What to do with miles due to expire soon? [merged expiring miles Q&A]
Mar 30, 2020, 1:57 pm
#197
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 522
You only need to book a ticket, it doesn't matter where to. That alone will prevent the miles from expiring.
You can always cancel the flights later and spend the miles on another route, the 50 EUR cancellation fee is quite small when compared to the potential loss of 170k miles.
You can always cancel the flights later and spend the miles on another route, the 50 EUR cancellation fee is quite small when compared to the potential loss of 170k miles.
Mar 30, 2020, 5:24 pm
#198
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: NYC -- UA 1K; SPG Platinum; HH Diamond.
Posts: 2,918
Off the top of my head, I think that it’s until the end of the quarter in which you can cancel. So theoretically, you have almost 3 months from cancellation until you have to re-use the miles. There is a thread about this somewhere here.
Mar 31, 2020, 6:31 am
#199
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: AMS
Programs: KL PFL; BA Gold; A3 Silver; EY Silver; SU Silver
Posts: 2,488
Unfortunately I was late in applying for the new card and too late in realising my existing card no longer offers the expiry protection (surprise surprise!!!).
Jun 30, 2020, 5:25 pm
#202
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,223
If I book a flight with miles about to expire, and then LH cancels the flight, can I wait to ask LH to refund the miles and thereby extend the expiration for free?
For example, can it work like this: my miles expire today June 30. I book a flight today for July 31. LH then cancels that flight. I wait to ask for my miles to be refunded until October 1, which in theory means they are vaild till Dec 31?
For example, can it work like this: my miles expire today June 30. I book a flight today for July 31. LH then cancels that flight. I wait to ask for my miles to be refunded until October 1, which in theory means they are vaild till Dec 31?
Jun 30, 2020, 6:42 pm
#203
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: NYC -- UA 1K; SPG Platinum; HH Diamond.
Posts: 2,918
If I book a flight with miles about to expire, and then LH cancels the flight, can I wait to ask LH to refund the miles and thereby extend the expiration for free?
For example, can it work like this: my miles expire today June 30. I book a flight today for July 31. LH then cancels that flight. I wait to ask for my miles to be refunded until October 1, which in theory means they are vaild till Dec 31?
For example, can it work like this: my miles expire today June 30. I book a flight today for July 31. LH then cancels that flight. I wait to ask for my miles to be refunded until October 1, which in theory means they are vaild till Dec 31?
Jun 30, 2020, 7:47 pm
#204
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,223
Thanks for the advice. I'm pretty sure that I'll need to use the miles before the end of this year but I'm not sure if it will be Q2 or Q3.
And with the chance of schedule changes and cancellations, I can get my points back without needing to spend 50 euros, but i think the chance of the cancellation is lower in Q4. So I trade the risk of having the miles expire again before i really need them against the chance of getting the miles back without paying 50 euros.
I'm hoping that somebody simply has had this experience (not asking for the miles to be redeposited immediately) and knows if this will work. If yes, then the risk is low.
And with the chance of schedule changes and cancellations, I can get my points back without needing to spend 50 euros, but i think the chance of the cancellation is lower in Q4. So I trade the risk of having the miles expire again before i really need them against the chance of getting the miles back without paying 50 euros.
I'm hoping that somebody simply has had this experience (not asking for the miles to be redeposited immediately) and knows if this will work. If yes, then the risk is low.
Jul 26, 2020, 12:10 pm
#205
Join Date: May 2000
Location: WAS
Posts: 1,069
I have miles set to expire on 9/30/20. If I book a flight with them, and in the meantime get a M&M credit card that protects against mileage expiration, is it safe to assume that when I cancel, the redeposited miles will not expire as long as I meet all conditions for required spending on the card? Thanks.
Yonatan
Yonatan
Nov 17, 2020, 1:39 pm
#206
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 522
I have miles set to expire on 9/30/20. If I book a flight with them, and in the meantime get a M&M credit card that protects against mileage expiration, is it safe to assume that when I cancel, the redeposited miles will not expire as long as I meet all conditions for required spending on the card? Thanks.
Yonatan
Yonatan
Dec 17, 2020, 11:23 am
#208
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 432
Getting different answers from different reps.
1. From the Hotel and Car rental, if I use expiring miles to book beyond the date and cancel after that, the miles will be reinstated and last till the end of the quarter.
2. From the Flight award department, if I book a flight beyond the expiring date and cancel after that, the miles will be expired but sometimes they are reinstated and available in the account, sometimes for a few hours, a few days or weeks but sometimes they are just gone forever. It's random by the system, she said.
3. If the flight booked is canceled, the miles are just gone forever with no other option.
Anyone who has any experience about this? It is very confusing and not consistent at all.
1. From the Hotel and Car rental, if I use expiring miles to book beyond the date and cancel after that, the miles will be reinstated and last till the end of the quarter.
2. From the Flight award department, if I book a flight beyond the expiring date and cancel after that, the miles will be expired but sometimes they are reinstated and available in the account, sometimes for a few hours, a few days or weeks but sometimes they are just gone forever. It's random by the system, she said.
3. If the flight booked is canceled, the miles are just gone forever with no other option.
Anyone who has any experience about this? It is very confusing and not consistent at all.
Jan 25, 2021, 4:02 am
#209
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Switzerland
Programs: Bonvoy LT Gold, IHG Gold, BAEC Silver, TP Silver
Posts: 1,494
Has M&M extended the miles expiry date? I remember early January 2021, when I checked on my online account, I had 45k due to expire June 30, 2021. But today when I checked, there is nothing showing anymore..... I still can't figure out where to check when my miles are due to expire.... or to do they only show up on the account statement 6 months prior the expiry date?
Aug 6, 2021, 11:09 am
#210
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,223
so I ended up buying a ticket, and of course the flight was rescheduled so I am entitled to my miles back.
I didnt ask for the refund immediately, and I was told I can ask for the miles to be redeposited in my account anytime in the future, so I'm waiting until I need them.
But now i have no miles in my account and I cannot check availability of award flights online, as the website requires at least 7000 miles to do a search. (I dont remember this from the past, I guess it is something new, or I just have more than 7000 miles in my account for a long time.)
Calling in every time I want to check award availability is not very convenient... does anybody know a work-around to allow me to check for award availability online if I have less than 7000 miles in my account?
I didnt ask for the refund immediately, and I was told I can ask for the miles to be redeposited in my account anytime in the future, so I'm waiting until I need them.
But now i have no miles in my account and I cannot check availability of award flights online, as the website requires at least 7000 miles to do a search. (I dont remember this from the past, I guess it is something new, or I just have more than 7000 miles in my account for a long time.)
Calling in every time I want to check award availability is not very convenient... does anybody know a work-around to allow me to check for award availability online if I have less than 7000 miles in my account?