Travel loyalty points can be surprisingly valuable, but many travellers lose them without realising it. Most airline and hotel programmes have expiration rules that remove points if an account remains inactive for too long.

Airline Miles Expiry Rules

For airlines, inactivity periods often range from 18 to 36 months. If no qualifying activity takes place during that time, miles may disappear completely.

Hotel Loyalty Points

Hotel programmes operate similar policies. If travellers do not stay at a participating hotel or interact with the programme for a certain period, accumulated points may expire.

How to Keep Points Active

The good news is that expiration can often be avoided with very small account activity. In many cases, points remain active if travellers simply earn or redeem a small amount within the required period.

This can sometimes be achieved by booking a partner hotel, renting a car through the programme, or making a small purchase through the loyalty programme’s shopping portal.

Recovering Expired Miles

Some airlines allow travellers to restore expired miles for a fee, especially during promotional campaigns. It is worth checking whether recovery options exist before assuming that points are gone.

Check Travel Vouchers

Another commonly overlooked issue is travel vouchers and credits. Airlines frequently issue vouchers after flight disruptions or customer service cases. These credits are often stored inside loyalty accounts and may expire if they are not used.

Logging into accounts once or twice a year is usually enough to monitor balances and expiry dates.

For travellers who fly or stay in hotels regularly, loyalty points can accumulate quickly. A quick account review may ensure that valuable travel rewards do not quietly disappear.