Glossary
Points and miles, in plain words.
Every term you will meet, explained in one or two lines.
- Alliance
- A group of airlines that share seats and miles: oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam.
- Avios
- The miles of British Airways, Iberia, Qatar Airways, Aer Lingus and others. You can often move them between these programmes.
- Award space
- The seats an airline releases for miles. It is limited, so search early and be flexible.
- Award ticket
- A flight you pay for with miles or points, usually plus some taxes.
- Cents per point
- How much each point is worth: the cash you save divided by the points you use.
- Co-brand card
- A card linked to one airline that earns its miles directly.
- Companion voucher
- A benefit that lets a second person fly with you for fewer miles or for free, plus taxes.
- Direct aisle access
- A seat where you can reach the aisle without climbing over anyone.
- Dynamic pricing
- When the miles price changes with the cash price, instead of a fixed chart.
- Elite status
- Your level in an airline programme. It brings better seats, lounges and upgrades.
- Error fare
- A price published by mistake. Book fast, and do not plan non refundable extras until it is confirmed.
- Fifth freedom flight
- A flight between two foreign countries run by a third country's airline, often with great business class.
- Flexible points
- Bank or card points you can move to several airlines, like Membership Rewards or RevPoints.
- Fuel surcharge
- Extra cash some programmes add to award tickets. It can make the same seat much more expensive.
- Household pooling
- Combining the points of a family in one account to reach a seat faster.
- Lie-flat seat
- A business or first class seat that becomes a fully flat bed.
- Lounge access
- Entry to airport lounges through status, a premium ticket, a card or a day pass.
- Mixed cabin
- A trip where some flights are in business and others in economy.
- Open jaw
- A trip where you fly into one city and back from another.
- Partner award
- Using one airline's miles to fly another airline in the same alliance.
- Points expiry
- When unused points or miles disappear. Check the rules of each programme.
- Positioning flight
- A cheap flight to a city where the main ticket is cheaper or has award seats.
- Promo rewards
- Monthly discounts on miles prices for selected routes, like Flying Blue Promo Rewards.
- Status match
- When an airline gives you a status level to match the one you have with a rival.
- Stopover
- A stop of more than 24 hours on the way, sometimes allowed on award tickets.
- Sweet spot
- A route or programme where miles are worth much more than usual.
- Transfer bonus
- A limited promotion that gives you extra miles when you move points, often 20% to 40%.
- Transfer partner
- An airline or hotel programme that accepts your flexible points.
- Upgrade bid
- An offer you make to move to a better cabin after buying your ticket.
- Waitlist
- A queue for award seats or upgrades that may open later.