Where should you credit your flight?

Flight Creditor: Where to Credit Your Flight for the Most Miles

Quick answer: credit your flight to the frequent flyer program that pays the most for your booking class, the single letter on your ticket. On a cheap long-haul ticket that's usually a partner program that earns by distance. On an expensive ticket it's usually the airline's own program, which earns by price. On a short flight, a program with a minimum per flight, like Alaska's 500 miles, often wins. Flight Creditor works this out for your exact ticket across 54 frequent flyer programs and 127 airlines.

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How to use Flight Creditor

1. Pick the airline you're flying. That's the airline operating the plane, which isn't always the one that sold you the ticket.
2. Add your route. Enter each flight, use Add connection for stops, and switch on Round trip to count the way back.
3. Pick your booking class. Once you choose the airline, its booking classes appear grouped by cabin. Find yours on your confirmation or e-ticket, usually next to the cabin, like "Economy (K)". It isn't the longer fare basis code.
4. Add the ticket price (optional). Programs that earn by price, like United MileagePlus, Delta SkyMiles and American AAdvantage on their own tickets, need it. Use the fare plus carrier surcharges, without government taxes. You can also set who issued the ticket and your fare type (basic, standard or flexible).

Results appear as soon as the flight is complete. You get the program with the most award miles, the one with the most status credit, and every program ranked, with what each elite tier earns. Star the programs you belong to and switch on Only my programs to compare just those. Every result has its own link you can copy and share.

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What decides how many miles a flight earns

• Booking class. Each program sets a percentage of the distance flown for each letter. Full-fare and premium cabin letters often earn 100% or more. Deep-discount economy letters might earn 25% or nothing.
• Distance. Distance-based programs multiply that percentage by the miles flown, airport to airport, for each flight.
• Price and who issued the ticket. Revenue-based programs pay per dollar (or euro, pound, Canadian dollar) instead, but only on tickets their own airline issued. Book a United flight on a Lufthansa ticket and Miles&More earns by price while MileagePlus earns by distance.
• Minimums. Some programs pay at least a set number of miles per flight, whatever the distance. Alaska pays 500 for members without status, more with it.
• Elite status. Most programs add a bonus for elite members, from a few percent to more than double.
• Fare brand and route. A few programs earn differently on basic or flexible fares, within a region (Miles&More within North America, SAS within Scandinavia) or not at all to certain countries or airports. Flight Creditor applies these rules when it knows your route and fare.

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Worked example: a cheap United ticket to Singapore

You buy a round trip on United from San Francisco (SFO) to Singapore (SIN) in economy class K for $700. That's 16,878 miles flown.

Crediting to Miles&Smiles or LifeMiles earns four times what MileagePlus pays a member without status for the same seats. If the fare had booked into class T, Miles&Smiles would pay 75% of distance, or 12,658 miles.

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Worked example: a short flight where the minimum wins

You fly Finnair from Bergen (BGO) to Stockholm (ARN) in class Z, a 441-mile flight.

A quarter of 441 miles is only 110, but Alaska's 500-mile minimum applies per flight, so Atmos Rewards pays more than four times as much. On short hops, look for programs with a minimum.

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Worked example: when the airline's own program wins

You buy a full-fare United economy ticket from San Francisco (SFO) to Chicago (ORD) in class Y for $1,200. The flight is 1,842 miles.

On a pricey ticket, earning by price wins. With Premier 1K status, MileagePlus pays 9 miles per dollar, or 10,800 miles. Same airline as the first example, opposite answer, which is why it pays to check every time.

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Award miles vs. status credit

Flight Creditor shows two numbers, and they don't always point to the same program.

Award miles (redeemable miles) are what you spend on award flights. If you just want the biggest balance, follow the award miles pick.

Status credit (qualifying miles, points or credits) counts toward elite status. Some flights earn award miles but no status credit, or the other way round. If you're close to a tier, crediting there can be worth more than a few thousand extra miles somewhere else. A flight can only go to one program, so decide which goal matters more.

Many programs now award status on spend or their own point systems rather than miles flown. For those, use a program-specific calculator, like our United PQP Calculator or the Alaska Miles Calculator.

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Where to credit by airline

Every airline has its own page listing each booking class and the program that pays the most for it, with the airline's own program alongside: United, American, Delta, British Airways, Lufthansa and all 127 airlines.

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Make sure the miles are useful

The program that earns the most isn't always the best home for your miles. Before you credit to a program you don't normally use, check three things.

Can you top it up? Miles are most useful in programs you can add to with credit card points. Air Canada Aeroplan takes transfers from Chase, Amex, Capital One and Bilt; Turkish Miles&Smiles from Citi, Capital One and Bilt; Avianca LifeMiles from Amex, Citi, Capital One and Bilt. The Transfer Tool shows the full list.

Will you ever redeem there? A small balance in a program that doesn't book the airlines you fly is hard to use. The Award Flight Pricer shows which programs price well on your routes.

Do the miles expire? Some programs expire miles after a period of inactivity, others after a fixed term. Check before you credit to a program you'll rarely touch.

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Where the data comes from

Earning charts come from wheretocredit.com, run by Travel-Dealz, and are refreshed regularly; the results show the date. Distances are great-circle estimates between airports, so a program using its own published mileage can differ slightly. Promotions, co-branded card bonuses and caps aren't included. Programs change their partner charts without much notice, so confirm on the program's own earning page before a big trip.

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Frequently asked questions

Which frequent flyer program should I credit my flight to?

The one that pays the most for your booking class and ticket price. On cheap long-haul economy tickets, a distance-based partner usually earns the most. On expensive tickets, the airline's own revenue-based program usually wins. On short flights, a program with a per-flight minimum often does. Flight Creditor ranks every program for your exact flight.

Can I credit a United flight to Air Canada Aeroplan?

Yes. United and Air Canada are both in Star Alliance, so you can add your Aeroplan number to a United booking. In our data, United class K earns 25% of distance in Aeroplan and class T earns 50%.

Where do I find my booking class?

It's a single letter on your booking confirmation, receipt or e-ticket, usually next to the cabin name, like "Economy (K)". In the airline's app it's under trip details. It's also called the fare class or booking code, and it isn't the longer fare basis code.

Is it better to credit a flight to the airline I'm flying?

On expensive tickets, often yes, because revenue-based programs like United, Delta and American pay per dollar spent. On cheap long-haul tickets, a distance-based partner often earns more. Flight Creditor shows which applies to your flight.

Does it matter who issued my ticket?

Yes. Revenue-based programs only earn by price on tickets their own airline issued. A United flight on a Lufthansa-issued ticket earns MileagePlus miles by distance and booking class instead, while Miles&More earns by price. Set Ticketed by in Flight Creditor to match your ticket.

Can I credit one flight to two frequent flyer programs?

No. Each flight can only be credited to one program. Choose based on whether you care more about award miles or elite status.

Can I add my frequent flyer number after I fly?

Usually. Most programs let you request credit for a past flight, but the time limit and the documents they ask for vary by program. It's easier to add the number before you check in.

Where should I credit American Airlines flights?

It depends on the fare. For a $600 round trip from New York (JFK) to London (LHR) in class S, Flight Creditor shows Finnair Plus, Japan Airlines Mileage Bank and British Airways Club at 3,442 miles each, AAdvantage at 3,000 and Alaska's Atmos Rewards at 1,722. A pricier ticket would tip the result toward AAdvantage.

What's the difference between redeemable and qualifying miles?

Redeemable miles are what you spend on awards. Qualifying miles (or points, or credits, depending on the program) count toward elite status. Some flights earn one and not the other, so Flight Creditor shows both.

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The bottom line

The frequent flyer number you type at booking is a small choice with a big effect. On cheap long-haul tickets, a partner program can earn several times as much. On pricey tickets, the airline's own program usually wins. Enter your flight in Flight Creditor before you book, credit to the program that fits your goals, and use the Award Flight Pricer to plan where those miles go next.