Asia Miles points extension request because of Covid

[wrldtrvllr]

I had come across a similar problem with expiring AM at the end of Jan earlier this year. Navigating their online booking system wasn't the easiest to search for available QF flights to burn so had sent an online redemption request and a followup call (Was looking at SYD-LDI) but no joy. I called up a second time and agent that spoke to me actually explained they have a "reinstate inactive miles challenge" that you can elect, FREE OF CHARGE, after your miles have been vanquished. All you need to do is accrue at least 3000 AM with 2 partners within 90days. She pointed out that you best activate the challenge when you know you are about to earn some miles. Just a FYI if others did not already know.

 

[prozac]

I had come across a similar problem with expiring AM at the end of Jan earlier this year. Navigating their online booking system wasn't the easiest to search for available QF flights to burn so had sent an online redemption request and a followup call (Was looking at SYD-LDI) but no joy. I called up a second time and agent that spoke to me actually explained they have a "reinstate inactive miles challenge" that you can elect, FREE OF CHARGE, after your miles have been vanquished. All you need to do is accrue at least 3000 AM with 2 partners within 90days. She pointed out that you best activate the challenge when you know you are about to earn some miles. Just a FYI if others did not already know.

I would not feel comfortable letting my miles expire as it was explained to me by different agents and in multiple emails they would disappear.
You are safer to book something and then cancel. Miles are reinstated to your account and are active for a further 18 months.
I'd suggest booking within the period of the likely halt on Australian travel. Then you can claim the govt. will not allow you to travel. When points land back in your account it is seen as activity on the account.

I am ticketed to fly to Europe in May, something we simply cannot do. I called last week and it was explained I could cancel and the miles would be returned to my account even though they had passed their end of use date. I will wait until April before I cancel.

Can you explain to me how to book partner airlines? I have been unsuccessful doing this myself.

 

[wrldtrvllr]

I would not feel comfortable letting my miles expire as it was explained to me by different agents and in multiple emails they would disappear.
You are safer to book something and then cancel. Miles are reinstated to your account and are active for a further 18 months.
I'd suggest booking within the period of the likely halt on Australian travel. Then you can claim the govt. will not allow you to travel. When points land back in your account it is seen as activity on the account.

I am ticketed to fly to Europe in May, something we simply cannot do. I called last week and it was explained I could cancel and the miles would be returned to my account even though they had passed their end of use date. I will wait until April before I cancel.

Can you explain to me how to book partner airlines? I have been unsuccessful doing this myself.

Only some partner airlines can be booked directly via Cathay's Asia Miles portal - IIRC it was something like half the usual OW airlines, but included QF which was the one I was interested in. However their search function is pretty poor; usually with say QF or AA you can see reward seat availability across a month, not so CX unfortunately. Trying to play the have a look on QF (operating airline) or another OW airline FF program made it hard to try reconcile availabilities so I ended up submitting a request form (for non-bookable partner airlines rewards) from their portal, and got a negative email response back, hence the follow-up phone call (we played find the reward seat in the haystack for half an hour). This was for the SYD-LDI; clearly super popular now some celebrity has spruiked across IG so I reworked my plans to burn the miles.

Incidentally I ended getting an over the phone reward booking on my points expiry date, paid the necessary extras from the email link, but no reward ticket issued within 24hrs so another phone call for them to sort that out. I think it turned out system had auto expired my miles and they had to manually reinstate - at least that's what it looks like on my statement.

I didn't find out cancellation costs, but they did point out 4000 miles to change dates. But if it seems you can cancel and have full cost of the miles refunded then it's kind of a no brainer...

 

[prozac]

FYI, one flight on my redemption booking was cancelled and rescheduled to 1 day earlier. Asia miles were happy to cancel my booking and refund my points used. Original points expriy was 30 April 2020, now has been extended to 30 April 2021, even then, they still not let it not expire..

Will be looking at making another booking around a year in advance from the 30 april 2021.

Why are they so stubbon..asia miles live chat is like talking to a robot

My booking for May was finally cancelled by Cathay yesterday. I deliberately left it to Cathay to take this step hoping it would give me 18 months reset of miles usage. Unfortunately not. The operator who called said points returned to my account will expire 30 June if not used. 30 June 2020 was the original expiry of the miles when I made the booking last year. Still, better than nothing. I will rebook 12 months out in mid June.

I wish Asia Miles had better language training for their operators.

 

[M@rcoPolo]

My booking for May was finally cancelled by Cathay yesterday. I deliberately left it to Cathay to take this step hoping it would give me 18 months reset of miles usage. Unfortunately not. The operator who called said points returned to my account will expire 30 June if not used. 30 June 2020 was the original expiry of the miles when I made the booking last year. Still, better than nothing. I will rebook 12 months out in mid June.

I wish Asia Miles had better language training for their operators.

I have over 300k miles expiring end of June 2021... so if I understand this correctly, I can book flights to wherever for June 2022 and then cancel whenever I want before that time and miles will be credited back to my AA accounts + fees to my credit card without penalties?

Do I need to book flights on Cathay or would this also work if I book with Qantas?

 

[prozac]

I have over 300k miles expiring end of June 2021... so if I understand this correctly, I can book flights to wherever for June 2022 and then cancel whenever I want before that time and miles will be credited back to my AA accounts + fees to my credit card without penalties?

Do I need to book flights on Cathay or would this also work if I book with Qantas?

Cost of cancelling a flight is US$120. I did not incur this as I waited for CX to cancel the ticket.

Depending on when you earned or transferred your points will change how they are treated. If like me you have "old" points, transferred before the new 18 month rule then the life is at the discretion of Asia Miles. If my points were transferred or earned after the date (about this time last year?) when the rules were amended then simply having activity on your account in an 18mth period will keep them alive.

Yes, fees will return to your CC.

If you cancel your ticket points will be returned to Asia Miles or to AA if this is where you booked the ticket. I do not know AA's rules, but I suspect if the points have expired, then when they return to your account they may disappear as they have expired. CX/AsiaMiles are so inflexible I was surprised when CX told me at time of booking my points would not expire straight away if I the booking was cancelled.

If you book via the Asia Miles site you will see alternative carriers available. For instance I was playing around yesterday and found J available SYD-HND-LHR, 1st May. I did not find any Qantas availability.

 

[prozac]

Thanks to Cyberon on here I managed to sort out some points issues on my account.

Now considering booking some flights for our honeymoon in August, though probably just to Japan and will save an RTW for down the line.

Doesn't sound like our borders will be opening this year though, just wanted to see if anyone else also had a cancellation/reschedule to confirm that points are refunded and extended?

Got this on my May statement.

 

[bobbinbrisco]

Got this on my May statement.

View attachment 249204

is this for your "old" miles?

 

[prozac]

is this for your "old" miles?

I wish I knew for sure. I suspect it is for a 10,000 mile (hence new miles) top-up I made in June2020 to help pay for tickets. My issue is created because of the mix of old and new. My theory is the "old" miles returned in April should have converted them to new style miles and so, under the revised plan, all miles should have an 18 month life from April. I can't figure it out and no-one at Asia Miles has a clue.

 

[bobbinbrisco]

i'm in the same boat.. i've got a mix of old and new.

see comments in forum below. appears there is some sort of extension depending on who cancels and the original expiry date

Asia Miles extension -- does redeeming and canceling "reset" the expiry clock? - FlyerTalk Forums

Cathay Pacific | Marco Polo Club - Asia Miles extension -- does redeeming and canceling "reset" the expiry clock? - Originally Posted by percysmith ...So CX161s great for engineering flight cancellation and clock reset. Ive done two engineer jobs on CX161 and one more is awaiting cancellation...

www.flyertalk.com

 

[prozac]

i'm in the same boat.. i've got a mix of old and new.

see comments in forum below. appears there is some sort of extension depending on who cancels and the original expiry date

Asia Miles extension -- does redeeming and canceling "reset" the expiry clock? - FlyerTalk Forums

Cathay Pacific | Marco Polo Club - Asia Miles extension -- does redeeming and canceling "reset" the expiry clock? - Originally Posted by percysmith ...So CX161s great for engineering flight cancellation and clock reset. Ive done two engineer jobs on CX161 and one more is awaiting cancellation...

www.flyertalk.com

The problem you have is that no-one at Asia Miles can tell you with any certainty if all or just some of your points are due to expire.

Edit: This from the AM site FAQ:

 

[trukai]

Managed to get my miles converted from the old to the new without any fuss. Miles were due to expire end of the month.

 

[prozac]

Managed to get my miles converted from the old to the new without any fuss. Miles were due to expire end of the month.

Do you care to share details?

 

[trukai]

Not much to share. Just jumped onto live chat and told them points were due to expire this month, and that we were restricted from travelling overseas.

 

[albyd]

How many miles did you have? I had like 100K so not that many and they refused had to redeem some "lifestyle" rewards. I'll be thinking long and hard about transferring to AM in the future.

 

[trukai]

How many miles did you have? I had like 100K so not that many and they refused had to redeem some "lifestyle" rewards. I'll be thinking long and hard about transferring to AM in the future.

Around 50k.

 

[wasabiman]

Same as trukai, I had miles expiring Aug. Sent them an email 3 June asking for options (I had read the challenge beforehand, so was preparing to do that), and on 4 June got a response saying that they had been converted to the new expiry arrangement. Straigthforward and no hassle. I have 250k miles.
Interestingly all my miles except 1k expiring this Aug; the 1k expiring Aug 2022. Only those expiring Aug this year were converted to new arrangement; I still have 1k miles expiring Aug 22 under the old system.

 

[prozac]

I have a solution to expiring miles. It appears old miles are now being incorprated into the new system. Any account activity will extend the new miles by 18 months. This can be as simple as hiring a Hertz rental car and using points for the transaction or booking under your AM account so award miles are applied to your AM account.

 

[Flyer 777]

I have AM booking at the end of July my points used have expired, do I wait for CX to cancel or should I cancel now? How do I cancel?

 

[leyy]

@prozac thanks for your helpful feedback. I have 620,000 AM miles expiring in October and I have already had J tickets to Europe refunded to me from flight cancellations last year.

If I transfer say another 1,000 miles from Amex points to AM will this be considered activity to convert to the new system?

Also does the AM website show what miles expire under the old and new system?

cheers
leyy