Do Southwest points expire?
No — Southwest Rapid Rewards points don't expire while your account is open, with no inactivity clock. Here's the one thing that does lose them, and why a balance that never lapses can still be quietly wasted.
No. Southwest Rapid Rewards points do not expire while your account stays open — Southwest removed points expiration in 2022. The one thing that loses them is closing the account: Southwest's terms say points in a closed account are terminated, so leave it open even if you stop flying.
- Rapid Rewards points don't expire. Southwest removed points expiration in 2022, so there is no inactivity deadline.
- Closing your Rapid Rewards account is what loses them: Southwest's terms say the points in a closed account are terminated.
- Canceling a Southwest co-brand card is not the same as closing the account, but use or move your points before you cancel one. Then put the balance toward a trip rather than leaving it to be forgotten.
No expiry. Still spend them.
Points that never expire are the easiest to forget — and a forgotten balance is a wasted one. Nanvero keeps your Rapid Rewards points in view next to your other programs, including the ones that do expire, so the points that never lapse still turn into a trip and the ones with a deadline never catch you out.
Your balances all in one view
On this page
The one way to lose Rapid Rewards points
No — Southwest Rapid Rewards points do not expire. Southwest removed points expiration, so there is no inactivity deadline: your points stay put as long as the account is open. The one exception is closing the account — Southwest's terms say that when a member closes their account, the points in it are terminated. So there's nothing to keep topping up; the only real risk is forgetting a balance that never forces your hand.
Which programs still run an expiry clock?
The windows are not the same across programs, and several of the biggest have no window at all. Where a rule below differs from the one you remember, it is because the program changed it: Hilton doubled its window, and Alaska, Southwest and United each dropped theirs outright.
| Program | Expires after | Exceptions |
|---|---|---|
| Avios | 36 months of inactivity | — |
| Amex Membership Rewards | Never | points are forfeited if you close your last Membership Rewards-earning Card, or for an unpaid billing period |
| American AAdvantage | 24 months of inactivity | AAdvantage credit-card holders and members under 21 |
| Delta SkyMiles | Never | — |
| United MileagePlus | Never | — |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | Never | points are only lost if you close your Rapid Rewards account |
| Alaska Atmos Rewards | Never | — |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 24 months of inactivity | — |
| Hilton Honors | 24 months of inactivity | — |
| World of Hyatt | 24 months of inactivity | — |
| IHG One Rewards | 12 months of inactivity | IHG Elite members, and IHG One Rewards Premier cardholders (who hold Platinum Elite) |
| Chase Ultimate Rewards | Never | points are forfeited if you close the Chase card they sit in |
| Nectar | 12 months of inactivity | — |
Closing a card is not closing your account
Points that never expire are the easiest to forget — and a forgotten balance is a wasted one. Nanvero keeps your Rapid Rewards points in view next to your other programs, including the ones that do expire, so the points that never lapse still turn into a trip and the ones with a deadline never catch you out.
- Rapid Rewards balance tracked automatically
- Sat next to programs that do expire, so nothing slips
- No password, no logging in as you
Southwest points expiry — common questions
No. Southwest Rapid Rewards points do not expire. Southwest removed points expiration, so there is no inactivity deadline — your points stay in your account as long as the account itself is open.
No. There is no inactivity clock on Rapid Rewards points, so you don't need a flight or a purchase to hold onto them. The only way to lose them is to close your Rapid Rewards account, which terminates the points in it.
They're gone. Southwest's terms state that if a member closes their account, the points in that account are terminated. Closing a Southwest co-brand credit card is different from closing the Rapid Rewards account itself — but if you're canceling cards, move or use your points first to be safe.
Because a forgotten balance is a wasted one. Points that never expire still lose to award-price changes and to the trip you never booked. Keeping them in view — beside your other programs, some of which do expire — is what turns points into an actual flight.
Nanvero keeps your Rapid Rewards balance current automatically from the emails Southwest already sends, with no password, and shows it alongside every other airline, hotel and card balance — including the ones that do expire. It's free to track up to five programs.
Every window on this page is read from the program’s own published terms, or from a source that quotes them, and recorded in one file with the date it was checked — so a figure here and a figure anywhere else on Nanvero are the same figure. Where a program has changed its rule the old value is not quietly overwritten, as with Hilton’s move from twelve months to twenty-four. The whole expiry cluster works from the same table.
Where these numbers come from: AwardWallet “Points do not expire. Should a Member close its account, the points in the account will be terminated.” (25 January 2026); Southwest “Your points don't expire” (September 2026). Programs change these rules, so we re-check them and date what we find. Confirm against your own account before relying on a deadline.
What are Southwest points worth?
A Southwest Rapid Rewards point is worth about 1.25 cents, so 50,000 points come to roughly $625. Because Southwest prices awards against the cash fare, the value barely moves — about 1.1 cents on cheap fares and 1.4 on higher ones. The calculator converts any Southwest balance into dollars, pounds and euros at all three rates.
Do Avios expire?
Yes. Avios lapse after 36 months with no activity on your British Airways Club account, not on a fixed calendar date. Any single earn or spend, however small, resets the clock on your entire balance. Other Avios programs, including Iberia, Aer Lingus and Qatar, set their own inactivity windows.
Do Marriott points expire?
Yes. Marriott Bonvoy points expire after 24 consecutive months of account inactivity. Any qualifying activity — a stay, a card purchase that earns points, or a points transfer — resets the 24-month clock on the whole balance. There is no fixed expiry date, so an active account never loses points to time.
Points that last, finally used.
Nanvero keeps your Rapid Rewards points in view alongside every other balance — including the ones that do expire — so none go to waste. Free to track up to five programs.
Track Southwest automatically with Nanvero →
No loyalty passwords, everFree for up to 5 programs, no cardCancel anytime