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How Much Should I Pay to Reinstate Expired Airline Miles?

Nov. 06, 2016
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3 min read
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How Much Should I Pay to Reinstate Expired Airline Miles?
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TPG reader Jill emailed me to ask about reclaiming expired miles:

“My daughter's frequent flyer account went unused for a bit and over 48,000 miles expired. United will let us buy them back for $300, which is a lot less than it would cost to buy miles outright. Is that a good deal?”

Letting points and miles expire is one of the cardinal sins of award travel, and it breaks my heart to get questions like this. There are plenty of ways to keep your rewards active, and simply tending to your loyalty accounts from time to time will help you avoid a lapse due to inactivity. That being said, we all make mistakes, and it's important to know how to handle them.

Some airline and hotel programs are more forgiving than others. I answered a similar question last year from a reader deciding whether to reinstate Hawaiian Airlines miles. In that case, the price was much too high, and my advice was to let the miles go. Fortunately for Jill, her offer from United is much more reasonable.

I think it's helpful to view this as an opportunity to buy miles inexpensively. United normally sells MileagePlus miles for almost 4 cents apiece, which is a terrible price. Even if you buy during a bonus promotion (where the rate can dip to less than 2 cents per mile), you'll pay less to reinstate United miles than to buy them otherwise. The fact that those miles were already yours is irrelevant; once they've expired, the question boils down to whether you should buy them at the going rate. In this case, the answer is yes.

Despite some recent negative changes to United's award-booking policies, I value MileagePlus miles at 1.5 cents apiece, so I expect you can get $720 of value out of 48,000 miles. Of course, the redemption value could be higher or lower, but that's a fair estimate. Paying $300 to get $720 worth of miles is a good move, but that's only true if you'll actually use them. There's no point in paying to reactivate your miles if you plan to redeem for low-value awards or (even worse) let them expire again.

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Ideally miles wouldn't expire at all, but United at least lets you reinstate them for a fairly reasonable price.

It's worth getting familiar with the expiration policies of your favorite loyalty programs. Some miles expire after only a few months, while others never expire. Knowing what to expect can help you avoid losing the miles you've earned, and may also help you decide which programs to use in the first place.

If you have any other questions, please tweet me @thepointsguy, message me on Facebook or send me an email at info@thepointsguy.com.

Featured image by IAN ALLEN 2013

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

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  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.