Miles Glossary
The terms of the miles world explained simply and directly — from CPM to stopover.
Airline alliance
A group of airlines that share miles earning and redemption. The three big ones are Star Alliance, oneworld and SkyTeam. Not every partnership goes through an alliance.
Award redemption
A ticket booked with miles (redemption), as opposed to a cash fare. An 'award fare' is the number of miles required for a segment.
Boarding fees / taxes
A cash amount charged even on miles redemptions (taxes, airport fees and sometimes carrier surcharges). Always include it in the cost-per-thousand math.
Club (points/miles)
A monthly subscription where you pay a fee and receive a fixed amount of points or miles every month, often with extended validity.
Cost per thousand (milheiro)
The value of 1,000 miles or points. Saying 'a cost per thousand of R$ 15' means each 1,000 miles cost (or is worth) R$ 15. It's the main measure for comparing whether to redeem or buy miles.
CPM (Cost per Thousand)
Stands for cost per 1,000 miles. The lower the CPM, the better your miles acquisition was.
Dynamic pricing
A model where the miles required vary with demand and the cash price, as Azul does. Requires comparing before every redemption.
Elite status / tier
A loyalty level (Silver, Gold, Diamond etc.) granting benefits like mileage bonuses, baggage, priority boarding and VIP lounges.
Fixed award chart
A model where the program charges a fixed amount of miles per route/region, regardless of the cash price. Makes it easier to find 'sweet spots'.
No-show
When a passenger doesn't show up for a flight without cancelling in advance. Usually forfeits the ticket or miles and fees — avoid at all costs.
Open jaw
A redemption where you arrive in one city and return from another (or depart from a city different than arrival). Useful for multi-destination itineraries.
Points coalition
A program that isn't an airline's, but concentrates points from many banks and stores to later transfer to miles programs. E.g. Livelo and Esfera.
Stopover
An extended stop (over 24h) in a connecting city, allowed by some programs at no extra miles cost. Lets you visit 'two destinations in one redemption'.
Sweet spot
A redemption that delivers well-above-average value — usually a route where the chart charges few miles for an expensive cash ticket.
Transfer bonus
A campaign where an origin program (Livelo, Esfera) offers extra miles when you transfer points to an airline program. At 100%, 10,000 points become 20,000 miles.
Transfer ratio
The conversion rate between two programs. '2:1' means 2 origin points become 1 destination mile. The better the ratio, the more miles you get.
Upgrade
Moving to a higher class (e.g. economy to business) using miles, points or status benefits. Can be a good way to use miles.