What becomes of your points and miles after you're gone?

Grieving the loss of a loved one can be overwhelming, and it's often unclear what happens to their accumulated points and miles. Who inherits these loyalty rewards once someone passes away?

Generally, your points and miles aren't considered personal assets. Most loyalty program terms and conditions clarify that these rewards aren't owned by you personally.

Take Delta Air Lines' SkyMiles program, for instance. Their terms state: "Miles are not the property of any Member. Except as specifically permitted in the Membership Guide or by written authorization from a Delta officer, miles cannot be sold, seized, transferred, or pledged under any circumstance, including by law upon death or during legal disputes."

The terminology can be tricky, highlighting the limited control you have over loyalty programs, their policies, and your accumulated rewards. Thankfully, most programs (though not all) make it fairly straightforward to transfer points and miles after your passing.

Let's take a look at several well-known credit card, frequent flyer, and hotel loyalty programs in the U.S. to understand what options are available in such situations. We'll also offer tips on how to prepare for the unexpected.

What happens to reward points when the account holder passes away?

Besides including your loyalty accounts in your will, the simplest solution is ensuring your loved ones have access to your accounts by sharing your login credentials. This way, should something happen to you, they may be able to use your points and miles by logging into your account. Only share this information with someone you trust completely.

In nearly all cases (especially when booking flights), you can use your points and miles to book travel for someone else. By granting a loved one login access to your account, they could arrange travel for themselves or others using your rewards if you pass away. Just be sure to keep track of mileage expiration dates.

Closing a credit card could result in the loss of unused points, so it's important to understand your bank's policies before making any decisions about canceling credit cards.

Hotel points are usually the most flexible when it comes to transfers. With some exceptions, they can often be transferred to another member, regardless of the reason. Therefore, if your loved one has unused hotel points, you might be able to move them to your account.

How to prevent losing your points or miles

Few things are more frustrating than losing your hard-earned points, no matter the reason. That's why it's crucial to fully understand the specific rules of each loyalty program regarding the death of a member.

In addition to knowing your loved one's login details (including security question answers), we advise keeping digital copies of the death certificate for reference.

Transferring your points or miles

There are three main methods for passing on your points or miles. Depending on the loyalty program, you may have access to one or more of these options. Here are the typical choices, ranked from most favorable to least:

1. Transfer points or miles to another person (such as yourself).
2. Redeem points or miles for use.
3. Convert points or miles through a fixed-rate redemption.

Whenever possible, transfer the points or miles to yourself. This ensures the points or miles are fully yours, giving you the freedom to use them as you wish.

If transferring points or miles isn't an option, consider keeping the deceased's account active. This will allow you to log in and book travel for yourself or others. The main drawback is that some points and miles have expiration dates.

In some cases, the deceased's points and miles may need to be redeemed on a fixed-rate basis. This is particularly common with credit card points, where unused rewards are applied as cashback toward the statement balance.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan policy following a member's death

Alaska Airlines doesn't publish an official policy regarding this situation on their website.

Alaska Airlines requires a death certificate to process any requests. Through its Memorial Miles program, the airline will transfer miles from the deceased’s account to a beneficiary without charging a fee.

American Express Membership Rewards policy after a member's death

According to American Express' terms, "Upon your passing, the executor of your estate or personal representative may request a one-time points redemption, depending on your product, by calling 1-800-AXP-EARN (297-3276)."

While a one-time redemption limits your options, you can still make the most of the many ways to redeem American Express Membership Rewards points.

American Airlines AAdvantage policy following a member’s death

American Airlines' AAdvantage program terms and conditions do not explicitly allow transfers of miles after death. However, the airline provides a way to transfer miles if you submit the necessary legal documents.

Here is the specific language from American Airlines:

"Unless otherwise authorized by American Airlines, upon the death of an AAdvantage® member, their account will be terminated and any accumulated AAdvantage® miles and Loyalty Points will be forfeited. However, under certain exceptional circumstances and with proper documentation, including payment of any fees, American Airlines may, at its sole discretion and on a one-time basis, transfer the deceased member's AAdvantage® Rewards and Benefits to designated individuals. This will require (i) a declaration supporting the transfer request, (ii) a copy of the death certificate, and (iii) proof of legal authority for the person requesting the transfer. American Airlines may also require a minimum review period of 6 months to evaluate any additional claims and process the documentation submitted ('Review Period'). The Review Period starts on the date all required documents are received and may be extended at American Airlines' discretion."

Capital One policy following a member’s death

Capital One informed TPG that once they receive confirmation of a member's death via a death certificate and if there is no secondary account holder, they will issue a statement credit for the rewards. If the cardholder's rewards exceed the statement balance, Capital One will provide a check for the remaining credit balance.

Unfortunately, this significantly diminishes the value of your Capital One miles. According to TPG’s August 2024 valuations, each Capital One mile is valued at 1.85 cents. However, as of now, Capital One offers just 0.5 cents per mile when redeemed for cash back toward your statement. For more details, you can visit Capital One's website.

Chase Ultimate Rewards policy after the death of a member

Chase's policy mirrors Capital One's: "If we are notified of your passing, your points will automatically be redeemed for cash as a statement credit."

Currently, Chase offers 1 cent per point when redeemed as a statement credit. Since TPG's August 2024 valuations value Ultimate Rewards points at 2.05 cents each, you'd be receiving less than half of the potential value by redeeming them for a statement credit.

For more information on Chase's policies, you can visit its website.

Citi ThankYou Rewards policy after a member's death

Like Capital One miles and Chase points, Citi ThankYou points can only be redeemed as cash rewards. However, you must follow specific procedures, or you risk forfeiting your points.

According to Citi’s policy: "If we receive a written request within one (1) year of your passing from the executor or administrator of your estate, along with proper proof of death and documentation identifying the executor or administrator, we may allow any remaining Points in your ThankYou account to be redeemed for Cash Rewards. For more information, contact the ThankYou Service Center at 1-800-THANKYOU (1-800-842-6596) (TTY: We accept 711 or other Relay Service)."

While multiple steps are needed to redeem your points for cash rewards, they can be redeemed at a rate of 1 cent per point. However, TPG’s August 2024 valuations show Citi ThankYou points are actually worth 1.8 cents each when redeemed through other methods.

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

Delta Air Lines SkyMiles policy after a member's death

Unfortunately, it seems Delta has a strict policy. As per the SkyMiles program terms and conditions, although SkyMiles never expire, the account will be closed upon death, and the miles will be forfeited.

According to the policy: "As part of the SkyMiles Mileage Expiration policy, miles do not expire. However, Delta reserves the right to deactivate or close an account under specific circumstances, including death."

• Fraudulent activity is detected.
• A Member requests their account to be closed. SkyMiles Members can initiate account closure at https://www.delta.com/us/en/need-help/support-skymiles by submitting a request under 'All Other Requests.'
• A Member passes away.
• A Member fails to respond to repeated attempts to contact them regarding their account status.
• A Member creates additional accounts in their name.
• A Member moves to or resides in a country where membership is prohibited by law.
• A Member violates the terms and conditions of the Membership Guide and Program Rules or any terms of a SkyMiles partner offer or other program.

Sadly, Delta has informed TPG that there are no exceptions to this policy, and SkyMiles cannot be transferred to another member, even with the submission of a death certificate or court order.

Hilton Honors policy following the death of a member

Hilton provides a transfer affidavit for members to use, allowing them to transfer points without a fee. However, the request and required documents must be submitted within one year of the member’s death. Alternatively, you can create a Hilton points pool for free with up to 10 people at any time, but sharing is capped at 500,000 points per year. A member can receive up to 2 million points annually.

Elite status is non-transferable.

IHG One Rewards policy following a member's death

According to the IHG One Rewards terms and conditions:

"Transfer of IHG One Rewards Points Upon Death: If an IHG One Rewards member passes away, their points may be transferred to a beneficiary's IHG One Rewards account(s). The executor or administrator of the deceased's estate should submit the transfer request to IHG Customer Care, along with court documents establishing their authority, or the sole beneficiary may submit the request with a copy of the deceased's will and death certificate. The request must be made within one (1) year of the member's death. Transfer fees will be waived."

JetBlue TrueBlue policy after the death of a member

To avoid concerns about TrueBlue points expiring after death, you might consider enrolling in JetBlue's family pooling feature. However, according to the TrueBlue terms and conditions, points are not transferable in the event of death. The terms state: "Accrued Points and Award Travel are not considered member property and cannot be transferred (i) upon death, (ii) as part of a domestic relations matter, or (iii) for any other reason."

JetBlue has confirmed to TPG that this policy is firm, and points cannot be transferred to another account, even with a death certificate.

The best course of action is to set up family pooling or ensure a loved one has access to your account to continue using the points if something were to happen.

Marriott Bonvoy policy following a member's death

Marriott provides specific instructions on what steps to take when a member passes, available on its website.

According to Marriott's terms and conditions: "If a Member passes away, the Company may, at its discretion, permit unredeemed Points from the deceased Member's Account to be transferred to an active family member or friend, after receiving and reviewing all necessary documentation. However, Awards, hotel stays, Elite Membership Status, Lifetime Membership Status, and related benefits (such as Elite Night Credit) will not be transferred along with the Points."

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards policy after a member passes away

The Southwest terms and conditions state: "Points cannot be transferred to a Member's estate or as part of an inheritance, settlement, or will. If a member’s account is closed due to death, any accumulated points will be forfeited."

TPG reached out to Southwest to inquire if points could be transferred to another account. However, Southwest confirmed that there is no official process for this, even with a death certificate, so it's still wise to ensure your loved ones can access your account if necessary.

United Airlines MileagePlus policy after a member passes away

According to the United MileagePlus terms and conditions: "In the event of a Member’s death or divorce, United may, at its discretion, credit all or part of the Member's accumulated miles to authorized individuals, provided that they submit satisfactory documentation and pay any applicable fees."

TPG contacted United to learn more about the fees involved, but a representative informed TPG that the exact costs could not be disclosed publicly.

World of Hyatt policy after a person passes away

From the World of Hyatt terms and conditions: "In the event of a Member's documented death, their points (excluding elite status or awards) can be transferred once to another individual who shares the same residential address as the deceased. The recipient must be an active Member to accept the points transfer. Hyatt is not liable for any disputes arising from point transfers, and if multiple people from the same address make conflicting transfer requests, Hyatt may refuse all transfers and invalidate the deceased Member’s points."

Steps to consider

If you're considering how to manage your loyalty program points in the event of your death, here are a few steps to keep in mind:

• Track your rewards using a third-party service and grant a trusted loved one access. This allows them to use your points and miles without alerting the loyalty program. Most programs don’t mind if someone else redeems tickets using your points.
• Consider adding a clause to your will specifying that your loyalty program rewards are passed to your next of kin as part of your estate.
• Although most programs discourage sharing your login details, you could provide a trusted person (e.g., a spouse) with your login credentials so they can continue using your points or miles after your death. Loyalty programs typically only close accounts and forfeit miles when they are officially notified of the member's passing by a family member or friend.

Final thoughts

It's not easy to face the reality of our own mortality, but it's even harder to watch valuable loyalty rewards go to waste simply because you didn't plan ahead.

For many, points and miles hold significant value, often worth thousands of dollars. Always remember, don't take the program's terms and conditions at face value.

A simple phone call to the airline can ease some of the burden and provide peace of mind. However, in some instances, you may be required to log into the deceased's account and redeem their rewards as though they were still living.