Miles & More Miles Expiry: 2026 Rules and How to Stop It

Quick answer: Miles & More miles are valid for 36 months from the event (flight departure, hotel stay, car rental) and then expire at the end of the respective quarter. You are fully protected with a status (Frequent Traveller, Senator, HON Circle) or with a Miles & More Blue or Gold Credit Card — there, all miles are valid indefinitely from the moment the card is issued, regardless of card spend. After you cancel the card, the normal expiry rules apply again, with a grace period of at least 3 months after the end of the quarter.

Few things are more annoying than an award flight that falls short by a few thousand miles — because your old miles quietly expired. Here I show you the official Miles & More rules (from the end of 2026 under the name “Lufthansa Group Miles & More”, see name change), who is exempt, and what you can do when expiry is already around the corner. As of: November 2026.

When do Miles & More miles expire?

Miles are valid for 36 months from the respective event — that is, from the start of the flight, the start of the hotel stay or the time of the car rental. If they are not used, they expire at the end of the quarter in which the 36 months run out. Every mile therefore has its own expiry date. Card spend or a redemption does not reset this period.

The official example from Miles & More: if you fly from Frankfurt to New York on 12 December 2025, the miles from this flight expire after 36 months at the next quarter end — on 31 December 2028.

Earned on	36 months run out	Expiry at quarter end
12 December 2025 (official example)	December 2028	31 December 2028
Event in Q1	3 years later in Q1	31 March
Event in Q3	3 years later in Q3	30 September

Important, because it is often explained incorrectly: this is not an activity rule. Earning a few miles every couple of months does not protect your old miles — they still expire on their own date. You can see which miles expire when in your Miles & More account. If you subscribe to the newsletter, Miles & More also sends an overview about 2 months in advance of the miles that will expire at the end of the current quarter.

Who is exempt from miles expiry?

Two groups are exempt: members with a frequent flyer status (Frequent Traveller, Senator, HON Circle Member) and holders of a Miles & More Blue or Gold Credit Card (personal or business) issued by Deutsche Bank. For both, miles do not expire as long as the status or the card exists. Everyone else is subject to the 36-month rule.

Who	Mileage protection?	What happens afterwards
No status, no card	No	Expiry 36 months after the event at quarter end
Frequent Traveller / Senator / HON Circle	Yes, as long as the status lasts	After losing status, valid for another 36 months, then expiry at quarter end
Miles & More Blue or Gold Credit Card	Yes, from card issuance, regardless of spend	After cancellation, expiry applies again, grace period of at least 3 months
Miles & More MyFlex Card	Not mentioned — the bank lists mileage protection only for Blue and Gold	—

Status members: According to Miles & More, everyone who has reached Frequent Traveller, Senator or HON Circle Member enjoys mileage protection. If the status is lost, expiry kicks in again — but the miles then remain valid for another 36 months. How to reach a status is explained in the guide Miles & More Status 2026: Points, Qualifying Points & Senator.

How does the credit card protect my miles?

Deutsche Bank puts it clearly: for holders of a personal or business Miles & More Gold Credit Card and Miles & More Blue Credit Card, all miles are valid indefinitely immediately after the credit card is issued — regardless of credit card spend. So you do not have to use the card regularly for the protection to apply.

The cheapest option is the Miles & More Blue Credit Card* for €5.50 per month; the Gold costs €11.50 per month. Currently, the Blue also comes with a welcome bonus of 500 miles + 40 Points for applications through 31 December 2026, and the Gold with 20,000 miles + 4 lounge vouchers + 40 Points through 30 November 2026. You can find the official terms directly from the issuer at miles-and-more-kreditkarte.com. Which card suits whom is covered in the Miles & More credit card review.

What happens to my miles after cancelling the credit card?

After cancellation, the miles earned before and during the card’s validity are subject to normal expiry again under the Miles & More terms and conditions. There is a grace period of at least 3 months after the end of the quarter in which the cancellation took effect. Miles that would expire during this period, or would already have expired at the time of cancellation, remain valid until the end of the grace period.

In practice, this means: if you cancel your card and have a lot of old miles, you should redeem them within the grace period. Otherwise, a large part of your account can disappear in one go — namely all miles whose 36 months are long over and which were only kept alive by the card.

Why do miles expire despite having a credit card?

If miles expire despite a credit card, it is almost always due to one of three things: the card is not a Blue or Gold (the bank does not list the MyFlex Card with mileage protection), the card was cancelled and the grace period has ended, or the miles sit in the account of another person who has neither a card nor a status.

The third case mainly affects couples and families: the protection is tied to your own account. The miles pool does not protect against expiry either — every mile keeps its date. If you collect together, check for each account whether protection exists.

What can I still do shortly before expiry?

You have two routes: protect your miles or redeem them. Protecting works by getting a Blue or Gold Credit Card in good time before the expiry date — according to the bank, the protection applies to all miles immediately from issuance, so also to existing ones. Miles that have already expired do not come back, though. Redeeming works through the official Miles & More awards.

The redemption options Miles & More offers in its “Redeem” section:

Option	Useful for
Award flights	The most valuable route, see booking a Lufthansa award flight
Flight offers in the redemption section	Award flight promotions that Miles & More regularly offers at fixed mile prices
Hotels and car rentals	When no flight is coming up
Event awards and other awards	Using up leftover miles sensibly
Donating miles	To the cooperation partner help alliance (education, nutrition, health)
CO₂ contribution for future flights	Via app or website
MilesPay	For cardholders: redeem miles when paying with the Miles & More credit card

My advice: small leftover balances that are not enough for any flight are better donated or put into a merchandise award than left to expire. Larger balances belong in an award flight — that is usually where the value per mile is highest. An overview of what a mile is worth is given by the mile value calculator.

Do AMEX Membership Rewards points expire?

No, as long as the card exists. American Express writes in the Membership Rewards FAQ: as long as you are the holder of an active American Express card and participate in the Membership Rewards program, your points are valid indefinitely. So there is no 36-month period as with Miles & More.

It becomes critical with a cancellation: if you want to cancel your only MR card, redeem the points beforehand or transfer them to a partner. What exactly applies after cancellation is governed by the Membership Rewards terms and conditions. Important: after a transfer, the expiry rules of the partner program apply. All options are shown in the AMEX points redemption guide. If you want to get started, you can begin with the AMEX Gold*, for example (50,000 MR welcome bonus with €5,000 spend in 6 months).

When do PAYBACK points expire?

According to the PAYBACK terms and conditions (section 5), points expire at the end of 30 September of each calendar year, but no earlier than 36 months after registration of the respective point. If you terminate your participation, unredeemed points expire immediately when your participation ends. So the cut-off date is always 30 September.

For holders of the PAYBACK American Express*, American Express writes that points are automatically excluded from expiry — provided that you keep actively earning points. If you earn no points at all for three years, you are affected even with the card. More on this in the guide Redeeming PAYBACK points.

Expiry rules compared

Program	Validity	Cut-off date	Protection
Miles & More	36 months from the event	Quarter end	Status or Blue/Gold Credit Card
AMEX Membership Rewards	Indefinite with an active card	—	Active card + MR participation
PAYBACK	No earlier than 36 months from registration	30 September	PAYBACK AMEX with active earning

Frequently Asked Questions

How long are Miles & More miles valid?

36 months from the event, i.e. from the flight departure, hotel stay or rental. After that, they expire at the end of the respective quarter. With a status or a Miles & More Blue or Gold Credit Card, they do not expire.

Does card spend reset the 36 months?

No. The period runs for each mile from its own event. With a Blue or Gold Credit Card, however, you do not need any spend at all: the miles are valid indefinitely from card issuance, regardless of credit card spend.

What happens to my miles if I cancel the Miles & More credit card?

The miles are subject to normal expiry again. There is a grace period of at least 3 months after the end of the quarter in which the cancellation took effect. During this time, you should redeem old miles.

Does Frequent Traveller status protect my miles?

Yes. Frequent Traveller, Senator and HON Circle Members enjoy mileage protection as long as the status lasts. After losing status, the miles remain valid for another 36 months and then expire at the end of the quarter.

Can I get expired miles back?

Miles & More does not name a way to do this. A credit card protects miles from issuance — what has already expired at that point stays expired. That is why you should check in your account in good time which miles expire at the next quarter end.

Do AMEX points expire like Miles & More miles?

No. Membership Rewards points are valid indefinitely as long as you have an active American Express card and participate in the program. Before cancelling the card, you should redeem or transfer the points.

Conclusion

Miles & More miles expiry is not fate, but a question of €5.50 per month or a status. Without protection, every mile expires after 36 months at the end of the quarter — no matter how actively you earn. With a Miles & More Blue Credit Card*, all miles are protected from issuance, even without spend. If you cancel, you have at least 3 months after the end of the quarter to redeem.

How to combine Miles & More, AMEX and PAYBACK so that you never end up with leftover miles in the first place, but work specifically towards award flights, is what I show in the Premium Handbook.