The most important thing to know straight away:
- “Points” and “Miles” are used interchangeably.
ie. “Avios points,” “Avios miles,” and “Avios” all mean the same thing.
- “Loyalty Program”, “Frequent Flyer Program” and “Points Program” all mean the same thing.
A
Airline
The company that operates the flight (for example Qatar Airways or Singapore Airlines). Important distinction: the airline you fly is not always the airline you book with.
Airline Alliance
A group of airlines that are partnered / work together so you can earn and spend points across multiple airlines. The three main alliances are Oneworld, Star Alliance, and SkyTeam.
Award Chart
A pricing table that shows how many points are required for a flight. Often based on distance or regions, not cash price.
Award Flight / Award Ticket / Award Seat
A flight booked using points instead of cash. Sometimes also written as “Reward Flight/Ticket” or “Redemption”
B
Booking Class (Cabin)
The type of seat you’re flying in: Economy, Premium Economy, Business Class, or First Class.
Boost Points
An option in some loyalty programs that lets you pay cash to multiply points you already earned from flying or shopping portals.
C
Cash Fare
The normal price of a flight when paying with money instead of points.
Cost per 1000
The typical metric we use to calculate how much we are paying for 1000 points. This is the “cost basis” we use to calculate the prices of Award Flights
D
Distance-Based Pricing
A system where the number of points required depends on how far the flight/itinerary is in miles - not which cities/countrries you’re flying between.
Dynamic Pricing
A pricing system where the number of points required for flights changes based on specific routes, or even demand, but typically in somewhat predictable price jumps.
E
-
F
Fees (Taxes & Fees and/or Surcharges)
The cash portion you pay when booking a flight with points.
Fifth Freedom Route
A flight operated by an airline between two countries that are not its home country / hub.
Flexi Award (Flexi Fare)
A term used by Qatar Airways for their higher-priced award seats.
G
-
H
High-Yield Route
A route that is very expensive in cash, or generates a very high revenue/yield for an airline. Depending on the program, these routes may still cost a fixed number of points, often making “high-yield routes” good value redemptions.
I, J, K
-
L
Layover
A short connection between flights, usually under 24 hours.
Loyalty Program (Frequent Flyer Program)
A points system run by an airline. You earn points and redeem them for flights.
M
Miles (Points)
Miles/Points are the currency that award seat prices are denominated in. “Miles” and “points” mean the same thing.
N
-
O
Off-Peak
Dates where fewer people travel, often requiring fewer points for the same flight.
Oneworld
An airline alliance that includes Qatar Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, and others.
P
Partner Airline
An airline you can book using points from another airline’s loyalty program.
Partner Redemption
Booking a flight on one airline using points from a different airline’s program.
Peak Season
Busy travel periods where flights will often have less availability. (book far in advance)
Points (Miles)
Points/Miles are the currency that award seat prices are denominated in. “Miles” and “points” mean the same thing.
Points Balance
The number of points you currently have in a loyalty program.
Points Sale
A promotion where airlines sell points at a discount or with bonus on the points purchased.
Positioning Flight
A short flight taken to reach a city with better award availability or cheaper pricing (sometimes also referred to as “repositioning”)
Premium Cabin
Business Class or First Class.
Q
Qsuite
Qatar Airways’ flagship business class product with private suites.
R
Redemption
Using points to book a flight.
Repositioning
A short flight taken to reach a city with better award availability or cheaper pricing (sometimes also referred to as “positioning”)
S
Saver Award
The cheapest award seat an airline releases. Limited in number and best value.
Seats.aero
A tool used to search award availability across many airlines and loyalty programs.
Shopping Portal
A Loyalty Program-run website that gives you points for online purchases.
SkyTeam
An airline alliance that includes Air France, KLM, Delta, and others.
Star Alliance
An airline alliance that includes Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Air Canada, ANA, and others.
Stopover
A layover of more than 24 hours between flights, sometimes allowed for little or no extra points.
Surcharges
“Carrier Imposed Surcharges” or “Fuel Surcharges” - a part of the cash component that you pay when booking award travel
T
Taxes (Taxes & Fees and/or Surcharges)
The cash portion you pay when booking a flight with points.
U, V, W, X, Y
-
Z
Zone-Based Pricing
A system where flights cost a fixed number of points based on regions, not distance.