What happens to your points and miles after you die?

1 month ago 19

Losing someone is always difficult, and it can be confusing to determine what happens to the deceased's accumulated points and miles when a person passes away. Who has ownership of these loyalty currencies when a person dies?

As a whole, your points and miles are not considered your personal property. In the terms and conditions of nearly all loyalty programs, you will find statements clarifying that the loyalty currency does not belong to you.

For example, the terms and conditions of Delta Air Lines' SkyMiles program state the following: "Miles are not the property of any Member. Except as specifically authorized in the Membership Guide and Program Rules or otherwise in writing by an officer of Delta, miles may not be sold, attached, seized, levied upon, pledged, or transferred under any circumstances, including, without limitation, by operation of law, upon death, or in connection with any domestic relations dispute and/or legal proceeding."

This language can be confusing, reminding you that you have limited control over loyalty programs, their rules and your rewards. Fortunately, most programs (though not all) make it relatively simple to transfer points and miles when you pass away.

Let's examine various popular credit card, frequent flyer and hotel programs in the U.S. to understand what is permitted in such circumstances. We will also advise how you can prepare for the unexpected.

What to do with reward points if the account holder dies

Aside from having your loyalty accounts added to your will, the simplest step is to ensure that your loved one(s) have access to them by knowing your login information. That way, if something happens to you, they might have the opportunity to use your points and miles by logging in to your account. You should only consider providing these details to someone you trust completely.

In almost all cases (especially regarding flights), you can book travel for someone else using your points and miles. So, by a loved one having login access to your account, that person can book travel for themselves and others using your points or miles in case you pass away. However, be mindful of mileage expiration dates.

When you close a credit card, the unused points could be forfeited. So, ensure you understand your bank and card policy before closing any credit cards.

Lastly, hotel points are generally the most flexible for transfers. Regardless of the reason, they can often be transferred (with some limitations) to another member. So, if your loved one has remaining hotel points, you might be able to transfer them to your account.

Daily Newsletter

Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter

Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

By signing up, you will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

How to ensure your points or miles aren't forfeited

Fewer things are worse than having your hard-earned points forfeited, regardless of the reason. This is why it's so critical to be aware of each loyalty program's specific rules when it comes to the death of a member.

Beyond knowing the login (don't forget the security questions) to your loved one's accounts, we recommend having electronic copies of a death certificate.

Passing on your points or miles

There are three ways that you can pass on your points or miles. So, depending on the loyalty program, you may have access to one or two of these options. These are the typical choices, ranked from best to worst:

Transfer the points or miles to someone else (like yourself).
Use the points or miles.
Have the points or miles converted via a fixed-rate redemption.

You should transfer the points or miles to yourself whenever you can. This way, the points or miles are yours, and you can use them as you please.

If you can't transfer the points or miles, see if you can keep the deceased's account open. This way, you can log in to their account and book travel for yourself or others. The key limitation here is that some points and miles expire.

Lastly, the deceased's points and miles may need to be used on a fixed-rate basis. This is most common with credit card points when unused reward balances are applied as cash back to the statement balance.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan policy after a person dies

You won't find any official policy written on Alaska's website.

However, Alaska Airlines has confirmed it requires a copy of a death certificate. Then, through its Memorial Miles program, it will transfer miles from the deceased's account to a beneficiary fee-free.

American Express Membership Rewards policy after a person dies

American Express' terms state, "If you die, the executor of your estate or personal representative may be able to make a one-time points redemption, depending on your Product, by calling 1-800-AXP-EARN (297-3276)."

Although a one-time redemption will limit your choices, you still have the opportunity to take advantage of any of the many ways to redeem American Express Membership Rewards points.

American Airlines AAdvantage policy after a person dies

American has some language in its AAdvantage program terms and conditions that does not specifically allow transfers after death. Still, the airline gives itself a loophole to transfer the miles if you submit approved legal documents.

Here's what American Airlines specifically states:

"Unless otherwise permitted by American Airlines, upon the death of an AAdvantage® member, such AAdvantage® member's account will be terminated and their AAdvantage® miles and Loyalty Points forfeited. However, under certain limited situations and upon receipt of documentation satisfactory to American Airlines and payment of any applicable fees, American Airlines may elect to, in its sole discretion and on a one-time basis only, credit accrued AAdvantage® Rewards and Benefits of the deceased AAdvantage® member to persons specifically identified in documentation satisfactory to American Airlines, which may include (i) a declaration in support of request for transfer, (ii) a copy of the member's death certificate, and (iii) a copy of an official document establishing the legal authority of the individual in applicable circumstances. Notwithstanding the foregoing, American Airlines may require a minimum period of at least 6 months to learn of any other claims to the account and to conduct its internal review and process all submitted documentation ('Review Period'). This Review Period will commence as of the submission date of all requested documentation to American Airlines and may be extended in American Airlines' sole discretion."

Capital One policy after a person dies

Capital One advised TPG that after receiving confirmation of the death of a member by way of death certificate submission, and there is no secondary account holder, it will issue a statement credit for the rewards. If the cardholder's rewards exceed their statement balance, Capital One issues a credit balance refund in the form of a check.

Unfortunately, this will massively reduce the value of your Capital One miles. We value each Capital One mile at 1.85 cents per TPG's August 2024 valuations. But at the time of writing, Capital One only provides 0.5 cents per mile for cash back toward your statement. You can find additional information on Capital One's website.

Chase Ultimate Rewards policy after a person dies

Chase's policy is essentially identical to the Capital One policy: "If we're notified of your death, your points will be automatically redeemed for cash in the form of an account statement credit."

Currently, Chase provides 1 cent per point when you redeem for a statement credit. Since TPG's August 2024 valuations peg the value of Ultimate Rewards points at 2.05 cents each, you'd be getting less than half the value you could receive by having your Ultimate Rewards points applied as a statement credit.

You can read more about Chase's policies on its website.

Citi ThankYou Rewards policy after a person dies

Similar to Capital One miles and Chase points, Citi ThankYou points are restricted to being applied as cash rewards. However, you must follow specific steps, or your points will be forfeited.

Per Citi's policy: "If we receive a written request within one (1) year of your death from the executor or administrator of your estate, along with evidence satisfactory to us of your death and the identify and appointment of the executor or administrator, we can allow Points remaining in your ThankYou account to be redeemed for Cash Rewards. Contact the ThankYou Service Center at 1-800-THANKYOU (1-800-842-6596) (TTY: We accept 711 or other Relay Service) for more information."

Although several steps are required to redeem your points for cash rewards, you can redeem them at 1 cent per point. There are many ways to redeem Citi ThankYou points at a better redemption rate, though, as TPG's August 2024 valuations peg the value of Citi ThankYou points at 1.8 cents apiece.

To learn more, visit the page for Citi's terms and conditions and click "Points expiration, suspension and forfeiture" at the top. Then, expand the "Loss or suspension of points" section.

Delta Air Lines SkyMiles policy after a person dies

It appears you're out of luck with Delta. According to the SkyMiles program terms and conditions, while SkyMiles never expire, your account will be closed in the case of death and the miles forfeited.

Per the policy: "Under the SkyMiles Mileage Expiration policy, miles do not expire. Delta reserves the right to deactivate or close an account under the following circumstances:

Fraudulent activity occurs.
A Member requests an account closure. SkyMiles Members may request an account closure at https://www.delta.com/us/en/need-help/support-skymiles by submitting a request under 'All Other Requests.'
A Member is deceased.
A Member does not respond to repeated communication attempts regarding the status of his/her account.
A Member creates additional accounts under his/her name.
A Member resides in or relocates to a country where membership is prohibited under applicable law.
A Member violates the terms of this Membership Guide and Program Rules or any terms and conditions of a SkyMiles partner offer or other program."

Unfortunately, Delta has advised TPG that there are no exceptions to this rule, and SkyMiles cannot be transferred to another member even on the provision of a death certificate or court order.

Hilton Honors policy after a person dies

Hilton has a transfer affidavit available for members to use. There is no fee to transfer points but the request and required documentation must be provided within one year from the date of the member's death. Alternatively, you can set up a Hilton points pool with up to 10 people for free anytime and share points, though it's capped at sharing 500,000 points per year. A member can receive a maximum of 2 million points per year.

Elite status cannot be transferred.

IHG One Rewards policy after a person dies

From the IHG One Rewards terms and conditions:

"Transfer of IHG One Rewards Points Upon Death: When an IHG One Rewards Member passes away, the Member's Points may be transferred to the IHG One Rewards account(s) of the Member's beneficiary(ies). The request for transfer should be sent to IHG Customer Care by the executor or administrator of the decedent's estate, along with court documents showing authority, or by a sole beneficiary, along with copies of the decedent's will and death certificate. The request must be received within one (1) year of the date of death. Transfer fees will be waived."

JetBlue TrueBlue policy after a person dies

You may want to enroll in JetBlue's family pooling feature, which would alleviate any concerns about TrueBlue points expiring in the case of a death. But according to the TrueBlue terms and conditions, your points are gone when you are: "Accrued Points and Award Travel do not constitute property of member and are non-transferable (i) upon death, (ii) as part of a domestic relations matter, or (iii) otherwise."

JetBlue has confirmed to TPG that there are no exceptions to this policy, and points cannot be transferred to another account, even after a death certificate is provided.

It's best to do family pooling or have your loved one's login to continue using the points if something happens to them.

Marriott Bonvoy policy after a person dies

Marriott has specific directions on what to do upon a member's passing on its website.

According to Marriott's terms and conditions: "In the event of a Member's death, the Company may, in its sole discretion, allow unredeemed Points from the deceased Member's Account to be transferred to a family member or a friend who is an active Member upon the Company's receipt and review of all requested documentation and communications. Awards, hotel stays, Elite Membership Status, Lifetime Membership Status, and the related benefits, including, without limitation, Elite Night Credit, will not transfer to the recipient of the Points."

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards policy after a person dies

The Southwest terms and conditions provide the following information: "Points may not be transferred to a Member's estate or as part of a settlement, inheritance, or will. In the event a member's account is closed upon death, any points will be forfeited."

TPG contacted Southwest in the hope that the points could be transferred to another member; however, it advised there was no official mechanism to do this, even on submission of a death certificate, so it's still a good idea to ensure your loved one(s) can access your account if needed.

United Airlines MileagePlus policy after a person dies

The United MileagePlus terms and conditions state the following: "In the event of the death or divorce of a Member, United may, in its sole discretion, credit all or a portion of such Member's accrued mileage to authorized persons upon receipt of documentation satisfactory to United and payment of applicable fees."

TPG reached out to United to inquire about what the fees would cost, but a spokesperson advised TPG that this information could not be publicly shared.

World of Hyatt policy after a person dies

From the World of Hyatt terms and conditions: "In the case of documented death of a Member, points (but not elite status or awards) are transferable on a one-time basis to one (1) person sharing the same residential mailing address as the deceased Member. Receipt of points in such a transfer requires the recipient to be a Member. (Hyatt will have no responsibility for any disputes related to the transference of the points of a deceased Member and, in the event that Hyatt receives competing transfer requests from more than one (1) person sharing the deceased Member's residential address and such dispute cannot be resolved to Hyatt's satisfaction, Hyatt may refuse all transfers and void the deceased Member's points.)"

Plan with these steps

If you're wondering how to personally handle these potential scenarios, here are some suggestions:

Consider tracking your rewards on a third-party site and providing a trusted loved one with access to this site. That way, they have all the information to continue using the points and miles without alerting the loyalty program. Redeeming tickets for people other than yourself typically isn't a problem for most loyalty programs.
Consider including a clause in your will that states that loyalty program points and miles go to the next of kin in line with succession if you pass.
Though airline and hotel loyalty programs may insist you do not share your login information with anyone, you could consider giving someone you trust (such as a spouse) your login information so they can continue using your points or miles after you die without alerting the airline or hotel. After all, the programs that state an account will be closed and miles forfeited upon death would only do so after being notified of that death by a family member or friend of the deceased.

Bottom line

We certainly don't want to think about our mortality, but it's even harder to think about a considerable stash of loyalty assets going to waste because you didn't prepare.

Points and miles represent thousands of dollars of value for many of us. Remember to not always believe what you read in a program's terms and conditions.

A quick call to the airline can relieve some stress and provide comfort. However, in some cases, you may need to log in to the deceased's account and redeem rewards as if they were still alive.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Read Entire Article