Closing a Deceased Family Member’s Frequent Flyer Account and Transferring Points

The Frequent Flyer account of a deceased person is understandably a long way down the list. It is worth knowing that many programs no longer simply wipe a loved one’s points balance. The window for acting is measured in months, not weeks. This guide sets out the current Qantas and Velocity processes, what documentation you will need, and the small details that protect the points once they are transferred.

Qantas: the 12-month executor transfer

Qantas changed its approach in late 2023. The current position is now set out in the Qantas Frequent Flyer terms and conditions. Membership ends on the death of the member, and Qantas closes the account once notified. However, the points no longer have to be forfeited. The executor or administrator of the estate can ask Qantas to transfer the deceased member’s unexpired Qantas Points to one of that member’s eligible family members. Qantas will make the transfer if acceptable evidence is provided and the request is received within 12 months of the member’s death. For background on how the program works more broadly, see our Qantas Frequent Flyer guides.

In practical terms, you’ll need to send the request to the Frequent Flyer Service Centre with three things:

• Documented proof of the member’s death (a death certificate).
• Proof of the requester’s authority as executor or administrator (such as the will naming you, or letters of administration).
• The membership details on both sides, meaning the deceased member’s Qantas Frequent Flyer number and the account number of the family member receiving the points.

The recipient must be one of the member’s eligible family members, under the Qantas Family Transfers. This includes a spouse or partner, parents, children, siblings, grandparents and grandchildren, among others. The points can only to one nominated recipient.

Two details are particuarly important. First, Status Credits cannot be transferred and expire on the member’s death – only the points move. Second, the transferred points take on the same expiry treatment as the other points in the recipient’s account. That means the receiving account should be active, with earning or redemption activity within Qantas’ 18-month expiry window before the transfer lands. Moving a loved one’s points into a dormant account puts them straight back at risk. If the recipient’s account has been idle, a single small earning transaction beforehand resolves it.

Velocity: an email process, with more flexibility than the help page suggests

Virgin Australia’s program handles this by email. Velocity’s official guidance keeps the closing requirements short. To close a deceased member’s account, Velocity asks for the member’s Velocity Frequent Flyer number, their full name as it appears on the account, and a death certificate. The notification is emailed to the address matching the member’s status tier. For example, Red members should email [email protected], while Platinum members should email [email protected].

When it comes to points, the Velocity terms and conditions are more generous than the help page’s wording implies. The terms state that executors or administrators of the member’s estate may ask Velocity to transfer the points to another Velocity account, redeem them, or both. They should also contact Velocity as soon as possible because any unused points will continue to expire under the program’s normal validity rules. So even where the will says nothing about points, the executor can raise the transfer or redemption directly in the initial email. The recipient of any transfer must be a Velocity member themselves. Status Credits, status and other member benefits are forfeited once Velocity is notified of the member’s death.

Two points worth keeping in mind. First, there is no fixed claim deadline like Qantas’s 12 month window. The real deadline is points expiry because a deceased member’s account no longer generates activity. Deal with the account promptly rather than letting it sit. Second, if you’re updating your own affairs after this experience, mention frequent flyer points explicitly in your will by naming the program and the intended beneficiary. It costs nothing and removes any room for doubt about your wishes. Our Velocity Frequent Flyer guides cover the program’s family features, including pooling, which many households use precisely so that points sit with the person most likely to use them.

Other programs: check before assuming

Beyond the two Australian majors, treatment varies enormously and is usually less generous. The KrisFlyer terms and conditions are clear. Membership terminates immediately upon the member’s death. Unredeemed miles and rewards are automatically forfeited. Miles do not constitute personal property and cannot be bequeathed. That argues for redeeming a seriously ill member’s miles (with their authority) rather than leaving them to the estate. Our KrisFlyer guides cover redemption options if that situation applies. Some international programs transfer balances at their discretion when presented with a death certificate and will. Others cancel balances automatically. Our broader guide to what happens to frequent flyer points when you die surveys the major programs. For an estate, the only reliable approach is to contact each program the person belonged to and ask for its current process in writing.

A practical checklist for executors

Keep it simple when handling this alongside everything else in an estate. Identify memberships from email statements, wallet cards, and card-linked earnings. Obtain certified copies of the death certificate early, since every program will want one. Locate the will and note any instructions about points. Contact each program in writing. Include the member’s name and membership number, attach the documents, and ask for that program’s process and deadline. For Qantas, lodge the executor transfer request well inside the 12-month window. Make sure the receiving family member’s account is active before the transfer. Do not be tempted to simply log in to the deceased’s account and move points around using their credentials. Programs close accounts on notification of death, and transfers made outside the official process risk being reversed at the worst possible time.

Frequently asked questions