Apr 30, 2019, 2:11 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
Q. When do AAdvantage miles expire?
AAdvantage miles expire if there has been no activity in the member’s AAdvantage account for 18 months. However, the miles accumulated by those under 21 years of age will not expire; the expiry “clock” begins to run at the 21st birthday. This new policy began 1 Jul 2020, and is to be retroactive. (The date of last activity, not the posting date, is the date to pay attention to.)
Q. How can I keep my miles from expiring?
Just earn or redeem miles on American or with an AAdvantage partner at least once every 18 months. We’ll automatically extend your mileage expiration date 18 months from the date of your most recent activity.
Your wallet shows the number of miles you have and the earliest date they could expire. aa.com
AAdvantage miles expire if there has been no activity in the member’s AAdvantage account for 18 months. However, the miles accumulated by those under 21 years of age will not expire; the expiry “clock” begins to run at the 21st birthday. This new policy began 1 Jul 2020, and is to be retroactive. (The date of last activity, not the posting date, is the date to pay attention to.)
Q. How can I keep my miles from expiring?
Just earn or redeem miles on American or with an AAdvantage partner at least once every 18 months. We’ll automatically extend your mileage expiration date 18 months from the date of your most recent activity.
Your wallet shows the number of miles you have and the earliest date they could expire. aa.com
When do AA miles expire? (18 months after last activity for those age >20)
Mar 11, 2019, 7:04 pm
#16
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,158
For what it is worth I was recently in a similar situation and dined at a AAdvantage Dining Restaurant several weeks before expiration. It's been a month now and points have not posted. Fortunately, I decided to use one of their other miles-for-x deals to preserve my balance. Just be careful to use AAdvantage Dining very far in advance.
2. I think that when the miles eventually post to your AAdvantage account, they will carry the date of the original dining transaction and the record will be corrected. In other words, it is possible for miles to retroactively unexpire. But it does increase the risk of something going wrong.
Mar 11, 2019, 8:42 pm
#17
Join Date: May 2008
Location: PHL (kinda, no airport is really close)
Programs: AA Exp, but not sure for how long. Enterprise Platinum woo-hoo!
Posts: 4,550
An even easier way is to go to the AAdvantage shopping portal and buy something. When I need to do that, I click through to Walmart and buy a box of cookies. However, I can't promise it will post immediately. At least you'll have a basis to complain to AA that it was a brief delay and they shouldn't wipe out your miles over that.
I always set my calendar for a reminder after 15 months.
I always set my calendar for a reminder after 15 months.
Mar 11, 2019, 11:00 pm
#18
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Technically my current miles on my account will expire tomorrow. Will they actually expire tomorrow or is there some sort of grace period before they actually expire?
I'm trying to decide whether I should just purchase additional miles today so that my current miles don't expire, or if I can wait until April 3 when I'll be flying with AA and thus accrue miles so that my miles don't expire.
What should I do? Thanks.
I'm trying to decide whether I should just purchase additional miles today so that my current miles don't expire, or if I can wait until April 3 when I'll be flying with AA and thus accrue miles so that my miles don't expire.
What should I do? Thanks.
Grace left town when AA began monetizing everything.
What I’d do: set up an account and register a credit card with AAdvantage Dining (sign up for emails to get more miles) and go dine (anything, a drink, etc. counts). If you want to be very sure, dine at two places if you have two close to each other. Or, use the AA shopping portal (screen shot just in case).
In my experience, these will post within 7-10 days, and that will reset your expiration date. The effective date used is the transaction date, not the posting date.
Mar 12, 2019, 7:12 am
#21
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: AA Executive Platinum/Million Miler, Marriott Titanium Elite-Lifetime, Hilton Gold
Posts: 3,198
I see the point. The OP had 18 months after his last activity to have additional activity yet failed to have any. Now the OP wants an additional few weeks when it's widely known there must be activity every 18 months.
Mar 12, 2019, 7:25 am
#22
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: PHL
Programs: AA(PPro), UA, AGR, BW(Plat), HH, WoH, MB(S)
Posts: 778
With mileage/points accounts that generally have low activity. I set a calendar reminder about three months prior to expiration to prompt taking some action. Most programs have shopping portals that can be worked without having to buy something for no real reason if you have some time. Once the miles/points post, I reset the reminder date.
Mar 12, 2019, 9:34 am
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: LAX
Posts: 10,906
none of this "widely known" - this stuff is buried deep in webpages layered with ever-changing conditions which vary dramatically from carrier to carrier eg no expiry for DL B6, 24 mo for AS WN, 18 for AA UA..
Mar 12, 2019, 10:07 am
#24
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: South Park, Metropolis
Programs: AA LT PLT 3MM, Hilton/Marriott/SPG/Club Carlson GLD, IHG PLT
Posts: 4,606
To prevent miles from expiring, you should have some sort of activity posted in your account, aside from flying, there is branded credit card spend, purchase something in the airlines portal, magazine redemption, car or hotel stay credited to the airline, and others alike, the key is that the activity date is important, seeing that they are expiring tomorrow, best to do the activity today, it might take some time to credit, but once done all should be well.
Last edited by arollins; Mar 12, 2019 at 3:18 pm
Mar 12, 2019, 10:16 am
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
Posts: 14,167
Just earn or redeem miles on American or with an AAdvantage partner at least once every 18 months. We'll automatically extend your mileage expiration date 18 months from the date of your most recent activity. Your wallet shows the number of miles you have and the earliest date they could expire
Mar 12, 2019, 10:16 am
#26
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: WAS
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 1,754
AA doesn't do much well, but they're very upfront about your mileage balance and expiration.
Mar 12, 2019, 12:52 pm
#27
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
The OP hadn’t responded, but essentially
1) will carry out some activity today that will extend those miles’ availability by 18 months,
2a) not do anything and lose them, or
2b) not do anything and pay to reactivate them.
“Grace” is not a well known concept atHP US AA. (And every time I look at look at my account, the miles expiration date is clearly shown - but if I don’t visit my account, I won’t see the warning.)
1) will carry out some activity today that will extend those miles’ availability by 18 months,
2a) not do anything and lose them, or
2b) not do anything and pay to reactivate them.
“Grace” is not a well known concept at
Mar 12, 2019, 1:18 pm
#28
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: AA Executive Platinum/Million Miler, Marriott Titanium Elite-Lifetime, Hilton Gold
Posts: 3,198
It most definitely is widely known through a variety of means. It's not buried. AA is very up front about the expiration date in multiple places. AA isn't responsible if one doesn't take a few minutes to login and look at his/her account. People are responsible to manage their own loyalty accounts.
Mar 12, 2019, 1:35 pm
#29
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Verdi, NV, SFO & Olympic (aka Squaw )Valley.
Programs: Ikon Pass Full + AS Gold + Marriott Titanium + Hilton Gold. Recovering UA Plat. LT lounge AA+DL+UA
Posts: 3,822
It most definitely is widely known through a variety of means. It's not buried. AA is very up front about the expiration date in multiple places. AA isn't responsible if one doesn't take a few minutes to login and look at his/her account. People are responsible to manage their own loyalty accounts.
Mar 12, 2019, 1:40 pm
#30
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
If you want backup, keep screenshots, receipts or other evidence until the miles post.
