that you can do to salvage your points and miles. This will depend on the program. Some airlines and hotel chains will let you reinstate your rewards, but for a fee. For example:
- Alaska Airlines will reinstate miles up to one year after expiration. The fee is $75.
- American Airlines will reinstate miles that expired after 2002. The fee ranges from $40 to $2,000 and depends on the number of miles you want to reinstate.
It’s your decision to make if you want to pay the reinstatement fee to get back the points or miles you’ve lost.
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Conclusion
Now, you know how to keep your points and miles from expiring and what to do if they do expire. Knowing this information important, so you get the most out of your loyalty program.
