How European airline loyalty programmes work: miles, statuses and alliances

Why loyalty programmes matter

The outlet Euronews published a basic guide on 7 November 2026 to frequent flyer programmes in Europe. In the author's view, it is worth joining such programmes even for those who fly rarely: registration takes minimal effort, and the miles accumulated later allow you to get some money back on your next booking. Participation offers two main benefits — miles that can be used to pay for services, and elite status with perks such as lounge access.

How statuses work at different carriers

The names of miles and status points differ: Qatar Airways passengers earn both Avios (for paying for flights and upgrades) and Qpoints (for progressing through Privilege Club tiers) on every flight. The entry tier is called burgundy; silver requires 150 Qpoints within any 12-month period, gold 300, and platinum 600. Silver status brings, among other things, an extra 15 kg of baggage, priority boarding, lounge access and a 25% bonus on miles on eligible flights. At Air France-KLM the reward currency is called 'Miles', and status is determined by experience points, XP: 100 XP a year gives silver, 180 gold, and 900 ultimate. The higher the tier, the more miles you earn per flight, and some statuses include free seat selection and extra baggage.

The role of airline alliances

The author advises choosing one main airline and, where possible, flying with it and with other carriers in the same alliance — then miles can be transferred between the group's airlines. For example, miles earned on British Airways flights within Europe can be spent as a discount on a flight to Tokyo with Japan Airlines or to Sydney with Qantas: all three carriers belong to oneworld. It is easiest to choose your main airline based on the nearest airport: for instance, Amsterdam Schiphol is KLM's hub, and enrolling in the Flying Blue programme (shared by KLM, Air France and Transavia) opens up access to the SkyTeam alliance. In Europe it includes Air France, Air Europa, Scandinavian Airlines, TAROM and Virgin Atlantic; in North America, Delta Air Lines and Aeroméxico; in Asia, Korean Air, China Airlines, Vietnam Airlines and Saudia. Enrolling in Lufthansa Miles & More gives access to Star Alliance (Aegean Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines, as well as United Airlines, Air Canada, Copa Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Air China, ANA, EVA Air and Air New Zealand). For Madrid, the outlet recommends Iberia Club and the oneworld alliance, which includes British Airways, Finnair, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Qatar Airways, Malaysia Airlines and Qantas.

Low-cost carriers and earning without flying

Budget carriers such as Ryanair, Wizz Air and easyJet usually do not belong to alliances and do not offer classic frequent flyer programmes. However, easyJet sells an annual easyJet Plus membership with fast-track boarding, a larger cabin bag and free selection of premium seats, while Wizz Air offers a Discount Club with discounts on fares and baggage after paying an annual fee. Miles can also be earned without flying: in 2015, American Airlines sold 58% of its miles to third parties, meaning only 42% were earned through ticket purchases. Airline partners typically include hotels, car rental companies and tour operators, and sometimes retail as well: AerClub members with Aer Lingus earn Avios for Uber rides, M&S purchases and Domino's orders. Hotel chains such as Marriott Bonvoy and Accor allow you to convert points from stays into miles, although the exchange rate is not always 1:1.

Status match and the value of miles

Another reason to keep an eye on alliances is the status match: if you hold silver or gold status with one airline, you can obtain the equivalent at another without re-earning it through flights. Virgin Atlantic offers a match for all SkyTeam airlines: for silver, you need to book one flight in any class and confirm your current status; for gold, the same confirmation applies, but with a ticket in premium or upper class. Outside the alliance, Virgin Atlantic also matches the statuses of British Airways, Iberia and Lufthansa. Miles cannot be exchanged for cash, so their 'value' is not officially fixed: it is usually understood as the savings divided by the number of miles used. Points can be spent as a discount on tickets, on an upgrade, or entirely on a flight, but for each route airlines have a limited number of seats available only for miles. The author separately notes that they do not cover co-branded credit and debit cards, since they are not entitled to give financial advice, and recommends reading the terms and conditions carefully before subscribing to any products.