Pts & miles inheritance
#4
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 278
I would just mention it in the will including the frequent flyer number and password. Some airlines would open a deceased account to a family member although I'm not too sure of the rules on that.
Last edited by dshargorodsky; Mar 27, 2012 at 8:29 pm Reason: Spelling mistake
#5
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: NYC
Programs: AA PLT 2MM
Posts: 395
#6
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: AA LT PLT 3.2MM, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 117
AA info
There is a thread on this for American:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...lidated-6.html
AA is under no obligation to do so, but they seem to have been generally nice about transferring miles to an heir. There seems to be a nominal fee.
The same thread indicates some varied experience with other programs.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...lidated-6.html
AA is under no obligation to do so, but they seem to have been generally nice about transferring miles to an heir. There seems to be a nominal fee.
The same thread indicates some varied experience with other programs.
#7
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA PLT, HH Gold, SPG/Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,091
A community property state entitles your wife/husband to half of everything you own. As far as New York, it is not a community property state. You may be able to make a bequest in your Will regarding the miles, but laws vary from state to state. It would be best to check with your attorney.
j3brooklyn I would have to agree with your advice.
j3brooklyn I would have to agree with your advice.
#10
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: S Cal
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat, United Silver, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat
Posts: 1,142
Some other threads on this topic:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...-ff-miles.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...ter-death.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...-ff-miles.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...ter-death.html
#11
Join Date: May 2006
Location: BOS and ...
Programs: UA 2MM, DL 500k, AA 500k, Hyatt GP 1M, HH Gold, Rad. Gold, CP Gold, Miracle Fruit-su Club
Posts: 9,950
There is another path espoused on these boards. Basically, it's:
"Here's the envelope with all my accounts, usernames, passwords and pins. Never let them know I'm gone!"
[It's possible to book someone other than the account holder using an account's miles/points.]
By the way, I officially transferred ~200K of my wife's UA miles to my son after she passed, and the only "hurdle" was to provide copies of death certificate and son's ID. And I think there was also an affidavit to sign. It might have included a hold harmless and acknowledgment that there would be no reversing the process. Something like that. But no will or trust was requested.
"Here's the envelope with all my accounts, usernames, passwords and pins. Never let them know I'm gone!"
[It's possible to book someone other than the account holder using an account's miles/points.]
By the way, I officially transferred ~200K of my wife's UA miles to my son after she passed, and the only "hurdle" was to provide copies of death certificate and son's ID. And I think there was also an affidavit to sign. It might have included a hold harmless and acknowledgment that there would be no reversing the process. Something like that. But no will or trust was requested.
Last edited by Firewind; Mar 30, 2012 at 8:45 am
#12
Join Date: May 2008
Location: PHL (kinda, no airport is really close)
Programs: AA Exp, but not sure for how long. Enterprise Platinum woo-hoo!
Posts: 4,546
Remember the legal fine print in the T&C that says that the miles do not belong to you, they belong to the airline. You actually do not have a legal right to them.
I seem to recall seeing something on Air Canada saying that they will basically, in respect of your loss and bereavement, graciously permit transfer of miles to an heir for just a token fee of 2 cents per mile (barf barf!).
However, airlines do vary in their actual policies. Air Canada's policy is essentially confiscatory, since the miles aren't even worth 2 cents each. This is why, as another poster mentioned, some people have been known to leave their password and say "Don't tell anybody I'm dead until you burn all the miles."
There have been divorce cases where people have claimed miles as marital property to be divided. I don't really know how they have been decided. I'm pretty sure that an airline can just laugh and say "Oh, you have a court order telling us to transfer miles from Mr. Flyertalk to Mrs. Flyertalk. Go spit in the water, you can't make us do a damn thing, the miles don't belong to Mr. Flyertalk, they belong to us." (Most likely the court will say that if the miles are worth $5000, Mrs. Flyertalk gets an extra $2500 from some other asset.)
Probably the "use 'em before the airline finds out" is the best strategy.
I seem to recall seeing something on Air Canada saying that they will basically, in respect of your loss and bereavement, graciously permit transfer of miles to an heir for just a token fee of 2 cents per mile (barf barf!).
However, airlines do vary in their actual policies. Air Canada's policy is essentially confiscatory, since the miles aren't even worth 2 cents each. This is why, as another poster mentioned, some people have been known to leave their password and say "Don't tell anybody I'm dead until you burn all the miles."
There have been divorce cases where people have claimed miles as marital property to be divided. I don't really know how they have been decided. I'm pretty sure that an airline can just laugh and say "Oh, you have a court order telling us to transfer miles from Mr. Flyertalk to Mrs. Flyertalk. Go spit in the water, you can't make us do a damn thing, the miles don't belong to Mr. Flyertalk, they belong to us." (Most likely the court will say that if the miles are worth $5000, Mrs. Flyertalk gets an extra $2500 from some other asset.)
Probably the "use 'em before the airline finds out" is the best strategy.
#13
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 6,790