How to qualify for MEA Cedar Miles tiers

What are the Cedar Miles status tiers?

MEA lists four privilege levels in Cedar Miles: Blue, Silver (Elite), Gold, and Platinum (Elite Plus). [4] MEA ties Silver to SkyTeam Elite and both Gold and Platinum to SkyTeam Elite Plus, and says those cards stay valid for the period printed on the card. [3] A card is issued once the member has met the required Qualifying Miles or sector count within the same calendar year. [3] The member's status is determined by the number of Qualifying Miles or Qualifying Sectors earned in a calendar year. [3]

The thresholds and benefits attached to each level are detailed in Cedar Miles communication rather than in these general terms. [3]

How do you earn Qualifying Miles for status?

Qualifying Miles are earned on all MEA and SkyTeam flights, counted within one calendar year running from 1 January to 31 December. [4] The terms define Qmiles and Qsectors as the miles and sectors that count towards a member's status, and say they are earned on flights with MEA or any SkyTeam partner, on any airline partner the programme designates as eligible, and on any other activity marked as eligible for Qmiles or Qsectors. [3] Redeeming Miles for reward tickets does not reduce your Qmiles count. [4]

Miles and Qualifying Miles accrue on a regular ME or SkyTeam coded and operated flight in an eligible booking class, and eligible booking classes vary from one carrier to another. [4] Cedar Miles partner earning also covers regular Qatar Airways coded and operated flights in an eligible booking class, while codeshare flights operated by Air Canada, Etihad Airways, Kuwait Airways and Turkish Airlines count only when the member flies on a regular ME coded flight in an eligible booking class. [4] Reward tickets, certain discounted fares and group fares do not accrue Miles. [4] On MEA coded flights Cedar Miles grants a minimum of 500 Miles, and where the sector is shorter than 500 miles that minimum is multiplied by the accrual percentage of the booking class — MEA's example is Beirut–Cairo at 351 miles, which still earns 500 Miles each way. [4]

On MEA, the booking class sets the percentage of Qualifying Miles earned, as follows. [4]

MEA also describes the same rules in prose: members receive double mileage in Cedar Class and 25% additional mileage on full fare Economy in Y, B or M. [4] Where a flight is upgraded, Miles are credited on the booking class or fare originally purchased rather than the cabin actually flown. [3]

How much is the Cedar Miles tier bonus?

Members receive bonus Miles each time they fly with MEA or SkyTeam partners, with the rate set by status. [4] The tier bonus is calculated on the actual flown miles, and it does not count as Qualifying Miles towards privilege status. [4]

Exceptions and limits

• Thresholds. The numeric threshold for each level is set out in Cedar Miles communication rather than in the general terms, so the figure to reach Silver, Gold or Platinum is the one published there. [3]
• Miles expire on a fixed clock. Cedar Miles are valid for five years from the year they are accrued — miles earned on 3 April 2020 expire on 31 December 2025 — and are deducted automatically at the end of each year if they have not been redeemed against rewards. [3] The same five-year rule applies regardless of how active the member is. [3] [4]
• Year-end cut-off. A reward request that uses Miles expiring on 31 December must reach MEA by 15 December of the same year, and Miles expire at 9:00 PM Beirut time on 31 December. [3]
• Account inactivity. Membership may be terminated if a member fails to acquire Miles for more than 36 months. [3]
• No pooling. Miles and accounts cannot be transferred, sold or combined with another person's account, and members of the same family may not accumulate in the same account unless a special promotion allows it. [3]
• Reward travel. No Miles are earned on reward tickets, and rewards are valid for 12 months from the date of issue unless Cedar Miles provides otherwise. [3]
• Who can join. Membership is free and open to individuals over 12 years old; legal entities, associations, airline staff, travel agents and tour operators are not permitted to participate. [3]

Frequently asked questions

What are the Cedar Miles tiers in order?

Blue is the entry level, followed by Silver, Gold and Platinum. [4] Silver is recognised as SkyTeam Elite, while Gold and Platinum are recognised as SkyTeam Elite Plus. [3]

Which flights earn Qualifying Miles?

Qualifying Miles are earned on all MEA and SkyTeam flights within the calendar year, plus any other activity Cedar Miles marks as eligible for Qmiles. [3] [4] The booking class has to be an eligible one, and reward tickets and certain discounted or group fares do not accrue. [4]

Do tier bonus Miles help me reach the next tier?

No. The tier bonus is calculated on actual flown miles and is not a Qualifying Mile, so it does not count towards privilege status. [4]

Does spending Miles affect my status?

No. Using Miles for reward tickets does not decrease your Qmiles count. [4]

Do Cedar Miles expire while I am active?

Yes. Miles are valid for five years from the year of accrual and are deducted at each year end if unredeemed, even for active members. [3] [4]

Related pages

For the vocabulary used across frequent flyer programmes, start with the frequent flyer glossary, which includes entries on qualifying miles, elite status, status match and mileage expiry.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Other frequent flyer programmes, including those of other SkyTeam member airlines, are not covered here; see the frequent flyer glossary.

1. MEA Cedar Miles terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026
2. MEA Cedar Miles: Earn Miles With MEA, checked 18 October 2026