<p><img src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5fe0fffdc910a400192e8cf2-2400/woman at mac computer.jpeg" border="0" alt="woman at mac computer" data-mce-source="Getty Images"></p><p></p><bi-shortcode id="disclaimer" class="mceNonEditable" data-type="pointsguy"> </bi-shortcode><bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><bi-shortcode id="table-of-contents-sticky" class="mceNonEditable" data-type="h2">Table of Contents: Masthead Sticky</bi-shortcode><ul class="summary-list"><li>Airline miles generally expire 18 to 24 months after you last earned or used rewards in your account.</li><li>Hotel points typically expire 12 to 24 months from your last account activity.</li><li>Some brands have pushed back points expiration dates due to the coronavirus pandemic.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/best-rewards-credit-cards">Read Insider's guide to the best rewards credit cards.</a></li></ul><p>It's easy to earn points and miles by using <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-rewards-credit-cards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rewards credit cards</a> and joining hotel and airline loyalty programs, but when it comes time to redeem them, there's often some fine print to parse.</p><p>Not only do different hotel and airline rewards programs have their own award charts specifying <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/how-to-book-free-flight-with-credit-card-points-frequent-flyer-miles-2018-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how many points or miles you'll need to book a hotel room or a flight</a>, but programs also have their own expiration policies that dictate the lifespan of your hard-earned rewards.</p><p>In most cases, your points or miles will <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/how-to-keep-points-and-miles-from-expiring" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expire in 12 to 24 months from your last "account activity,"</a> which could be anything from purchasing points or miles to taking a flight to using an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/best-airline-credit-cards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">airline</a> or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/best-hotel-credit-cards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hotel credit card</a> to make a purchase.</p><p>However, because of the COVID pandemic, some programs have paused points expiration for a limited time. Here's a look at the current expiration policies of some of the major airline and hotel programs.</p><h2>Miles expiration policies, by airline</h2><p>Here's a breakdown of the major US airline miles expiration policies.</p><table style="height: 126px; width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;" border="1" cellpadding="10px"><tbody><tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="width: 50%; height: 21px;"> </td><td style="width: 25%; height: 21px; text-align: center;"><strong>Expiration policy</strong></td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: center;"><strong>Miles extension due to COVID-19</strong></td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="width: 50%; height: 21px;">Alaska Airlines</td><td style="width: 25%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Two years (24 months) from last account activity</td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: center;">N/A</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="width: 50%; height: 21px;"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/how-to-earn-redeem-american-airlines-aadvantage-miles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American Airlines</a></td><td style="width: 25%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">18 months from last account activity </td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: center;">Miles expiration paused until June 30, 2021</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="width: 50%; height: 21px;"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/how-to-earn-and-redeem-delta-miles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delta</a></td><td style="width: 25%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Miles never expire</td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: center;">N/A</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="width: 50%; height: 21px;">Frontier Airlines</td><td style="width: 25%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">180 days or six months from last account activity</td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: center;">Miles expiration paused until further notice; a 90-day notification will be sent out before resuming expiration </td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="width: 50%; height: 21px;">Hawaiian Airlines</td><td style="width: 25%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">18 months from last account activity</td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: center;">N/A</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 50%;">JetBlue</td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: center;">Points never expire</td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: center;">N/A</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 50%;">Southwest</td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: center;">Points never expire</td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: center;">N/A</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 50%;">Spirit Airlines</td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: center;">12 months from last account activity</td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: center;">N/A</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 50%;"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/how-to-earn-use-united-mileageplus-miles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United</a></td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: center;">Miles never expire</td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: center;">N/A</td></tr></tbody></table><h2>Points expiration policies, by hotel</h2><p>Unlike with airline loyalty programs, most hotel programs dictate that your points will expire if you don't have any account activity within a specified timeframewith Best Western being the notable exception.</p><table style="height: 255px; width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;" border="1" cellpadding="10px"><tbody><tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="width: 50%; height: 21px;"> </td><td style="width: 25%; height: 21px; text-align: center;"><strong>Expiration policy</strong></td><td style="width: 25%; height: 21px; text-align: center;"><strong>Points extension due to COVID-19</strong></td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="width: 50%; height: 21px;">Best Western</td><td style="width: 25%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Points never expire</td><td style="width: 25%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">N/A</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="width: 50%; height: 21px;">Choice Hotels</td><td style="width: 25%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">18 months from last account activity </td><td style="width: 25%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Points expiration paused until December 31, 2021 (elite members only)</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="width: 50%; height: 21px;"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/how-to-earn-redeem-hilton-honors-points" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hilton</a></td><td style="width: 25%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">12 months from last account activity</td><td style="width: 25%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Points expiration paused until December 31, 2021</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="width: 50%; height: 21px;">Hyatt</td><td style="width: 25%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">24 months from last account activity</td><td style="width: 25%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Points expiration paused until June 30, 2021</td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="width: 50%; height: 21px;"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/how-to-earn-use-ihg-points" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IHG</a></td><td style="width: 25%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">12 months from last account activity (non-elite members)</td><td style="width: 25%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Points expiration paused until June 30, 2021 for Club members (elite members' points don't expire)</td></tr><tr style="height: 43px;"><td style="width: 50%; height: 43px;"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/how-to-earn-redeem-marriott-points" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marriott</a></td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: center; height: 43px;">24 months from last account activity</td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: center; height: 43px;">Points expiration paused until August 1, 2021</td></tr><tr style="height: 43px;"><td style="width: 50%; height: 43px;">Radisson</td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: center; height: 43px;">24 months from last account activity</td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: center; height: 43px;">Points expiration paused until December 31, 2021</td></tr><tr style="height: 43px;"><td style="width: 50%; height: 43px;"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/how-to-earn-redeem-wyndham-points" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wyndham</a></td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: center; height: 43px;">18 months from last account activity</td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: center; height: 43px;">Points expiration paused until June 30, 2021</td></tr></tbody></table><h2>Credit card points never expire</h2><p>Unlike many airline miles and hotel points, credit card points don't expire as long as you keep your account open and in good standing (meaning you continue to pay off your balances or communicate with the bank if you need any <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/credit-card-companies-financial-assistance-coronavirus-2020-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">financial assistance</a>). </p><aside class="quick-tip headline-regular"><p>Find out how much your airline, hotel, and bank loyalty program rewards are worth in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/what-are-points-miles-worth-value" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Insider's guide to points and miles valuations</a>.</p></aside><p>Here are the main credit card points currencies, along with the top credit card options for earning each of them:</p><table style="height: 295px; width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;" border="1" cellpadding="10px"><tbody><tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;"> </td><td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;"><strong>Top credit card options for earning points</strong></td><td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;"><strong>Travel partners</strong></td></tr><tr style="height: 169px;"><td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 169px;"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/amex-membership-rewards-points-ways-to-use" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American Express Membership Rewards</a></td><td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 169px;"><p><bi-inline-shortcode id="commerce-link" contenteditable="false" data-fields="name" data-customtext="" data-shouldlink="true" data-pid="5e78df992d654f251532f27d">Platinum Card from American Express</bi-inline-shortcode></p><p><bi-inline-shortcode id="commerce-link" contenteditable="false" data-fields="name" data-customtext="" data-shouldlink="true" data-pid="5e78ea42671de024d00cf6b6">American Express Gold Card</bi-inline-shortcode></p><p><bi-inline-shortcode id="commerce-link" contenteditable="false" data-fields="name" data-customtext="" data-shouldlink="true" data-pid="5e824adc487c2258152d2483">The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express</bi-inline-shortcode></p></td><td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 169px;"><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/american-express-membership-rewards-points-transfer-partners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">19 airlines, including Delta, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic</a></p><p>Three hotels (Choice, Hilton, and Marriott)</p></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 33.3333%;"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/how-to-earn-and-redeem-capital-one-miles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Capital One miles</a></td><td style="width: 33.3333%;"><p><bi-inline-shortcode id="commerce-link" contenteditable="false" data-fields="name" data-customtext="" data-shouldlink="true" data-pid="5e838c81671de01efa7b8f67">Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card</bi-inline-shortcode></p><p><bi-inline-shortcode id="commerce-link" contenteditable="false" data-fields="name" data-customtext="" data-shouldlink="true" data-pid="5e83a07fba85ee7a9813e126">Capital One Spark Miles for Business</bi-inline-shortcode></p></td><td style="width: 33.3333%;"><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/capital-one-transfer-partners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">13 airlines, including Air Canada and JetBlue</a></p><p>Two hotels (Accor and Wyndham)</p></td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/guide-earning-using-chase-ultimate-rewards-points" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chase Ultimate Rewards</a></td><td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;"><p><bi-inline-shortcode id="commerce-link" contenteditable="false" data-fields="name" data-customtext="" data-shouldlink="true" data-pid="5e67d55684159f610676c264">Chase Sapphire Preferred Card</bi-inline-shortcode></p><p><bi-inline-shortcode id="commerce-link" contenteditable="false" data-fields="name" data-customtext="" data-shouldlink="true" data-pid="5e72234fc48540106c2d63b3">Chase Sapphire Reserve</bi-inline-shortcode></p><p><bi-inline-shortcode id="commerce-link" contenteditable="false" data-fields="name" data-customtext="" data-shouldlink="true" data-pid="5e7425f9c48540424e6fabb3">Ink Business Preferred Credit Card</bi-inline-shortcode></p></td><td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;"><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/chase-ultimate-rewards-points-transfer-partners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10 airlines, including Southwest, United, and Virgin Atlantic</a></p><p>Three hotels (Hyatt, IHG, Marriott)</p></td></tr><tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/guide-earning-using-citi-thankyou-points" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Citi ThankYou Rewards</a></td><td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;"><p><bi-inline-shortcode id="commerce-link" contenteditable="false" data-fields="name" data-customtext="" data-shouldlink="true" data-pid="5e7a271c671de023ef1cf886">Citi Prestige Credit Card</bi-inline-shortcode></p><p><bi-inline-shortcode id="commerce-link" contenteditable="false" data-fields="name" data-customtext="" data-shouldlink="true" data-pid="5e8216c32d654f76756d3cd2">Citi Premier Card</bi-inline-shortcode></p></td><td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px;"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/citi-thankyou-rewards-points-transfer-partners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">16 airlines, including JetBlue, Etihad, and Virgin Atlantic</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>These <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/transferable-credit-card-points-best-rewards-to-earn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">transferable credit card points</a> can be extremely valuable, not just because you have so many options for using them to book travel, but also because there are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/best-credit-card-rewards-sweet-spots-maximize-points-miles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">certain sweet spots you can use to your advantage</a>.</p><bi-shortcode id="related-article-module" class="mceNonEditable" data-type="5fe2d1d536173533e401c0e9" data-title="I use the Sapphire Reserve to increase the value of all my Chase points, and you can use the same strategy to effectively get up to 7.5% back on your spending" data-url="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/use-chase-sapphire-reserve-increase-points-value-2020-12" data-thumbnail="https://i.insider.com/undefined">Related Article Module: I use the Sapphire Reserve to increase the value of all my Chase points, and you can use the same strategy to effectively get up to 7.5% back on your spending</bi-shortcode><p>For example, if you have the <bi-inline-shortcode id="commerce-link" contenteditable="false" data-fields="product_editorial_name" data-customtext="" data-shouldlink="true" data-pid="5e72234fc48540106c2d63b3">Chase Sapphire Reserve</bi-inline-shortcode>, your Ultimate Rewards points are worth 50% more when you <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/chase-ultimate-rewards-travel-portal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">book travel through Chase</a> or through <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/how-to-use-chase-pay-yourself-back" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pay Yourself Back</a>. Plus, you may be able to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/best-ways-use-credit-card-points-miles-during-quarantine-2020-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">use your bank points for things beyond travel</a>in light of the coronavirus outbreak, some <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/new-credit-card-benefits-rewards-covid-pandemic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issuers have added new ways to earn and redeem rewards</a>, and in many cases, you'll have options to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/credit-card-rewards-save-money-on-your-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">redeem points for cash back</a>, gift cards, merchandise, and even toward everyday purchases.</p><p>Even if you're a very frequent flyer and love your <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/delta-amex-credit-card-comparison" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delta</a> or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/best-credit-cards-for-american-airlines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American Airlines card</a> for earning miles and enjoying perks like a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/credit-cards-free-checked-baggage-american-united-delta-bag-fee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free checked bag</a>, adding a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/best-american-express-cards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">credit card that earns Amex</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/best-chase-card" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chase</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/best-capital-one-credit-cards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Capital One</a>, or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/best-citi-credit-cards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Citi ThankYou</a> rewards to your wallet is a smart strategy. You'll be diversifying your rewards, and those bank points will never expire.</p><h2>How to keep points and miles from expiring</h2><p>Because the travel rewards you earn are only as valuable as the flights or hotel stays you're able to book with them, you won't want to let them expireeven if you're not sure when you'll be able to travel again.</p><p>Here are some of the top ways to keep them alive:</p><h3>Use a co-branded credit card</h3><p>If your American Airlines miles are in danger of expiring, you can make a purchase with an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/best-credit-cards-for-american-airlines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American Airlines credit card</a> to keep your rewards active. This will work with almost any airline or hotel rewards program; using a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/best-marriott-bonvoy-credit-cards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marriott credit card</a> will prevent your Bonvoy points from expiring as well.</p><h3>Transfer flexible points to an airline or hotel account</h3><p>If you have transferable rewards at your disposal, such as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/chase-points-vs-amex-points-comparison" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amex Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards</a>, you can move a small number of points to a partner program to generate activity and prevent your airline or hotel points from expiring. </p><p>For example, if your IHG points are close to expiring, you could transfer 1,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to your IHG Rewards account and reset the expiration clock, as that's considered earning activity.</p><h3>Go through an online shopping portal</h3><p>If you're making a purchase online, check to see if your airline or hotel has a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/use-shopping-portals-maximize-rewards-online-purchases" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shopping portal</a>.</p><bi-shortcode id="related-article-module" class="mceNonEditable" data-type="5da4e8b24af90946e3208718" data-title="The 3 steps I take to save money and earn more than 100,000 points each year shopping online" data-url="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/earn-100k-points-per-year-shopping-online-portals-rewards-credit-cards" data-thumbnail="https://i.insider.com/undefined">Related Article Module: The 3 steps I take to save money and earn more than 100,000 points each year shopping online</bi-shortcode><p>Shopping portals earn you a specified number of points or miles per dollar when you shop with participating retailers. For example, by going through the <a href="https://www.alaskaair.com/MileagePlanShopping/SignIn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alaska Airlines MileagePlan portal</a>, you could earn miles for shopping with retailers like Apple and Sephoraand extend the life of your Alaska miles by two years.</p><h3>Use your points or miles</h3><bi-shortcode id="related-article-module" class="mceNonEditable" data-type="5e78b4102d41c147470eeab4" data-title="7 things you can do with your points and miles besides booking travel, from making Amazon purchases to ordering food delivery" data-url="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/ways-to-use-credit-card-points-beyond-travel" data-thumbnail="https://i.insider.com/undefined">Related Article Module: 7 things you can do with your points and miles besides booking travel, from making Amazon purchases to ordering food delivery</bi-shortcode><p>Redeeming your rewards is included under the umbrella of account activity that will preserve your points. Even if you don't want to book a travel reservation, you could <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/should-you-use-points-for-holiday-shopping" target="_blank" rel="noopener">redeem a small number of points or miles for merchandise</a>, like a magazine subscription. To see your redemption options, log into your loyalty account and navigate to the rewards section.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/how-to-keep-points-and-miles-from-expiring" target="_blank" rel="noopener">See Insider's guide to keeping your points from expiring</a> for more ideas.</p><h2>What to do if you let your points and miles expire</h2><p>If you do slip up and let your points or miles expire, you may be able to pay to get those rewards reinstated. Only two airline programs publicly advertise this option (American Airlines and Alaska Airlines), but it's still worth calling your loyalty program's customer service to see if there are any options for you.</p><p><em>Sarah Silbert is the senior reviews editor at Personal Finance Insider. She's covered personal finance and credit card rewards for six years, and she's a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF).</em></p><p><em>Laila Maidan is the personal-finance-storytelling fellow at Insider. She covers personal stories about peoples' financial journeys. Have a story about a financial accomplishment to share' Email lhmaidan@insider.com.</em></p><bi-shortcode id="related-content-module" class="mceNonEditable" data-type="more-credit-card-coverage">Related Content Module: More Credit Card Coverage</bi-shortcode><bi-shortcode id="related-product-module" class="mceNonEditable" data-type="related-products-credit-cards" data-sheetname="Related Product Credit Cards">Related Product Module: Related Product Credit Cards</bi-shortcode><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/do-credit-card-points-miles-expire#comments">Join the conversation about this story »</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-its-like-make-beer-with-picobrew-c-home-brew-2020-3">We tested a machine that brews beer at the push of a button</a></p>
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