MilesBuzz! - Expiration Chart from Todays Wall Street Journal

Please let this stay! If is saves just one person a loss it is worth it!

Vanishing Miles
Airlines can close frequent-flier accounts with little warning. Here are various policies.

AIRLINE EXPIRATION POLICY REINSTATEMENT COST
Delta No activity 24 months $50
American No activity 18 months $50 for every 5,000 miles, plus 7.5% tax and $30 fee
United No activity 18 months 1.25 cents per mile plus $25 fee
Continental May cancel account after 18 months of inactivity None
Southwest Credits good for 24 months Awards extended one year for $50 fee
US Airways No activity 18 months $40 "preservation fee'' after 15-17 months of inactivity. After that, sliding scale to buy back miles.
JetBlue No activity 12 months None
Alaska No activity 24 months $75
AirTran Credits good for 12 months $29 to extend credits

... If is saves just one person a loss it is worth it!

...

Thanks to the OP for this. I was unaware of the USAirways preservation fee at 15 mos. Man, what a scam.

I knew about the 18 month deadline, and had a calendar reminder in Jan. to add miles due to expire since my last activity on Aug. 14, 2008. But after reading this post, I've just transferred 1 SPG point to my US account, just barely in ahead of the 15 month deadline.

US Airways No activity 18 months $40 "preservation fee'' after 15-17 months of inactivity. After that, sliding scale to buy back miles. I don't blame the OP, but this is very misleading. It implies that the fee is unavoidable past 15 months, when the US website says something crucially different (http://www.usairways.com/en-US/dividendmiles/programdetails/memberguide.html):At 15 - 17 months of inactivity, customers can pay a $40 preservation fee to remain active for another 18 months. (My emphasis.)

In other words, if you're coming up on the 18-mo deadline, US will let you -- at your option -- buy yourself a reset of the 18-mo clock for $40. Or, if you have any sense at all, you could just take a flight/make a charge on your Barclay's card/redeem miles instead.

FT is of course one step ahead, and with a much more comprehensive listing. See the FFP mileage expiry thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/milesbuzz/593589-definitive-list-ffps-mileage-expiry.html)