**American Airlines - AAdvantage**
American Airlines AAdvantage miles expire after 24 months of account inactivity. Members under the age of 21 are exempted from this rule. For members over the age of 21, keeping your miles from expiring involves earning or redeeming miles with American Airlines or one of its partners at least once every 24 months. This includes partner airlines, participating hotels, car rental companies, select retailers, and restaurants.
By earning AAdvantage miles, members also accumulate Loyalty points toward status and rewards. Flying on American-marketed flights earns at least five base miles per dollar spent. Higher status members can earn more. As a founding member of the oneworld alliance, American allows earning through major airlines like British Airways, Qatar Airways, Alaska Airlines, Japan Airlines, and Qantas. Non-alliance partners include Hawaiian Airlines, Etihad Airways, and China Southern.
Members can also earn up to five AAdvantage miles per dollar spent in restaurants by linking a credit or debit card for transactions at thousands of US locations. Additionally, shopping through AAdvantage eShopping offers opportunities to keep your account active.
AAdvantage credit card holders benefit from an exemption where their miles will not expire as long as the card account remains open. According to NerdWallet: "Miles will expire four months after closing the account or 24 months after the last qualifying activity." Reactivating expired AAdvantage miles is possible within the first 24 months post-expiry for a fee based on the number of reactivated miles; however reactivated miles do not count towards elite status.
**Frontier Airlines - Frontier Miles**
In October 2023, Frontier Airlines transitioned its frequent flyer program from distance-based to revenue-based rewards. This means that members now earn based on money spent rather than distance flown. Despite these changes offering new levels and perks for elite status tiers:
“Miles in a member’s account do not expire so long as the member generates accrual activity every twelve months.”
To keep Frontier Miles active requires earning (not just redeeming) them at least once every 12 months through various methods such as:
- Flights: Standard members earn ten miles per dollar spent.
- Spending: Purchases made with the Frontier Mastercard.
- Partnerships: Earning through hotel stays and car rentals.
**Spirit Airlines - Free Spirit**
Free Spirit is Spirit Airline's loyalty program which operates on a revenue-based model where earnings depend on ticket cost and membership status level—general members get six points per dollar on airfares plus up to twelve points for additional purchases like bags/seats:
Similar to Frontier,
“Spirit points expire after twelve months of no points activity.”
Points can be maintained by earning through:
- Flying with Spirit
- Purchasing add-ons
- Pooling points with family/friends
- Retail/travel partnerships
Alternatively applying for Free Spirit Travel More Mastercard ensures that as long as the credit card account remains open point expiration does not occur.
Alerts Sign-up
