Every Friday, we publish a reader success or mistake story. Final week, we wrote successful story a few reader who used a tool to save $700 on flights he’d already booked. This week, we’re sharing a mistake story from Manu Kohli, who misplaced greater than 100,000 Avianca Lifemiles after misunderstanding one small — however essential — element of this system’s expiration coverage.
What occurred?
“Avianca Lifemiles are fairly priceless for reserving journey on United Airways, so I spent appreciable time and assets accumulating Avianca miles,” he wrote. “I did not at all times have a redemption in thoughts, so to stop my miles from expiring, I’d periodically switch 1,000 miles from my American Categorical card to the Lifemiles program. After quite a lot of high-value redemptions, I had just a little greater than 100,000 Avianca miles remaining, which TPG values at round $1,400.”
Certainly, TPG’s Might 2026 valuations peg the worth of 100,000 Lifemiles at $1,400.
Nevertheless, that is the place the expensive misunderstanding occurred. “Provided that I had only recently redeemed my miles, I did not provoke the standard 1,000-mile switch from Amex since I assumed that redeeming Lifemiles could be thought-about as qualifying exercise to maintain my miles stability energetic. Sadly, this was not the case. After 12 months, my whole 100,000 Lifemiles stability was set to 0 since, not like most airline miles packages, Avianca doesn’t take into account redemption as qualifying exercise, solely miles accrual,” he wrote.
Manu admits, “It’s incumbent upon the traveler to just be sure you learn the phrases and situations on your mileage program to make sure that you don’t lose your priceless miles.” However that is nonetheless an costly lesson to be taught the onerous method.
Associated: When do travel rewards expire? A guide to expiration policies for popular loyalty programs
Why it occurred
As Manu discovered too late, Avianca Lifemiles has a much expiration coverage that is a bit totally different from most different packages.
Lifemiles normally expire 12 months after your final accrual transaction. Nevertheless, Avianca elite members and cardholders who earn miles via an Avianca bank card get an extended 24-month expiration window. So long as you earn Lifemiles at the least as soon as each 12 months (or 24 months when you’re eligible for an extended expiration window), none of your Lifemiles will expire. Even a small qualifying incomes exercise — comparable to transferring rewards or shopping for miles — can reset the expiration clock.
As Manu famous, his miles expired as a result of Lifemiles expire based mostly on the date of your final accrual exercise. That is uncommon as a result of many airline and lodge loyalty packages reset expiration clocks via both incomes or redeeming rewards. With Lifemiles, redeeming miles doesn’t reset the expiration clock — solely incomes new miles does.
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Associated: What happens to your points and miles after you die?
Learn how to keep away from this
Some loyalty packages will notify you earlier than your rewards expire, however many will not — and a few even make it tough to find out precisely when your rewards will expire.
Avianca Lifemiles clearly exhibits your miles expiration date if you log in to your account.
Nevertheless, I extremely advocate utilizing a device like AwardWallet to trace your loyalty balances. Full disclosure: My husband works for AwardWallet, though we used the service lengthy earlier than he joined the corporate. AwardWallet exhibits when your rewards will expire in your dashboard and likewise sends e-mail alerts when rewards or different advantages, comparable to free night time certificates, are about to run out.
In case your rewards are set to run out earlier than you can use them, take into account whether or not there is a approach to lengthen their validity. In Manu’s case, he might have transferred one other 1,000 transferable rewards. Alternatively, he might have gotten and spent on the Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Card or Avianca Lifemiles American Express® Elite Card.
The knowledge for the Avianca Lifemiles American Categorical Card and Avianca Lifemiles American Categorical Elite Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
However particularly in case your factors or miles aren’t set to run out for one more few months, you could possibly lengthen their validity by incomes via a eating rewards program or online shopping portal. Or, as I did with my expiring Alternative Privileges factors, you could possibly lengthen the expiration date of your rewards by purchasing points or miles.
Associated: How to keep your points and miles from expiring
Backside line
Factors and miles have actual worth, however only when you redeem them. And to redeem them, they have to be unexpired. As such, it is vital to know when your rewards will expire, and whether or not you may lengthen their validity via particular actions.
In case you have your personal story to share with different TPG readers, fill out our mistake story form or success story form. (For ongoing points that you just really feel owed compensation for circumstances past your management, please contact TPG’s ombudsman, Michelle Couch-Friedman, at ombudsman@thepointsguy.com.)
And when you’ve additionally had miles expire or have a favourite approach to preserve your miles from expiring, be at liberty to remark under.
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