Some airlines state plainly that such inheritance is fair-game; others state plainly that it’s not. And still others post on their site that it’s not permitted, while actually offering the option if you manage to talk to the right person.
NEW YORK – What if your loved one spent decades accruing frequent flier miles? Could you inherit those miles? It’s probably not the first thing on your mind. The short answer: inheriting miles is a hassle, but certain major airlines allow it, sometimes.
Some airlines state plainly that such inheritance is fair-game; others state plainly that it’s not. And still others post on their site that it’s not permitted, while actually offering the option if you manage to talk to the right person. No airline wants to play the Grinch. Here’s the breakdown:
American: AAdvantage miles can be transferred from the deceased to the beneficiary. The website says miles are not transferable upon death, but on request, the airline will send an affidavit to fill out which states who should inherit them. Mail it back with a copy of the respective death certificate. Within seven business days those miles should be transferred. This process is free, or $50, depending on whom you talk to.
US Airways: Same deal. You can transfer miles to the beneficiary’s account for free; just make sure it’s done within a year of the person’s death and that the miles haven’t expired. Send in a document proving inheriting rights, like a will, and a copy of the death certificate.
JetBlue: The Times spoke with an airline rep who said while there’s no official inheritance policy, after JetBlue’s legal team verifies the request they will approve the transfer.
Delta: Their policy says they don’t do it. If you talk to customer service they may tell you otherwise, and in fact the site offers a claim form: delta.com/skymilesaffidavit. Conclusion? They’re not obligated to, but they might grant you the service.
United: Again, vague guidelines. Their site states MileagePlus program doesn’t permit such transfers. Customer service says otherwise.
Southwest: No go. Southwest clearly states it will not transfer RapidRewards points post-mortem.
Verdict: It depends on the airline, and each one has its own inconvenient approach.
CookTravel.net, which has specialized in discount Business and First Class travel since 1975, advises: “Try calling the airlines first. Then try again.” But hey, if all else fails and you have the mileage account’s password…
Why Are Airlines So Unprepared to Handle This?
The first frequent flier program was launched by Texas International Airlines in 1979, but for the next couple decades mainstream media didn’t broach thequestion of what would happen to those miles when a flier died.
How come? So first off, people rarely look at a new phenomenon through a moribund lens until they have to. Consider the uproar when Facebook users started seeing recommendations to “reconnect” with friends who had passed away. Moreover, at the start of the frequent flier program, no one expected hundreds of thousands of fliers to accrue millions of miles.
This brings us to another problem: Uncle Sam.
As frequent flier miles and credit card reward points become a larger currency, with many travelers accumulating millions of miles and points worth tens of thousands of dollars, heirs could find themselves in a sticky situation. Technically, if your estate is large enough, “you might have to give up to 45% of the miles to the Federal Government,” says Nick Fleetwood, a manager at CookTravel.net.
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
