What are Travel Points and how do they work?

Travel points—also known as frequent flyer miles or reward points—are a form of currency that can be earned and redeemed for travel-related benefits such as flights, hotel stays, and upgrades. For many, they’re a gateway to flying in premium cabins or staying in luxury hotels at a fraction of the cost. We’ll walk you through the basics: how travel points are earned, how they’re used, and what to keep in mind as you begin your journey with points.

What are travel points?

Travel points are part of loyalty programmes offered by airlines, credit card companies, and hotel chains. When you join a programme—such as The British Airways Club (which uses Avios), Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, or American Express Membership Rewards—you can start earning points through your everyday spending and travel.

Each travel points programme works a little differently, but the basic idea is the same: you earn points by spending money or flying. The most common ways to collect points are:

• Flying: Book flights with airlines that offer points, especially on long-haul routes or higher fare classes.
  
• Credit Cards: Use rewards credit cards on everyday purchases, such as the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold or Platinum cards popular in the UK.
  
• Hotel Stays and Car Rentals: Earn points by booking with hotel chains or car rental companies that partner with your travel programme.
  
• Shopping and Dining: Some programmes offer extra points when you shop online through their portals or dine at participating restaurants.

What can you use travel points for?

The most common (and valuable) use of travel points is for flights. In fact, when used correctly, points can unlock business class or first class seats for a small fraction of their cash price.

Here are a few typical redemption options:

• Flights: Both short-haul and long-haul, economy or premium cabins.
• Upgrades: Use points to move from economy to business class.
• Hotels: Some programmes allow hotel bookings or partner transfers.
• Experiences or Products: Often the least valuable use—best avoided if your goal is to maximise value.

The value of your points depends on how you use them

Not all redemptions are equal. For example, 100,000 points might cover a business class ticket worth £3,000—or they might only give you a hotel stay worth £400. This difference is why it’s essential to have a strategy and understand where your points offer the most value.

Airline partners, routing rules, transfer ratios, and availability all affect how far your points will take you. And that’s where expert advice can be the key to unlocking the best opportunities. If you're unsure about what to use your travel points for, you can read more about the different redemption options on our blog: here, or chat with our travel agents in the Chatflights App.