Airline elite status: miles versus tier points
Every frequent flyer program runs two counters. One is the miles or points you spend on flights. The other decides your elite tier, and it goes by a different name in each program: qualifying dollars, tier points, status credits, loyalty points. This guide explains how the two differ and compares the tiers of 22 programs, each with its own page on what every tier needs, what it gets you, upgrades, the cards that help and the other ways in, all from the airlines' own pages.
Written and reviewed by the Points Plug team. Last reviewed .
Redeemable miles versus status credit
Redeemable miles
- A currency you spend on award flights, upgrades, hotels and more.
- Earned from flights, credit cards, bank point transfers, shopping and partners.
- Can usually be bought, transferred or pooled.
- Stays in your account until it expires under the program's own rule.
Status credit
- A counter that decides your tier. It cannot be spent.
- Earned mainly by flying; some programs also count card spending.
- Usually resets each qualification period; lifetime counters are the exception.
- Decides baggage, lounges, upgrades, seats and bonus miles.
The two usually arrive together from the same flight but part ways everywhere else. Moving bank points into an airline program adds miles and no status. An award ticket spends miles, and whether it earns status credit depends on the program. A cheap long-haul fare can earn plenty of miles in a distance-based program while barely moving a spend-based status counter. Each program page below works through a real trip that earns both.
Because the counters are separate, selling or spending a miles balance never touches your tier, and losing a tier never removes miles. Miles expire on their own schedule, listed on the miles expiry page.
Every program's status tiers compared
| Program | Status counted in | Entry tier | Top published tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| United MileagePlus | Premier qualifying points | Premier Silver 6,000 PQP, or 5,000 PQP + 15 PQF | Premier 1K 28,000 PQP, or 22,000 PQP + 60 PQF |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | Loyalty Points | AAdvantage Gold 40,000 LPs | AAdvantage Executive Platinum 200,000 LPs |
| Delta SkyMiles | Medallion Qualification Dollars | Silver Medallion $5,000 MQDs | Diamond Medallion $28,000 MQDs |
| Alaska Atmos Rewards | status points | Atmos Silver 20,000 status points | Atmos Titanium 135,000 status points |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Status Qualifying Credits | Aeroplan 25K 25,000 SQC | Aeroplan Super Elite 125,000 SQC |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | tiles | Mosaic 1 50 tiles | Mosaic 4 250 tiles |
| Avianca LifeMiles | qualifying miles | Red Plus 6,000 qualifying miles (1,000 on Avianca) | Magno 110,000 qualifying miles, all on Avianca |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Elite miles (KrisFlyer Elite Silver and Gold) and PPS Value (PPS Club) | KrisFlyer Elite Silver 25,000 Elite miles | Solitaire PPS Club 50,000 PPS Value |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | Status Points | Silver 300 Status Points | Diamond Exec 2,400 Status Points |
| Korean Air SKYPASS | Flown miles and Korean Air flight points | Morning Calm Club 50,000 miles or 80 flight points | Million Miler Club 1,000,000 lifetime miles |
| JAL Mileage Bank | FLY ON Points | JMB Crystal 30,000 FOP | JMB Diamond 100,000 FOP |
| ANA Mileage Club | Premium Points | Bronze Service 30,000 PP | Diamond Service 100,000 PP |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | Status Credits | Silver 300 Status Credits | Platinum One 3,600 Status Credits |
| Virgin Australia Velocity | Status Credits | Silver 250 Status Credits (125 on Virgin Australia) | Platinum Plus 2,000 Status Credits (1,500 on Virgin Australia) |
| British Airways Club | Tier Points | Bronze 3,500 tier points | Gold Guest List 65,000 tier points (40,000 to renew) |
| Lufthansa Miles & More | Points, Qualifying Points and HON Circle Points | Frequent Traveller 650 Points incl. 325 Qualifying Points | HON Circle Member 6,000 HON Circle Points |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | Experience Points | Silver 100 XP | Flying Blue Ultimate 900 UXP |
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | Status Miles | Classic Plus 25,000 Status Miles or 40 flights | Elite Plus 80,000 Status Miles |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | Tier Points | Silver 400 Tier Points | Gold 1,000 Tier Points |
| Emirates Skywards | Tier Miles | Silver 25,000 Tier Miles or 25 flights | Platinum 150,000 Tier Miles + 1 premium flight |
| Etihad Guest | Tier Miles | Silver 25,000 Tier Miles (18,750 until 31 Mar 2027) | Emerald US$150,000 flight spend |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | Qpoints | Silver 150 Qpoints (135 until 30 Nov 2026) | Platinum 600 Qpoints (540 until 30 Nov 2026) |
How airlines count status
Spend-based
Status follows the money. Every dollar of base fare and carrier surcharges counts, so a pricey short flight can be worth more than a cheap long one.
United MileagePlus (PQP), Delta SkyMiles (MQDs), Air Canada Aeroplan (SQC), JetBlue TrueBlue (tiles), Virgin Australia Velocity (Status Credits), British Airways Club (tier points)
Points from flying and spending
One points counter that flights, co-brand card spending, shopping portals and dining all feed, so status can be earned without flying much.
American Airlines AAdvantage (LPs), Alaska Atmos Rewards (status points), Avianca LifeMiles (qualifying miles), Etihad Guest (Tier Miles)
Tier points per flight
Each flight earns a fixed number of tier points or status credits set by distance band and cabin, and the fare paid matters only through the cabin or fare family.
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (Status Points), JAL Mileage Bank (FOP), ANA Mileage Club (PP), Qantas Frequent Flyer (Status Credits), Lufthansa Miles & More (Points), Air France-KLM Flying Blue (XP), Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (Tier Points), Emirates Skywards (Tier Miles), Qatar Airways Privilege Club (Qpoints)
Miles flown
Status counts miles actually flown, weighted by cabin or fare class.
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer (Elite miles), Korean Air SKYPASS (miles), Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles (Status Miles)
Which tier gives which alliance status
Alliance status is what partner airlines recognise. The first tier with an alliance label is the cheapest way into that alliance tier through each program.
Star Alliance
- United MileagePlus
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Aeroplan 25K: Star Alliance Silver
- Aeroplan 35K: Star Alliance Silver
- Aeroplan 50K: Star Alliance Gold
- Aeroplan 75K: Star Alliance Gold
- Aeroplan Super Elite: Star Alliance Gold
- Avianca LifeMiles
- Red Plus: Star Alliance Silver
- Silver: Star Alliance Silver
- Gold: Star Alliance Gold
- Diamond: Star Alliance Gold
- Magno: Star Alliance Gold
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- KrisFlyer Elite Silver: Star Alliance Silver
- KrisFlyer Elite Gold: Star Alliance Gold
- ANA Mileage Club
- Bronze Service: Star Alliance Silver
- Platinum Service: Star Alliance Gold
- Diamond Service: Star Alliance Gold
- Lufthansa Miles & More
- Frequent Traveller: Star Alliance Silver
- Senator: Star Alliance Gold
- HON Circle Member: Star Alliance Gold
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- Classic Plus: Star Alliance Silver
- Elite: Star Alliance Gold
- Elite Plus: Star Alliance Gold
oneworld
- American Airlines AAdvantage
- AAdvantage Gold: oneworld Ruby
- AAdvantage Platinum: oneworld Sapphire
- AAdvantage Platinum Pro: oneworld Emerald
- AAdvantage Executive Platinum: oneworld Emerald
- Alaska Atmos Rewards
- Atmos Silver: oneworld Ruby
- Atmos Gold: oneworld Sapphire
- Atmos Platinum: oneworld Emerald
- Atmos Titanium: oneworld Emerald
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Silver: oneworld Ruby
- Gold: oneworld Sapphire
- Diamond: oneworld Emerald
- JAL Mileage Bank
- JMB Crystal: oneworld Ruby
- JMB Sapphire: oneworld Sapphire
- JGC Premier: oneworld Emerald
- JMB Diamond: oneworld Emerald
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Silver: oneworld Ruby
- Gold: oneworld Sapphire
- Platinum: oneworld Emerald
- Platinum One: oneworld Emerald
- British Airways Club
- Bronze: oneworld Ruby
- Silver: oneworld Sapphire
- Gold: oneworld Emerald
- Gold Guest List: oneworld Emerald
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club
- Silver: oneworld Ruby
- Gold: oneworld Sapphire
- Platinum: oneworld Emerald
SkyTeam
- Delta SkyMiles
- Silver Medallion: SkyTeam Elite
- Gold Medallion: SkyTeam Elite Plus
- Platinum Medallion: SkyTeam Elite Plus
- Diamond Medallion: SkyTeam Elite Plus
- Korean Air SKYPASS
- Morning Calm Club: SkyTeam Elite
- Morning Calm Premium Club: SkyTeam Elite Plus
- Million Miler Club: SkyTeam Elite Plus
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- Silver: SkyTeam Elite
- Gold: SkyTeam Elite Plus
Status guides by program
- United MileagePlus elite status: Premier Silver, Premier Gold, Premier Platinum, Premier 1K
- American Airlines AAdvantage elite status: AAdvantage Gold, AAdvantage Platinum, AAdvantage Platinum Pro, AAdvantage Executive Platinum
- Delta SkyMiles elite status: Silver Medallion, Gold Medallion, Platinum Medallion, Diamond Medallion
- Alaska Atmos Rewards elite status: Atmos Silver, Atmos Gold, Atmos Platinum, Atmos Titanium
- Air Canada Aeroplan elite status: Aeroplan 25K, Aeroplan 35K, Aeroplan 50K, Aeroplan 75K, Aeroplan Super Elite
- JetBlue TrueBlue elite status: Mosaic 1, Mosaic 2, Mosaic 3, Mosaic 4
- Avianca LifeMiles elite status: Red Plus, Silver, Gold, Diamond, Magno
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer elite status: KrisFlyer Elite Silver, KrisFlyer Elite Gold, PPS Club, Solitaire PPS Club
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles elite status: Silver, Gold, Diamond, Diamond Exec
- Korean Air SKYPASS elite status: Morning Calm Club, Morning Calm Premium Club, Million Miler Club
- JAL Mileage Bank elite status: JMB Crystal, JMB Sapphire, JGC Premier, JMB Diamond
- ANA Mileage Club elite status: Bronze Service, Platinum Service, Diamond Service
- Qantas Frequent Flyer elite status: Silver, Gold, Platinum, Platinum One
- Virgin Australia Velocity elite status: Silver, Gold, Platinum, Platinum Plus
- British Airways Club elite status: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Gold Guest List
- Lufthansa Miles & More elite status: Frequent Traveller, Senator, HON Circle Member
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue elite status: Silver, Gold, Platinum, Flying Blue Ultimate
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles elite status: Classic Plus, Elite, Elite Plus
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club elite status: Silver, Gold
- Emirates Skywards elite status: Silver, Gold, Platinum
- Etihad Guest elite status: Silver, Gold, Platinum, Emerald
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club elite status: Silver, Gold, Platinum
Elite status FAQ
- What is the difference between airline miles and tier points?
- Miles (or points, or Avios) are a currency you spend on award flights and upgrades. Tier points, status credits and qualifying dollars are a separate counter that only decides your elite tier; you cannot spend them, and most reset at the end of each qualification period. One flight usually earns both, but many things earn only one: bank point transfers add miles and no status credit, and award tickets earn status credit in some programs and nothing in others.
- Do I lose my miles when my status resets?
- No. The status counter resets each qualification year, but the redeemable balance follows its own expiry rules, which are listed for every program on our miles expiry page.
- Which airline status is easiest to earn?
- It depends on how you travel. Programs that count spending reward expensive tickets, programs that count tier points per flight reward premium cabins and long trips, and programs that let card spending count can be reached with little flying. The comparison table on this page puts every program's entry and top tier side by side.
- Can I get elite status without flying?
- Often partly. Several programs count co-brand credit card spending, and many run status matches or challenges for members who hold status elsewhere. Each program page lists the cards and other routes that program itself publishes.
- Does status on one airline work on its partners?
- Within an alliance, yes. Each program's tiers map to an alliance tier, such as Star Alliance Gold, oneworld Emerald or SkyTeam Elite Plus, which carries lounge access, priority and extra baggage on member airlines. The alliance table on this page shows how every program maps.