Orphaned miles?
 

I have seen this term used from time to time on the Delta forums but am not sure what it means precisely and its not in the FAQ glossary. So whats the definition exactly?

usually refers to miles/points you have in a specific program,
that are below the threshold for use,
usually non transferable unless you pay costs close to or exceeding the value of the miles themselves,
and you dont plan on flying that airline or frequenting that hotel, so the balance is not likely to increase

Orphaned miles are a few thousand miles in an account that are not enough to use for anything and cannot be transferred to your primary account. So if you were to have 7000 miles in an old UA account and are not flying UA anymore those would be orphaned miles.

Got it...thanks!!

"Orphaned miles" only exist if someone wants the miles to be considered "orphaned" and/or if not willing to invest the time to pursue other options.