Do Travel Points Expire? How To Avoid Losing Your Points

Loyal collectors have likely wondered, "Do my travel points expire?" Luckily, most travel rewards programs only require account activity once per year or every two years in order to maintain active status and keep your points.

In most cases, keeping an account active simply means making purchases, redeeming or moving points, or using a co-branded credit card.

This guide reviews the requirements for several of the most popular Canadian reward programs, and explains all the ways you can keep your account active and save your points.

Rewards programs and expiry workarounds

Many rewards programs claim that user points never expire, but inactive accounts do forfeit any collected points. Realistically, this means that the points expire once the account is inactive.

Here's an overview of the country's top rewards programs and whether their points expire:

How to avoid Air Miles expiry

Let's start with one of the biggest programs in Canada – AIR MILES. This airline's rewards program makes it simple to keep your points. Just make one transaction on your account every 24 months to keep your account active.

If you fail to do this, your account is considered inactive and you'll lose all your AIR MILES.

But with all the in-store partners AIR MILES has, it probably hasn't been that long since you've scanned your card and earned some miles, which will restart the 24-month countdown.

Tips for keeping your AIR MILES

You need to earn a minimum of 1 AIR MILE every 24 months. But what counts as a transaction?

It’s no surprise that booking travel will keep your account active, but you can also shop with AIR MILES partners or make a purchase through Air Miles Shops. If you use an AIR MILES credit card, the purchases you make also earn Miles and keep your account in good standing.

You don’t just have to buy things to keep your account open. Redeeming Miles or transferring them to another account holder also prevents them from expiring.

How to avoid Aeroplan points expiry

Aeroplan, the biggest airline program, requires that you make one transaction on your account in any 18-month period to keep your points. Essentially, you need to keep your account active to keep the points.

One helpful thing Aeroplan does is to tell you the exact date when your account will become inactive. Aeroplan will email you 60 days before your account becomes inactive, but you can also log into your account to see the date your account will become inactive if you don’t make a transaction.

Tips for keeping your Aeroplan points

Similar to AIR MILES, there are several easy ways to prevent your points from expiring:

• Earn points: Fly with Air Canada, book travel with a Star Alliance partner, book a hotel or car rental, or shop with partners or at the Aeroplan eStore.
• Redeem points: Book travel using cash, points, or a combination of both. Book a hotel or rental car with points, use your points for events or gift cards, or cash in points for flight upgrades.
• Move your points: You can transfer, convert, or donate your Aeroplan points to charity.

If your points do expire, don’t worry. There are a few ways you can get them back: pay a small fee to buy them back, fly with Air Canada within six months of the points expiring, or get an Aeroplan credit card.

Note that Aeroplan is putting its expiration policy on hold until November 30, 2025, buying you more time if your expiration date is coming up soon.

How to avoid WestJet Rewards Dollars expiry

Canada's second-largest airline has its own rewards program – WestJet Rewards. Like the previous programs, these points won’t expire as long as your account remains active.

Just make a transaction within 24 months and keep those points banked.

Tips for keeping your WestJet Rewards Dollars

To keep your account active, make one of the following transactions at least once every two years:

• Earn points: Book WestJet flights, make purchases with a WestJet credit card, book a vacation package or car rental, shop at the WestJet eStore, or book travel through a partner airline.
• Redeem points: Redeem your points for travel, merchandise, gift cards, and vacations.
• Move your points: Log into your WestJet account to transfer points or convert them to another loyalty program.

How to avoid VIPorter points expiry

The other Canadian airline with its own points program is Porter, with its VIPorter Rewards.

VIPorter points expire if you don't make a transaction on your account at least once every 24 months. And, similar to Aeroplan, they will email you to let you know the date when your points are set to expire.

Tips for keeping your VIPorter points

There aren’t as many ways to keep your VIPorter points, but you can prevent them from expiring by taking one or more of these actions:

• Book a flight: Flights have to be booked with Porter itself
• Redeem points: Can be used for a flight with Porter, Air Transat, or Alaska Airlines
• Use your credit card: If you have one of the BMO VIPorter cards, be sure to use it regularly

How to avoid Marriott Bonvoy points expiry

One of the world's largest hotel chains, Marriott Bonvoy requires you to keep an active account to keep your points.

You'll need to make a transaction on your account once every 24 months. If you fail to do so, you'll lose all your points.

Tips for keeping your Marriott Bonvoy points

Besides earning and redeeming points on hotel stays, there are several ways to keep your point balance active:

• Earn points: Make purchases with a Marriott Bonvoy credit card or one of the Amex Membership Rewards cards, which allow you to transfer points to Marriott Bonvoy. You can also book a qualifying stay, vacation, or event, or even purchase incidentals during your stay, such as food or golf.
• Redeem points: Put them towards a charitable donation or use them to book travel with Marriott Bonvoy or a partner.
• Buy points: Purchase points for your account, starting at 1,000 points for $12.50.
• Convert or exchange points: Convert points to a partnering airline program or exchange your weeks or Marriott Vacation Club Points for Marriott Bonvoy points.

Note that transferring or receiving points as a gift doesn't count as a qualifying transaction to keep your account open.

How to avoid Best Western Rewards points expiry

Best Western Rewards keeps it simple: points have no expiration date, and there's no need to worry about keeping an account active. Once you earn a point, you have it for life.

How to avoid Hilton Honors points expiry

Hilton Honors is similar to Marriott Bonvoy – your points don't expire as long as you stay active in the program.

You have to make a transaction every 24 months to keep your points balance intact.

Tips for keeping your Hilton Honors points

There are four simple ways to keep your Hilton Honors account active and your points from expiring:

• Book a stay: Stay at any hotel within the Hilton Portfolio
• Earn points: Earn points by renting cars from partnering agencies, using Lyft, using an American Express credit card (can transfer points to Hilton), or hosting an event at a Hilton property
• Redeem points: Stay at one of 20+ hotel and resort chains in the Hilton Portfolio
• Buy or donate points: Buy a few extra points, donate them to your preferred charity
• Register for a Hilton Honors promotion: Promotions vary, but are always available

How to avoid IHG Rewards points expiry

For the person who stays at Holiday Inn and partnering properties with IHG Rewards, you can keep your points from expiring if you make a transaction at least once every 12 months.

If you’re an Elite Status member, you don't have to worry about this, as your points never expire.

Tips for keeping your IHG Rewards points

If you’re a Club member, you can

• Book a hotel stay: Participating properties include Atwell Suites, Candlewood Suites, Crowne Plazas, Holiday Inn Express locations, and more.
• Buy points: You can purchase up to 150,000 points at once
• Redeem points: Options include travel, upgrades, food or beverages, events, experiences, and more. Can also be donated to nonprofit partners or transferred to other rewards programs.

How to avoid Choice Privileges points expiry

You have 18 months to make a transaction before your Choice Privileges points expire – slightly longer than IHG Rewards but shorter than most other programs on this list.

Tips for keeping your Choice Privileges points

There are a variety of ways you can keep your account active, including a rare referral option:

• Book a stay: Choose an eligible location, such as Radissons, Quality Inns, Everhome Suites, and many others.
• Buy or earn points: Earn through partners, like car rental agencies and cruise lines, or purchase a few extra points to bump you up
• Redeem points: Use free hotel stays, cruises, or explore other options
• Transfer points: Airline programs include Aeroplan, British Airways, Southwest, and more
• Refer a friend: Referrals can earn you 500 free points

Major bank reward programs

Let’s take a look at the big bank programs. Most of the big banks and credit card issuers operate their own rewards programs.

These include:

• Amex Membership Rewards
• BMO Rewards
• CIBC Rewards
• Desjardins BONUSDOLLARS
• National Bank À La Carte Rewards
• Scene+
• TD Rewards

With these programs, there's one main way to earn points, and that's with the credit cards they issue. TD and BMO, for example, allow account holders to earn points with their debit cards too, but the earn rates don't come close to what you can get with credit cards.

As long as you keep your credit card account active and in good standing, your bank points shouldn't expire.

Cancelling a credit card changes things, though. You'll have between 60 and 90 days (depending on the program) after cancellation to use your points, after which they expire.

Best credit cards for your preferred rewards program

One way to make sure your points don't expire is to get a credit card that partners with your preferred rewards program. This way, you're always earning points, preventing your account from ever being inactive.

Here are some credit cards that partner with popular rewards programs:

FAQ

Do travel points ever expire?

Whether or not your travel points expire depends on the program. Many require you to keep your account active, but some allow you to keep points forever if you earn elite status within the program.

Do Air Canada points ever expire?

Yes, if your account is inactive for 18 consecutive months, your Air Canada points will expire. The program is called Aeroplan, and, fortunately, you can keep it in good standing by earning, redeeming, or transferring your points.

Which airline points never expire?

Unfortunately, all airline rewards programs require you to keep your account active to prevent your points from expiring. This might mean booking travel, using points for upgrades, shopping with a retail partner, or donating points.

Do TD travel points expire?

Your TD Rewards points never expire as long as you keep your account active and in good standing. You must earn or redeem points at least once in a 12-month period to keep your points.

Can you tell me how to keep Air Miles from expiring?

To keep your Air Miles account active, book qualifying travel, shop with Air Miles partners, or buy something from airmilesshops.ca. You can also use a credit card that earns you Air Miles, redeem Miles, or transfer them.