Originally Posted by
p9142
In the past I have done things like go to certain websites and watched "informercials" to get 250 miles posted into my account. This would keep miles from expiring for 18 months or 3 years. Is there a list or website somewhere of things to do to keep my miles from expiring?
I need to keep my Northwest, Delta, United, and American accounts from expiring.
Do you have 4 different debit/credit cards? If so, the simplest may be to register each one in a different airline's dining program and having a cup of coffee with each one once a year. (In the current credit environment, it's also a good way to keep old otherwise-unused credit cards from being cancelled by the issuer!)
Do you stay in hotels or rent cars? If so, do you earn miles or points? If miles, then earn toward the ailrines you want to not expire at least once a year each. (For the airlines you care less about, choose the shortest/cheapest hotel stays or car rentals on which you'd earn the least anyway. For expiration holdoff, you don't care as much how much you earn as just that you earn
something.) If points, do a minimum amount of points transfer to each airline once a year.
Using just these two techniques, I keep Delta, Northwest, and BA alive without ever flying them. (DL and NW have dining programs, BA no longer does.) And if I didn't have a Chase Rewards Plus card (that you can no longer apply for) that earns 4+ UA miles at standalone gas stations, grocery stores, and drug stores, I'd be using only these above two techniques to keep UA alive too.