People who travel often can amass points worth tens of thousands of pounds that become void upon death due to airlines’ terms and conditions.

“Pretty much across the board, airlines state in their T&Cs that miles cannot be transferred in the event of death,” said Nicky Kelvin, content director at The Points Guy UK.

“In the US some airlines are slightly more relaxed and will transfer points subject to fees and the production of legal documents.”

British Airways stipulates that points are cancelled upon death but a spokeswoman for the airlines told The Times that each case is dealt with individually.

Mr Kelvin said: “Anecdotally, people find that most airlines, including BA, will transfer them without much bother provided you are the executor of the will and the miles are specifically referenced in the document.”