Sunday Star-Times
New Zealand
It wouldn’t occur to most of us that we might need a legal document to clarify where our Qantas Frequent Flyer Miles or Virgin Australia Velocity Points end up when we die.
The best bet, if you have more than a couple of hundred dollars worth of loyalty benefits, is to include them in your will.
Air New Zealand
With more than 1.5 million loyalty programme members, the Airpoints T & Cs state that “membership will terminate upon death of an Airpoints Member” and benefits are cancelled and become invalid.
However, if your loved one was smart enough to include their loyalty programme in their will as an asset to be passed on, you have two years to get the executor to write to the airline requesting the transfer of Air New Zealand Airpoints.
Qantas
The Aussie airline deals with Qantas Frequent Flyer Miles transfers on a “case-by case basis” and only after they are informed of a death.
According to the airline, “It’s important that family members or the executor of a will contact the Frequent Flyer service centre to discuss their individual options”, but does not specify what the options are.
Virgin Australia
The Australian carrier, which has a smaller New Zealand membership base with Velocity, has “an inheritance process in place to support member’s family and friends”.
The member’s points can be transferred to another account over the course of a year.
The inheritor is decided by the executor of the member’s will.
However, the will does not have to specify transfer of Velocity points, as loyalty benefits come under general cash assets.