What Happens to a Person’s Loyalty Rewards After Death?

Given the hard work that points and miles enthusiasts like ourselves put into earning travel rewards, it’d be a shame to see them go to waste in the event of our death or the death of a loved one.

The points and miles we’ve accrued can carry a significant redemption value.

Starting probate is an often long and difficult but necessary part of the grieving process. One of the inevitable questions that can be a part of this process is, what happens to you or your loved one’s points and miles?

Let’s look at the possible outcomes and cover what happens to airline miles when you die, as well as hotel points and transferrable loyalty rewards.

Possible Outcomes for Loyalty Rewards After Death

The death of a loved one comes with much uncertainty. Unfortunately, the fate of their accumulated points and miles can be equally uncertain.

Your relationship with the deceased person, the rewards program with which they have an account and whether or not you have access to their account, all play a role in the fate of their hard-earned rewards.

In the worst case, points and miles can be completely lost. This can happen if the airline, hotel or credit card issuer forbids the transfer of miles after death and you don’t have access to their rewards account.

However, if the rewards program forbids the transfer of miles after death, but you have access to the deceased person’s account, you can simply log into their account and redeem their points directly from there. In most cases, nothing is stopping you from booking an award flight, for example, through your loved one’s account for yourself. If you pursue this option, just be mindful that miles may be forfeited if you’ve already closed the linked credit card and provided a death certificate.

The best possible scenario is that the rewards program allows the transfer of points after the death of the primary account member. In this case, you might need to be named as the beneficiary or executor in their will to receive their miles. This usually requires you to submit certain documents, such as a death certificate and evidence to prove that you’re the eligible recipient of the unused miles.

Can You Inherit Loyalty Points, Miles and Travel Rewards?

When you’re deciding between prioritizing transferable points vs. airline miles, earning and redeeming points is just half of the picture. The other half is knowing how to hold onto them.

It’s important to understand that we don’t ever “own” our points and miles.

Despite them being in our account under our own name, points and miles are not property. Instead, they’re essentially contracts with the travel rewards provider.

That means that points and miles are often treated differently in a will than other assets.

Nevertheless, depending on the specific terms and conditions of the airline, hotel or credit card issuer, you may be able to inherit the accrued mileage credit of a loved one.

If they specify in their will that their executor is to have access to their frequent flyer account and use the accumulated miles for their benefit, this can allow you to effectively inherit their miles.

Common Policies on Loyalty Rewards After Death

Here’s an overview of the policies of common airlines, hotels and credit card rewards programs regarding the transfer of points after death.

Airline Policies

Let’s start with the policies of airlines regarding mile transfers after death.

Southwest Airlines

In the Southwest Help Center, you can find the rules and regulations of Rapid Rewards points. Regarding the death of the primary account member, Southwest Airlines states the following:

“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.”

Southwest’s policy regarding the transfer of airline miles after death is pretty clear-cut.

However, while you may not be able to transfer airline miles after death, nothing is stopping you from logging into your deceased family member’s account and redeeming their Rapid Rewards directly.

American Airlines

In American Airlines AAdvantage miles terms and conditions, you can find its policy regarding the transfer of airline miles after the death of the primary account holder. Its policy is as follows:

“Except as otherwise explained below, mileage credit is not transferable and may not be combined among AAdvantage members, their estates, successors or assigns. Accrued mileage credit and award tickets do not constitute property of the member. Neither accrued mileage, nor award tickets, nor status, nor upgrades are transferable by the member (i) upon death, (ii) as part of a domestic relations matter, or (iii) otherwise by operation of law. However, American Airlines, in its sole discretion, may credit accrued mileage to persons specifically identified in court approved divorce decrees and wills upon receipt of documentation satisfactory to American Airlines and upon payment of any applicable fees. Mileage credit is transferable between AAdvantage accounts when offered by American Airlines online, with the ShareMilesSM program. The member must adhere to the rules and limitations of the ShareMiles program.”

While American Airlines AAdvantage miles program operates a general policy that mileage credit is not transferable upon death, it gives specific cases in which this can be overridden. Namely, “upon receipt of documentation satisfactory to American Airlines” and at the airline’s discretion, you may be able to transfer AAdvantage miles from a deceased family member’s account to your account.

American Airlines also indicates that “payment of any applicable fees” may be necessary, meaning that there may be a transfer fee to pay. However, this fee may be waived in cases of death.

Satisfactory documentation will likely include a death certificate and affidavit, among other potential documents of proof.

JetBlue

JetBlue is clear-cut in its policy regarding the transfer of airline miles after death. In its TrueBlue miles terms and conditions, it states the following:

“Points are non-transferable and may not be combined among TrueBlue members, their estates, successors and assigns except as follows: points may be pooled using Points Pooling. Points may be purchased and gifted at a cost and also can be transferred between TrueBlue members in specified quantities through JetBlue’s business partner Points.com (view Buy, Gift or Transfer Points.) 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.”

While JetBlue doesn’t allow you to transfer points as part of an estate, you can use its Points Pooling feature to access deceased family members’ points. Points Pooling enables you to pool your points with up to seven friends or family members, making redemption opportunities more flexible. So, if you have a few thousand TrueBlue miles in your account, pooling your account with your family members is an easy way to avoid your points going to waste in the event of your death.

Just keep in mind that all members must be a minimum of 21 years old to engage in points pooling.

United Airlines

United Airlines operates the following policy regarding the transfer of airline miles after death, as found in the MileagePlus terms and conditions:

“Awards and benefits, including accrued mileage, Premier (and/or Million Miler) status levels, Premier (and/or Million Miler) benefits, PlusPoints, Premier Qualifying Credits and certificates do not constitute property of the Member and are not transferable except as set forth herein. Accrued mileage may be transferred to another MileagePlus account through United’s Transfer Miles Program. Members must comply with the Transfer Miles Program Terms and Conditions found on united.com. 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.”

Like American Airlines, United Airlines allows the transfer of miles after death “upon receipt of documentation satisfactory to United and payment of applicable fees.”

So, provided that you submit the necessary documentation, such as a death certificate and affidavit, as well as pay any transfer fees, you should be able to access the points of a deceased family member.

Frontier Airlines

In the Frontier Miles terms and conditions, you can find the following policy regarding the transfer of airline miles after death:

“Miles and Points are non-transferable and may not be combined among FRONTIER Miles Members, their estates, successors and assigns except as follows: Miles may be pooled using Family Pooling (view Family Pooling Terms), Miles may be purchased and gifted at a cost by using our business partner Points.com (view Buy, Gift). Accrued Miles and Award Travel do not constitute property of Member and are non-transferable including:

1. Mileage transfers as a result of domestic matters such as divorce or separation are subject to receipt of applicable documentation showing court decree of FRONTIER Miles ownership.
2. Upon the death of a Member, without: (i) the death certificate of the Member or (ii) letter from the executor. In instances of multiple executors or heirs of Miles based on court documents, Miles are divided as directed by the court. In the event an heir does not have a FRONTIER Miles account, they may enroll or submit written permission to waive their rights to their Miles and those Miles will be divided among the remaining heirs.”

With Frontier, you have two options regarding transferring accrued mileage credit after the death of the account member: family point pooling or a point transfer.

Frontier Family Pooling enables up to eight friends or family to pool their miles together for more flexible redemptions. This means that in the event that the primary account member dies, you’ll still be able to access their miles.

Alternatively, if you haven’t pooled your miles together, you can provide Frontier with a death certificate and letter from the executor to authorize a transfer of miles.

Delta Air Lines

According to the Delta SkyMiles terms and conditions, transferring frequent flyer miles after death runs on the following policy:

“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.”

Delta Air Lines’ policy is clear in forbidding the transfer of miles under any circumstances in the event of death of the primary account member.

However, just as with Southwest, nothing is stopping you from logging into your family member’s SkyMiles account and redeeming their miles directly. So ensure that you have access to your family members’ Delta account(s) and vice versa, in case the worst comes to worst.

Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines doesn’t have any official statement in their terms and conditions about transferring miles after the death of a primary account member.

However, some have reported that miles can be transferred through its “Memorial Miles” program, provided that a death certificate is submitted.

Your best bet is to contact a phone agent to confirm this, as well as ensure you have access to your family members’ Alaska account(s) and vice versa in the event this doesn’t work.

Hotel Policies

Here’s an overview of the policies of hotel rewards programs regarding point transfers after death.

Accor Live Limitless

Perhaps one of the least generous policies of all hotel programs, Accor Live Limitless forbids the transfer of points after death of the primary account member:

“In the event of a Member’s death, ACCOR will close the Member’s account on receipt of the death supporting document requested by the customer care team and will cancel all the Status and Reward Points as well as all the Status Nights earned by the Member.”

Hilton Honors

According to the Hilton Honors terms and conditions, points can be transferred after death of the primary account member:

“In case of the death of a Member, Points in the Member’s account may be transferred to another active Member upon Hilton Honors receipt and approval of certain requested documentation and information.”

Hilton includes some important requirements and stipulations for postmortem point transfers, including the following:

• You need to submit a death certificate and proof of your legal authority over the deceased member’s estate.
• The required paperwork should be submitted within one year of the member’s death.
• You need to already have your own Hilton Honors account—you can’t create an account just to receive the points.
• Elite status will not be transferred.
• Any points transferred will not count toward elite status.

Hilton’s policy is relatively straightforward, making it simple to transfer points after the death of a loved one. Points transfers generally take five business days.

IHG One Rewards

IHG One Rewards operates a simple policy in their terms and conditions regarding the transfer of points after 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.”

This policy allows for point transfers to multiple beneficiaries.

Keep in mind that you need to submit the required documentation within one year of the member’s death.

Marriott Bonvoy

In Marriott Bonvoy’s terms and conditions, it states that they allow point transfers after the death of the primary account member:

“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.”

The policy extends to friend’s of the deceased member, making it more generous than other rewards programs.

Keep in mind, however, that the following benefits are excluded from postmortem point transfers:

“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.”

Radisson Rewards

Radisson Rewards offers after death point transfers to multiplies beneficiaries, according to their terms and conditions:

“Upon Death Points belonging to a Radisson Rewards or Radisson Rewards for Bookers and Planners member who is deceased may be transferred to the account of the deceased member’s beneficiary(ies) in our sole discretion. The deceased member’s membership in Radisson Rewards or Radisson Rewards for Bookers and Planners must have been in good standing at the time of death. The transfer request must include documentation showing proof of death, such as a death certificate, and proof of authority to make the request, such as court documents or the decedent’s will.”

You’ll need to complete the request and submit all required documentation within one year of the member’s death.

World of Hyatt

World of Hyatt is a little more strict than other hotel loyalty rewards programs, stating in their terms and conditions that you must share the same residential mailing address to receive points from a deceased member:

“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.”

Wyndham Rewards

Like Accor Live Limitless, Wyndham Rewards forbids the transfer of points after death, emphasizing in their terms and conditions that points don’t constitute property:

“Wyndham Rewards points in a Member’s account do not constitute property of the Member, have no cash value, and cannot, except as otherwise explicitly authorized in these Terms and Conditions, be sold, bartered or transferred by Member or any other party (other than Sponsor or its authorized agents) during or after the Member’s life, by operation of law or otherwise.”

Transferable Points Policies

Here’s an overview of the policies of credit card rewards programs regarding point transfers after death.

American Express Membership Rewards

American Express states the following in their terms and conditions:

“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).”

Generally, it’s possible to make a one-time redemption after the death of a loved one, provided that you submit the necessary documentation.

In some cases, you can also opt to take over your loved one’s account. To do so, the following requirements must be met:

• The Card must be eligible for transfer.
• The account can’t be closed for more than one year.
• The account can’t be 30 days or more past due.
• The new Basic Card Member must pass a credit review.

Capital One Venture Miles

Previously, Capital One stated that unused miles of a deceased member would be turned into a statement credit if there was no secondary account member.

However, they no longer publicly state their policy regarding the transfer of miles after death.

Therefore, it’s best to check with a phone agent as well as make sure you already have access to your loved one’s account.

Chase Ultimate Rewards

You can find Chase’s policy regarding the transfer of points after death in your card agreement, which states:

“If we’re notified of your death, your points will be automatically redeemed for cash in the form of an account statement credit.”

Chase doesn’t state exactly who is eligible to receive the statement credit, so it’s best to check your eligibility with a phone agent.

Citi ThankYou Points

In Citi’s terms and conditions, it states that points of a deceased member can be redeemed for cash rewards, provided that the executor or administrator sends a written request within one year of the death alongside a death certificate and other documentation:

“You will lose your Points upon your death, and your estate, successors and assigns have no property rights or other legal interests in such Points, except under this [sic] circumstances: Cash Rewards Option. 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 identity and appointment of the executor or administrator, we can allow Points remaining in your ThankYou account to be redeemed for Cash Rewards.”

How to Manage Loyalty Points, Miles and Rewards Before Death

Planning is essential if you want to ensure that your hard-earned miles or those of a loved one land in the right hands after death.

This begins with knowing which airlines, hotels and credit cards you or a loved one have open accounts. From there, you’ll want to consult each rewards program’s terms and conditions to understand their policies regarding the transfer of points or miles after death. If any of the wording is unclear, it’s best to double-check with a phone agent to ensure you understand their policy.

If the airline strictly forbids you to transfer airline miles after death, then you’ll want to ensure that your family has access to your relevant frequent flyer accounts. The same holds true for hotel and credit card rewards programs. That way, your family will still be able to use your miles in the event you die.

If the hotel, airline or credit card rewards program allows you to transfer miles after death, you’ll want to consider specifying the fate of your miles in your will. The easiest way to do this is to give your executor access to your frequent flyer or rewards account and your miles, to use on your behalf.

Whatever the specific policy of the rewards program is, it’s never a bad idea to give your family members access to your account. This protects them if policies change or other events influence their ability to transfer points.

How to Claim a Loved One’s Loyalty Rewards After Death

Unfortunately, after losing a loved one, the grieving process is often accompanied with a long to-do list of paperwork and bureaucracy.

Luckily, claiming the points and miles of a deceased loved one is relatively straightforward.

If you have access to their account and know that the rewards program forbids postmortem points transfers, then you could go ahead and log into their account. That way, you can directly redeem their points for award bookings.

Alternatively, if you’re the executor of their will, you’ll typically need to submit a death certificate and affidavit, among other documents, to the rewards program. Once they approve the submitted documents, you’ll receive a points transfer, often fee-free.

Keep in mind that it’s important to act promptly in all cases. If the airline or credit card company finds out that the member is dead and closes their account, you could end up losing all of their points.

If you play your cards right and manage to keep your loved one’s points, check out the transfer partners chart to work out the best ways to redeem your points for award travel.

Start Planning for Your Points and Miles

Planning for one’s own death is nobody’s favorite hobby. But having thousands of dollars worth of frequent flyer miles, credit card rewards or hotel loyalty points go to waste is something every points and miles enthusiast would be squeamish about.

Knowing how to keep your miles and points from expiring is crucial for honoring the hard work you put into earning them.

The key to ensuring your points and miles land in the hands of your loved ones is to plan ahead. While you don’t technically own points and miles like you own property or other assets, you can still ensure they go to the people you care most about. That way, you can leave them a little something extra to ease their grief.