JDiver

A new thread has been established for 2012 questions regarding this issue; please visit at Help: I need XXX miles by XXX date (2012 - Consolidated)

Please read the new (2007) AAdvantage Mileage Retention Policy page on aa.com, which states, in part:

(My underscoring.)

As of December 15, all miles will now have 18 month expiry, and accounts inactive longer than that will see miles expire on that date.

(Added by Moderator)

ranles

Our miles are expiring...now

I have signed up for the Citibank card (only had 15,000 miles) so I should be good to go.

Wife has 31000 miles but last activity 10/03. Can someone suggest the cheapest way to "renew" the time limit on these miles. We are likely to use them in '08.

Thanks

netsc

check out www.OpinionPlace.com and do a quick survey. Takes less than 15 minutes, and gives you anywhere from 75-300 miles depending on what you qualify for. Posts to AA within 1-2 weeks.

yul2005

If not already a member, sign up for points.com. Free membership will give only you 10 AA miles, but should reset the 3-year timer. Points typically post overnight (make sure you give them your AAdvantage number and password to allow them to post the miles).

yosithezet

Had a similar problem with another US Air. Check out Mags for Miles and order some magazine for a couple of hundred points. This should reset the countdown.

nova474

I concur with yul2005. Points.com is really fast and free. But I would change my AA password before signing up and giving Points.com the password. Then change my AA password back after the miles posted. I would rather not give Points.com my real password.

yul2005

EXACTLY what I do!

JDiver

One more: Go to AAdvantage Dining by Rerwards Network, née iDine, (link via aa.com or use this link) get an account and register a credit card or three, and go out and dine at an iDine restaurant. It takes 7 - 10 days for miles to "hit" aa.com, you initially earn 3 miles per dollar spent, and if she decides to eat out enough to become elite this year ($250 dollars spent by the end of the year,) it's 10 dollars per dollar spent. Do I hear an office holiday dinner shaping up here?

But remember, it is ANY activity - burning some, earning some - that counts to extend the life of those miles to 36 months. Even buying the minimum amount via aa.com, or you giving her some of yours with a "Share" (stil has a service fee, but less than buying them outright,) will extend the miles.

bpan0704

Way to go ^ .

ranles

Thanks

Took 400 points from my wife's account and got a magazine
aa.com/magazinesformiles

My concern is generating an activity to perserve the account. I guess spending miles is as good as earning. A lot faster too.

dgordon

I agree that the IDine program is the best way to keep an account alive. Am doing this with my Delta miles which I just discovered has reduced the inactivity window from 3 years to 2 years. So I have changed two credit cards so the next time I eat at an Idine restaurant I will save my 108K miles with Delta and my daughter's 7K miles with Delta. I never have to worry about AA with having the citibank AAdvantage credit cards, iDine, and flying whether revenue or awards.

mvoight

It doesn't matter when the miles spent/earn post.
It is the date of the actual activity that matters.
Personally, I would have taken the 10 for points.com signup instead of spending 400 for a mag, unless she really wanted it.

I am still a bit puzzled by the number of posts here that always ask about this right before the miles are expiring. After all, you get 3 YEARS.

ranles

mvoigth you are right about the last minute requests. But go figure, no need to worry for the first two years, no hard copy statements to remind, not all of us can keep track for 8 ff accounts, same for hotels all times 2 (wife and I). Thats is 32 accounts all with differing dates and rules. Some we use a lot and some hardly ever. Hard to keep up with life and all the issues to maintain too. So we look for help when we mess up. That is part of why we belong to flyertalk. I keep more active when working as the points were acquired "free". Now those points are more expensive to come by and hopping on a point run is not as easy physically.

This all started with Delta. There never lose points are now going to be taken away. That got me to check out the other programs that we have.

Of the 32 programs, Von grocery takes care of 1. My AS Visa takes care of a second. Wife's UA card a third. My temporary UA card a fourth. Now my pending temporary AA card will do a fifth. The magazines took care of a sixth and seventh (also compounded with a couple other items). Hotels and an occasional car rental do not help, as they overlaps our main progarms with UA and AS. I did change one to help with a lesser used program. Kelloggs points redid a couple 3 years ago. A few trades with flyertalkers captured a few certs for points...do not see them much anymore.

We do stay at hotels, trying to mix them up to keep the points we have. Unfortunately that keeps any hope of status low. A HH card keeps us Silver, but would prefer gold (for the breakfast). Forget Hyatt, a point stay once in a while keeps those points, but making status is not realistic.

Cruises with hotel stays, bus tours with hotel stays, point stays, etc just don't do it. Some trips, outback Australia also make choosing a point stay difficult.

Finally, add old and dying parents, illnesses brought on by aging, spouse illnesses and it is a more difficult task.

These are just some ramblings. I found the thread on Delta. Seems this is a problem for a lot of people. Expiring programs. Just seems there should be some value available for your past points earned before they expire. Stranded points are a real problem when you retire or just retire a frequent travel career.

Oh, I well use the Delta points for the WSJ, as long as that is an available option in the future. I have been getting it for free from my broker.

keaneanthony

I have 98.4K Q miles for 2006. I desperately need to reach the 100K mark so that I can qualify for Exec Platinum status. Any ideas of how to do this by 12/31 via special promos and without shelling out $. Home base is BOS

Traviss

There is no alternative to the 1600 BIS miles before December 31...