Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
While credit card rewards generally don’t expire so long as your account is open, the points and miles you earn with co-branded airline and hotel credit cards often expire after a certain period if there’s no activity on your account.
Many airline credit card miles expire within one to three years, but some airlines have points that never expire. Below, CNBC Select breaks down every major U.S. airline’s credit card point expiration policy, and we share our top picks to add to your wallet.
Miles and points expiration terms by airline
| Airline | Do points expire? |
|---|---|
| Alaska Airlines | No, but account can be locked after 24 months without activity |
| American Airlines | Yes, after 24 months without qualifying activity |
| Delta | No |
| Frontier Airlines | Yes, after 12 months with no accrual activity |
| Hawaiian Airlines | No |
| JetBlue | No |
| Southwest | No |
| Spirit Airlines | Yes, after 12 months with no activity |
| United | No |
Compare travel insurance options
Best airline credit cards with points that don’t expire
As you can tell from the list above, you have plenty of options if you’re looking for a flexible airline credit card with miles that don’t expire.
Most major airlines offer co-branded credit cards, including personal and business travel credit cards. Beyond the miles you earn, airline credit cards can save you money through perks like free checked bags and airport lounge access. Here are some of our top picks:
United lovers can benefit from the United℠ Explorer Card, which offers a variety of benefits, including two one-time United Club passes each year, 25% back as a statement credit on various onboard purchases and Club premium drinks and your first checked bags free when you pay for the flight with your United Explorer card (terms apply).
Plus, there’s a limited-time offer: earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
The United℠ Explorer Card is worth it even if you only fly with United Airlines once or twice a year because you can take advantage of two United Club passes each year and you can receive free checked bags.
- No annual fee for the first year
- Unlocks upgrades for elite members on award flights
- Two free United Club airport lounge passes every year
- Valuable United Airlines perks, such as in-flight purchase discounts and the ability to earn elite status credit through credit card spending
- First checked bag free benefit requires you to pay for the flight with the card
- United Airlines has a dynamic award chart which can limit the value and flexibility of your miles
Highlights
- Limited-time Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- 2x miles on United® purchases, dining, and hotel stays
- Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United Club℠ with 2 one-time passes each year for your anniversary
- Free first checked bag – a savings of up to $160 per roundtrip. Terms Apply.
- Up to $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit
- 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi on board United-operated flights and on Club premium drinks when you pay with your Explorer Card
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
While the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card comes with a higher annual fee of $350 (see rates and fees), it is a good choice for Delta loyalists who understand the ins and outs of the airline’s frequent flier rewards program. In addition to common perks like free checked bags, the card offers nearly $400 in various annual statement credits, can help you fast-track elite status, unlocks 15% off Delta award flights and provides an annual companion certificate after you renew your card. You can also earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases within the first six months. Terms apply.
The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card is a good fit for anyone who wants Delta elite status and isn’t interested in airport lounge access.
- Up to $390 in statement credits annually (Enrollment required)
- Annual Companion Certificate for flights within the U.S. or to Mexico, Central America or the Caribbean (every year after renewal; Baggage charges and other restrictions apply.)
- 15% Delta award flight discount (Not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.)
- High annual fee
- Delta dynamically prices award flights, which makes it more difficult to redeem miles for higher values
Highlights
- Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Receive a Companion Certificate on a Main Cabin round-trip flight within the U.S. and to Mexico, the Caribbean, or Central America each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Ticket requires payment of the government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for round-trip domestic flights and no more than $250 for round-trip international flights (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year and get closer to Status with MQD Headstart.
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn $1 Medallion® Qualification Dollar for each $20 of purchases made on your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card in a calendar year and get a boost toward achieving Medallion Status for next Medallion Year.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Resy Credit: When you use your enrolled Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $10 back each month in statement credits.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: earn up to $10 in statement credits each month after using your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- You can check your first bag free on Delta flights, saving up to $70 on a round-trip Delta flight per person. For a family of four that’s a potential savings of up to $280 per round-trip flight.
- Receive Zone 5 Priority Boarding on Delta flights; board early, stow your carry-on bag and settle in sooner.
- Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Members with an eligible ticket will be added to the Complimentary Upgrade list, after Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members and Reserve Card Members.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $350 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you’re approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you’re approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
If you frequently fly Southwest, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is worth considering for its $75 Southwest statement credit and 7,500 bonus points you earn each account anniversary. The points you earn with your card count toward qualifying for the Southwest Companion Pass and you’ll get a 10,000-point boost each year.
Plus, there is a generous welcome offer: Earn a $400 statement credit and 40,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first four months from account opening.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is a perfect fit for serious Southwest fans who can easily maximize its benefits like upgraded boardings and an annual travel credit.
- Valuable welcome bonus helps you qualify for a Companion Pass
- 7,500 bonus points every card member anniversary
- $75 annual Southwest travel credit
- Limited value when you’re not traveling with Southwest
- High annual fee
Highlights
- Earn a $400 statement credit and 40,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 4 months from account opening.
- 7,500 anniversary points each year.
- Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases.
- Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
- Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
- $75 Southwest® travel credit each year.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
The JetBlue Plus Card stands out for offering one of the highest rewards rates on airline purchases: Earn 6X points for every $1 spent on eligible JetBlue purchases. You also get a 5,000-point bonus every year after your card anniversary and a 10% rebate on the TrueBlue points you redeem. So if you redeem 20,000 TrueBlue points for a qualifying flight, you’ll get 2,000 points back.
JetBlue Plus Card
Information about the JetBlue Plus Card has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer prior to publication.
-
Rewards
6X points per dollar spent on eligible JetBlue purchases; 2X points at restaurants and eligible grocery stores; 1X points on all other purchases
-
Welcome bonus
Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 on the card and pay the annual fee in the first 90 days with the JetBlue Plus Card.
-
Annual fee
-
Intro APR
0% APR on eligible balance transfers that post to account within 45 days of account opening, for the first 12 billing cycles; 20.74% to 29.99% variable thereafter depending on creditworthiness
-
Regular APR
20.74% to 29.99% variable
-
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5%, whichever is greater.
-
Foreign transaction fees
-
Credit needed
Pros
- 5,000 bonus points on your account anniversary
- 10% rebate on all redeemed TrueBlue points
- First checked bag free for you and up to three companions
- 50% off in-flight purchases
Cons
- $99 annual fee
- No airport lounge access
FAQs
Which airlines offer miles that don’t expire?
A handful of airlines offer miles that don’t expire, including Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest and United.
How can I keep my airline miles from expiring?
You can typically keep airline miles from expiring by having activity in your account, such as using a co-branded credit card or redeeming some miles.
What can I do if my airline miles expired?
Some airlines allow you to reactivate expired rewards within a certain window for a fee. For example, American Airlines gives you 24 months after your miles expire to reinstate them.
Is it best to book a flight with a credit card?
You should book flights with a travel credit card to earn rewards and potentially get extra protections, such as free travel insurance.
Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
Subscribe to the CNBC Select Newsletter!
Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox. Sign up here.
For rates and fees for the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card, click here
Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
