Airline Mileage Expiry Policies Compared

What should you compare in an airline mileage expiry policy?

An expiry policy is really three separate rules: when the clock starts, what activity resets it, and what a member can do once the miles have gone. Two programmes can both say "miles expire after inactivity" and still behave very differently depending on how each of those three questions is answered. [3]

This page works through the questions using Qantas Frequent Flyer, whose terms cited here are effective 27 August 2026. [3] Qantas ties validity to account activity rather than to the age of a particular batch of points, and the terms open the no-expiry statement with the qualification "except as otherwise provided in these Terms", so special rules elsewhere in the same document can override the general one. [3]

What counts as activity that resets the Qantas Points expiry date?

The test is whether the member has earned Qantas Points, earned Status Credits or redeemed Qantas Points on the membership account within the previous consecutive 18 whole months. [3] Two kinds of transfer are carved out of that test. [3]

The family transfer clause repeats the point: a family transfer does not count as activity for the purpose of preventing Qantas Points from expiring. [3] Nor does a transfer count as earning for the Points Club Program. [3]

How is the Qantas Points expiry date calculated?

The 18 months are counted as whole months, and expiry falls at midnight Sydney, Australia time on the last day of the 18th consecutive month without qualifying activity. [3]

Does one transaction reset the expiry date for every point?

The rule is written at account level: all Qantas Points held in a membership account expire at the end of that 18-month period, so the wording ties expiry to the account's activity as a whole rather than to when each point was earned. [3] One qualifying transaction is therefore enough to restart the countdown for the balance. [3]

Two timing rules move the date on which points are treated as earned. Points earned on Eligible Flights are deemed earned on the date the flight was flown, not the date they post to the account. [3] If a non-airline partner stops, or materially changes, its participation in Qantas Frequent Flyer, points earned through that partner are deemed earned on or before the date the partner left. [3]

Qantas also commits to a warning: in the 60 days before the expiry date it tells members how many Qantas Points are about to expire and on what date, through a warning on the online Activity Statement and, for members who have opted in, the monthly electronic newsletter. [3]

Exceptions and limits

• Cancelling the membership. If a member cancels, all accumulated Qantas Points in that account expire immediately, and Qantas recommends planning any cancellation to avoid unintentional loss. [3]
• Death of a member. Executors or administrators can ask Qantas in writing to transfer the deceased member's unexpired Qantas Points to an Eligible Family Member; the request must reach Qantas within 12 months of the death, and the transferred points carry the same expiry date as other points in the recipient's account. [3] Status Credits cannot be transferred and expire on the member's death. [3]
• No reinstatement. Qantas Points cannot be re-credited once they have expired. [3]
• Suspended accounts. While a membership account is suspended, it may still accrue Qantas Points but no Qantas Points can be redeemed during the suspension. [3]
• Points credited in error. Qantas Loyalty reserves the right to reverse or cancel Qantas Points credited incorrectly, or not in accordance with, or in breach of, the terms. [3]
• Rule changes. Qantas may change the terms, including those covering the expiry of accrued Qantas Points, and will use best efforts to give members at least three months' notice where a change will limit a benefit Qantas provides. [3]

Frequently asked questions

Do Qantas Points expire if I stop flying?

Flying is not the only activity that counts. Points expire at the end of 18 consecutive months without earning Qantas Points, earning Status Credits or redeeming Qantas Points on the account, and points can be earned with non-airline partners as well as on flights. [3]

Can I get expired Qantas Points back?

The Qantas terms state that Qantas Points cannot be re-credited once they have expired. [3] The transfer route that exists for a deceased member applies only to points that are unexpired at the time of the request and must be made within 12 months of the death. [3]

Does transferring points to a family member keep my account active?

No. Transfers of Qantas Points to or from an Eligible Family Member are excluded from the definition of Active Member and from the expiry clause, so they do not stop the 18-month clock. [3]

How much warning do I get before my Qantas Points expire?

Qantas says it will notify members in the 60 days before the expiry date, giving the number of Qantas Points about to expire and the date, through the online Activity Statement and the monthly newsletter for members who have opted in. [3]

Related pages

See the mileage expiry overview for how other programmes handle validity, the points expiration activity checklist for keeping an account alive, and mileage reinstatement for what happens after miles lapse. For the narrower Chinese mainland comparison, see Chinese mainland airline mileage expiry compared; for background on what a balance is worth, see what are miles worth, and the full set of terms sits in the glossary.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. The rules described here are those of Qantas Frequent Flyer; other programmes, including Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and United MileagePlus, are not covered on this page, and the mileage expiry overview covers the rest.

1. Qantas Frequent Flyer terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026