Expired Miles

The loss of frequent-flyer miles should be viewed as the equivalent of getting pick-pocketed. I should know, I've experienced both.

In 1998 I was on a commuter train in Prague. Considering myself a reasonably street-aware person, and knowing Prague's reputation for theft, I placed myself against the side of the train so that I could see all comers and prevent people from sneaking up behind me. It was a crowded train, not unlike a mid-day New York Subway ride. When the train started several people fell over from the sudden jolt of acceleration. Some of them fell over me. No harm, no foul I thought, just some people who didn't brace themselves, a common thing for public transport rookies and tourists. After a few seconds it dawned on me that these people looked like locals, the kind of people who ride the train on a daily basis. They should be used to the sudden starts and stops.

Public transportation isn't something I use very often but I've been to New York enough to know how not to fall over on the subway. When I started to realize what had just happened, the next stop came up and they all got off. I looked at my clothes. My jacket was half unzipped, a pocket lining in my jeans was turned inside-out, and my money was gone. I only loss $40US – my wallet was actually in a hidden pocket, so the overall loss wasn't to bad. The feeling though was horrible. It was so violating. This was a technique I had never heard of: the bum rush.

As a tourist I felt I was prepared. I had secret pockets, I didn't flash fancy cameras around, but like most tourists in Prague, I still looked like one. I thought I would be able to see it coming, and in the end it happened so quickly that I could do nothing to prevent it. In a small way this is what it felt like when my American AAdvantage miles expired a few months back.

I thought I knew the rules: miles don't expire. But then I randomly checked my account and the miles I had were set to expire within a few days! I wasn't going to be able to fly anywhere in the near future, so I sat there helpless as AA pick pocketed my miles.

Only later did I learn that there's no reason for your miles to expire, ever. It's actually quite easy to maintain them. With many frequent-flyer programs it is true, that miles and points don't expire. The stipulation is that you have to keep the account active, and usually that activity window is about 12-36 months long depending on the program. So if you flew American, those earned miles are good indefinitely as long as there is some sort of activity every 18 months. If not, then the miles expire, or in some cases the entire account will be terminated.

To maintain activity, you don't actually have to fly, as I had previously assumed. Most airlines now offer many ways in which you can earn and redeem miles, all of which will count towards account activity. These include:

- Earn miles by flying on partner airlines
- Redeem miles for flights or upgrades on your airline or partner program
- Redeem miles on partner programs such as hotels, rental cars and vacations
- Earn miles through a co-branded, mile earning credit card
- Earn or redeem miles through your program's online shopping mall
- Earn miles through real estate and financial partners
- Earn miles through newspaper or magazine subscriptions
- Purchase miles
- Receive gift miles

In addition to discovering all the ways to maintain my account, there are now online services which will help manage your loyalty accounts. PointHub.com for instance, will keep track of your balances and alert you when miles or points are about to expire, across multiple programs. You don't have to go to all your individual airline and hotel websites to manage your accounts, it's all in one convenient place. PointHub will also give you recommendations on how best to use and maintain your miles and points.

So whether you redeem your miles for an upgrade or purchase a $10 magazine subscription, maintaining your mileage balances can be an easy and inexpensive process. No more pickpocketing.