Your Avios stay with you as long as you collect, spend, buy or share at least one Avios every 36 months — any longer and your Avios will expire and be removed, so remember to take action before those three years are up. There are lots of simple ways to ensure you'll never lose the Avios you collect.

Yes, Avios points (the currency used by British Airways, Iberia, Qatar Airways, and Aer Lingus) do expire, but the policy is quite generous compared to other airlines. Your Avios will expire if there is no activity on your account for 36 consecutive months. "Activity" is defined as any instance of earning, spending, or even just transferring a single Avios point. This means you can keep your entire balance alive indefinitely by making a small purchase through the "British Airways eStore," booking a flight, or even just transferring 1,000 points from a partner like American Express or Marriott Bonvoy. Notably, if you are part of a Household Account and at least one member has had activity in the last three years, the points of the entire household are typically protected. If your points do expire, some programs (like Qatar's Privilege Club) may allow you to "buy them back" for a fee within a certain timeframe, but it is much easier and cheaper to simply set a calendar reminder to "reset the clock" every two years.