I also did this when my dad died. I transferred the miles into my mom's account.

If it is not a spouse with the same address, does the will need to clearly state who gets the FF miles or can you just request the transfer and give the FF #s?

I too am sorry for your loss.

Let me too add my condolences.
My father-in-law passed away a few years ago and he had several hundred thousand SM's banked.
We were the trustees of his rather complicated estate and with all the other issues never gave his miles a second thought,
As I've read about this on FT over the last couple years, I now know we could probably have captured the miles. Too late for us but since only a year has passed perhaps you can get the miles transferred.
I've read elsewhere that transferring the miles is a lot easier if one has the foresight to include specific instructions in the will or trust. It can still be done with no will provisions and with the proper documentation. But if you want to transfer them to a distant relative or a charity, for example, it's better if this is spelled out in advance.
Perhaps one of the legal folks on this board can weigh in on this subject.

My sincere condolences go to our fellow Delta forum FlyerTalk members who have lost loved ones. My thoughts are with you.

As the FlyerTalk community (and the community in the Delta forum) increases in population, this is a question that will unfortunately be asked increasingly more often in the future.

Therefore, as a service to facilitate finding the answer to the questions asked by those FlyerTalk members whose parents, children, spouses, siblings and relatives become deceased and have SkyMiles accounts, I have carefully merged several threads into this one, ensuring that the flow of the discussion remains consistent. This thread will then be permanently linked into the PLEASE READ FIRST: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Anything To Do With Delta “sticky” thread for easy reference in the future by anyone who needs it.

I truly hope that this helps those who need the information.

Sincerely,

Canarsie
Co-Moderator, Delta forum

My condolences to those FT members that have lost loved ones. I have been thru this twice, once helping my father receive my mother's SkyMiles when she passed away (pretty straightforward transfer to surviving spouse and well-covered in previous posts).

I also went thru this when my life partner passed away. Since we were not related legally, DL obviously asked for more documentation. However, he had SPECIFICALLY listed his SkyMiles in his will. A copy of the will, a certified copy of the death certificate (yes, you can never have too many of those), and some nice folks at DL got it all worked out. I should add that, as the surviving half of a gay couple, I received nothing but professional treatment, respect and courtesy from DL. This was one of those times when everything did work the way that it should.

Transferring miles after death
 

My sister's husband died several months ago. His estate is very complicated and his will doesn't explicitly mention skymiles. Can she get the miles transferred to her account just by presenting a death certificate and proof of marriage? I have tried searching, but haven't found a relevant thread.

My experience was that all we needed to provide Delta was a copy of the death certificate and the miles were transfered into my mom's account. Just write a short letter, mention her FF# and his and enclose a certified copy of the death certificate. I was given several of these (although I can't remember who gave them to me ... not something I want to think about much).

Billy

transfer of miles of deceased to spouse
 

Does anyone have knowledge of how one can transfer miles of a deceased spouse to the surviving spouse ? Are most of the airline policies on this matter similar?

Each airlines is different. Some will do it without a copy of the death certificate and some require one. I did this a few years ago for my mom when my dad died. I would call customer service of the individual airlines.

Sometimes it is better to NOT transfer the miles if the deceased person has status with the airlines.

I am sorry for your loss and would like to offer my condolensces.

There is generally a fee as well. My mother died and had so few miles that the fee was greater than the value of the miles. I agree that just using them if you have the PIN is easier.

Miles Transfer for a Death ?
 

Hello, What happens to a persons Skymiles if they become deceased ? Can they be passed on to a another family member ?

Transfering SkyMiles of the deceased?
 

Can the SkyMiles of a deceased spouse be transfered to the living spouse without incurring the transfer fees/cost? Thanks.

AFAIK, the answer is still yes.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=423203

Transfer to Spouse (Mileage under 50k)

Please submit a photocopy of your spouse's death certificate along with both SkyMiles account numbers to the below address. After we receive this information from you, we will transfer the mileage.

Delta Air Lines, Dept. 654
SkyMiles Service Center
P.O. Box 20532
Atlanta, GA 30320-2532

Transfer to Non-Spouse or Spouse (Mileage over 50k)

In order to process your request for mileage transfer, we need a little more information. Please send the following items to the below address, so we may complete your request:

- A signed and notarized affidavit requesting the mileage transfer.

The affidavit is located at www.delta.com/skymilesaffidavit.

The affidavit is in PDF format, so you will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to view or print the document. To download Acrobat Reader, visit http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

- A photocopy of the death certificate

- A copy of the court order appointing the Executor/Administrator of the estate of the SkyMiles member, or any other documentation that confers authority to act as the Executor/Administrator of the estate.

Delta Air Lines, Dept. 654
SkyMiles Service Center
P.O. Box 20532
Atlanta, GA 30320-2532

Important Notes
* Posting does not extend expiration date in recipients account
* All transfered miles post as SkyMiles and are subject to expiration

It seems like airlines should have a beneficiary form (like a brokerage firm), so I can designate that someone gets my miles automatically. Do any of them do this?

It's not necessary. Just list them in your will. A copy of the will and a copy of the death certificate is all it takes for DL to transfer the miles. As I posted a while back, this was one area where I have twice had good experiences with DL. ^ ^ ^