Several airlines allow you to reinstate miles for a fee after they've expired. Each airline has its own fee structure; some charge a flat fee, while others calculate their fee based on the miles you reinstate.

In 2026, whether you can reclaim expired airline miles depends heavily on the specific airline's policy, but it is often possible for a fee. Major carriers like American Airlines and United have shifted toward policies where miles do not expire as long as there is account activity every 18 to 24 months. If your miles do expire, many airlines offer a "Reinstatement" or "Buy Back" program. For example, American Airlines typically allows you to pay a fee to reactivate miles that expired within the last 24 months. Other airlines, like Philippine Airlines or certain European carriers, allow a similar grace period where you can "reinstate" miles for a processing fee. It is a high-value peer tip to first check if your airline has a "challenge" or "promotion"—sometimes they will return your miles for free if you take a flight or use a co-branded credit card within a certain window. Always check your "activity history" in the airline app before paying, as some "expired" miles may just be hidden due to account inactivity.