KPChicago

I'm with the dont notify group on air miles. Other options if no one finds a transfer trick: Redemptions for friends and family, especially out of towners to see you. Non-airfare redemptions. Good Samaritan redemptions for people in local news in need or local students visiting colleges. Abd there's always transfers to charities.

mia

1. At British Airways you could create a Household Account, effectively pooling your miles with your wife's for redemption purposes. It doesn't matter if her personal balance is zero.

Read here:

http://www.britishairways.com/travel...t/public/en_us

2. You could transfer your Membership Rewards (USA) points to your wife's account at a partner airline. See this thread:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...f-account.html

To my knowledge the other programs do not permit free transfers to other people, but they each probably have a procedure they follow in the event of death.

wholelottamiles

If this hasn't been mentioned I wanted to add that I've had no trouble using my mother's Aadvantage miles from her account traveling as myself. I called in to ask how to do it and it's not a problem. I didn't need her credit card at any point. My best wishes to you.

aeroplangirl

Sorry to hear about your situation and wish you all the best.

My uncle passed away 3 years ago, and my aunt recently July '13 used his awards (AA) points to purchase 2 award tickets for my mother and I to fly over and visit. No issue redeeming the flights and I don't think she had any trouble booking.

My vote is to not notify the airline.

Ord Liza

This raises an important point, but my experience has been quite different. I keep trying, but I have been told repeatedly by AA that I must use a credit card in the name of the person from whose account the miles are being pulled. Even for the $2.50 charge, I have had to do this. I don't know if the other airlines are the same and I don't know why wholelottamiles' experience has been different. (Perhaps AA gift cards could be used for this to avoid the issue?)

lkar

I think you have the right advice -- BA and Amex are easy, using, respectively, a household account and transferring to her airline. There is no way to give her your Amex as Amex points -- you need to put them into one of her airline accounts. You've taken care of Starwood.

The others are more difficult. I really wouldn't worry too much about the transfer of the Southwest and Hilton. It's so simple for her to redeem these if you give her your account information that the inefficiency of transferring them is not worth it. Since Southwest points basically spend like cash on any ticket, no matter what it's cost, and can be combined with cash to book, there really is no need to do anything other than make sure she knows how to log in to your account and use those miles. Hilton is a bit more cumbersome, but basically the same principle.

For Delta, United, and American, your options are limited. In order of ease, I think the possibilities are (1) pay the transfer fee, or (2) use points.com to trade to another program that is easier for her to control or from which you could do a transfer. For example, you could transfer points to Amtrak, apply for the Amtrak credit card, and then have the ability to transfer out Amtrak points to a hotel program. But this is all very inefficient and/or expensive. I would really look at coupon connection for your 500k or so non-BA airline miles. It will be much easier. Even losing 20 percent on a trade where you give someone control of your United miles and they transfer Chase points to your wife's UR account, is going to be far more efficient than any other possibility out there that I'm aware of.

mia

Probably not...

http://www.aa.com/i18n/productsGifts/giftCard.jsp

Ord Liza

Scratch the gift card idea. Other ideas for paying the taxes on the awards?

Mommy Points

So very very sorry to hear you have received such news, and I truly wish you all the best.

I concur with the sentiment that if your wife has all your account numbers/passwords, then with many programs she will be able to book things for herself from your account. I also hope the two of you will be able to book things together!

I have a post on programs that allow free transfers, but there may be more that permit such things in the event that the account holder is deceased.

http://boardingarea.com/mommypoints/....FRDi9TUz.dpbs

Again, healthy and positive thoughts sent your way.

nomii

The absolutely easiest way would be to share your username & password, and don't transfer any miles at all.

Your wife should be able to then log into your accounts and make flight bookings for herself.

darben

Do not notify anyone. If you do not have a joint credit card get one. Then she will have a card with your name on it after you pass.

AS an aside. I have worked in the medical field for over 20 years and have dealt with many medical issues where the prognosis is terminal. I know lots of people who have gone elsewhere and gotten treatment and lived for many years. This includes my step daughter who who was written off as a goner my the first MD when she was in a coma. We got another physician and one month later she went home, a little worse for wear but better every day.
My wife was a bed ridden paraplegic who needed spine surgery. Where I live they wanted to rod her from base of neck to tail bone and then would not guaranty after 6 months of recuperation she would walk again. Thank god I knew about Laser Spine institute. One hour with a laser in the O.R. and she was picking seashells on the beach two days later. She has been good for over a year now. Vibrant, active etc.

DO NOT ACCEPT the diagnosis of even the best practitioner. The graveyard is full of their mistakes it is the greatest cover-up

KennyBSAT

+1. Do dummy bookings online, teach her how to do them. Plan a trip and do every step except confirming the payments. For the airlines that cannot be booked online - I just redeemed with US over the phone with my wife's miles, they never asked to talk to her. But that might not have been the case if I hadn't been walking the agent through every step of the way.

atwnsw2

I always thought the airlines would find out if somebody passed away through social security lists or ???. Am I wrong?

KennyBSAT

You don't give any info but your name and birthdate when you sign up.

Tpa-flyer

I am among the many who wish your circumstances were different and I wish you the best moving forward. In the event your proactive options regarding your accounts aren't comfortable or efficient ones for you, isn't it true that upon the death of a spouse, miles/points can be transferred to survivors' accounts once certified copies of death certificates are filed with airlines/hotels? Pretty sure no miles or points balances are reduced in the process. As such, I'd submit giving some thought to using as many of your accounts now for whatever travel you are able to manage. In the meantime, contact the hotels/airlines for the addresses your spouse would need for mailing in documentation in accordance with their guidelines.