Glossary
What Are Tier Points?
Tier Points are the currency an airline uses to measure your progress towards elite status. They are deliberately separate from the miles or points you collect and spend on reward flights. You earn Tier Points by flying; you cross a threshold; you unlock a status tier and its benefits. You cannot spend Tier Points — they only exist to rank members.
Tier Points vs reward currency
Most frequent flyer programmes run two parallel balances:
- a redeemable currency (Avios, Qantas Points, AAdvantage miles) that you spend on flights, upgrades and other rewards; and
- a status currency that decides your tier.
Tier Points are the status currency for several programmes. British Airways, Finnair, Oman Air, Royal Jordanian and SriLankan all call their status currency "Tier Points" (or Tier Miles). Other airlines use different names for the same idea — Status Credits at Qantas, Loyalty Points at American, Status Points at Alaska and Cathay, and Qpoints at Qatar.
How Tier Points are earned
How you earn Tier Points depends on the airline. The common models are:
- By route and cabin — a fixed number per flight based on distance band and fare class.
- By spend — a number of Tier Points per pound or dollar of eligible fare, often with cabin or fare-flexibility bonuses. British Airways uses this model.
- A mix — a base amount plus a route-based bonus.
Tier Points usually expire at the end of a fixed collection year, so the clock resets and you must re-earn your status each year.
Why it matters
Because Tier Points are route- and fare-dependent, the same money can earn very different amounts depending on which flight, cabin and airline you choose. That is the whole point of comparing routes before you book — and what the Status Lark calculator is for.