Air Miles are the currency of Airlines. Unlike real currency, these Air Mile Currencies of Airlines do expire as Airlines are in the business to do business. However, not all Air Miles expire. Few airlines have unlimited validity, whereas some can be extended by purchasing new miles. So, Not All Air Miles expire, and there are ways not to let them expire.
Here are the details of the air miles expiry of airlines.
Related: When do Hotel Points Expire?
Air Canada Aeroplan Points Expiry
Air Canada, a Star Alliance member, Aeroplan’s points expire after 18 months if there is no earning or redemption activity. So, Aeroplan points have soft expiry of 18 months. Any earning or redemption activity would reset expiry to the next 18 months. Also, your account will be closed if inactive for five years.
You can transfer HDFC, or Axis Bank points to your Aeroplan account to keep your Aeroplan points unexpired. Buying a few Aeroplan Points can also extend the validity.
Air France & KLM Flying Blue Miles Expiry
Flying Blue Miles, the miles currency of Air France & KLM, expires after two years if there is no earning activity. Any earning activity resets the validity of miles by two years. Your Flying Blue Miles account will be closed without earning miles activity for five years.
You can transfer HDFC or Axis Bank points to your Flying Blue Account to keep your flying miles unexpired. Buying a few Flying Blue Miles can also extend the validity.
Air Asia Points Expiry
Air Asia Points points expire after 36 months from the date of earning. So, these points come with hard expiry and can’t be extended.
You can transfer Axis Bank Points to an Air Asia account, but it isn’t recommended.
Air India Flying Returns Points Expiry
Air India Flying Returns Points earned on flight spending are valid for 24 months. However, validity is extended by another 24 months if you take an Air India revenue flight.
Alaska Mileage Plan Miles Expiry
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Miles have no expiry. But your miles still can be forfeited if there is no account activity for 24 months. So, Alaska Miles are valid if your account is active. I would still consider Alaska Miles expiry 24 months, as you would need an activity in your account to keep them active.
You can buy Alaska Miles to keep your miles from expiring or transfer via Marriott.
American Advantage Miles Expiry
American Advantage Miles has soft expiry of 24 months. Therefore, you need any earning or redemption activity to reset your miles validity by another 24 months.
If you are a primary cardholder of an AAdvantage credit card, then your miles have no expiry. However, if you close your credit card, you must have either earning or redemption activity within four months of closure. After that, it resets to 24 months’ usual expiry.
You can buy AAdvantage Miles to keep your miles from getting expired or transfer via Marriott.
Avianca Lifemiles Expiry
Avancia Lifemiles have soft expiry of 12 months. For Lifemiles Elites & Cardholders, the miles expiry is 24 months. Any Lifemile earning activity will further increase the validity of miles by 12 months. Redemption of life miles doesn’t affect the validity of miles. So even if you have many redemption activities in your life miles but no miles-earning activity in the past 12 months, your balance miles will expire.
You can transfer HDFC points to your Avancia Lifemiles account to keep your life miles unexpired. Another good option could be buying life miles.
British Airways Avios Expiry
British Airways Avios has soft expiry of 36 months. Any earning or redemption activity will reset the validity of Avios by another 36 months.
You can transfer HDFC Bank, Axis Bank & Amex Points to your British Airways Executive Club account or via Marriott to keep your Avios unexpired. You can also buy Avios to extend the validity.
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Expiry
Asia Miles, the miles currency of HongKong based Cathay Pacific Airlines, has 18 months of soft expiry. Any earning or redemption activity resets the validity of miles by another 18 months.
Also, your account can be closed if there is activity in your account for 24 months.
You can transfer Amex Points, Accor Points or Marriott Points to the Asia Miles account to keep your Asia miles unexpired.
Delta Skymiles Expiry
Delta SkyMiles don’t expire.
Emirates Skywards Miles Expiry
Emirates Skywards Miles have hard expiry of 3 years. Skywards miles are valid for three years from the date of travel and expire at the end of the month you were born.
However, for Platinum Elite, the validity of Skywards miles is two months from the date you aren’t a Platinum member. So, Platinum Elite members have no expiry as long as they are platinum members.
Related: How to earn an Airline Elite Status in India, Including Emirates?
Ethiopian Airlines Shebamiles Expiry
Ethiopian Airlines Shebamiles expire at the end of 3rd year from the year it was earned. However, any activity related to Ethiopia flights, partner airline flights, or miles transfers further extends the validity of miles by one year. Essentially, it would be best to have a miles-earning activity to keep your Shebamiles active.
Etihad Guest Miles Expiry
Etihad Guest miles expire after 18 months from the date of the last qualifying activity. Qualifying activity includes earning or redemption of miles. So, every qualifying activity reset the validity of miles by 18 months. For Platinum members, miles never expire as long as they retain their tier. However, even if you are no longer a platinum member, the validity of miles is calculated from the date on which your tier status was downgraded.
You can transfer Amex Points, HDFC Points or Axis Points to your Etihad Guest account to keep your Guest miles unexpired. Buying Etihad Guest miles can also extend the validity.
Related: How to earn an Airline Elite Status in India, Including Etihad Airways?
Finnair Plus Miles Expiry
Finnair Plus miles expire 18 months from the last earning or redemption date. Any further earnings or redemption will increase the validity of miles by another 18 months.
You can transfer HDFC Points, Accor Points or Marriott Points to keep your Finnair Plus miles unexpired.
Iberia Plus Avios Expiry
Like British Airways Avios expiry policy, Iberia Plus Avios expires after 36 months from the last Avios activity. Any earning or redemption of Avios will further extend the validity by 36 months.
You can transfer Accor Points to your Iberia Plus account to keep your Iberia Avios unexpired. Another way could be transferring Avios to British Airways or Qatar Airways and then transferring your Credit Card points to your account. You can also buy Avios to extend the validity.
Japan Airlines Miles Expiry
Japan Airlines JAL Mileage has hard expiry of 36 months. So, your JAL Mileage expires 36 months from the month it was earned. Since JAL is also an airline partner of Vistara, you can surely use it, especially for Vistara International Flights.
Korean Air SkyPass Miles Expiry
Korean Air Skypass Miles expires ten years from the date it was earned. Although it is a hard expiry but ten years is a long period.
Lufthansa Miles & More Award Miles Expiry
Lufthansa Miles&More Award miles expire after 36 months from the transaction date and expire at the end of that quarter, which resulted in earning these miles. However, if you hold Axis Bank Miles & More Credit card, your miles will not expire as long as you earn miles via these credit cards.
Qantas Points Expiry
No Earning or Redemption of Qantas Points for 18 consecutive months would make your Qantas Points invalid, and they will expire. So, your Qantas points validity is extended every 18 months whenever you earn or use your Qantas Points.
You can transfer Axis Bank, Accor Points & Marriott Points to your Qantas account to save your Qantas points from expiring.
Qatar Airways Avios Expiry
Qatar Airways, a member of OneWorld Alliance, has Avios as its miles currency. And, similar to British Airways or Iberia Airways, your Avios expires after 36 months of non-point activity. So, any earning or use of Avios will reset the validity of Avios by another 36 months. You can also buy Avios to extend the validity.
Saudia Alfursan Reward Miles Expiry
Saudia Alfursan Reward Miles expire after two years if there has been no earning or redemption activity for the past two years.
You can save these miles from getting expired by transferring Marriott Points.
Singapore KrisFlyer Miles Expiry
Singapore KrisFlyer Miles expires three years after the end of the month they were earned. However, PPS Club Members’ miles don’t expire as long as they retain their status. If they don’t retain their status, then miles expire for three years.
Also, KrisFlyer miles received from various contests expire after one year. So, Singapore KrisFlyer miles have hard expiry of 3 years.
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus Miles Expiry
Thai Airways miles earned with the Royal Orchid Frequent Flyer program expire after three years on the last day of the quarter of the third year.
So, these miles have hard expiry.
Turkish Smiles&Miles Expiry
Turkish Miles expire at the end of 3rd year, calculated from the date these were earned. However, with many sweet spots, you’re unlikely to keep these miles unused.
United Airlines Miles Expiry
United Airlines Miles never expires in the true sense. They remain in their account until you them for award travel, or your account is closed. United also has one the lowest fuel surcharge on Award Travel and a great Excrusion Perk, so it is unlikely that these miles will stay in your account.
Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles Miles Expiry.
Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles miles expire three years from the month these were earned. If you’re a Million Miler member, then miles will have five years of expiry.
Virgin Australia Velocity Points Expiry
Virgin Australia Velocity Points have soft expiry of 24 months from the last earn or use date. So, any earning or use of your points will reset the validity of points by 24 months.
You can Transfer Accor Points in a 1:1 conversion ratio to extend the validity of Velocity Points.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Points Expiry
Virgin Atlantic, a member of SkyTeam, Flying’s Club Points never expire.
Vistara CV Points Expiry
Club Vistara Points have an expiry of 36 months from their earned date.
Should you extend miles validity by purchasing?
Few Airlines like Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines & Vietnam Airlines allow you to extend the validity of miles by purchasing the expiring miles. Usually, these miles cost $20 [INR 1650] per 1000 miles or around 1.65 per mile. You can find a lot of options for purchasing miles at this cost. I would not buy the validity of miles except for Singapore Airlines or Turkish Airlines. However, with these two airlines, you’re less likely to have expiring miles as they offer great connectivity and partner awards.
Related: When does it make sense to buy Air Miles?
Air Mile Expire [Summary]
Your Air Mile can expire, but you have the option not to let them. Here is the list of 29 airlines and their Air Mile Expiry timeline and how to extend the validity:
| Airline | Frequent Flyer Program | Expiry Type | Validity | How to Extend? |
| Air Canada | Aeroplan | Soft | 18M | Earn or Redeem |
| Air France-KLM | Flying Blue | Soft | 2Y | Earn or Redeem |
| Air Asia | AirAsia Rewards | Hard | 3Y | NA |
| Air India | Flying Returns | Soft | 24M | Earn |
| Alaska Airlines | Mileage Plan | Soft | 2Y | Earn or Redeem |
| American Airlines | AAdvantge | Soft | 2Y | Earn or Redeem |
| Avianca | Lifemiles | Soft | 12M | Earn |
| British Airways | Executive Club | Soft | 36M | Earn or Redeem |
| Cathay Pacific | Asia Miles | Soft | 24M | Earn or Redeem |
| Delta Air Lines | SkyMiles | NA | Always | Never Expire |
| Emirates | Emirates Skywards | Hard | 3Y+ | Buy Validity |
| Ethiopian Airlines | Shebamiles | Hard | 3Y+ | Buy Validity |
| Etihad Airways | Etihad Guest | Soft | 18M | Earn or Redeem |
| Finnair | Finnair Plus | Soft | 18M | Earn or Redeem |
| Iberia | Iberia Plus | Soft | 36M | Earn or Redeem |
| Japan Airlines | JAL Mileage Bank | Hard | 36M | NA |
| Korean Air | SkyPass | Hard | 10Y | NA |
| Lufthansa | Miles&More | Hard | 36M+ | Axis Bank Miles CC |
| Qantas Airways | Qantas Frequent Flyer | Soft | 18M | Earn or Redeem |
| Qatar Airways | Privilege Club | Soft | 36M | Earn or Redeem |
| Saudia | Al Fursan | Soft | 2Y | Earn or Redeem |
| Singapore Airlines | KrisFlyer | Hard | 3Y | Buy Validity |
| Thai Airways | Royal Orchid Plus | Hard | 3Y+ | NA |
| Turkish Airlines | Miles&Smiles | Hard | 3Y | Buy Validity |
| United Airlines | MileagePlus | NA | Always | Never Expire |
| Vietnam Airlines | LotuSmiles | Hard | 3Y | Buy Validity |
| Virgin Australia | Velocity | Soft | 24M | Earn or Redeem |
| Virgin Atlantic | Flying Club | NA | Always | Never Expire |
| Vistara | Club Vistara | Hard | 36M | Buy Validity |
Bottomline
Not all Air Miles expire. Every airline has different policies related to their air miles. And only three out of 29 airlines have unlimited validity for their miles. At the same time, only a handful of big airlines like Emirates, Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines & Turkish Airlines have hard expiry.
Of most airlines, you can easily extend the validity of your miles.
