Ontario man loses 370,000 Aeroplan miles saved for retirement
May 14, 2019, 1:04 am
#46
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,866
I think I had earned like 3+ million on United, now only about 300000. I was saving for retirement but when United started raising first class international award miles I burned quickly 1 million miles over the last 10 years. I had a freind who had to pay $100 to get 160K United miles back. Because of illness he did not leave the house for 32 months, and the time he was trying to fly, Unied was 2 1/2 hours late in departing, and he would miss connection, and did not take the flight because he could not be stranded in Houston overnight. United did not give him credit for the paid tickets for a few flights that he could not take.
May 14, 2019, 3:06 am
#47
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: New England
Programs: American Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Silver
Posts: 5,640
Yes and Yes. They sell miles directly, they also allow credit card points transfers (so, they are essentially selling to credit card companies, who then sell them to you, paid for by your credit card's flexible currency). There are also various Singapore Krisflyer Amex cards, and UOB Mastercards, none of which have any sort of benefit that negates the 3-year hard expiration.
May 14, 2019, 7:13 am
#48
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 77
Nice thought, but...
2yrs back, I found myself in the YYZ Signature Suite surrounded by million milers. I talked to a (retirement age) father and middle age son. Singapore and India, paid J, every few weeks. They both had over a million Aeroplan miles but had never redeemed any. I did my good dead for the year and showed them FT and the mini RTW threads. The fact that they had never expired seemed to be dumb luck rather than any planning.
I think a ton of people don't book their own flights (during work careers) and a ton of people don't check their email spam filter.
The law on gift cards / points cited upthread seems to (barely) allowing expiration of points.... That needs changed to stipulate that multiple reminder methods need to be employed. Date of mailing a physical letter or post card, and email send logs should be sufficient.
//oh what fun that would be to query a list of accounts that are due to expire and gift tens of thousands of them each 1 mile.
Of course, this would totally wreck accounting forecasts for wiping poings off the books.
I think a ton of people don't book their own flights (during work careers) and a ton of people don't check their email spam filter.
The law on gift cards / points cited upthread seems to (barely) allowing expiration of points.... That needs changed to stipulate that multiple reminder methods need to be employed. Date of mailing a physical letter or post card, and email send logs should be sufficient.
//oh what fun that would be to query a list of accounts that are due to expire and gift tens of thousands of them each 1 mile.
Of course, this would totally wreck accounting forecasts for wiping poings off the books.
May 15, 2019, 8:14 am
#49
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE 2MM; UA MP Premier Silver; Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Elite; Radisson; Avis PC
Posts: 35,255
On the member's account "Overview" section, there is an "Account Expiry" section that displays a 12 Month Account Expiry "Account Expiration Date".
May 15, 2019, 9:02 am
#50
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 7,875
Maybe it would be better if the expiration were at 18 or 24 months. But, it is not. It is 12 months. None of us can account for why this particular individual let the deadline pass and why he ignored what AE says would have been two warnings. But, he apparently did. The result seems fair as does the recovery method which still gets the consumer tickets at what seems to be a decent price, if not more than he had planned.
May 15, 2019, 4:35 pm
#51
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Victoria, B.C.
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA Gold LT
Posts: 1,937
How is this a new story? If he had 370K Delta miles, it would have barely been enough at the saver level for a return trip in business class for him and his wife.
The way mileage programs are devaluing these days, probably in the near future 370K Aeroplan won't even get you a return ticket to Europe in business class.
The way mileage programs are devaluing these days, probably in the near future 370K Aeroplan won't even get you a return ticket to Europe in business class.
May 16, 2019, 12:50 am
#52
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: トロント
Programs: IHG Gold
Posts: 4,820
How is this a new story? If he had 370K Delta miles, it would have barely been enough at the saver level for a return trip in business class for him and his wife.
The way mileage programs are devaluing these days, probably in the near future 370K Aeroplan won't even get you a return ticket to Europe in business class.
The way mileage programs are devaluing these days, probably in the near future 370K Aeroplan won't even get you a return ticket to Europe in business class.
May 16, 2019, 6:52 am
#53
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Halifax
Programs: AC SE100K, Marriott Lifetime Platinum Elite. NEXUS
Posts: 4,567
Alternative snark: If you took them up on any then your expiration date would reset.
More seriously, I'm not sure your point. The point expiry policy hasn't changed. The policy is the policy. There are new weekly offers.
May 16, 2019, 8:51 am
#54
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 7,875
Well, until reading an offer gives you points, they still expire after a year of not manipulating points
Alternative snark: If you took them up on any then your expiration date would reset.
More seriously, I'm not sure your point. The point expiry policy hasn't changed. The policy is the policy. There are new weekly offers.
Alternative snark: If you took them up on any then your expiration date would reset.
More seriously, I'm not sure your point. The point expiry policy hasn't changed. The policy is the policy. There are new weekly offers.
But actually, even after they "expire" you have a grace period, I'm not sure how long, but I did do a transaction after my expiration date and my miles did not expire then (this was last year though, better check again to see when they expire)
May 16, 2019, 9:30 am
#55
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE100K, Bonvoy Platinum Elite, IHG Gold, Hertz 5*
Posts: 2,132
I honestly can't believe this is still being discussed 1 week later. I can't believe it was a story to begin with.
The rules are fair and they are clearly stated. AE sends out warning messages when expiry approaches.
This "million miler" goofed. Sucks to be him. His fault and not a story.
BTW - Is it just me or does the fact that this is about only 370k miles detract from the already pretty weak story?
The rules are fair and they are clearly stated. AE sends out warning messages when expiry approaches.
This "million miler" goofed. Sucks to be him. His fault and not a story.
BTW - Is it just me or does the fact that this is about only 370k miles detract from the already pretty weak story?
May 16, 2019, 10:30 am
#56
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Canada
Programs: Marriott LT Gold, IHG Club, Hertz Gold, Aeroplan, Avios, SkyMiles, Thrifty, AMEX
Posts: 985
May 16, 2019, 1:19 pm
#57
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE 2MM; UA MP Premier Silver; Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Elite; Radisson; Avis PC
Posts: 35,255
May 16, 2019, 1:47 pm
#59
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE 2MM; UA MP Premier Silver; Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Elite; Radisson; Avis PC
Posts: 35,255
May 16, 2019, 2:56 pm
#60
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE100K, Bonvoy Platinum Elite, IHG Gold, Hertz 5*
Posts: 2,132
I don't even use any tricks nor do I have an AE credit card and 370k AE points still seems very low to me. That's like a year of flying for a lot of people here - 6 moths of flying for several. But somehow this guy who has flown a million miles thinks it's a lot? Doesn't add up.