Points & Miles Guide
Business-class cabin in warm evening light
The beginner-friendly playbook

Points & Miles Guide

How to earn airline miles and hotel points with credit cards — and turn them into business-class flights and free hotel nights.

5Steps to start 5Bank rulebooks 4Hotel lounges 13Points expiration 21Pooling programs
Start with Step 1 → Recommended Cards Actual Points Transfers Bilt Rent & Mortgage →

Points & Miles is a system where you earn points and miles through credit cards, flights, hotels, and shopping, then redeem them for free—or nearly free—flights, hotel stays, and other travel. The main idea is to get the most value from your everyday spending.

The two most important rules of this hobby:

CPP = (Cash Price ÷ Points Price) × 100

For flights, our goal is 2 CPP or higher. The higher, the better. Hotels work a little differently because each hotel program’s points have a different value: Hilton ≈ 0.4 cents, Marriott ≈ 0.8 cents, and Hyatt ≈ 1.2–1.5 cents.

Important:

In Points & Miles, offers come and go. If you are still under 5/24, consider the offers below:

Chase Marriott Boundless — $95 annual fee https://www.referyourchasecard.com/252x/TZH3YJO61R Spend $3,000 in three months to earn three free nights at Marriott, each worth up to 50,000 points. If a hotel costs more, you can add up to 25,000 of your own points to each certificate. Use the nights individually or together.

Chase Southwest Plus with $99 annual fee, 80,000 points after $1,000 spend in 3 months (last chance for the Companion Pass: approval by December 2, 2026; referral offer ends December 7, 2026) -> https://www.referyourchasecard.com/226ycategory/B6QOGNS8G1

Southwest Companion Pass — how to earn it with two cards, one last time:

The Companion Pass lets your companion fly with you on every Southwest flight for just taxes and fees. Under the 2026 rules you need 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points in a calendar year, and Southwest cardholders get a 10,000-point boost (one per member per year), so you actually need to earn 125,000. A pass earned in 2026 is valid through December 31, 2027.

The working combo is one personal card + one business card: personal Plus earns 80,000 ($1,000 spend in 3 months, $99/year), Premier — 85,000 ($2,000, $149), Priority — 90,000 ($3,000, $229); business Premier Business — 60,000 ($3,000, $149), Performance Business — 80,000 ($5,000, $299). Even the cheapest pair, Plus + Premier Business, gives 140,000 — the bar is cleared by the welcome bonuses alone, with spend points and the boost on top. Two personal cards don't work: no personal bonus if you currently hold any personal Southwest card or received a personal Southwest bonus in the last 24 months. The business card is counted separately.

The key deadline: both cards must be approved on or before December 2, 2026 — then the welcome bonus counts toward the Companion Pass even if you finish the spend in early 2027. From January 1, 2027, Southwest changes the system: welcome, referral and anniversary points no longer count toward the pass, and unlimited Companion Pass becomes part of the top Platinum tier at 140,000 Tier Qualifying Points. So 2026 is the last year the pass can be earned with two cards.

All Southwest cards — personal and business — via our referral link -> https://www.referyourchasecard.com/226ycategory/B6QOGNS8G1

Chase United Personal (80 000 points, 0$ Annual fee first year, $150 after, $3000 spend withing 3 months of opening) -> https://www.referyourchasecard.com/215a/36GH1WSKPI

Chase United Business (100,000 miles — $150 annual fee) https://www.referyourchasecard.com/215a/36GH1WSKPI#business-pane Spend $5,000 in three months. The card gives you access to discounted award prices on United.com that aren’t available to people without a United credit card, with at least a 10% discount on points bookings.

Amex Hilton:

White Card: no annual fee, 70,000 points + one free night certificate https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/referral/personal/hilton-honors-credit-card?CORID=A~L~E~K~S~S~G~h~z~4-1792103274471-409360&GENCODE=349993348976628&XL=MIMNS&extlink=US-MGM-MOBI_MEMBERSHIP-native-784-205937-K3QE%3A9846&ref=ALEKSSGhz4

Surpass: 130,000 points + one free night https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/referral/personal/hilton-honors-surpass-credit-card?CORID=A~L~E~K~S~S~G~h~z~4-1792103266903-407435&GENCODE=349993348976628&XL=MIMNS&extlink=US-MGM-MOBI_MEMBERSHIP-native-784-205937-K3QE%3A9846&ref=ALEKSSGhz4

Business: 150,000 points + one free night https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/referral/business/hilton-honors-american-express-business-credit-card?CORID=A%7EL%7EE%7EK%7ES%7ES%7EG%7Eh%7Ez%7E4-1792103245814-407170&GENCODE=349993348976628&XL=MIMNS&extlink=US-MGM-MOBI_MEMBERSHIP-native-784-205937-K3QE%3A9846&ref=ALEKSSGhz4

If You Are Already Over 5/24 or Want to Diversify Right Away:

Capital One Venture Rewards — $95 annual fee 75,000 miles + a $300 credit https://i.capitalone.com/GH6FmQLX5

Amex Gold https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/referral/personal/gold-card?CORID=S~T~A~N~I~K~Z~t~e~M~t-1786834653322-585450&GENCODE=349993476041856&XL=MIMNS&extlink=US-MGM-MOBI_MEMBERSHIP-native-1157-205937-K84O%3A9976&ref=STANIKZteMt&v=2 Up to 100,000 points; $325 annual fee. The card has monthly credits that can almost completely offset the annual fee. Most importantly, it earns 4x at U.S. supermarkets and 4x on dining, and lets you receive Rakuten rewards as Amex points: $10 → 1,000 points.

BILT Palladium Ideal if you pay rent or a mortgage and want to earn 1% back in points on those payments. It also offers 3% cashback on any spending for the first $25,000 per year. https://www.bilt.com/card?invite=E64G526C

Current points transfer bonuses:

CITI → Cathay Pacific: 1,000 → 1,100, +10%, through November 14, 2026

CITI → Turkish Airlines: 1,000 → 1,400, +40%, through November 30, 2026

AMEX MR → Marriott: 1,000 → 1,350, +35%, through December 10, 2026

AMEX MR → Virgin Atlantic: 1,000 → 1,300, +30%, through November 30, 2026

CAPITAL ONE → Virgin Atlantic: 1,000 → 1,300, +30%, through November 20, 2026

CAPITAL ONE → Flying Blue: 1,000 → 1,200, +20%, through November 30, 2026

CAPITAL ONE → Copa: 1,000 → 975, +30% (base ratio 2:1.5), through December 1, 2026

CHASE → Avios (British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus): 1,000 → 1,300, +30%, through December 1, 2026

CHASE → Wyndham: 1,000 → 1,300, +30%, through December 3, 2026

CHASE → IHG: 1,000 → 1,800, +80%, through December 3, 2026

ROVE → JetBlue: 1,000 → 1,200, +20%, through November 14, 2026

The full Citi bonus is for premium cards (1:1 base); no-annual-fee cards transfer at 1:0.7.

Before transferring, confirm award availability — transfers are irreversible!

Step 1. Prepare and Check Whether You’re Ready

Important! Business cards themselves do not add to your 3/24 or 5/24 count after you open them.

Step 2. The Main Ways to Earn Points and Miles, Starting with the Biggest Opportunities

Step 3. Which Cards to Start With, Considering 3/24, 5/24, and 2/90

The main principle: while you are under 3/24, prioritize Chase Business Cards. After that, move on to Amex, Capital One, and Citi.

Capital One’s family rule means that if you open Venture X first, you won’t be eligible for the Venture bonus.

Amex’s family rule applies to the personal Gold and Platinum cards: you won’t receive a Gold bonus if you have already opened Platinum.

Chase Card Application Rules (current as of November 2026)

GENERAL RULES

5/24 is Chase's main rule. If you have opened 5 or more personal cards from any banks in the last 24 months, you will be denied for almost any Chase card, including business cards.

— Personal cards from all banks count, even ones that are already closed.

— Authorized user cards may count: the automated system often counts them; you can dispute this on reconsideration.

— Business cards from most banks don't count (they don't appear on your personal credit report). Exceptions: Discover, TD Bank, and Capital One Spark.

— Ink cards themselves are subject to 5/24 at approval, but they don't increase the counter.

Application velocity (unofficial): a maximum of 2 personal cards per 30 days; business — no more than 1 per 30 days.

NEW — 3/24 for sole proprietors: since 09/16/2026, mass data points show Chase denying business cards when the business is a sole proprietorship (under your SSN) and you have opened 3+ cards in 24 months. For LLC/EIN, the regular 5/24 still applies for now. Chase has not officially confirmed this.

SAPPHIRE (Preferred / Reserve)

The rules were rewritten in 2025–2026. The old 48-month rule is GONE.

— Since 01/22/2026: the bonus is once per product per lifetime. If you received the Preferred bonus, you won't get it again. There is a data point that the card can be opened again after 7–8 years. The Reserve bonus remains available if you haven't received it yet.

— You can hold Preferred and Reserve at the same time. A second Sapphire no longer blocks the first one's bonus.

— If you're not eligible for the bonus, a pop-up warning appears during the application; you can cancel the application without a hard pull.

— Sapphire Reserve for Business is counted separately: personal Sapphire cards don't affect it.

FREEDOM (Flex / Unlimited)

— Each card is separate; they don't block each other, and you can hold both and earn both bonuses.

— No bonus if you currently hold THIS card or received a bonus on IT in the last 24 months.

INK (business: Cash / Unlimited / Preferred / Premier)

Chase has tightened the wording in its terms — the "eternal" 24-month Ink cycle is closed.

— Ink Cash and Ink Unlimited are linked: the bonus may be unavailable if you have ever had ANY no-annual-fee Chase business card.

— Ink Preferred and Ink Premier: the bonus may be unavailable if you have ever had that card.

— The word "may" means the decision is Chase's; if you're not eligible for the bonus, a pop-up will appear during the application.

— As before: you must be under 5/24 to be approved (sole proprietors — under the reported 3/24, see above), and Ink cards themselves don't increase the counter.

SOUTHWEST

Personal (Plus / Premier / Priority) — a family rule, the strictest after Sapphire:

— No bonus if you currently have ANY personal Southwest card open or received a bonus on any personal Southwest card in the last 24 months.

— You cannot hold two personal cards at the same time.

Business (Premier Business / Performance Business) — the rule is per card:

— No bonus if you currently hold that exact card or received a bonus on it in the last 24 months.

— You can hold both business cards at the same time and earn both bonuses.

UNITED (Gateway / Explorer / Quest / Club + business)

— Per card: no bonus if you currently hold THIS card or received a bonus on it in the last 24 months.

— Other United cards don't interfere — you can collect the bonuses on all four.

MARRIOTT (Chase: Bold / Boundless) — the most complex matrix; two banks issue the cards

There is no Chase bonus if:

— you currently hold Boundless, Bold, or Bountiful, or received a bonus on any personal Chase Marriott card in the last 24 months;

— in the last 90 days you were approved for Amex Marriott Business, Brilliant, or Bevy, or received a bonus/upgrade bonus on them in the last 24 months;

— in the last 30 days you held the old Amex Marriott or SPG card.

Check all three filters before applying.

IHG

— Family rule: no bonus if you received a bonus on any personal IHG card in the last 24 months.

— A second personal IHG card won't be approved while the first one is open.

— Personal + business at the same time is allowed.

HYATT, AMAZON:

— The standard per-card rule: no bonus if you currently hold this card or received a bonus on it in the last 24 months.

— 5/24 applies to all Chase cards without exception.

The overall trend of 2026: Chase is moving away from "wait 24–48 months" toward "one bonus per product per lifetime" and pop-up warnings. Before applying, read the Offer Terms of the exact link you're applying through — the terms on public and referral links can differ.

American Express Card Application Rules (current as of November 2026)

GENERAL RULES

— Bonus: the terms say "you may not be eligible for a welcome offer if you have or have had this Card" — in practice, a bonus on a card is given once: if you have had the card, the bonus may be denied. If a bonus is not available, Amex will warn you before processing the application, and it can be withdrawn without a hard pull.

— Limit (unofficial, per datapoints): maximum 5 Amex credit cards at the same time, personal and business counted together.

Charge cards — Platinum, Gold, Green — do not count toward this limit, but a separate limit of 10 cards per person (personal + business combined) is cited for them; it is applied inconsistently.

— Speed (unofficial, per datapoints): no more than 1 approval in 5 days and no more than 2 approvals in 90 days.

— Pop-up jail: if Amex decides you are abusing bonuses (opened and closed several cards in a row, spending dropped after the bonus), the application will show a warning that the bonus is not available. People usually get out of it with organic spending on existing cards and by keeping cards longer.

FAMILY RULE

— Membership Rewards: held Platinum — the bonus on Gold and Green may be denied; held Gold — the bonus on Green may be denied. The reverse does not work: Green does not block Gold, and Gold and Green do not block Platinum.

— Green is CLOSED to new applications: since July 2026 Amex has not accepted new applications (since 08/20/2026 the card is called the Classic Green Card), you cannot apply. But a downgrade to Green from Gold or Platinum via product change is still possible — usually after 12 months of holding the card. No bonus is given for a product change, and the fact of holding it closes a future welcome bonus on Green.

— Delta — the ladder: Reserve blocks Platinum, Gold and Blue; Platinum blocks Gold and Blue; Gold blocks Blue; reverse — no.

— Marriott: Brilliant blocks Bevy, reverse — no. Plus Chase Marriott card restrictions: no bonus if you had a Chase Ritz-Carlton card in the last 30 days, opened Bountiful / Boundless / Bold in the last 90 days, or received a bonus on them in the last 24 months.

— Hilton — there is NO family rule: Honors and Aspire each block only themselves (or their past versions). Aspire and the base card do not block the Surpass bonus.

— For existing Amex customers, a new application often results in only a soft pull.

Capital One Card Application Rules (current as of November 2026)

GENERAL RULES

— Speed (unofficial, per datapoints): approvals no more than 1 card per 6 months; the rule applies to both personal and business cards.

— Limit (unofficial, per datapoints): maximum 2 personal Capital One cards at the same time, co-brands do not count. There are datapoints of more, including Venture X as a third card.

— Triple pull: Capital One does a hard inquiry at all three bureaus at once — keep that in mind if you are protecting inquiries.

— Pre-qualification on the website is a soft pull, but accepting the offer is already a hard pull.

PERSONAL CARD BONUSES: 48 MONTHS AND THE VENTURE FAMILY RULE

— Counting starts from the bonus posting date ("received a new cardmember bonus … in the past 48 months").

— Venture X: no bonus if you received a Venture X bonus in the past 48 months. Venture or VentureOne bonuses do not block the Venture X bonus.

— Venture: no bonus if you received a Venture X or Venture bonus in the past 48 months. A VentureOne bonus does NOT block the Venture bonus.

— VentureOne: no bonus if you received a Venture X, Venture or VentureOne bonus in the past 48 months.

BUSINESS CARD BONUSES

— There is NO fixed 48-month window in the terms — only the note "bonuses may not be available for existing or previous Capital One Business card holders". The Venture family rule does not apply to business cards.

— Most Capital One business cards show up on personal reports and count toward Chase 5/24. Exceptions — Spark Cash Plus, Venture X Business and Venture Business, which do not show up.

Citi Card Application Rules (current as of November 2026)

SPEED: 8/65 (unofficial, per datapoints — not in the terms)

— No more than 1 application in 8 days and no more than 2 applications in 65 days. Counting starts from the application date, not approval or denial.

— Business cards: no more than 1 application in 95 days.

BONUSES: 48 MONTHS (official terms)

— Counting starts from the bonus posting date, not from opening or closing the card. Plus a conversion caveat: if you converted a card on which you received a bonus within 48 months into this card, no bonus will be given.

— AAdvantage Platinum Select, Executive, MileUp, Double Cash — 48 months per card separately.

— Executive: holding another AAdvantage card does not block the bonus; only the bonus on Executive itself within 48 months matters (except conversion into Executive).

— Business AAdvantage: one window for both business products at once — a bonus on either of them (Citi / AAdvantage Business World Elite Mastercard or Business) blocks the second for 48 months. A personal Platinum Select bonus does not block the business bonus.

STRATA PREMIER — NOTE, THE RULE HAS CHANGED

— Since ~09/20/2026: no bonus if you currently have or have ever had a Strata Premier or Premier card — effectively lifetime, with no 48-month window. Since 10/11/2026 Citi added a pop-up warning about bonus ineligibility before the hard pull. The lifetime wording is published in the offer terms on Citi's own site.

CUSTOM CASH — CANNOT APPLY

— Citi stopped accepting new applications on 05/28/2026. Only a product change from another Citi card remains, and even that is not guaranteed.

OTHER

— Important: Citi may approve the card and not pay the bonus — you will only find out the bonus is not due when it does not arrive. Check the date of your last bonus before applying (by calling Citi).

— There is no limit on the number of cards — only your available credit limit constrains you; if denied due to the limit, you can reallocate credit through reconsideration.

— Citi is sensitive to inquiries: 6+ hard inquiries in 6 months may lead to denial (secondary).

Bank of America Card Application Rules — focus on travel and Alaska (current as of November 2026)

GENERAL RULES (unofficial, per datapoints — not in the terms)

— 2/3/4: no more than 2 personal BofA cards in 2 months, 3 in 12 months, 4 in 24 months. Only BofA cards count; other banks' cards do not count. Business cards do not count.

— 3/12 or 7/12: if 3+ cards from any banks were opened in the last 12 months — denial. If you have a BofA deposit account, the threshold is softer: 7 cards in 12 months. A deposit account and Preferred Rewards status generally help approvals.

24 MONTHS: AN IMPORTANT NUANCE

— The BofA rule counts from card OWNERSHIP, not from the bonus date: "currently have or have had … in the preceding 24 month period". A person who closed the card 12 months ago (but received the bonus 30 months ago) is still blocked by the terms.

ALASKA

— Cards: Ascent (personal, $95), Summit ($395), Business ($95: $70 for the company + $25 per card).

— Ascent: the card is unavailable if you have held it in the last 24 months (wording: "may").

— Summit: there is NO 24-month rule in the terms. The bonus does not depend on other Atmos cards: held Ascent, Business or old Alaska/Hawaiian cards — that does not affect the Summit bonus. Terms: one-time promotion, new account only, no conversions.

— Business: a soft note — "may be declined" for additional accounts if the business had a BofA business card in the last 24 months. As a rule, a second identical card will not be given while the first is open. 2/3/4 and 3/12 genuinely do not apply to business cards.

— Rumor: in 2027, BofA may allow points transfers to Alaska (Atmos Rewards). No official confirmation with details yet.

TRAVEL CARDS

— Premium Rewards ($95): the strictest wording — "will not be available" if you held the card in the last 24 months.

— Premium Rewards Elite ($550): there is NO 24-month language in the terms.

— Travel Rewards (no annual fee): a special rule — a second card can be opened if you have held the first for 24+ months; if less, the open card blocks.

Recommended order for most beginners in 2026:

1. Chase Sapphire Preferred® — the best starting point for everyone

https://www.referyourchasecard.com/19y/RANV7WVXFT

2. Chase Freedom Unlimited® or Freedom Flex®

Apply after—or alongside—Preferred if your spending capacity and 5/24 status allow it.

Step 4. You Can Earn Points Through Apps, Too—not Just Credit Cards

1. Rakuten

www.rakuten.com/r/ALEKSA4172?eeid=28187

Get $50 for signing up and making your first purchase.

Rakuten essentially promotes different shopping websites. Install its browser extension, and it will tell you whether a site offers cashback and how much you can earn.

It is completely free; you just need to provide your email address. By default, payouts are available by check or PayPal, but we’re more interested in receiving rewards through BILT or Amex, which requires an eligible card.

If you don’t have BILT or Amex yet, you can keep accumulating cashback until you open one of those cards.

2. Capital One Shopping

https://capitaloneshopping.com/r/282bee0a-73dd-402b-9eb1-d5e6c09bef34

Get $80 for signing up.

It works much like Rakuten, but rewards can only be redeemed for gift cards, such as Marriott gift cards—my favorite option.

They often send excellent deals, including 30–45% cashback. Watch their emails and check the homepage in the app or on the website for personalized offers.

Make sure to install the browser extension and compare the rewards rate with Rakuten.

3. Rove Miles

www.rove.com/?signup&referralCode=QGGBDLAD

A hotel booking website where you can earn cashback, sometimes as much as 30%.

It supports two types of bookings:

Choose whichever matters more for that particular stay.

Points can be transferred to airline partners such as Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, Air France/KLM, Avios programs, and many others.

Step 5. How to Use Your Cards and Redeem Points and Miles

And Finally:

Lounges

Airport Lounges

Credit Card access

In 2025–2026, almost every lounge network cut access. “Lounge access” printed on a card no longer means unlimited visits or guaranteed entry. Here is the network-by-network breakdown: who gets access, what the official limits are, and how it works in practice.

1. Priority Pass — the largest network (1,500+ lounges)

Cards: Amex Platinum and Business Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Ritz-Carlton, J.P. Morgan Reserve, Capital One Venture X and Venture X Business, Citi Strata Elite, Bilt Palladium, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant.

Officially: the cardholder + 2 guests free — that still holds for most cards. The big 2026 exception is the personal Venture X: since February 1, Priority Pass guests cost $35 per person, with no free guests left (Venture X Business kept 2 free Priority Pass guests).

Separately — cards with limited Priority Pass. U.S. Bank Altitude Connect (no annual fee) gives just 4 visits a year, but it is the only mass-market card that kept Priority Pass restaurants: a restaurant visit ($28 credit) simply counts as one of the four visits. Visits can also be spent on guests. The same scheme applies to Business Altitude Connect ($95 a year).

The most generous Priority Pass version comes with BofA Premium Rewards Elite ($550): up to 4 memberships that can be issued to other people, unlimited guests, and restaurants not cut.

JetBlue Premier ($499) allows only one Priority Pass guest, but restaurants are included too — plus its own BlueHouse lounge network at JFK and Boston.

2. Centurion Lounges (Amex)

Cards: Amex Platinum, Business Platinum, Centurion. Delta Reserve — only when flying Delta.

Officially: entry no earlier than 3 hours before departure, and no entry on arrival. Guests are $50 (children 2–17 — $30); after $75,000 of annual card spend, 2 guests are free.

What changed on July 8, 2026: a guest must now fly on the same flight as the cardholder (previously — any flight the same day), and on a layover you can enter no earlier than 5 hours before the connecting flight — connecting passengers used to be able to stay with no time limit.

In practice: at peak hours, popular Centurion lounges (ATL, DFW, LAS) run an entry waitlist — card access ≠ instant entry.

3. Delta Sky Club

Only with a same-day Delta ticket; Basic Economy does not qualify.

Officially: Amex Platinum — 10 visits a year; Delta Reserve — 15 visits a year + 4 guest passes. Visits beyond the limit are $50. After $75,000 of annual card spend the limit is removed. One “visit” = 24 hours: all entries within a day across the airports of your itinerary count as a single visit. Entry is no earlier than 3 hours before departure, and on a layover, since July 2026, no earlier than 5 hours before the connecting flight (the rule was introduced at the same time as Centurion’s). Guests are $50, maximum 2.

4. Chase Sapphire Lounges

Cards: Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Reserve for Business, J.P. Morgan Reserve, Ritz-Carlton — unlimited access + 2 free guests (additional guests — $27). Sapphire Reserve also opens Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges.

The key change: on August 15, 2026, Sapphire Lounges left Priority Pass. Previously any Priority Pass included 1 free visit a year — now Priority Pass from Amex, Capital One, or Citi does not work at Sapphire Lounges at all. Entry 3 hours before departure; on a layover — 5 hours.

5. Capital One Lounges

Cards: Venture X and Venture X Business — unlimited access for the cardholder. The regular Venture pays $45 per visit.

What changed on February 1, 2026: the personal Venture X no longer has free guests — a guest in a Capital One Lounge costs $45 (children 2–17 — $25). Two free guests return only after $75,000 of annual spend. Authorized users no longer get access automatically: their own lounge access costs $125 a year per person.

6. United Club

Cards: United Club Card ($695 a year) — membership: you + 1 adult guest + children under 18. The All Access tier (2 adult guests and Star Alliance lounges) is unlocked by Premier Gold status or $50,000 of annual spend. Standalone membership: Individual — $750 (no guests), All Access — $1,400.

United Explorer gives 2 one-time passes a year. Note: United Quest has no passes, despite the card’s price.

Officially on passes: 1 pass = 1 person = 1 entry; usable within 3 hours before departure (on a layover — no limit); passes do not work at Polaris or United Club Fly; a pass bought separately costs $59. Since May 2025, card-issued passes cannot be gifted: only the cardholder, their authorized user, or a guest traveling with them can use one.

In practice: United’s rules state outright that a pass may be refused when the club is full, and the pass price is not refunded in that case. At hubs (Newark, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco), a “one-time passes not accepted” sign at peak hours is routine: passes have the lowest entry priority, behind club members and elites.

7. Admirals Club (American Airlines) — and the truth about passes

About 50 of its own lounges + partner lounges (including Alaska Lounge when you fly American or Alaska).

Cards: Citi AAdvantage Executive ($695 a year) — full membership: you + 2 guests or immediate family members, partner lounges included. Authorized users ($175 for the first three, then $175 each) can enter Admirals Clubs on their own, without the primary cardholder, but are not admitted to partner lounges.

Standalone membership from August 23, 2026: Single — $750 (cardholder only, no guests or partners), Full — $1,200–1,400 depending on status.

Passes: Citi Strata Elite gives 4 Admirals Club passes a year, and so does Citi AAdvantage Globe ($350 a year), the most affordable card with such passes. A pass is valid for 24 hours, 1 pass = 1 adult (+ up to 3 children under 18 free); you need a same-day ticket on American, oneworld, or Alaska; unused passes expire on December 31. A one-time day pass for everyone else is $79 or 7,900 miles.

In practice: both the sale and the acceptance of one-time passes are “subject to availability.” On busy days clubs stop selling day passes, and a pass (including Strata Elite passes) does not guarantee entry — the same story as United.

8. Alaska Lounge

The smallest network in this overview: 8 lounges in 6 airports — Seattle (three of them), Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Anchorage, and the Plumeria Lounge in Honolulu. You need a same-day ticket on Alaska, Hawaiian, oneworld, or partners.

Membership: Alaska Lounge — $595 a year (its own lounges + Plumeria only). Alaska Lounge+ — $795 a year: adds about 90 partner lounges, including Admirals Club and Qantas Club, when flying eligible flights. Members bring immediate family (partner and children under 21) free, or up to 2 guests.

Cards: Atmos Rewards Summit (BofA, $395 a year) does not include membership but gives 8 passes a year — 2 per quarter. Caveat: unused passes expire at the end of the quarter and do not roll over. A pass = 1 adult (+ children), valid only at Alaska’s own lounges, and can be gifted.

Reciprocity with American: a full Admirals Club membership (including membership via the Citi AAdvantage Executive card) also opens Alaska Lounges when flying American or Alaska. The new Admirals Club Single Membership ($750), however, does NOT get you into Alaska Lounge.

One-time entry: a single-entry pass is $65, sold only when space is available, and valid only at the lounge where it was purchased.

Hotel Lounges

Marriott

Marriott has more than 30 brands, but status-based lounge access is far from universal — and Ritz-Carlton stands completely apart.

1. Who gets access

Platinum Elite, Titanium Elite, and Ambassador Elite. There is no difference between these three tiers when it comes to lounges: an Ambassador gets exactly the same lounge benefit as a Platinum. Lifetime Platinum counts too.

Gold Elite does NOT include lounge access. This is the most common mistake: Amex Platinum and the Ritz-Carlton card give you Gold — and an M Club will not let you in with it.

How to get Platinum: 50 nights a year with Marriott — or the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, which grants Platinum status automatically.

2. Which brands include lounge access with status

Autograph Collection, Delta Hotels, JW Marriott, Le Méridien, Marriott Hotels, Renaissance, Sheraton, and Westin. Lounge names vary: M Club at Marriott, Executive Lounge at JW, Sheraton Club, Delta Pantry.

The key exception: at Autograph, Delta, JW, Marriott, and Renaissance, hotels classified as resorts are excluded from the benefit — even if such a hotel physically has a lounge, status will not get you in (at Le Méridien, Sheraton, and Westin, resorts are included, by contrast).

At Courtyard, lounge access exists only outside the US and Canada, and only at hotels that have a lounge at all.

Lounge access by status is NOT offered at all at: The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, EDITION, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, Tribute Portfolio, Gaylord, AC Hotels, Aloft, Four Points, Fairfield, and the remaining simpler brands — even if a specific hotel has a club floor, status does not open it.

3. Conditions inside

Access is for the member and ONE guest staying in the same room. The benefit applies to only one room — the one the member stays in: you cannot book a second room for family and bring everyone to the lounge.

For guests beyond the “member + 1” limit, the hotel may charge a fee — including for children. In other words, a child as the third person in the lounge can officially be chargeable; in practice hotels handle this differently.

What is guaranteed inside is fairly modest: light snacks and a daily continental breakfast. Hot dishes in the evening, alcohol, and opening hours are at the individual hotel’s goodwill: the hotel itself sets the lounge’s schedule and days of operation. Access works on days of your stay, including award stays.

4. If the lounge is closed or there is none

Here the brands split into two groups.

• A guarantee exists at five brands: Autograph Collection, Delta Hotels, JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels, Renaissance (resorts excluded). In the US and Canada: if the lounge is closed or the hotel has none, you are entitled to a daily continental breakfast in the restaurant for two, or 750 points per night — your choice. In Europe the same applies if the hotel has no lounge. At Courtyard outside the US and Canada, a closed lounge means breakfast in the restaurant.

And the most interesting part: if a hotel from these five brands provides neither the lounge, nor breakfast, nor an alternative, you are owed $100 in compensation. Almost nobody knows this, and the front desk will not offer it on its own.

• No guarantee at Sheraton, Westin, and Le Méridien: if the lounge is closed for the weekend or absent, no alternative or compensation is owed.

5. Ritz-Carlton: status does not work at all

Club Level at Ritz-Carlton is a separate paid product, not a program benefit. Free Club Level access is not part of elite benefits — not for Platinum, not for Titanium, not for Ambassador.

The only ways in are paid: book a Club-level room or suite, or pay for Club access on site if the hotel offers it. There is one card exception — below. Club fees cannot be covered with points: Club Level charges are not part of an award stay and are paid in cash even on award stays.

Exception — The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card from Chase. Its holders receive 3 Club Level upgrade certificates a year (for each card anniversary year). One certificate upgrades one paid stay of up to 7 nights to Club Level: a room for two guests gets Club Lounge access for the entire stay. The card itself has been closed to new applications since 2018, but it can still be obtained via a product change from personal Chase Marriott Bonvoy cards (Bold, Boundless, Bountiful), usually after a year of holding one.

The certificates’ restrictions are strict:

— paid stays only, and only at Member Rates or regular non-discounted rates. Award stays and Free Night Award stays do not qualify;

— they do not work on AAA, advance purchase, package, corporate, or group rates;

— booking is by phone only (1-800-542-8680), it cannot be done online, and you must pay with the Ritz-Carlton card itself;

— the upgrade depends on Club room availability at the time of booking; a certificate lives for 1 year and is not transferable.

What you get for the money: a dedicated Club Lounge with its own concierge and five culinary presentations a day (breakfast, a light lunch, afternoon snacks, evening hors d’oeuvres, and desserts with drinks) — by content, the best “lounge” in the entire Marriott network; status simply has nothing to do with it.

6. How it actually works in practice

— Lounges close en masse on weekends: the hotel sets its own days and hours, and “closed Friday–Sunday” is a common picture in the US. At brands with a guarantee, you are owed restaurant breakfast for that — ask for it; the hotel often stays silent.

— Evening service in the US has been cut heavily: instead of hot dishes, increasingly just snacks and drinks, and alcohol in many M Clubs has become paid.

— The resort trap: a hotel can look like an ordinary city Marriott or JW but be classified as a resort — and then there is no status lounge access, no breakfast, and no $100 compensation. Check the hotel type before booking.

Bottom line

Platinum is the minimum status where Marriott lounges begin; Gold gives you nothing. The benefit’s real value depends on the brand: five brands carry a guarantee with breakfast and $100 compensation, while at Sheraton, Westin, and Le Méridien it is “however lucky you get with the hotel.” And Ritz-Carlton Club Level is a separate world: money or Ritz-Carlton card certificates lead there, and no Marriott status, up to Ambassador, opens that door by itself.

Hilton

Under the Hilton Honors Terms (version dated July 15, 2026), Executive Lounge access works as follows:

• Diamond - guaranteed access for the member + 1 registered guest, even without a room upgrade.

• Diamond Reserve - the new top tier of 2026: the same, plus access to Premium Clubs (for example, Sakura Club at Conrad Washington DC, Club Signia, Citrus Club at Arizona Biltmore). Regular statuses, including Diamond, do not open these clubs by status - only a booked club room does. By Hilton's own estimate, Premium Clubs number about a dozen hotels.

• Gold - there is NO standalone access. The lounge is granted only if at check-in you are upgraded to the Executive Floor or to a room with lounge access (subject to availability, decided by the hotel) - then the member + 1 guest.

• Important caveat: if the lounge offers free breakfast 7 days a week, the daily Food & Beverage Credit is not awarded - it's the lounge or the credit.

Status thresholds from 2026 are new - they now also count by spend:

• Gold: 25 nights, or 15 stays, or $6,000 in eligible spend per year

• Diamond: 50 nights, or 25 stays, or $11,500

• Diamond Reserve: 80 nights AND $18,000 (or 40 stays AND $18,000)

Rollover nights were discontinued from 2026.

The fast path: Amex cards

• Hilton Honors Aspire ($550/year): automatic Diamond while the card is open - i.e., guaranteed lounge access right away.

• Hilton Honors Surpass ($150/year): automatic Gold; $40,000 of spend in a calendar year earns Diamond through the end of the following year.

• Hilton Honors Business: automatic Gold and the same path to Diamond via $40,000 of spend.

• The no-fee Hilton Honors Card: Silver only, no lounge access.

Status match (Hilton's official program)

• Only members with base status or Silver can apply (current Gold and Diamond members are refused). You need proof of a competitor status + a stay on that status within the last 24 months.

• You get Gold immediately for 90 days. 6 nights within that period - Gold stays; 12 nights - Diamond.

• Award nights (Reward Stays) do not count. The match is once in a lifetime of program membership.

Loopholes from the Terms themselves

• Status gifting: a member with 60 qualifying nights in a year can gift Gold to another member; with 100 nights - Diamond. Gifted status is valid for 365 days.

• Access is tied to the room as well: booking an Executive Floor room or a room with lounge access (for cash or for points as a Premium Room Reward) opens the lounge at any status, including base.

Data Points (not in the Terms):

• Data Points: status earned through a match is valid until March 31, 2028 (Executive Traveller; AwardTravelFinder, October 2026). The official FAQ does not state a date.

• Data Points: the match form accepts, among others, Marriott Gold and above, Hyatt Explorist/Globalist, IHG Gold and above, Accor Gold and above (list from the application form, not from the FAQ).

• Data Points: through Hilton for Business the match is softer - instant Gold or Diamond for 90 days, Gold kept with 5 nights; registration until December 31, 2026 (AwardWallet).

• Data Points: employees of certain large companies are offered instant Diamond for 120 days: 16 nights within the period - Diamond until March 31, 2028 (The MileLion, May 2026).

• Data Points: Amex Platinum (personal and business) includes Hilton Gold upon benefit enrollment; the card fee is $895 (AwardWallet, September 2026).

• Data Points: Hilton has no official list of hotels with lounges - lounge availability is checked hotel by hotel; after COVID, some US lounges never reopened (NerdWallet, July 2026).

IHG

The key feature of IHG One Rewards: no status by itself grants Club Lounge access. Not even Diamond Elite (70 nights a year). This follows directly from the official Terms: the benefits table has no lounge for any tier, and a status upgrade to a Club room officially does NOT include lounge access or its services.

There are exactly three official paths into the lounge:

1. Annual Lounge Membership from Milestone Rewards

At the 40- and 70-night marks each year, IHG lets you choose two rewards, and one of the options is the Annual Lounge Membership (limit 1).

• Club Lounge access at the hotel for the member + 1 guest for the entire stay

• Works on award stays (Reward Nights) too

• Validity: the rest of the year in which the milestone is reached + the entire following calendar year

• You must select the reward within 90 days, or it expires

• Does not include extra Club InterContinental and Club REGENT services

2. Royal Ambassador

Free Club InterContinental for the member + 1 guest; if the hotel has no lounge - two full breakfasts per night. But the status is by IHG invitation only; it cannot be bought.

Important: the regular InterContinental Ambassador ($225 or 45,000 points per year) does NOT grant lounge access - this is stated directly in its Terms.

3. Pay for a Club room or a Club rate when booking.

How to reach 40 nights faster: cards

Elite Night Credits from cards officially count toward Milestone Rewards, so cards genuinely move you closer to the lounge.

• IHG Premier Select ($350/year, new card since October 1, 2026): automatic Platinum Elite + 20 Elite Night Credits every year + 2 credits per $5,000 of spend. Diamond Elite - at $25,000 of spend in a calendar year. In other words, half the path to the lounge is covered by the card alone.

• IHG Premier ($150/year): new cardholders now get automatic Gold Elite (Platinum was removed), 15 Elite Night Credits per year; Platinum - at $15,000 of spend per year.

• IHG Business: automatic Platinum Elite.

Status match

IHG has no public status match: it is not provided for in the Terms or on the program's website.

Data Points (not in the Terms):

• Data Points: Elite Night Credits from multiple IHG cards stack. If so, Premier Select (20) + Business (15) = 35 of the 40 nights needed - only 5 nights of actual stays remain.

• Data Points: existing Premier holders who got the card before October 2026 keep automatic Platinum through the end of 2027.

• Data Points: IHG periodically sends targeted challenges to individual members (latest public example - January 2026: 8 paid nights to Diamond, already expired). There is no open enrollment.

Hyatt

Per the official World of Hyatt benefits table, only Globalist grants club lounge access: 60 nights or 100,000 Base Points in a calendar year. Discoverist (10 nights) and Explorist (30 nights) do not include the lounge.

Where a hotel has no club lounge, a Globalist instead receives a full restaurant breakfast - for registered guests, up to 2 adults and 2 children, with taxes and tips included.

How to get into the lounge without Globalist

1. Club Access Awards

Milestone Rewards: at the 20-night mark (or 35,000 Base Points) you can choose 2 Club Access Awards; at the 30-night mark (or 50,000) - a free night at Category 1-4 hotels and again the option of 2 Club Access Awards. In the lounge, these certificates officially include: continental breakfast and evening hors d'oeuvres.

Each certificate covers up to 7 consecutive nights in one stay; it works on paid rates, points nights, and Points + Cash, but not on free-night certificates from cards; it does not work at Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, Hyatt Ziva/Zilara, and several other brands. A Free Night also counts as an award, and two awards cannot be stacked together for now.

2. Guest of Honor

Since 2024 this is a Milestone award, not an unlimited privilege: 1 certificate at 40 nights, 2 at 60 nights, then +1 at the 70, 80, 90, and 110-140 night marks.

The certificate can be gifted to another member or applied to your own booking; it provides a 'Globalist experience' for up to 7 nights on award stays or regular paid rates. The gifter receives 1 qualifying night after the guest completes the stay.

The recipient gets the in-hotel Globalist benefits (lounge or breakfast, upgrade subject to availability, 4:00 p.m. late checkout, no resort fees), but not the status itself and not the 30% points bonus.

The fast path to status: Chase cards

• Personal World of Hyatt: automatic Discoverist while the card is open; 5 qualifying nights every year + 2 more nights per $5,000 of spend.

• World of Hyatt Business card: Discoverist for the cardholder and up to 5 employees; 5 qualifying nights per $10,000 of spend in a calendar year.

• Data Points: an upgrade of a paid room to club level for points - 3,000 points per night. And Hyatt Privé bookings provide breakfast for two and a hotel credit with no status at all.

Points Expiration

Airlines

Programs where miles never expire

Six programs where you never have to watch the clock

There are programs where miles and points simply have no expiry date: no account activity is required, and the balance just sits there until you spend it.

— United MileagePlus: no expiry, no activity needed

— Atmos Rewards (Alaska + Hawaiian): no expiry while the program itself exists

— Delta SkyMiles: no expiry

— Southwest Rapid Rewards: no expiry while the account is open

— JetBlue TrueBlue: no expiry

— Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: no expiry

But "never expire" doesn't mean "can't be lost." In all of these programs, the balance is wiped if the account is closed for rule violations — fraud, duplicate accounts and the like. What you need to watch is not the deadline, but keeping the account in good standing.

Avios

Avios is a single currency, but six different programs: British Airways Club, Iberia Club, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Aer Lingus AerClub, Finnair Plus and Vueling Club. Balances are separate in each, and each program has its own expiration rules. The general principle is the same: Avios do not expire on a fixed date, but from inactivity — yet the inactivity period and what counts as activity differ.

British Airways Club — 36 months

Avios will expire if there is no activity for 36 consecutive months. Activity means earning, spending, buying or sharing at least 1 Avios. Any of these resets the counter for the whole balance for another 36 months.

Iberia Club — 36 months, but there is a catch

Also 36 months without activity. But: Avios transfers (both sending and receiving) do NOT count as activity. So moving Avios into Iberia via Combine My Avios will not “revive” the balance: you need an actual earn or spend (a flight, a partner, a purchase through Iberia). Iberia warns about expiration at least 2 months in advance in the account statement. Expired Avios cannot be restored.

Qatar Airways Privilege Club — 36 months + Platinum protection

36 months without earning or spending — the balance expires; the program sends an email warning in advance. Activity counts as: earn, spend, buy or gift Avios. Exception: for Platinum status holders, Avios do not expire while the status is held.

Aer Lingus AerClub — 36 months

No earning or spending for 36 consecutive months — the Avios expire, and AerClub membership itself is closed along with them. Transfers between programs via Combine My Avios do not extend the deadline: you need real activity in AerClub itself (a flight, a transfer from a bank program, a spend).

Finnair Plus — only 18 months!

The strictest program in the Avios family: earn or spend at least once every 18 months. Avios transfers do not extend the deadline. Counting nuance: if the activity was not on the 1st of the month, the 18 months start running from the beginning of the next month. The expiration date is visible in the Finnair app and in your account — check there.

Vueling Club — 36 months

More than 36 months without earning or spending — the Avios expire. The rules are like most of the family.

How to extend — universal methods

• Transfer a minimum from a bank program. A transfer = an earn, the counter resets.

• Buy a small amount of Avios

• Earn through partners: hotels, car rentals, the programs’ shopping portals (Avios eStore and similar) — even a small purchase counts.

• Spend Avios on something small: part of a ticket, add-ons.

The main safety rule: do NOT rely on Combine My Avios as a way to extend. Under the official terms, moving Avios between programs counts as neither earning nor spending and does not stop expiration in any program — including British Airways. Only real activity in the program where the balance sits helps the deadline.

Flying Blue

Flying Blue is the Air France and KLM programme. On May 4, 2026, the expiration rules were completely rewritten and greatly simplified: flight miles and partner miles used to live on different clocks, now all Miles share a single expiration date.

Miles are valid for 24 months from the date of the last earning activity. If not a single Mile is credited within 24 months, the ENTIRE balance expires at once and automatically — Miles do not expire in parts. Every earning extends the validity of the whole balance by another 24 months: a flight, a hotel, a car rental, a bank transfer, buying Miles — it does not matter which, what matters is that it is an earning. When the new rules took effect, existing balances were merged and given the most favorable of the previous dates.

The trap is the same as with Iberia: spending Miles does NOT extend validity. An award ticket, an upgrade or an option paid with Miles is a spend, not an earning, and it does not reset the clock.

Whose Miles never expire:

• Members with Elite and Elite Plus status — Silver, Gold, Platinum, Ultimate

• Flying Blue Extra subscribers — while the subscription is active

• Members under 18 years old

Holders of a Flying Blue co-branded card (in the US, the Air France KLM Visa from Bank of America) have it easier: card spending is an earning, and each purchase extends the whole balance by 24 months.

A separate life hack — status via Bilt. Bilt members with Platinum status can get Flying Blue Gold (SkyTeam Elite Plus) through a status match: it is activated by transferring 10,000 Bilt points to Flying Blue, and the Miles for that transfer are credited as usual. Gold is granted for 12 months, and while you hold Elite or Elite Plus status, your Miles never expire at all.

The expiry date of your balance is shown in your account on flyingblue.com. Expiration itself does not close your membership, but if there are no Mile or XP earnings for five consecutive years, the programme may close the account.

How to extend validity — universal methods

• Transfer a minimum from a bank programme: Amex, Chase, Citi, Capital One and Bilt all transfer to Flying Blue 1:1. A transfer = an earning, and the clock resets for the whole balance

• Buy a small amount of Miles — a purchase officially counts as an earning

• Earn through partners: hotels, car rentals, purchases with Flying Blue partners

• Fly Air France, KLM or any SkyTeam airline and credit the Miles to Flying Blue

The main safety rule: do NOT rely on spending Miles. An award ticket does not extend validity — only an earning does, even a single Mile.

Aeroplan

Points expire in full if there has been no activity on the account for 18 months. The clock runs from the last activity: any activity extends the expiry of the ENTIRE balance by 18 months from its date.

What counts as activity:

• earning points

• redeeming points

• donating points

• transferring points

• converting points

Activity of even 1 point is enough.

Whose points do not expire:

• primary Aeroplan co-brand cardholders while the card is open

• Aeroplan Elite Status holders — while the status is held

Important: Aeroplan points expiry is currently suspended. The regular policy returns on November 30, 2026 — from that date the 18-month clock applies again.

JAL

Miles are valid until the last day of the 36th month after the month of the flight or transaction. Activity does not extend the validity — each batch of miles lives on its own, and when you redeem, the oldest miles are used first.

There is no paid extension or reinstatement.

Whose miles never expire:

— JMB Diamond and JGC Premier members — while the status is held, miles have no expiration date; if the status is lost or changed, the entire remaining balance gets a deadline of the end of the 36th month after the status change.

AAdvantage

Miles expire in full if there has been no activity on the account for 24 months. The clock does not run from when each mile was earned: any activity extends the validity of the ENTIRE balance by 24 months from the date of that activity.

What counts as activity:

— earning miles: flights on American and partner airlines, hotels, car rentals, card spending and other program partners

— redeeming miles for a ticket

— buying, gifting or transferring miles

Whose miles never expire:

— members under 21

— primary AAdvantage cardholders — as long as the card account is open, the activity requirement does not apply

Status does NOT protect against expiration: even Executive Platinum expires under the general rules if there is no activity on the account.

LifeMiles

Miles are valid for 12 months from the date of the last accrual. Once 12 months pass with no accruals, the entire balance expires.

Only accruing miles extends the validity — any new accrual moves the expiration date of the whole balance 12 months forward.

The main trap: redeeming miles does NOT extend the validity. A ticket bought with points does not move the expiration date.

24 months instead of 12 when:

— the accrual happened while you held LifeMiles elite status

— the accrual came from a LifeMiles co-branded credit or debit card

What does NOT extend the validity:

— birthday bonuses and other bonuses granted at the program's discretion

— migrations of miles from other programs

— account mergers

Qantas

Points expire in full if there has been no activity on the account for 18 consecutive months. Your membership and account number are kept — only the balance expires.

What counts as activity:

— earning Qantas Points or Status Credits

— using points

The trap: family point transfers and transfers from Qantas Business Rewards do NOT count as activity — they do not extend the clock.

There are no status exceptions: elite status does not protect points from expiring.

Qantas warns you 60 days before your points expire. But once points have expired, they cannot be reinstated — that is stated directly in the program terms.

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

Miles don't expire as long as an eligible transaction posts to the account at least once every 18 months. Each such transaction extends the validity of the ENTIRE balance by another 18 months.

What counts as such a transaction:

— earning miles

— spending miles

— top-up — buying miles

— converting other programs' points into Asia Miles

— transferring miles into or out of the account

— bonus miles

— gifted miles received

Returns and cancelled transactions do NOT count as activity.

Separately: if there is no activity for 36 months, Cathay may close the account — the remaining miles are then forfeited.

Etihad Guest

Miles expire in full if there is no qualifying activity for 18 months. The clock runs from the last such activity, and the balance is deducted on the last day of the 18th month.

The main trap: ONLY a flight extends validity — an Etihad flight or any partner airline flight.

What does NOT extend validity:

— buying miles

— transferring miles

— non-flight earnings

Whose miles never expire:

— Platinum and Emerald — while the status is held

After a status downgrade, miles live for another 18 months from the downgrade date — after that, the general rule applies.

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

Miles&Smiles — 3 years from earning, and activity doesn't save them

Each batch of miles lives separately: 3 years from the earning date. In practice, expiry happens at the end of the third calendar year after the year of earning: miles earned in 2026 will expire on December 31, 2029. No activity extends validity, and when you spend, the oldest miles are used first.

There are no status exceptions: 3 years for every member, from Classic to Elite Plus.

The only way to save miles is to extend them before the expiry date through the Extend Miles service: another 3 years for $20 per 1,000 miles.

Important: restoring already-expired miles was discontinued on January 1, 2026. Once they're gone, they're lost. Extend them in advance, while the miles are still alive.

Emirates Skywards

Skywards — 3 years from earning, and activity doesn't save them

Each batch of miles is valid for 3 years from the earning date; activity does not extend validity. When you spend, the oldest miles are used first.

A quirk of the program: in the calendar year of expiry, miles are deducted not on the anniversary of earning, but at the end of the member's birth month.

Whose miles never expire:

— Platinum — while the status is held; after a downgrade to Gold, previously "non-expiring" miles will expire

— holders of the US co-branded Emirates Skywards Mastercard — while the card is open; if the card is closed, the expiry will be set to 2 months from the closure date

Separately: for miles earned from June 1, 2027, the rule changes — 3 years from the activity date and no link to the birth month.

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

KrisFlyer — 3 years from earning, and activity doesn't save them

Miles are valid for 3 years from the month of earning and expire on the last day of the same month three years later. Activity does not extend validity, each batch of miles lives separately, and when you spend, the oldest miles are used first. Contest miles live only 1 year.

Whose miles never expire:

— PPS Club and Solitaire PPS Club members — while membership is held; if status is lost, the balance gets 3 years from the date of the new status

Extension is possible once, and only before expiry: 6 months for regular members, 12 months for Elite Silver and Elite Gold. The price is 1,200 miles or $12 per 10,000 miles.

Expired miles cannot be extended.

ANA Mileage Club

Mileage Club — 3 years from earning, and activity doesn't save them

Regular miles are valid until the end of the 36th month counting from the month of earning. Activity does not extend validity, each batch of miles lives separately, and when you spend, the oldest miles are used first.

There is no paid extension.

Whose miles never expire:

— Diamond Service — while membership lasts; after it ends, the deadline is the end of the 36th month from that date

— Million Milers, members with 1,000,000 or more ANA lifetime miles — validity is extended indefinitely

Points Pooling

Points Pooling means family accounts where several members' miles are combined into one pot. Programs do it differently: some keep a shared balance that everyone can spend, some route everything a member earns straight into the family head's account, and some combine the accounts only at the moment of booking. Status miles and points are almost never pooled — with one exception below. And the exit rules differ everywhere; with several programs, miles given to a pool can never be taken back. Here are the main programs.

Airlines

United MileagePlus — Miles Pooling

Up to 5 people: a leader (18+) and up to four members of any age; no kinship or shared address required. Free, and transfers inside the pool carry no fees.

Everyone contributes as much as they want. A contribution can be cancelled within 24 hours; after that it is final — miles cannot be moved from the pool back to a personal account.

The leader and anyone the leader grants redemption privileges can redeem, and they can book for anyone, including people outside the pool. A new member waits 72 hours before contributing or redeeming.

The pool works for United, United Express and more than 40 partners on United's official list (including Star Alliance, plus Emirates and flydubai on select flights, Hawaiian — interisland flights only, and JetBlue). Money + Miles cannot be paid from the pool.

Leaving: the miles you contributed are lost — they stay with the pool. After a member leaves, no new member may join that pool for 90 days, and the leaver cannot join another pool for 90 days. If the leader leaves, the pool is dissolved and the remaining miles are split equally among everyone, including the leader. The leader cannot remove a member.

Data Points: when a pool is dissolved, the remaining miles are split equally among all members — cases have been described of a dissolution being used as a free way to move miles between family members' accounts.

JetBlue TrueBlue — Points Pooling

From 2 to 7 people; the leader must be 21+, members can be any age; no kinship or address requirement. Free.

The strict rule: 100% of each member's points go into the pool — the entire current balance and all future earnings. Contributing "just a part" is not possible.

The leader and members granted privileges by the leader can redeem. You can leave at any time and take your remaining unused points with you, but the vacated spot is locked for 6 months — no replacement member can be invited. TrueBlue points never expire.

Air Canada Aeroplan — Family Sharing

From 2 to 8 people, family only (spouses, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, grandparents); no shared address required. You can create or join a pool only if you have been an Aeroplan member for at least 6 months, have not been in another pool for the last 6 months, and are a verified member.

Everything flows into the shared balance automatically: existing balances and all new earnings of every member. Redemptions are deducted from all accounts proportionally, and refunds from cancelled bookings return to the same members.

Only members granted privileges by the Family Lead can redeem, and they can book for anyone. Bonus: if any member is the primary cardholder of an Aeroplan co-branded card, that member's preferred reward pricing applies to everyone in the pool.

Minimum stay is 3 months; leaving is by phone only; after leaving, 6 months must pass before a new pool. If the lead leaves, the pool is dissolved. Expiry does not change: 18 months of inactivity per individual account, but a redemption from the pool counts as activity for everyone.

Data Points: in the fall of 2026, industry blogs reported that the creation of new Family Sharing pools had been suspended due to misuse; existing pools continue to work. Aeroplan's official page still describes the product as available.

British Airways (The British Airways Club) — Household Account

Up to 7 people (head 18+ plus up to six others). The key condition: everyone must permanently live at the same address; kinship is not required. Children under 2 cannot be included. Free.

Balances stay in personal accounts but are spent as one combined balance; every redemption is drawn from all members proportionally. Any member aged 18+ can redeem, but tickets can only be issued to household members and up to five people on the Family and Friends list (Reward Flights only; a nominee stays on the list for at least 6 months).

Membership can be changed at most once every 6 months. The trap: if the household is dissolved, members under 18 lose their membership and all their Avios and Tier Points; adults keep everything of theirs. Tier Points are never pooled.

Air France–KLM Flying Blue — Flying Blue Family

Up to 8 people, but the composition is limited: at most 2 adults and up to 6 children under 18. The leader must be 18+; no kinship or shared address required. Free.

This is not a shared balance: Miles stay in members' accounts, and the leader may at any time transfer part or all of any member's Miles to their own account. The transfer is one-way and irreversible, and the member is notified by email. After such a transfer, the Miles are valid for 2 years.

The Family and each membership in it last a minimum of 6 months; the leader cannot be changed. A harsh clause: if the leader dies, all Miles in the leader's account, including those transferred in from the family, are cancelled and the Family is closed. A child who turns 18 is automatically removed if the Family already has two adults. XP is never pooled.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club — Household Account

Up to 10 people: a leader (18+) and up to nine linked members, all at the same address; no kinship required, and tier does not matter — it is open to everyone. Free.

All Virgin Points that linked members earn through Flying Club flights and partners automatically land in the leader's account — but only earnings after the link date; pre-existing personal balances are untouched. Earnings via Virgin Red do not pool automatically.

Only the leader (or an Authorised Account User they nominate) can spend, while anyone at all can travel on a household booking. The minimum link period is 12 months. If all members unlink, the accumulated pool stays with the leader. Virgin Points never expire; Tier Points are never pooled.

Emirates Skywards — My Family

Up to 8 people including the Head. Immediate family only, from a closed list: spouse or domestic partner, children and stepchildren, parents and step-parents, parents-in-law, siblings, grandchildren, and one domestic helper. Grandparents are not on the list.

Each member chooses whether to contribute 0% or 100% of their future earnings — despite the wording on the website, there are no in-between options. Existing balances are never moved in. The Head and any member aged 18+ can redeem, but the menu is narrower than on a personal account: Classic Rewards, Cash+Miles, instant upgrades at check-in, and selected partners.

Exit is the main trap: contributed miles stay in the pool forever and can never move back, and if the Head closes the account, the entire remaining pool is forfeited. Only the Head can remove a member; the Head cannot leave — only close the account.

Important: Emirates has officially announced that My Family will be paused in January 2027 for a relaunch: creating and closing accounts, changing members, pooling and spending will be temporarily unavailable, and any remaining pooled miles will be transferred to the Head's personal account within 7–14 days. If you hold miles in My Family, decide what to do with them before January.

Etihad Guest — Family Membership

Up to 9 people; the Head must be 21+. Family is defined broadly: including grandparents, in-laws, nephews and nieces, and one household helper; non-family cannot be added, and Etihad may ask for proof of the relationship.

Here the miles never move: everyone earns into their own account, and the pool is a combined family balance for spending. Each member spends their own miles, and the Head can spend the combined balance for everyone.

During the first month nobody can leave or be removed. After that, leaving and removal happen only via the feedback form; the Head can leave only by dissolving the family, and the Head cannot be changed — only dissolve and create a new one, after which 30 days must pass before joining a new family. A departing member loses nothing: their miles stay in their account. Expiry is individual: 18 months for Bronze, Silver and Gold; Platinum and Emerald miles never expire.

Qatar Airways Privilege Club — Family & Friends Programme

The new version of the family pool (successor to the Family Programme): a Main Member and up to nine invitees; no kinship required — friends are allowed. Children must be over 2.

The key twist: you can only invite people who do not yet have a Privilege Club account — the invitation goes to an email not associated with an existing membership. All Avios earned by group members land in the Main Member's account: under the current official tables the accrual rate is 100% for every tier, from Burgundy to Platinum. Group members build up no spendable balance of their own — the Main Member spends from their account.

The Main Member's account must be at least 30 days old before inviting.

SAS EuroBonus — Point Sharing

A group owner plus up to seven invitees — 8 people maximum; family and friends, with no kinship or shared-address requirements. Free.

All points earned while in the group land in the common account. The owner spends; members spend only if the owner grants them the right. Membership can be changed and members can leave once every six months. Status points are never pooled.

Data Points: a member's already-accumulated points are reported to move into the common account when they join a group; SAS's official terms do not state this point directly.

Lufthansa Miles & More — Mileage Pooling

At most 2 adults and up to five children aged 2 to 17; no kinship or shared address required, friends are allowed (children can only be invited by parents or legal guardians).

The key limitation for our audience: pooling is available only to members residing in one of the 31 European countries on the official list. US residents are not eligible.

Existing miles are combined 2 days after an invitation is accepted (no redemptions during those 2 days); after that, all new earnings flow into the pool automatically. Only the two adults can redeem, and miles are spent starting with the earliest-expiring ones. You can leave at any time online, but the leaver and the vacated spot are both blocked for 6 months. Status Points are never pooled, and expiry rules do not change.

JAL Mileage Bank — JAL Family Club

A program for JMB members residing outside Japan (the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania are on the region list). The primary member (12+) plus up to eight family members: spouse, children and their spouses, parents and spouse's parents — up to 9 people per family unit.

Miles stay in personal accounts and are combined at the moment an award is booked. The primary member applies; any family member aged 18+ automatically becomes a Proxy with the same transaction rights. Awards from the pool can only be used by the primary member and relatives within the second degree.

Fees are charged in miles from the pool: registering a family unit costs 1,000 miles, renewal every 5 years costs 1,000 miles (if it cannot be deducted, membership is withdrawn automatically), and adding members costs 1,000 miles per application. The membership term is 5 years; after withdrawal, re-registration is possible after 6 months.

ANA Mileage Club — Family Account Service

Also only for those residing outside Japan — and every member, including the primary, must have a registered address outside Japan. The primary member plus up to seven family members (spouse or partner, or relatives within two degrees), 2 to 8 people in total; documents proving the relationship and address are required.

Miles stay in personal accounts and are combined only when booking, in a strict order: the miles expiring soonest are used first. Only the primary member can apply for awards. For partner-airline awards there is a condition: at least one member whose miles are being combined must have flown an ANA Group international flight within the last 3 years.

Registration costs 1,000 miles, deducted only from the primary member's account (members cannot chip in for the fee); adding members later costs another 1,000 miles per application. Screening an application can take up to two weeks. Moving back to Japan automatically closes the family account.

Virgin Australia Velocity — Family Pooling

One beneficiary and up to five contributors — 6 people maximum, and only two of them may be over 18: if a third member turns 18, they are automatically removed. Everyone must live at the same address, and that address must be recorded on every account. The program is for residents of Australia, New Zealand and selected Pacific island countries.

The unique mechanic: a contributor chooses to pool Points only, or Points and Status Credits — this is the only major program that pools status credits too. Only new earnings after joining are transferred; existing balances are untouched, and transfers are irreversible.

Everything lands in the beneficiary's account and is deemed earned by them; only the beneficiary can redeem, and contributions cannot be reclaimed. The expiry catch: for the beneficiary, receiving pooled points counts only as "short-term" activity — it extends the expiry by about a month, not a full cycle.

Programs with no pooling

Delta SkyMiles, American AAdvantage, Alaska Atmos and Southwest Rapid Rewards have no family pooling product — only buying, gifting or paid transfers between accounts. Turkish Miles&Smiles has no pooling either.

The short takeaway

The most flexible models are Aeroplan, British Airways and United: a shared balance and more than one person able to spend. The most leader-centric are Virgin Atlantic and Qatar: everything lands with the head, and the head spends. The gentlest on exit are Etihad, JAL and ANA: miles stay in personal accounts until the moment of booking. And keep an eye on Emirates: My Family goes on pause in January 2027.

Hotels

Hilton Honors — Points Pooling

The only true pool among the hotel programs. An initiator brings in up to 10 other members — 11 people in total; there is no separate pool account: the points are combined into the initiator's account, and the initiator spends them. You may belong to any number of pools. A regular one-to-one transfer exists alongside, and the pool and transfers share the same limits: send up to 500,000 points per calendar year, receive up to 2,000,000; one transaction runs from 1,000 to 500,000 in steps of 1,000; up to 6 transfers and up to 6 pooling transactions per year. Everything is free and online.

You can participate once you have been a member for 30+ days with a balance of at least 1,000 points. Elite nights and status never transfer; points expire after 24 months of inactivity.

World of Hyatt — Point Combining and Gift Points

There is no pool, but there are two free ways to move points between members. Since October 15, 2026, the online Gift Points transfer works: free, minimum 1,000 and then in steps of 500, up to 525,000 per transaction; you can send and receive 525,000 per year each, no more than once per calendar month and up to 6 times per year in each direction; both accounts must have been open for 60+ days. Points received this way are Bonus Points: they do not count toward elite qualification.

The older way is Point Combining toward a specific award: a form signed by both members, and no more than one such transaction per member per 30 days. Hyatt has not officially explained how the form coexists with the new online transfer.

Marriott Bonvoy — transfers only

Marriott has no pool and no shared account — only free online transfers between members. You can send up to 100,000 points per calendar year and receive up to 500,000; minimum 1,000, in steps of 1,000; at most 6 transactions per year per member, sending and receiving counted together. Both accounts must have been open 30+ days with activity, or 90+ days without; points reach the recipient within 24 hours. Transferred points do not count toward keeping an account's status active; miles and elite nights cannot be transferred.

Choice Privileges — Points Sharing

Free transfers between members, only on the website from a signed-in account (not by phone). One transaction runs from 5,000 to 100,000, in steps of 1,000; you can send up to 200,000 in total per calendar year and receive up to 100,000. Both accounts must have been open for 30+ days. The catch: a transfer does not count as activity — it moves the points expiry date for neither the sender nor the recipient.

Radisson Rewards — Global Points Transfer

Free transfers between members, but the program is now global only (Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Brazil): Radisson Rewards Americas no longer exists — it was absorbed into Choice Privileges. The limits are monthly: send to at most five different members per month; receive from at most five accounts and no more than 100,000 points per month; both members need 30+ days of membership. Transfers do not extend the life of points (24 months of inactivity), and the terms prohibit combining two accounts' points directly at booking — transfer first.

Best Western Rewards — transfers via Customer Service

Transfers are arranged through Customer Service. Under the terms: the sender's account must be open 30+ days, transfers go in steps of 1,000, with a maximum of 150,000 points per rolling calendar year per account; transfers above 70,000 go only via a request form through the call centre, with verification and approval. No fee is stated in the terms. The website FAQ mentions that the accounts should share the same physical address — the terms themselves contain no such requirement.

IHG One Rewards — paid transfers

There is no pool. Any member can transfer points to another member online, in steps of 1,000, for a fee of $5 per 1,000 points — effectively at the purchase price; according to the official FAQ there is no cap on the volume of paid transfers. Only Diamond Elite members and IHG Business Rewards members transfer for free; IHG does not publish the exact limits of the free channel.

Hotel programs with nothing

Wyndham Rewards: transferring points between members is expressly prohibited by the program terms — you can only book awards in another person's name (Member Designee). Accor ALL: points are strictly personal and non-transferable; the only exception is the paid ALL Signature subscription: from the 4th month of the subscription, its subscribers can transfer points free to any ALL member (up to 30 transfers per year, at most 15 recipients, via customer service).