ARCHIVE: AA miles: Can transfer due to death or divorce? (consolidated)
Jul 19, 2006, 6:37 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Spring Hill, FL USA
Posts: 109
ARCHIVE: AA miles: Can transfer due to death or divorce? (consolidated)
mrsnick passed away yesterday from myotonic dystrophy, a tough slow way to have to go. She has miles in her Platinum account, what can i expect from American about getting the miles thus maybe the son and I can go to a couple of the places the wife and I didn't get to go. Will they let me have the miles if i sent them a copy of the death cetificate? Anyone one had any experience with and what should I do,call, or say to someone at American. Sorry I haven't done a good search, just to busy in the last 24 hours. Thanks in advance for any help.
Last edited by JDiver; Feb 20, 2008 at 6:50 pm Reason: edit original title back in
Jul 19, 2006, 6:42 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYZ/MGA
Programs: AA 1MM Lifetime Gold, AA Platinum, WS Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 7,607
In previous posts is has been mentioned that they are transferable to the heir named in the will of the deceased. You should call AAdvantage Customer Service for instructions. Sorry for your loss.
US or Canada
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US or Canada
AAdvantage Customer Service
1-800-421-0600
7:30am - 9:00pm CT, Mon - Fri
7:30am - 7:00pm CT, Sat.
10:30am - 7:00pm CT, Sun
1-817-963-7882 (Fax)
Jul 19, 2006, 6:57 am
#3
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Siesta Key
Programs: AA EXP-1.6MM, Hilton Diamond, ManU & Chicago Bears #1 Fan
Posts: 9,697
Originally Posted by mrnick
mrsnick passed away yesterday from myotonic dystrophy, a tough slow way to have to go. She has miles in her Platinum account, what can i expect from American about getting the miles thus maybe the son and I can go to a couple of the places the wife and I didn't get to go. Will they let me have the miles if i sent them a copy of the death cetificate? Anyone one had any experience with and what should I do,call, or say to someone at American. Sorry I haven't done a good search, just to busy in the last 24 hours. Thanks in advance for any help.
This is just another suggestion. If you know your wife's password, why not just book a ticket for your son/yourself using her miles?
Good luck!
Jul 19, 2006, 7:01 am
#4
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: MSP (and will only fly NWA in re-routes if I HAVE to)
Programs: AA EXP (4.5MM), hotel programs as needed
Posts: 5,800
My deepest sympathy on your loss.
Right now the miles and such should be low on your priority list .. take care of YOURSELF and your family first.
When my Mom passed away I knew she had miles in her account but had so many other forms and details to work on that I did not call AA for many months. The miles will be there .. not to worry.
You need to ask for a 'SWORN AFFIDAVIT FORM' from AA. I do not recall the name of the person who sent the e-mail following my call to AA Customer Service nor the special location I had to fax it back to. I think a copy of the Death Certificate is needed in addition (at least I had one scanned that I used several times). The form needs to be signed.
The form asks:
I am the spouse and heir of the decedent, or a
I am the sole heir of the decedent, or
I am the Executor of the decedent's estate
Then it asks the AAdvantage number of the decedent and then the account number(s) that the miles are to be posted into. You can open a NEW AAdvantage account should that be the wish .. or they can be added to an existing account.
Mom had almost enough miles for a J-class ticket to Europe and I took a cousin along with me a couple of years later and told her it was 'on' my Mom! Made for a nicer trip.
AA was VERY nice in helping resolve this issue .. do not worry about it.
I know I will be updating my Will to include the disposition (and requests) for my mileage.
Right now the miles and such should be low on your priority list .. take care of YOURSELF and your family first.
When my Mom passed away I knew she had miles in her account but had so many other forms and details to work on that I did not call AA for many months. The miles will be there .. not to worry.
You need to ask for a 'SWORN AFFIDAVIT FORM' from AA. I do not recall the name of the person who sent the e-mail following my call to AA Customer Service nor the special location I had to fax it back to. I think a copy of the Death Certificate is needed in addition (at least I had one scanned that I used several times). The form needs to be signed.
The form asks:
I am the spouse and heir of the decedent, or a
I am the sole heir of the decedent, or
I am the Executor of the decedent's estate
Then it asks the AAdvantage number of the decedent and then the account number(s) that the miles are to be posted into. You can open a NEW AAdvantage account should that be the wish .. or they can be added to an existing account.
Mom had almost enough miles for a J-class ticket to Europe and I took a cousin along with me a couple of years later and told her it was 'on' my Mom! Made for a nicer trip.
AA was VERY nice in helping resolve this issue .. do not worry about it.
I know I will be updating my Will to include the disposition (and requests) for my mileage.
Jul 19, 2006, 8:25 am
#5
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
My deepest sympathy for your loss. I know these are trying times with many demands on your energies and attention.
AA says, in its AAdvantage Terms and Conditions, sensu stricto:
But, AA has generally been more liberal than that. Merely follow what JGR01 recommends - this is aboveboard and with no risk of having tickets confiscated because of fraudulent claims, etc.
At some point when things slow down, you or other family members may wish to investigate the available bereavement and grief support offerings in your area.
* Limits on sharemiles etc. are as follows:
AA says, in its AAdvantage Terms and Conditions, sensu stricto:
"Except as otherwise explained below, mileage credit is not transferable and may not be combined among AAdvantage members, their estates, successors and assigns. Accrued mileage credit and award tickets do not constitute property of the member. Neither accrued mileage, nor award tickets are transferable by the member (i) upon death, (ii) as part of a domestic relations matter, or (iii) otherwise by operation of law. However, American Airlines, in its sole discretion, may credit accrued mileage to persons specifically identified in court approved divorce decrees and wills upon receipt of documentation satisfactory to American Airlines and upon payment of any applicable fees. Mileage credit is transferable between AAdvantage accounts when offered by AA online, with the shareAAmilesSM program. The member must adhere to the rules and limitations of the shareAAmiles program*."
At some point when things slow down, you or other family members may wish to investigate the available bereavement and grief support offerings in your area.
* Limits on sharemiles etc. are as follows:
Each AAdvantage member is limited to purchasing or receiving, in a calendar year, a combined total of no more than forty thousand (40,000) AAdvantage miles. Miles purchased through the buyAAmiles program or received as a gift through the giftAAmiles program both count against this total. Using the shareAAmiles program, each AAdvantage member is limited to receiving no more than one hundred thousand (100,000) AAdvantage miles, and may transfer no more than one hundred thousand (100,000) AAdvantage miles out of their AAdvantage account in a calendar year. Any AAdvantage miles purchased or transfered in excess of such amount will not be posted to the member's account, regardless whether payment has been remitted for such AAdvantage miles, and American Airlines has no obligation to reimburse such remitted amounts.
Last edited by JDiver; Jan 25, 2013 at 12:10 pm Reason: add last information / update 25 Jan 2013
Jul 19, 2006, 8:48 am
#6
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Sugar Land,Texas USA
Posts: 4,889
When my dad passed away earlier this year, we had a tough time getting his UA miles because they insisted on seeing the will. Currently, my mom is still fighting with them for getting his unused miles (about 600k).. Of course getting miles is last thing on our mind as it's been a tough year for all of us.
Looks like AA is a lot more flexible then UA from what i hear here.
Sorry for your loss.
Looks like AA is a lot more flexible then UA from what i hear here.
Sorry for your loss.
Jul 19, 2006, 9:06 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,535
Originally Posted by afang
When my dad passed away earlier this year, we had a tough time getting his UA miles because they insisted on seeing the will. Currently, my mom is still fighting with them for getting his unused miles (about 600k).. Of course getting miles is last thing on our mind as it's been a tough year for all of us.
Cheers.
Jul 19, 2006, 9:21 am
#8
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Where the West begins !
Posts: 987
Originally Posted by JGR01
You need to ask for a 'SWORN AFFIDAVIT FORM' from AA. I do not recall the name of the person who sent the e-mail following my call to AA Customer Service nor the special location I had to fax it back to. I think a copy of the Death Certificate is needed in addition (at least I had one scanned that I used several times). The form needs to be signed.
Our sympathy on your loss.
You have been given all of the correct information. Your first call to customer service will provide that the affidavit and instructions be sent to you, aong with a return envelope. Complete the affidavit, provide a DC, the fee, mail and the miles will be transferred in short time.
Jul 19, 2006, 9:55 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: west of DFW airport
Programs: AA LT Gold 1.9 MM flying my way to LT PLAT
Posts: 11,074
Very sorry for your loss.
Take care of yourself, please. You are more worn out than you realize. AA was very helpful with my later Mother-in-laws miles. It was an easy transaction. Yes, you could just sign on and book tickets, but it is better to do it right.
Jul 19, 2006, 10:17 am
#10
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,750
I handled getting a friend's husband's AA miles moved to her account on his unexpected death. The AA agent was very gentle and very kind. You can rely on what Island has posted.
My heartfelt sympathy to you on your loss.
My heartfelt sympathy to you on your loss.
Jul 19, 2006, 10:30 am
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: MSY (finally); previously NYC, BOS, AUH
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Posts: 17,249
That is very sad. I feel for your loss.
I really hope that AA will deal with this matter with some compassion.
a.
------------ MERGED CONTENT BELOW -------------------------
That might be viewed as grand larceny.
My condolences.. sorry to hear this, wishing you the best in everything
If I'm ever in this boat, and I hope I never am; I would probably do andrzej suggestion. The risk of anyone figuring this out is slim and none
Where did this come from? Not even close. If anything the reply was inappropriate, long after the fact.
I am so sorry for your loss. I hope that all goes well for you and your son. I would either book a couple of trips as your wife or you can gift 40K each to your son yearly.
Please take good care of yourself.
Although I agree that there was no reason for Landing Gear to dig up this old thread for the sole purpose of practicing his trade in public, I think he was suggesting that AA would be the victim of the crime, not the OP's deceased wife (although her estate -- which the law views as a legal "person" for many purposes -- could have been the vicitim too).
In any event, I agree that this is a very low risk proposition and one that I would be comfortable recommending.
So sorry to hear about your loss!
Definitely put it in your will. I make my living writing wills and trusts in the Baltimore-Washington area. Almost every one of my wills has a sentence about miles and points. Although they don't have to, as others have pointed out, the airlines and hotels (not just AA) are much more likely to transfer them if the will mentions miles and points. Some of my clients laugh, but they appreciate thoroughness, and it works.
It might not be grand larceny, but I think the previous poster was trying to indicate the mileage might not belong to the OP. Of course, the OP might already know what is in the will, but I wouldn't assume that the widower is getting 100 percent of his wife's estate
6 months later?
I too am sorry for your loss.
When my grandmother died, we also found it easier to have a dozen copies of the death certificate made right from the start; not only for the various bank accounts and other stuff, but also you may find later that you need yet another one to satisfy someone else's documentation that you didn't think about for months afterward.
In our case, she had just opened a new bank account less than a week previous, for no reason that anyone could think of. That was a real pain in the butt to close out, as they were very paranoid and suspicious due to the fast open by one person close by another circumstances.
Steve
Holy Smokes, this thread is from July! To the OP, I hope you are doing well and coping well with the tragedy of your loss.
Inappropriate???
I noticed this thread on a "sticky." That means it was intended to be read by people on a regular basis.
Falsely claiming someone else's identity on aa.com in order to secure something of value is indeed larceny.
People read the older messages for current advice. This advice was bad.
Plain and simple.
Let me try this one more time. If advice is flagged by a forum moderator as part of a "sticky," that implies the advice is good. In this case, it isn't.
I don't make my living practicing criminal defense law, but I think that a prosecution of someone for FALSELY assuming another's identity in order to obtain something of value would be a "slam dunk" for a district attorney.
Are you a lawyer? Do you recommend intentional breaking criminal statutes?
I agree with you there, however in the 1st instance , wouldn't the most appropriate action be to contact the appropriate moderators via a reportpost/PM and raise the issue there rather than resurrecting the thread
Dave
I'm not a lawyer, but I'm the kind of person who could end up on a jury. And I can safely say that no jury would come close to passing a guilty verdict in a case where someone was deceased and a spouse accessed their account for miles. And it doesn't even matter if this is not the kind of case that would go to a jury- my statement of what would happen still stands.
If a will had allocated these to someone else, then I would agree. Lacking that, this seems more like an ambulance-chaser mentality to me.
Cheers.
I really hope that AA will deal with this matter with some compassion.
a.
------------ MERGED CONTENT BELOW -------------------------
My condolences.. sorry to hear this, wishing you the best in everything
If I'm ever in this boat, and I hope I never am; I would probably do andrzej suggestion. The risk of anyone figuring this out is slim and none
I am so sorry for your loss. I hope that all goes well for you and your son. I would either book a couple of trips as your wife or you can gift 40K each to your son yearly.
Please take good care of yourself.
In any event, I agree that this is a very low risk proposition and one that I would be comfortable recommending.
So sorry to hear about your loss!
Definitely put it in your will. I make my living writing wills and trusts in the Baltimore-Washington area. Almost every one of my wills has a sentence about miles and points. Although they don't have to, as others have pointed out, the airlines and hotels (not just AA) are much more likely to transfer them if the will mentions miles and points. Some of my clients laugh, but they appreciate thoroughness, and it works.
I too am sorry for your loss.
When my grandmother died, we also found it easier to have a dozen copies of the death certificate made right from the start; not only for the various bank accounts and other stuff, but also you may find later that you need yet another one to satisfy someone else's documentation that you didn't think about for months afterward.
In our case, she had just opened a new bank account less than a week previous, for no reason that anyone could think of. That was a real pain in the butt to close out, as they were very paranoid and suspicious due to the fast open by one person close by another circumstances.
Steve
Holy Smokes, this thread is from July! To the OP, I hope you are doing well and coping well with the tragedy of your loss.
I noticed this thread on a "sticky." That means it was intended to be read by people on a regular basis.
Falsely claiming someone else's identity on aa.com in order to secure something of value is indeed larceny.
People read the older messages for current advice. This advice was bad.
Plain and simple.
Although I agree that there was no reason for Landing Gear to dig up this old thread for the sole purpose of practicing his trade in public, I think he was suggesting that AA would be the victim of the crime, not the OP's deceased wife (although her estate -- which the law views as a legal "person" for many purposes -- could have been the vicitim too).
In any event, I agree that this is a very low risk proposition and one that I would be comfortable recommending.
In any event, I agree that this is a very low risk proposition and one that I would be comfortable recommending.
I don't make my living practicing criminal defense law, but I think that a prosecution of someone for FALSELY assuming another's identity in order to obtain something of value would be a "slam dunk" for a district attorney.
Are you a lawyer? Do you recommend intentional breaking criminal statutes?
Dave
Let me try this one more time. If advice is flagged by a forum moderator as part of a "sticky," that implies the advice is good. In this case, it isn't.
I don't make my living practicing criminal defense law, but I think that a prosecution of someone for FALSELY assuming another's identity in order to obtain something of value would be a "slam dunk" for a district attorney.
Are you a lawyer? Do you recommend intentional breaking criminal statutes?
I don't make my living practicing criminal defense law, but I think that a prosecution of someone for FALSELY assuming another's identity in order to obtain something of value would be a "slam dunk" for a district attorney.
Are you a lawyer? Do you recommend intentional breaking criminal statutes?
If a will had allocated these to someone else, then I would agree. Lacking that, this seems more like an ambulance-chaser mentality to me.
Cheers.
Last edited by Plato90s; Jan 19, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Feb 20, 2008, 5:03 pm
#12
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 1
Death and miles American Advantage
So either I can't find it or the search function isn't working... so my apologies as I KNOW this is question you all probably get a lot. Forgive me, I am new
What happens to a person's miles upon their death? A parent left everything to her children, however may not have been THAT specific in her will to say "I leave my American air miles to my loving children"
What happens, or what can be done to ensure those many many miles are not lost?
This is for American Airlines only
thanks
What happens to a person's miles upon their death? A parent left everything to her children, however may not have been THAT specific in her will to say "I leave my American air miles to my loving children"
What happens, or what can be done to ensure those many many miles are not lost?
This is for American Airlines only
thanks
Feb 20, 2008, 5:32 pm
#13
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: London UK
Programs: BAEC Silver, IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 2,044
Welcome to FT! A quick search using "miles death" reveals many threads on this subject. This one contains a lot of comprehensive information that I hope will be of help to you.
http://flyertalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=580670
http://flyertalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=580670
Feb 20, 2008, 6:42 pm
#14
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: SFO/OAK
Programs: AA EXP 3.4MM, BAEC, UAMP, Skyteam (<10k) HH Gold, IHG Plat, Hertz Gold, GE/TSA TT
Posts: 2,723
Be very careful. When my Mum died, i naively reported it to Amex, DL and BA, thinking that I or my fellow beneficiaries would inherit. WRONG!
60k Amex pts. and 75k BA miles, and about 20k DL miles went instantly bye bye! What I should have done, is buy tickets in her name online (no signature required) and distributed those tix to the heirs.
60k Amex pts. and 75k BA miles, and about 20k DL miles went instantly bye bye! What I should have done, is buy tickets in her name online (no signature required) and distributed those tix to the heirs.
Sep 24, 2009, 10:35 am
#15
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 2,637
just a bump to see if there are any recent experiences to note.