What is a Frequent Flyer Program?
A frequent flyer program (FFP) is an airline's loyalty scheme that rewards customers with miles or points for flying with them or their partner airlines.
These miles can be redeemed for free flights (award tickets), upgrades and other travel benefits.
Every major airline operates its own program. Examples include Air India Maharaja Club, IndiGo BluChips, Emirates Skywards, and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer.
How do you earn airline miles?
There are multiple ways to accumulate miles in your frequent flyer account:
1. Flying
The traditional method: Earn miles based on booking price or your fare class. Premium cabins (Business/First) typically earn more miles than Economy.
Most airlines use either distance-based earning (miles = distance flown × multiplier) or revenue-based earning (miles = ticket price × multiplier).
2. Credit Card Spending
This is often the fastest way to accumulate miles. Many credit cards earn bank points that can be transferred to airline programs at a 1:1 or similar ratio.
Some airlines also offer co-branded credit cards that earn miles directly in their program.
3. Partner Activities
Earn miles through hotel stays, car rentals, dining programs, shopping portals, and other partner activities. These typically offer lower earning rates but can add up over time.
Understanding Airline Alliances
Most airlines belong to one of three major global alliances: Star Alliance, Oneworld, or SkyTeam. Alliance membership allows you to:
Earn miles when flying on any partner airline within the alliance.
Redeem miles for award tickets on any partner airline.
Enjoy reciprocal benefits like lounge access and priority boarding when you have elite status.
- Star Alliance: Includes Air India, Singapore Airlines, United, Lufthansa, Thai Airways, and 26+ airlines.
- Oneworld: Includes British Airways, Qantas, American Airlines, Qatar Airways, and 13+ airlines.
- SkyTeam: Includes Delta, Air France, KLM, Korean Air, and 19+ airlines.
Award Charts vs. Dynamic Pricing
Airlines use two main pricing models for award tickets:
Fixed Award Charts
Traditional model where the miles required for a route are predetermined based on distance and cabin class. Example: 15,000 miles for a domestic Economy ticket, 50,000 miles for an international Business class ticket.
Advantage: Predictable pricing, excellent value during peak seasons.
Disadvantage: Limited award availability, especially on popular routes.
Dynamic Pricing
Modern model where award prices fluctuate based on demand, similar to cash fares. The miles required can vary significantly depending on the date and route.
Advantage: More award availability.
Disadvantage: Can require significantly more miles during peak periods, reducing value.
Elite Status and Tier Benefits
Most frequent flyer programs have multiple elite tiers (Silver, Gold, Platinum) that you achieve by flying a certain number of miles or segments annually.
Elite status benefits typically include:
- Priority Services: Check-in, boarding, baggage handling, and standby.
- Lounge Access: Access to airline lounges for you and sometimes a guest.
- Bonus Miles: Earn 25%-100% more miles on flights.
- Complimentary Upgrades: Subject to availability.
- Waived Fees: Baggage fees, change fees, and award booking fees.
- Alliance Benefits: Reciprocal benefits when flying partner airlines.
Common beginner mistakes
- Spreading miles too thin: Having small balances in multiple programs instead of concentrating in one or two.
- Letting miles expire: Not tracking expiry dates and losing hard-earned miles.
- Booking last minute: Award availability is usually poor close to departure dates.
- Ignoring partner airlines: Missing out on better redemption opportunities through alliance partners.
- Not comparing cash vs. miles: Sometimes paying cash is better value than using miles.