Last edit by: Prospero
Preventing AAdvantage Miles and Accounts from Expiring:
What can I do? Alternatives for miles use and discussion.
To check your miles expiration date: Look for the Wallet link on the website or in the app.
AAdvantage members who are under 21 are not subject to mileage expiration if their birthday is associated with their account.
But note:
ANY account activity, earning or using miles, will extend the expiration date of all AA miles by an additional 18 months.
When days count, be aware: it's the transaction date, not the posting date, that counts to extend miles' validity. It can take some time for miles activity to fully post, including the new expiration date. But, read on. Be aware of some vendors’ delayed posting, however.
For other relevant threads and resources see:
aa.com and Others:
Using or getting rid of miles
FlyerTalk:
Here are some suggestions from members on how to prevent miles from expiring easily and/or automatically. Please post your suggestions here.
For previous posts on this topic, please see ARCHIVE: Prevent AA miles / account from expiring / alternate use of miles
Nov 12, 2020 - Formatting % font size
What can I do? Alternatives for miles use and discussion.
To check your miles expiration date: Look for the Wallet link on the website or in the app.
From AAdvantage Terms and Conditions: "AAdvantage members must have mileage earning or redeeming activity once every 18 months in order to retain their miles. If your account has no qualifying activity in any 18-month period, all miles in the account will expire. Qualifying activity extends the expiration date of all unexpired mileage credit in your account for 18 months from the date of the qualifying activity. Qualifying activity is defined as redeeming any AAdvantage award or accruing mileage credit on any eligible American, American Eagle® or AAdvantage airline participant as well as accruing mileage credit with participating hotels, car rental companies, credit cards, telecommunication providers and other service providers offering AAdvantage mileage credit." Gufting or donating miles, doing anything that will cause an increase or decrease in the number of award miles in an AAdvantage account resets the expiration clock by 18 months.
But note:
Pausing AAdvantage® mile expiration through June 2021
You’ve worked hard to earn your AAdvantage® miles, and we recognize you may need more time than usual to keep them active. We’ve paused the expiration of miles through June 30, 2021. If your miles are scheduled to expire on or before June 30, 2021, they will now expire in July 2021, if there’s no additional activity in your account before then. You can find the expiration date of your miles in the Wallet section of your AAdvantage® account.
You’ve worked hard to earn your AAdvantage® miles, and we recognize you may need more time than usual to keep them active. We’ve paused the expiration of miles through June 30, 2021. If your miles are scheduled to expire on or before June 30, 2021, they will now expire in July 2021, if there’s no additional activity in your account before then. You can find the expiration date of your miles in the Wallet section of your AAdvantage® account.
When days count, be aware: it's the transaction date, not the posting date, that counts to extend miles' validity. It can take some time for miles activity to fully post, including the new expiration date. But, read on. Be aware of some vendors’ delayed posting, however.
"Activity date" is how the airline sees it, but beware that the date as reported by the shopping portal vendor can be a "gotcha." From my own experiences of various online vendors, the "activity date" reported can be the date you placed the order, OR the date your order was "received", OR the date your order was "processed", OR the date a transaction "hold" was placed on your credit card, OR the date your credit card company actually approved the transaction, OR the date your order was shipped, OR the date it was picked up (if in-store, for example), OR...etc., etc. And, don't forget time zone differences, too, if your cutoff date is very close (is it the time zone/date of where you ordered, or the vendor's website server, or the vendor's physical store, or...?) In other words, each online vendor may define and report the activity date to the airline in ways you didn't expect. I have seen an instance, for example, where the reported activity date was almost 2 weeks past the actual date I placed the order, simply because a part was on back-order, thus the full order was not "completed" and therefore the credit card not billed until later. Another example is flower delivery, especially if the flowers aren't scheduled for delivery until much later. Buyer beware -- the airline will refer you to the vendor for clarification.
aa.com and Others:
- Link to AA restricts expired miles reactivation within 18 months of expiration (2019) thread
- Link to How to Reactivate / Restore Expired Miles – Reengagement Challenge thread
- Link to Miles for Opinions surveys - not many miles, but it resets the clock.
- Link to Car Rental partners
- Link- Business and Financial: Earn AAdvantage miles when you buy, sell, or move your home with American HomeMiles by SIRVA, BankDirect, Fidelity, Lifelock, Network Solutions, PreFlight parking, Regus, etc.
- Link Buying, Gifting, Sharing AA Miles (Points.com)
- Link- Charities: Contributing Money (Earning Miles): Susan G. Komen, National Cancer Research Foundation, USO
- Link- Financial and Business: Earn AAdvantage miles when you buy, sell, or move your home with American HomeMiles by SIRVA, BankDirect, Fidelity, Lifelock, Network Solutions, PreFlight parking, Regus, etc.
- Link - Home and Health: DIRECTV, Energy Plus, Everything Energy, because Energy, Reliant, Spafinder Wellness 365
- Link to ALL Hotel partners
- Links to Hotel Bookings via pointshound.com, rocketmiles.com and Kaligo.com
- Link - Retail And Dining: AAdvantage eShopping Mall, AAdvantage Dining Program, FTD, Teleflora, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Vinesse Wine
- Linkaa.com - Reactivating expired miles (for fee)
Using or getting rid of miles
- Redeem Miles:- Link
Includes Hotel rooms and auto rentals, Newspapers, Gift Cards, Lifelock.
Includes link to Link to Use AA Miles: (redeem for car rentals and lodging) - Link - Charities: Donating Miles Miles for All Who Serve, Miles for Kids in Need, Miles of Hope.
Here are some suggestions from members on how to prevent miles from expiring easily and/or automatically. Please post your suggestions here.
- Sign up and register a credit card with AAdvantage Dining, go dine at an enrolled restaurant. (Sign up with your email address for notifications for 3 miles per dollar spent instead of one mile; dine 11 times in one year and earn 5 miles per dollar.)
- Make any purchase through https://www.aadvantageeshopping.comthat earns AA miles.
- Another easy/cheap route is ordering photos from Walgreens.com. It specifically says in the terms "photo orders picked up in-store are eligible." Prints are as cheap as US$0.29, but I'd purchase at least $1 worth to make sure you get your miles (2miles/$1).
For previous posts on this topic, please see ARCHIVE: Prevent AA miles / account from expiring / alternate use of miles
Nov 12, 2020 - Formatting % font size
Prevent AA miles / account from expiring / expiration & spend for other than flying
#557
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
If it's been more than a day or two since your order has shipped / been picked up then there's probably an issue.
#560
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,494
No need to spend any money. Just book an award to anywhere. Wait till it tickets and the miles are deducted. Then cancel it. Miles will be redeposited, taxes refunded, and expiration date reset.
Prevent AA miles / account from expiring / expiration & spend for other than flying
Prevent AA miles / account from expiring / expiration & spend for other than flying
#562
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 24
Hello
I’ve got nearly 300,000 miles due to expire shortly. In the past I’ve kept them ‘alive’ by donating to charity.
I can see from this thread that seems to still be possible but I can’t find anywhere on aa.com that lets me do it. I’m UK based, does that make a difference?
Help would be much appreciated!
GG
I’ve got nearly 300,000 miles due to expire shortly. In the past I’ve kept them ‘alive’ by donating to charity.
I can see from this thread that seems to still be possible but I can’t find anywhere on aa.com that lets me do it. I’m UK based, does that make a difference?
Help would be much appreciated!
GG
#563
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,494
Hello
I’ve got nearly 300,000 miles due to expire shortly. In the past I’ve kept them ‘alive’ by donating to charity.
I can see from this thread that seems to still be possible but I can’t find anywhere on aa.com that lets me do it. I’m UK based, does that make a difference?
Help would be much appreciated!
GG
I’ve got nearly 300,000 miles due to expire shortly. In the past I’ve kept them ‘alive’ by donating to charity.
I can see from this thread that seems to still be possible but I can’t find anywhere on aa.com that lets me do it. I’m UK based, does that make a difference?
Help would be much appreciated!
GG
I mentioned it 2 posts above but the easiest way to keep miles from expiring is to just book an award ticket, any award ticket, wait until if fully tickets and the miles are deducted, then just cancel it online, the miles and taxes/fees will be refunded and your expiration date will be reset.
https://www.aa.com/i18n/customer-ser...ght/donate.jsp
#565
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: SEA/YVR
Programs: DL, AS, AA, AC, HH,
Posts: 15
Simple question from a simple mind: AA points expiration issue/timing
My AA points expire on December 12, 2022.
On November 28 I fly to Fiji on Fiji Airways and when I bought my ticket they asked which FF program I was with and I indicated AA and gave them my AA number etc.
On Dec 12, 2022 I return home from my brief trip to Fiji.
Question: will this trip count as AA travel and thus extend my expiration deadline another 18 months or does this flight need to be completed in its entirety before December 12, 2022 for my AA deadline to be pushed forward?
Genuine thanks and appreciation to anyone who can shed light on this situation for me.
On November 28 I fly to Fiji on Fiji Airways and when I bought my ticket they asked which FF program I was with and I indicated AA and gave them my AA number etc.
On Dec 12, 2022 I return home from my brief trip to Fiji.
Question: will this trip count as AA travel and thus extend my expiration deadline another 18 months or does this flight need to be completed in its entirety before December 12, 2022 for my AA deadline to be pushed forward?
Genuine thanks and appreciation to anyone who can shed light on this situation for me.
#566
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,603
My AA points expire on December 12, 2022.
On November 28 I fly to Fiji on Fiji Airways and when I bought my ticket they asked which FF program I was with and I indicated AA and gave them my AA number etc.
On Dec 12, 2022 I return home from my brief trip to Fiji.
Question: will this trip count as AA travel and thus extend my expiration deadline another 18 months or does this flight need to be completed in its entirety before December 12, 2022 for my AA deadline to be pushed forward?
Genuine thanks and appreciation to anyone who can shed light on this situation for me.
On November 28 I fly to Fiji on Fiji Airways and when I bought my ticket they asked which FF program I was with and I indicated AA and gave them my AA number etc.
On Dec 12, 2022 I return home from my brief trip to Fiji.
Question: will this trip count as AA travel and thus extend my expiration deadline another 18 months or does this flight need to be completed in its entirety before December 12, 2022 for my AA deadline to be pushed forward?
Genuine thanks and appreciation to anyone who can shed light on this situation for me.
AAdvantage miles now expire after 24 -- not 18 -- months without activity. But there are lots of ways to earn AAdvantage miles without flying. Check out AAdvantage Dining, AAdvantage e-shopping, etc. If, however, you reside in Canada, your options will be more limited.
#568
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP / LT PLT / 3MM, Marriott LT Gold
Posts: 35,399
I'm sure the answer is in the negative, but can you keep your miles from expiring by taking an award flight with someone else's miles? Asking for a friend (seriously).
#569
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,603
Nope. You must have activity -- earning or burning -- in your own AAdvantage account to keep your miles from expiring.
#570
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: ORD | Chicago O'Hare
Programs: UA-LifetimePremierGold, PLT: Bonvoy, IHG, GLD: Enterprise, Budget
Posts: 247