When a Frequent Flier Dies . . .

...do all those frequent-flier miles die as well?  Or can that mileage be converted, formally or otherwise, into tickets for heirs?

Rules vary from one airline to another, The Wall Street Journal warns.  And rules change. (Delta used to be heir friendly but now isn't.)

Some tips for increasing the odds of getting heirs into the air:

Premortem
The frequent flier's will should include explicit instructions.

Heirs should know how to access account info and passwords.

The FF should sign up for family pooling if the airline (JetBlue, for instance) offers it.

Postmortem
Act quickly! "The best move is to use the miles before an airline figures out the member has died."

Act promptly even if the airline knows it has lost a faithful passenger. The airline may require formal estate procedures to claim the miles, and there may be time limits.

 Be aggressive. Airline rules aren't always ironclad. Yelling or sobbing has been known to work.