How to earn and redeem airline miles

If you’re a member of a frequent flyer program, you can earn miles on flights with the associated airline and select partners. You can redeem these miles for such options as flights, flight upgrades, hotel stays, gift cards and merchandise.

Depending on the frequent flyer program, you may even be able to use a combination of miles and cash, or buy more miles if you’re short from qualifying for your chosen redemption.

How do I earn airline miles?

Frequent flyer programs offer a variety of opportunities to earn miles. Depending on the program and activity, you may earn miles based on distance flown or dollars spent. In some cases, you’ll earn a set number of miles per transaction — for example, 500 per stay at a hotel.

A few of the most popular ways you can earn airline miles include:

• Flights.

  You can earn miles for flights you take with the main frequent flyer airline or partner airlines.

  For example, if you’re a Delta SkyMiles member, you’ll earn miles for flights on Delta. You’ll also earn miles when you fly on airlines in the SkyTeam alliance — of which Delta is a member — or on non-alliance carriers such as Hawaiian Airlines or Virgin Australia.

  Mile earnings are often calculated based on dollars spent, and sometimes on factors like distance flown and fare class. You’ll often earn more miles if you have elite status.

• Hotels and accommodations.

  Many frequent flyer programs offer miles for stays with hotel partners around the world.

  For example, as a United MileagePlus member, you’ll earn miles when you stay at properties in Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt, IHG Rewards Club and more. You’ll also score miles when you book through sites like Rocketmiles and PointsHound.

• Rental cars.

  Frequent flyer programs commonly offer miles for car rentals with such partners as Hertz, Thrifty, Enterprise and National. You may also earn miles for rideshare services.

• Other travel.

  Depending on the frequent flyer program, you may earn miles for other travel, including cruises and vacation packages.

• Credit cards.

  Cobranded airline credit cards let you earn miles for spending on everyday purchases, and may offer bonus miles for certain categories. They’re good options to earn rewards when you’re not traveling.

  Most of these cards also include signup bonuses that could give you thousands of miles when you meet spending requirements.

• Shopping.

  You may earn miles when shopping through select partners.

  For example, you can earn American Airlines miles through partners like Sprint, Lending Club, Universal Orlando Resort and Rover. You may receive a one-time haul of bonus miles, a certain number of miles per dollar spent or a combination of both.

Compare credit cards for earning airline miles

Below are credit cards that can help you earn airline miles or points that you can transfer to airlines.

Sort by:

Name	Product	Welcome Offer	Rewards	Annual fee	Filter values
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card		100,000 miles after you spend $10,000 in your first 6 months of account opening	10x miles on hotel and rental car purchases booked through Capital One Travel, 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel, and 2x miles on every other purchase	$395		Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card		40,000 miles after spending $1,000 in your first 3 months. Plus, earn up to $50 back in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants with your card within the first 3 months of membership.	2x miles on Delta purchases, restaurants and at US supermarkets and 1x miles on other eligible purchases	$0 intro annual fee for the first year ($99 thereafter)		Earn 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new card in your first 3 months. Terms apply, see rates & fees	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card		10,000 miles after spending $500 in the first 3 months	2x miles at restaurants and on direct Delta purchases and 1x miles on other eligible purchases	$0		Earn 2x miles on Delta purchases and dining with this simple, entry-level Delta card, and pay no annual fee. Terms apply, see rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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What can I use my airline miles for?

You can redeem your miles for a variety of redemption options. The number of miles you need varies based on the frequent flyer program and the redemption. Generally, flights and flight upgrades offer the greatest value.

Redemption options vary between frequent flyer programs but could include:

• Flights.

  Use miles instead of cash to book flights with the frequent flyer airline or partner airlines. Known as award flights, these fares are available for a specific number of miles, usually calculated based on the distance flown and the fare class (economy, business, etc). Award seats are subject to availability, so they may be more limited than regular fares.

• Flight upgrades.

  You can use your miles to buy flights in premium fare classes. Or if you’ve already booked your flight, you can upgrade it. Flight upgrades can be a cost-effective way to get a better seat, but — similarly to award flights — the option to use miles is subject to availability.

• Hotels.

  Some frequent flyer programs let you use miles for hotel stays. For example, as an American Airlines AAdvantage member, you can search for and book stays at Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton and more through the airline’s travel-search portal.

• Other travel rewards.

  Depending on the frequent flyer program, you may be able to redeem miles for car rentals and vacation packages.

• Merchandise and gift cards.
  

  While less common than flight or travel rewards, you may be able to redeem miles for gift cards or merchandise in such categories as electronics, kitchen and apparel.

Airline miles: Pros and cons

What else do I need to know about airline miles?

Keep these factors in mind to make the most of your airline miles:

• Reward value.

  The number of miles you need varies based on what you want to redeem them for. This means your rewards value will differ.

  An easy way to calculate the value of each mile is by dividing the dollar value of the redemption by the number of miles you must pay. One cent per mile is the average, so anything over that is solid.

• Go for flights.

  Booking award seats or upgrading flights tend to offer the greatest value for your miles.

• Rewards expiration.
  

  Your miles may expire. Check the terms of your frequent flyer program to see what the expiration policy is.

Bottom line

If you fly often, airline miles can bring worthwhile benefits. Before redeeming your miles, calculate their value in dollars to see if you’re getting a good deal.

To earn airline miles, consider using a cobranded airline credit card.

Frequently asked questions

• How do I join a frequent flyer program?

  Each airline provides information online about how to join its frequent flyer program. Typically, you can become a member by providing basic details like your name, address and date of birth.

• Do I need a credit card to join a frequent flyer program?

  No, you don’t need a credit card.

• Do I have to pay to join frequent flyer programs?

  No. You can join frequent flyer programs at no cost.

• If I booked my flight but didn't include my frequent flyer number, can I still receive miles for my booking?

  In many cases, yes. Airlines have their own policies on how to request miles after a booking or flight. Usually, you must submit your request within two to seven days after your flight. Read more about adjusting your frequent flyer number on flights.