Frequent Flier Inheritance

Amongst the dozens of things newly widowed Roberta Bekerman had to do, she also had to persuade Delta Air Lines that she was entitled to inherit her husband’s frequent flier miles.  Although the company’s policy states that its “SkyMiles” cannot be transferred upon death, Ms. Bekerman asked them to make an exception. 

Ms. Bekerman’s experience illustrates what lawyers and people with frequent-flier programs describe as an inconsistency: Though the published “terms and conditions” of most airline programs prohibit the transfer of miles, heirs are often able to get the rule waived.  For example, through its MileagePlus program, United has  “made case-by-case exceptions” allowing miles to be transferred after the death or divorce of a member, charging a $150 transfer fee.  Many lawyers anticipate that this airline boilerplate will not be the last word, and include provisions in clients’ wills saying who will receive the frequent-flier miles when the account owner dies. 

See Deborah L. Jacobs, Loyalty Program Rules Aren’t Ironclad, The New York Times, May 6, 2015.