imnotsanenow

Good morning, My parents have 200k+ miles and can't travel anymore. We looked at transferring them, but it's more than the points are worth. Any suggestions for what they can do with the miles? Don't want them to go to waste.

Thanks!

JJeffrey

I mean what do you want to use them for?

If you can be a little bit flexible 200k still goes a long way.

As long as they have some activity in their account every 18 mos. (any activity) then they won't expire. Very easy to do.

guv1976

They can redeem the miles for travel by others; no transfer is required. But make sure that their miles do not expire because of lack of activity (earning or redeeming) in each of their AAdvantage accounts.

unfrequentflyer

Have them fund your next trip to Asia. Thailand and Japan will soon open up.

IADCAflyer

Not sure why this is a tough issue. Anyone can give an award ticket to anyone else - provided there is no consideration or remuneration. Simply keep their account in good standing and have them "give" awards as they see fit. You don't need to transfer miles from one account to another; you don't need to burn them with an unnecessary trip.

I book award seats for my sons, my mother, and my cousin all the time. Not an eyebrow is raised.

EXP100

Can't miles be donated to certain charities sponsored by AA?

redtop43

I wish your parents many more happy and healthy years, but while I think that technically miles cannot be bequeathed, in practice they usually can for a nominal fee. When you say "parents" I assume you're meaning they each have an active account. To make things cleaner, have their wills leave the miles to one of their kids.

And as noted upthread, (a) they can use their miles to get a ticket for someone else and (b) make sure they don't expire. I'm not sure but I think the expiration period might have been extended from 18 to 24 months.

Jaimito Cartero

I usually value AA miles at about 1.5 cents each. Not sure how redemptions in international cabins are these days. I know awards I booked last fall were easy, but then all the flights got messed up, and took 2+ hours to find other less desireable options.

Still, they can be used with some effort for good travel options.

Congratulations on your first FT post in 15 years. Seems it should be a record, but likely not.

VegasGambler

Technically the miles cannot be sold but if they get award tickets for family members (which is not a suspicious or unusual thing to do) no one is going to know if that family member gives them some money. There's no need to be a stickler for the rules here.

seat7a.speedbird2.030828

- If you don't already have control, log on to aa.com from the machine your parents typically have used in the past to do the same (skip long IT explanation as to why)
- create a new gmail address while you are logged in (so the AA cookie can see you do this)
- change the email on your parents' aa account(s) to the new gmail
- log off, shut down the machine, wait 1 hour
- log on to new gmail account in chrome
- log in to aa.com any browser
- create a reservation anywhere and mark hold for 24 hours
- log off aa.com
- wait 12 hours
- click on the PNR hold email ("purchase now") in the new gmail account
- log in to aa.com (site should open from the gmail)
- do nothing, log off

in the event the account-owning parent passes away, you have decreased your chances of losing online access by 80%

thatmikereed

AA transfers miles on the death of relatives without a fee. That said, using their miles to book travel for you is perfectly acceptable while they're alive.

HGH

Use the points to fly grandkids in for a visit. As others have explained, they can use their points to buy flights for others, no problem. Depending on their computer skills, they may need help, but totally doable.