Points Expiry Rules Every Aussie Should Know

There's nothing worse than logging into your loyalty account and finding a zero balance. Points expiry catches thousands of Australians off guard every year. Here's the complete guide to every major program's rules — and exactly how to protect yourself.

Quick reference: expiry at a glance

Program-by-program breakdown

Qantas Frequent Flyer

Rule: Points expire 18 months after your last earn or burn activity.

What counts as activity:

• Earning points on a flight (any airline in the QFF network)
• Earning via credit card spend
• Earning through Qantas Shopping, Wine, Insurance, etc.
• Redeeming points for anything (flights, upgrades, store)
• Transferring points to/from a family member

Cheapest way to keep points alive:

• Fill up at BP with a linked Qantas FF number (free to link)
• Buy anything through Qantas Shopping
• Scan your linked Everyday Rewards card at Woolworths (2,000 ER points auto-convert to 1,000 QF points)
• Complete a Qantas Wellbeing App challenge (free)

If your points do expire:You can request a reinstatement "challenge" within 12 months. Qantas typically requires earning 2,500 new points from at least two different sources within six months. Call 13 11 31 — this isn't guaranteed but is worth trying.

Velocity Frequent Flyer

Rule: Points expire 24 months after your last qualifying activity.

Velocity is more generous than Qantas with a 24-month window. The activity reset rules are similar — any earn or burn resets the clock for all points in your account.

Cheapest reset:

• Buy a coffee at 7-Eleven with Velocity linked (points post within a day or two)
• Transfer as few as 1,000 Flybuys points (converts to 500 Velocity points)
• Set-and-forget: Enable Flybuys Auto Transfer to Velocity — regular grocery shopping at Coles keeps your account alive permanently

KrisFlyer (Singapore Airlines)

Rule: Miles expire at the end of the month, 36 months after the month they were earned. This is a hard expiry — each batch expires independently.

This is the program that catches most Australians off guard. If you transferred 50,000 Amex points to KrisFlyer in April 2023, those miles vanish at the end of April 2026 regardless of what else you do in the account.

Paid extension option: You can extend miles validity once before they expire — 1,200 KrisFlyer miles or US$12 per 10,000 miles. Regular members get a 6-month extension; Elite Silver and Gold members get 12 months. PPS Club members are exempt from expiry entirely.

Asia Miles (Cathay Pacific)

Rule: Miles expire after 18 months of inactivity (same as Qantas).

Any earning or redemption activity resets the clock. If you fly Cathay even once every 18 months, or earn miles through a credit card, your balance stays alive.

Emirates Skywards

Rule: Miles expire 3 years after earning, at the end of your birthday month in the third year. Each batch has its own countdown. Platinum members are exempt from expiry while they hold status.

Paid extension: Within the last 90 days before expiry, you can pay US$20 per 1,000 miles for a 12-month extension (max 50,000 miles per year). Miles that expired within the past 6 months can also be reinstated at the same rate.

Last resort:If you can't use expiring Skywards miles for flights, you can convert to Marriott Bonvoy points at a 3:2 ratio to avoid total loss.

JAL Mileage Bank

Rule: Miles expire 3 years from the month they were earned. Hard expiry with no extension possible.

JAL has one of the strictest policies. There's genuinely no way to extend or reset — the miles disappear on schedule. Plan your redemptions accordingly.

ANA Mileage Club

Rule: Miles expire 3 years from the month earned. Hard expiry.

Same strict policy as JAL. Given that ANA offers some of the best-value award charts globally, it's worth timing your transfers carefully to maximise the 3-year window.

Amex Membership Rewards

Rule: Points never expire as long as your card account remains open.

This is why experienced points collectors park their points in Amex MR as long as possible. It's the only major Australian points currency with no expiry. Transfer to airline programs only when you're ready to book.

Bank reward points (ANZ, CBA, Westpac, NAB)

Critical rule: Always transfer or redeem all bank reward points BEFORE cancelling a credit card. Even banks with grace periods can change their terms.

The 5-minute expiry prevention routine

Set a 6-monthly calendar reminder and run through this checklist:

1. Qantas:Check last activity date in your account summary. If it's been 12+ months, earn a quick point via Qantas Shopping.
2. Velocity: Same — check last activity. Use the Velocity eStore or a linked card purchase.
3. KrisFlyer/JAL/ANA: Log in and check the expiry dates on individual mile batches. If any are expiring within 6 months, plan a redemption or accept the loss.
4. Amex MR: No action needed — just keep the card open.

Common mistakes

• Confusing status credits with points expiry — Your tier status resets annually. Your points balance has a separate expiry clock. In Velocity, earning Status Credits alone (without earning points) does NOT prevent expiry.
• Thinking family transfers keep points alive — For both Qantas and Velocity, Family Pool and Family Points Transfers do NOT reset the expiry clock. You need a genuine earn or burn activity.
• Transferring to KrisFlyer "just in case"— Don't. The 3-year hard expiry starts from when miles are credited to KrisFlyer, not when you earned the bank points. Keep points in Amex MR until you have a specific booking in mind.
• Assuming all programs work the same — Activity-based vs. hard expiry is a fundamental difference. Know which type each of your programs uses.
• Forgetting about small balances— That 12,000 KrisFlyer miles from a flight 2.5 years ago? They're about to vanish. Either top up and redeem, or write them off.
• Cancelling a credit card without transferring points — NAB and ANZ forfeit points immediately. Even CBA and Westpac only give you 90 days. Always transfer first.