Miles & Points Glossary

Table of Contents

✈ General Miles & Points Terms

Award Availability – The number of seats an airline has made available on a particular flight or route to book using points or miles.
Award Chart – A table showing how many points/miles are needed for different redemptions.
Award Chart Sweet Spots – High-value redemptions within an award chart that provide exceptional value for points/miles.
Award Flight – A flight ticket booked using miles or points instead of cash.
Base Fare – The ticket price before taxes, fees, and surcharges.
Bonus Category – Spending categories that earn extra points/miles on certain credit cards.
Cash + Points – A redemption option combining cash and loyalty points.
CPP (Cents Per Point) – A valuation metric showing how much each point/mile is worth.
Co-Branded Credit Card – A credit card issued by a bank in partnership with an airline or hotel.
CPQP (Companion Pass Qualifying Points) – Points that count toward earning a Companion Pass.
Devaluation – When a loyalty program makes negative changes, such as increasing award redemption rates or reducing benefits.
Elite Status – A tiered membership in loyalty programs offering perks like upgrades and bonuses.
Hard Inquiry (Hard Pull) – A credit check that may temporarily lower your credit score.
Loyalty Program – A program allowing travelers to earn and redeem points/miles with airlines, hotels, or credit cards.
Manufactured Spending – A strategy to generate rewards points by artificially increasing credit card spend.
Minimum Spend – The amount you must spend to earn a credit card welcome bonus.
No Foreign Transaction Fees – A credit card benefit where purchases abroad don’t incur extra fees.
Point Breaks – Limited-time hotel point redemptions at discounted rates.
Points Pooling – Combining points from multiple accounts for awards.
Redemption – Using points/miles to pay for travel, such as flights or hotel stays.
Referral Bonus – Bonus points earned for referring someone to a credit card or loyalty program.
Sign-Up Bonus (SUB) – A bonus offered for meeting a minimum spend after opening a credit card.
Soft Inquiry (Soft Pull) – A credit check that does not affect your credit score.
Statement Credit – A credit applied to your account.
Transfer Partners – Airlines or hotels where you can transfer credit card points.
UR (Ultimate Rewards) – Chase’s transferable points currency.

🛫 Flight-Specific Terms

Alliance – A group of airlines that share benefits (e.g., Star Alliance, Oneworld, SkyTeam).
Award Availability – The number of award seats an airline releases on a specific flight.
Basic Economy – The cheapest airline fare with few or no benefits (e.g., no seat selection).
Blackout Dates – Dates where award tickets cannot be booked due to high demand.
Booking Class/Fare Class – A code that determines fare rules, price, and upgrade eligibility.
Companion Pass – A perk allowing a second passenger to fly free (excluding taxes/fees).
Dynamic Pricing – Award prices that fluctuate based on demand and cash fare prices.
EQD (Elite Qualifying Dollars) – Dollars spent on flights that count toward elite status.
EQM (Elite Qualifying Miles) – Miles earned that count toward elite status.
Excursionist Perk – A United Airlines benefit allowing a free one-way flight within a region.
Fuel Surcharge – An extra fee some airlines charge on award tickets.
Lap Infant – A child under two who flies for free (domestically) or at a reduced cost (internationally).
Mileage Run – Taking a flight solely to earn miles or elite status.
Multi-Leg Booking – Booking a flight with multiple connections, often to optimize costs or mileage accrual.
Open Jaw – A round-trip where you return from a different airport than your original departure airport.
Positioning Flight – A flight taken to reach an airport for a cheaper or better itinerary.
Red-Eye – A late-night or overnight flight that arrives the next morning.
Revenue-Based Rewards – A system where miles earned are based on ticket price, not distance.
Saver Award – The lowest-cost award ticket, often with limited availability.
Skip Legging – A practice of booking a cheaper multi-leg flight but skipping one or more legs. Do not do this.
Stopover – A layover longer than 24 hours (international) or 4 hours (domestic).
Sweet Spot Award – A particularly valuable redemption that maximizes points/miles for premium travel.

🏨 Hotel-Specific Terms

4th (or 5th) Night Free – Benefit offered by certain hotel loyalty programs that provides a complimentary fourth night when booking a consecutive stay.
Award Night – A hotel stay booked using loyalty points.
Best Rate Guarantee (BRG) – A policy where hotels match lower prices found elsewhere.
Cash + Points – Paying for a hotel stay with a mix of cash and loyalty points.
Concierge Level – Exclusive hotel floors with perks like free food and drinks.
Dynamic Award Pricing – When hotel point redemption rates change based on demand.
Elite Night Credit – A credit toward earning elite hotel status.
FHR (Fine Hotels & Resorts) – A luxury hotel booking program for Amex Platinum cardholders.
Flexible Cancellation – A booking policy allowing free cancellations before a deadline.
Go Free / Go Fast – Wyndham’s terms for free and discounted award nights.
Globalist – The highest elite status level in the World of Hyatt program.
Hotel Certificate – A free night voucher earned from credit cards or promotions.
Resort Fees – Mandatory fees charged by hotels that often don’t apply to award stays.
Room Upgrade – A free or paid upgrade to a better hotel room.
Suite Night Award (SNA) – A Marriott perk allowing confirmed suite upgrades.