What Happens to Airline Miles and Loyalty Points When You Die?

Most people think of loyalty points as a small perk — a free flight here, a hotel upgrade there. But over a lifetime of travel and everyday spending, those points can accumulate into something genuinely significant. A frequent business traveller might have 500,000 airline miles at death. A family that puts everything on a Chase Sapphire card could have 300,000 points. At current redemption values, these balances can represent thousands of dollars in real monetary value.

And yet the vast majority of those points are never inherited. They expire, get forfeited under program terms, or simply sit unclaimed because families do not know the accounts exist. According to industry estimates, tens of millions of dollars in loyalty points go unclaimed every year in the United States alone — not because inheritance is impossible, but because nobody planned for it.

This guide covers every major airline and loyalty program's policy on transferring points after death, what your family needs to do to claim them, and how to plan ahead so your points are not lost.

The Key Distinction: Transfer vs Forfeiture

The first thing to understand is that loyalty programs vary enormously in how they handle member death. Some programs allow full point transfer to named beneficiaries. Others allow transfer only to immediate family members with extensive documentation. Some allow redemption of existing points but no transfer of the balance. And some — particularly smaller hotel and retail programs — forfeit all points upon the death of the member, no exceptions.

Knowing which category your programs fall into changes what you need to plan for. A program that allows full family transfer just needs to know you have an account. A program that forfeits points requires you to redeem them while you are alive or lose them forever.

Major Airline Programs: Policy by Policy

American Airlines AAdvantage: American Airlines allows miles to be transferred to immediate family members after death, but charges a fee per mile transferred — typically around $30 per 1,000 miles plus a processing fee. The family member must contact AAdvantage Customer Service with a death certificate, proof of family relationship, and the account number. Processing takes two to four weeks. For large balances, the transfer fee can be significant — calculate whether the transfer cost is worth it relative to the miles' redemption value.

Delta SkyMiles: Delta's policy is notably more generous. Delta allows SkyMiles to be transferred to any family member at no charge following a member's death. The family contacts Delta Customer Service, provides a death certificate and identification, and requests a family transfer. Delta processes these within a few weeks. This makes Delta one of the most estate-friendly loyalty programs.

United MileagePlus: United allows miles to be transferred to a surviving spouse or domestic partner at no charge, and to other family members for a processing fee. Contact MileagePlus Customer Service with a death certificate and relationship documentation. United's policy has been more flexible in practice than its formal terms suggest — if you are a qualifying family member, it is always worth making the call.

Southwest Rapid Rewards: Southwest's policy is one of the most restrictive among major US carriers. Rapid Rewards points are generally forfeited at death and cannot be transferred to a new member's account. However, if the points are in a Companion Pass account or have been earned through a Southwest credit card, the situation may be different. Contact Southwest Customer Service for your specific situation — policies can vary and Southwest's customer service team has some discretion.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan: Alaska Airlines allows miles to be transferred to a family member or estate after death, subject to documentation and a processing fee. Contact Mileage Plan Customer Service with the standard estate documentation package.

Hotel Loyalty Programs

Marriott Bonvoy: Marriott Bonvoy points can be transferred to an immediate family member after the member's death. Contact Marriott Bonvoy Customer Support with a death certificate and proof of family relationship. Marriott allows one transfer per account and processes it within a few weeks.

Hilton Honors: Hilton Honors has a relatively straightforward bereavement process — points can be transferred to a surviving spouse or family member. The family contacts Hilton Honors Customer Support with estate documentation. Hilton's terms technically state that points are non-transferable, but they make exceptions for death with appropriate documentation.

IHG One Rewards: IHG points expire if unused for 12 months. After a member's death, the points may be forfeited if not redeemed before expiry. Contact IHG One Rewards Customer Service quickly with documentation — the sooner you act, the more likely you are to recover the points before they expire.

World of Hyatt: Hyatt allows point transfers to a surviving family member. Contact Hyatt's World of Hyatt Customer Care with the standard bereavement documentation. Hyatt is generally considered one of the more accommodating hotel programs in this area.

Credit Card Points and Bank Rewards

Credit card rewards points — Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Citi ThankYou Points — are handled differently from airline and hotel programs because they are administered by banks rather than by the travel brands themselves.

Chase Ultimate Rewards: Points earned on Chase Sapphire, Chase Freedom, and other Chase cards are generally transferable to an authorized estate. Contact Chase's estate services team with a death certificate and letters testamentary. Chase will work with the estate to redeem or transfer existing points. Note that points can only be transferred to certain partners — they cannot be transferred as a raw balance to a non-Chase member.

American Express Membership Rewards: American Express handles deceased member accounts through their estate services team. With appropriate documentation, accumulated Membership Rewards points can typically be redeemed by the estate for statement credits, gift cards, or travel. Amex is known for working constructively with estates on this.

Capital One Miles: Capital One allows the estate to redeem accumulated miles with appropriate estate documentation. Contact Capital One's estate services team.

Important note on credit card accounts: When you contact a credit card company about a death, they will typically freeze the account immediately. Redemption of existing points needs to happen either before account freeze or as part of the estate process — it cannot happen after the account is closed. Act quickly once you have documentation in order.

Retail and Other Loyalty Programs

Retail loyalty programs — Walgreens myWalgreens, CVS ExtraCare, Starbucks Rewards, Amazon Prime rewards, and similar programs — generally have much smaller balances but also much less clear bereavement processes. Most retail programs simply allow the account to lapse after inactivity and do not have formal estate transfer procedures.

For these smaller programs, the practical approach is to check whether there is a meaningful balance (Starbucks Stars can accumulate to genuine value for frequent customers), and if so, redeem them before contacting the company about account closure. Most retail programs allow redemption through the app or website, so if you have the deceased's credentials, a quick redemption before account closure is the simplest solution.

How to Document Your Loyalty Programs for Your Family

The single most effective thing you can do right now is spend 20 minutes creating a loyalty program inventory for your Letter to Family. For each program, document:

• The program name and the airline, hotel, or company it belongs to
• Your membership number or the email address registered to the account
• An approximate current balance
• The program's transfer or expiry policy (look this up now — policies change)
• Whether any points are expiring soon and should be redeemed

Consider redeeming large point balances while you are alive rather than leaving them to the estate process. Converting airline miles to a flight you take with family, or hotel points to a stay you enjoy, eliminates all the uncertainty and bureaucracy. The miles you spend on a memorable experience are guaranteed to benefit your family — the miles you leave in an account are not.

If you have a very large balance in a program with good transfer policies — Delta SkyMiles or Marriott Bonvoy, for example — consider designating a beneficiary now if the program allows it. Some programs allow you to register a beneficiary in advance, which dramatically simplifies the transfer after your death.

Include loyalty program accounts in your overall digital estate plan as financial assets with real monetary value. For large balances, mention them specifically in your will as digital assets your executor should address.

What Families Should Do Immediately

If you are managing a deceased family member's estate and have just discovered loyalty program accounts, act quickly. Many programs have expiry policies that can cause points to lapse after inactivity, and the longer you wait, the more likely it is that a balance will expire before you can claim it.

Start with the largest balances. Check email inboxes for loyalty program statements — these typically include the current balance and may flag expiring points. Contact each program's customer service team, explain the situation, and ask specifically about their bereavement or estate transfer process. Have a death certificate ready to send as supporting documentation along with proof of your legal authority to manage the estate.