It’s not something anyone really likes to think about. But what exactly happens to your frequent flyer points after you die?
Many people have life insurance and a will, as this makes things easier for loved ones in case they pass away. But few have a contingency plan for their frequent flyer points. Understandably, when a loved one dies, points are probably the last thing on your mind.
But those points can be valuable, and if you don’t do anything, you may forfeit them. So it’s worth taking a few minutes to understand what happens to frequent flyer points after death, and what you can do to ensure they are not lost.
Each airline outlines its policy in its frequent flyer program’s terms & conditions. Unlike money, many airlines make it clear that frequent flyer points are not the property of the person. They belong to the airline, and the airline can choose to forfeit the points if the account holder dies.
Some airlines do allow the executor of a deceased member’s estate to request the transfer of the points to another family member. You may also be able to use the points to book flights for other people.
That said, in general, it’s a good idea to transfer the points to a family member’s account while the account holder is still alive. Even if the airline does allow the transfer of points out of a deceased person’s account, there’s much less paperwork involved if you don’t wait until that point! (Of course, this is not always possible or practical.)
Every frequent flyer program has a different policy regarding frequent flyer points after death. We put together this summary of the main frequent flyer programs of interest to Australians…
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Qantas Frequent Flyer
Until recently, Qantas Frequent Flyer points would be forfeited immediately after the death of the member. However, Qantas changed its terms & conditions on 6 November 2023 so that it is now possible for the executor of a member’s estate to ask Qantas to transfer the points of a deceased member into an eligible family member’s account.
The administrator would need to contact the Qantas Frequent Flyer Service Centre within 12 months of the member’s death with written proof of the member’s death and their status as executor of their will. They would also need the deceased person’s Qantas Frequent Flyer number and the account number of the person receiving the points transfer.
Ensure that the family member receiving the points has activity in their account from the last 18 months before transferring the points into it – otherwise the points will immediately expire. Status credits cannot be transferred.
Here’s what section 8.4 of the Qantas Frequent Flyer Terms & Conditions says:
8.4 Executors or administrators of a Member’s estate can ask Qantas (in writing, with proof of the Member’s death and their authority), to transfer the deceased Member’s unexpired Qantas Points (at the time of the request) to one of that Member’s Eligible Family Members. Qantas will transfer the Points if acceptable evidence is provided and we receive the request within 12 months of the Member’s death. The transferred Points will have the same expiry date as other Qantas Points in the Eligible Family Member’s Membership Account. We will close the deceased Member’s Account on notification of their death. Status Credits can’t be transferred and will expire upon the death of the Member.
Prior to 6 November 2023, the Qantas T&Cs said:
8.3 Membership will terminate automatically on the death of a Member. All Qantas Points earned but not yet redeemed or transferred prior to the death of the Member will be cancelled with effect from the date of death. Qantas Loyalty will close the Member’s account on notification of the Member’s death. Qantas Loyalty will not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever suffered by any person as a result of such cancellation.
You can discuss the change to this Qantas policy on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum.
Velocity Frequent Flyer
With Velocity Frequent Flyer, it is possible to redeem or transfer the points of a deceased member as long as they haven’t yet expired (Velocity points expire after 2 years of account inactivity). Status credits and eligible sectors cannot be transferred. The executor or administrator of the member’s estate would need to contact Velocity to request this.
Here’s the relevant excerpt from section 2.3 of the Velocity Frequent Flyer Terms & Conditions:
Executors or administrators of your estate can ask us to transfer your Points to another Velocity account or redeem Points associated with your Velocity account (or both). They’ll need to let us know as soon as possible as unused Points will continue to expire in accordance with clause 3 (Earning Points). Status Credits and Eligible Sectors can’t be transferred and will be forfeited once we are notified of your death.
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Singapore Airlines takes a no-nonsense approach. All KrisFlyer miles and membership benefits will terminate immediately after the death of the member. With KrisFlyer, it’s also not possible to transfer miles to family members.
Here’s what section C6 of the KrisFlyer terms & conditions says:
Membership will terminate immediately upon death of the member. KrisFlyer miles, status credits and rewards earned but not redeemed at the time of death, as well as benefits and privileges, will be automatically forfeited on the death of the member. Miles and rewards do not constitute personal property and may not be bequeathed or otherwise treated as personal property.
Air New Zealand Airpoints
Air New Zealand’s Airpoints program takes a similar approach to Velocity Frequent Flyer. Airpoints will cancel the account once Air New Zealand is notified of the member’s death. But the executor of the member’s estate can request that the Airpoints balance in the account be transferred to a beneficiary within two years.
Section 6 of the Air New Zealand Airpoints™ terms & conditions states:
Following the date that we become aware of the death of an Airpoints Member, the deceased Member’s Airpoints Account, Shairpoints Account, Status Points, and all other Airpoints Member Benefits will be cancelled and become invalid. If we receive a written request by the executor of an Airpoints Member’s estate to transfer the deceased Airpoints Member’s current Airpoints Dollars balance (but not their Status Points) to the Airpoints accounts of the beneficiaries of the Airpoints Member’s estate, we will do so if we are satisfied that the request is valid and lawful and if the request is made within 2 years of the death of the Airpoints Member.
Other airlines
Cathay, Delta SkyMiles, Avianca LifeMiles, Air France/KLM Flying Blue and British Airways Executive Club are also among the list of frequent flyer programs that will immediately cancel a member’s loyalty account and forfeit all of their points and accrued benefits upon notification of their death.
Other airlines are much more lenient. Air Canada, for example, has a published Aeroplan Estate Policy. This policy explains how beneficiaries of a late member’s estate can request the member’s Aeroplan points to be transferred to their account/s. Aeroplan requires scanned copies of the member’s death certificate and the portion of their will that names the beneficiaries.
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, Emirates Skywards and Etihad Guest also have similar exceptions. They make it possible for the miles of a deceased member to be transferred to other people’s accounts at the discretion of the airlines, upon the presentation of appropriate documentation.
American Airlines AAdvantage and United MileagePlus also provide avenues to do this, although fees may be involved.
