Originally Posted by
Paxing
Many thanks for all replies. I had searched for threads before asking and am glad to have them located for me. This is what I had expected and so, if one is 'slowing down' [fortunately just not yet!] then one needs to gift them to others in advance. If needs be, they can always buy you a trip, or upgrade you before your final downgrade ...

“Gifting” miles often enough incurs considerable cost. Be sure to check out how much.