Points & award travel glossary
The jargon of points, decoded. Plain-English definitions of the terms you'll meet across the site.
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- Award flight (reward seat)
- A flight booked with points or miles instead of cash. Airlines release a limited number of award seats per flight.
- Frequent flyer program
- An airline loyalty scheme where you earn a points/miles currency (e.g. Qantas Points) and spend it on flights, upgrades and perks.
- Fixed (award-chart) pricing
- When a program publishes an exact points price for a route band and cabin — the cost doesn't change with the cash fare. Qantas Classic Flight Rewards work this way.
- Dynamic pricing
- When the points price tracks the cash fare and moves constantly, with no published chart. Qantas Classic Plus and most US programs are dynamic.
- Cents per point (cpp)
- A measure of redemption value: the cash value you get divided by the points you spend, in cents. Higher is better.
- Transfer partner
- An airline or hotel program you can move a flexible currency (like Amex Membership Rewards) into, usually at a set ratio.
- Transfer ratio
- How many source points convert to destination points, e.g. 2:1 means two of your bank points become one airline point.
- Transfer bonus
- A limited-time uplift (e.g. +15%) on a transfer ratio, making a transfer temporarily better value.
- Flexible / transferable points
- Bank rewards currencies (e.g. Amex Membership Rewards) that can transfer to several airline or hotel partners, keeping your options open.
- Earn rate
- How many points you get per dollar of spend on a card, often varying by category with monthly caps.
- Sign-up bonus
- A large one-off points bonus for getting a card and meeting a minimum spend within a set period. Eligibility usually excludes recent cardholders.
- Sweet spot
- A redemption that delivers outsized value — typically a fixed-chart premium-cabin award where the cash fare is far higher than the points price.
- Alliance
- A global grouping of airlines (oneworld, Star Alliance, SkyTeam) that lets you earn and redeem one program's points across all member airlines.
- Own metal vs partner award
- An 'own metal' award is on the program's own airline; a 'partner award' is on another airline, often priced from a different chart.
- Carrier charges (fuel surcharges)
- Cash fees some airlines add to award bookings on top of the points, separate from taxes. They can be large on certain programs/routes.
- Award availability
- Whether a seat is actually released at the award price on your date. A great chart price only helps if a saver seat is open.
- Distance-based chart
- An award chart priced by the flown distance of a segment (e.g. Avios, Asia Miles). Longer flights cost more points in fixed bands.
- Region-based chart
- An award chart priced by the regions you travel between (e.g. KrisFlyer Saver), using the program's own zone map.
- Devaluation
- When a program raises the points needed for awards or weakens earn rates — usually with little notice. Why we date every figure.
- Stopover
- A long break (typically over 24 hours) at a connecting city, sometimes allowed on a single award for little or no extra points.
- Open-jaw
- An itinerary where you fly into one city and out of another, or return to a different home city — supported by some award rules.
- Co-branded card
- A credit card tied to a specific program (e.g. a Qantas or Velocity card) that earns that program's points directly.
- Positioning flight
- A separate (often cheap or short) flight you take to reach the city where your award itinerary starts.
- Status (elite tier)
- A loyalty tier earned through flying or spend that unlocks perks like lounge access, priority and bonus earn — separate from your points balance.
- Avios
- A points currency shared across British Airways Club, Qatar Privilege Club, Finnair Plus, Iberia Plus and Aer Lingus — pooled and distance-priced.
- Saver vs standard award
- Many programs offer a cheaper 'saver' award (limited availability) and a more expensive 'standard/flex' award with wider availability.