Keeping miles alive indefinitely - MPC says it's possible
Aug 22, 2011, 10:14 am
#1
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Keeping miles alive indefinitely - MPC says it's possible
This is very interesting. As part of a discussion today with an agent on the MPC desk I talked about what happens with miles that are refunded after their original expiry date. Her answer, after multiple repeated questions, because I found it very hard to believe, was that, in effect, you can keep miles alive for ever. This is how it works:
Let's say my membership year ends on 30 November each year, and that I have 180,000 that will expire on 30 November 2011. If I book a round trip ticket to London on 30 November 2011 using those miles for travel some time in the following months the ticket will be valid until 30 November 2012.
According to the agent, if I cancel the ticket and refund those miles (at a cost of US$120) at some point between 1 December 2011 and 30 November 2012 then they will go back into my account with an expiry date of 30 November 2012.
On 30 November 2012 I book another ticket to London with the same miles for some time in the following 12 months, and then do the same again.
Repeat as necessary.
This took me very much by surprise, so I questioned the agent repeatedly, including asking "do I understand correctly that this means I can keep any amount of miles alive indefinitely for a charge of US$120?". And she said that yes, that was the effect. Her English seemed very fluent, so there's not much doubt in my mind that she genuinely understood the question and believed the answer to be correct.
(Strictly, of course, it's not "any amount", it's "any amount that could be used to book an award ticket" so I think the maximum is 335,000 per ticket. Obviously, for higher amounts you could simply book multiple tickets and pay multiple US$120 refund fees.)
Is this common knowledge that I missed somehow? Has anyone actually done this successfully? It's only something that has been possible in the last few years since AsiaMiles/MPC introduced the possibility of refunding miles.
Let's say my membership year ends on 30 November each year, and that I have 180,000 that will expire on 30 November 2011. If I book a round trip ticket to London on 30 November 2011 using those miles for travel some time in the following months the ticket will be valid until 30 November 2012.
According to the agent, if I cancel the ticket and refund those miles (at a cost of US$120) at some point between 1 December 2011 and 30 November 2012 then they will go back into my account with an expiry date of 30 November 2012.
On 30 November 2012 I book another ticket to London with the same miles for some time in the following 12 months, and then do the same again.
Repeat as necessary.
This took me very much by surprise, so I questioned the agent repeatedly, including asking "do I understand correctly that this means I can keep any amount of miles alive indefinitely for a charge of US$120?". And she said that yes, that was the effect. Her English seemed very fluent, so there's not much doubt in my mind that she genuinely understood the question and believed the answer to be correct.
(Strictly, of course, it's not "any amount", it's "any amount that could be used to book an award ticket" so I think the maximum is 335,000 per ticket. Obviously, for higher amounts you could simply book multiple tickets and pay multiple US$120 refund fees.)
Is this common knowledge that I missed somehow? Has anyone actually done this successfully? It's only something that has been possible in the last few years since AsiaMiles/MPC introduced the possibility of refunding miles.
Aug 22, 2011, 8:43 pm
#3
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This is how the way how UA/CO elites work.
Ask. Not getting the answer you want? Hang up and call again.
It sounds too good to be true...
Ask. Not getting the answer you want? Hang up and call again.
It sounds too good to be true...
Aug 22, 2011, 8:54 pm
#4
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Aug 22, 2011, 10:19 pm
#5
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: HKG, TPE, SAN
Programs: Marriott Plat, JAL Sapphire
Posts: 260
Yes, I've done it!
Used my miles to redeem a ticket for my son TPE-HKG, but we ended up not using that ticket. When it came close to ticket's expiration, I called MPC and asked about my alternatives. This was one of the alternatives offered, that I can pay $120 and get my 15,000 miles back. That's what I chose. The miles went back to have the longest expiration date.
Aug 22, 2011, 11:58 pm
#6
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Join Date: May 2006
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Posts: 9,952
Used my miles to redeem a ticket for my son TPE-HKG, but we ended up not using that ticket. When it came close to ticket's expiration, I called MPC and asked about my alternatives. This was one of the alternatives offered, that I can pay $120 and get my 15,000 miles back. That's what I chose. The miles went back to have the longest expiration date.
Aug 23, 2011, 10:19 pm
#8
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: HKG, TPE, SAN
Programs: Marriott Plat, JAL Sapphire
Posts: 260
yes, I believe so.... or at a minimum, a 2-year validity (I have no miles expiring over the next year). Didn't think it was a big deal, but judging by reactions here, it is. I just thought it was a better deal to pay $120 to preserve that 15,000 miles.
Last edited by Chihster; Aug 23, 2011 at 11:14 pm
