Are our frequent flyer points/miles safe?

[Foreigner]

As points/miles are accumulated in our various accounts, I wonder if these can be used by family/friends when we're not around. What would happen?

 

[mannej]

As points/miles are accumulated in our various accounts, I wonder if these can be used by family/friends when we're not around. What would happen?

I believe that if a family member notifies QF of your passing, your account will be closed, and points will be lost. It is in the T&C's, and there was a story on ACA or something not too long ago about some family not happy at that happening.

 

[cove]

Frequent Flyer points are another form of currency that you can chase and never have enough of as far as I can see.
The issues tend to be based around the airline you wish to use and their flight availability,their money surcharges and whether the points have an expiry date.
In the case of QF I start to get anxious if my points total drops alarmingly and I have a partner who wishes to have Platinum status continue without having to do a status run that could include Alice Springs,Darwin or Hobart.
With Singapore Airlines they have a 3 year expiry that can only be extended once so you have to be careful and warehouse points in a suitable credit card like Citi or Westpac Platinum Altitude.
Now if your life is ending usually there is time for your rellies to plunder your account by doing bookings for the next 11 months or so as long as they have your PIN and FF number.
Notification of death causes the points to expire and also in Australia a corporate death also extinguishes those points.
As a result we make them to use at the highest sensible redemption value which tends to be in business class or first class.
Frequent flyer points are a very real part of a game we can play so play on.
I have not covered Velocity as I have not redeemed points for flights with them.