What is an earning rate?

How a rate is expressed

Per unit of currency spent. Delta credits 5 miles in Classic or Refundable and 7 miles in Extra per US$1 spent on Delta-marketed flights, and 2 miles per US$1 with Delta Basic experiences [2]. This is the pattern usually described as revenue-based earning. The British Airways Club credits 6 Avios per pound to Blue members, 7 to Bronze, 8 to Silver and 9 to Gold on British Airways-marketed flights [4]. On Iberia flights, which sit in the same British Airways collection tables, Blue members collect 5 Avios per qualifying euro and Gold members 8 [4].

Percentage of miles flown. For many partner airlines, The British Airways Club publishes a share of the distance flown, set by cabin and booking class [4]. On Cathay Pacific flights from 1 November 2023, for example, the lowest economy classes (K, L, M, N, Q, S, V) collect 25% of miles flown, flexible economy 100%, business 125% and first 150% [4]. This is distance-based earning, and several partner tables set a floor: 500 Avios for Cathay Pacific, Alaska Airlines and Finnair, 300 for Qatar Airways and Royal Jordanian, and no minimum for Qantas or Malaysia Airlines, with the floor allowed to vary in discount economy [4].

Fixed amounts. Where the fare paid is not available, Iberia awards a fixed amount of Avios based on the origin and destination of each flight rather than a rate per pound or per mile [4]. American's AAdvantage earning page separates the base miles earned for eligible flight activity from bonus miles bought through Mileage Multiplier, and does not set out a per-flight rate table on that page [1].

What the rate is applied to

The figure a rate is multiplied by has its own definition. At Delta, the ticket price eligible to earn miles includes the base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges but excludes government-imposed taxes and fees [2]. On Delta Stays hotel bookings, miles are earned on the base hotel rate before taxes and fees, and gratuities, room service, other incidental charges and insurance costs are excluded, as is any portion of a stay paid for with miles [2].

British Airways works from what it calls "total eligible spend": the fare, carrier charges the airline may add, cabin upgrades, pre-booked and paid seats, and additional baggage [4]. Non-airline taxes and fees, such as airport charges and government taxes, do not collect Avios [4]. If a member pays in another currency, the amount spent is converted to GBP using the IATA five-day exchange rate that applied on the day of purchase, and the converted amount is used for the calculation [4]. Where Avios are used to part-pay a cash ticket, Avios are collected on the full ticket price before the discount was applied; where a discount or voucher code is used, the price after the discount applies [4].

Both programmes credit the flying member rather than the payer. Delta says miles are earned by the member whose name and SkyMiles number are on the ticket, regardless of who purchased the flight [2], and British Airways says members collect Avios for flights they fly themselves regardless of who bought the ticket [4].

Status multipliers and bonus miles

Status usually changes the rate rather than the base. Delta lists 7 miles per US$1 for Silver Medallion, 8 for Gold, 9 for Platinum and 11 for Diamond, and says the amount earned is based on Medallion status at the time of travel [2]. British Airways multiplies eligible spend by tier, from 6 Avios per pound for Blue up to 9 for Gold [4], and on partner flights where the rate is a percentage of miles flown it adds tier bonuses instead: 15% for Bronze, 30% for Silver and 50% for Gold on top of the base flight award for tickets where the fare paid is not available [4].

American describes its status benefit as a percentage uplift: with AAdvantage status, members earn more miles and Loyalty Points when travelling with American, oneworld and partner airlines, and the page lists uplifts of 40%, 60%, 80% and 120% more miles and Loyalty Points without naming which status receives each [1].

Ordinary flight mileage is kept apart from bonus miles. American says Mileage Multiplier bonus miles typically post within 48 hours of purchase and post separately from base miles earned for eligible flight activity, and that they do not count toward elite status qualification or Million Miler status [1]. Delta similarly treats miles from Delta Vacations packages, Delta Stays bookings and Delta car rentals as bonus miles that do not count toward Medallion status or Million Miler status [2].

Exceptions and limits

• Excluded fares. British Airways collects Avios on almost all its flights except Reward Flights, agency discounted fares and industry discounted fares [4]. Delta Main Basic tickets do not earn miles at all, and partner flights and certain exception fares earn miles differently from Delta-marketed flights [2].
• Fare not available. British Airways lists tickets booked as part of a British Airways Holidays package, flights with some partner airlines and some flights booked through travel agents as earning on a percentage of miles flown and cabin instead of price [4]. For negotiated fares on British Airways-marketed flights booked through UK travel management companies, Avios are earned on the equivalent fare available on ba.com at the time of booking, with that rule applying to bookings flown from 21 December 2025 onwards; other agent bookings where the fare was not available or disclosed earn on cabin, booking class, a percentage of miles flown and tier [4].
• Codeshares. Whether Avios are collected depends on the airline flight number on the ticket: a British Airways code collects no matter who operates the flight, a oneworld code collects only if the flight is also operated by a oneworld airline, and other codes do not collect; the amount is set by the airline code booked under [4].
• Posting time. British Airways credits Avios up to three days after a British Airways flight and up to seven days for partner flights [4].
• Small flight totals. American says that where the base miles associated with a flight are less than 500 miles, the member is offered the option to purchase a minimum of 500 bonus miles [1].
• Changeable terms. Delta reserves the right to change SkyMiles programme rules and mileage levels at any time with or without notice [2], and American states that prices and offers are subject to cancellation and change [1].

Related pages

Terms: revenue-based earning, distance-based earning, booking class earning, base miles, bonus miles. Guides: how to earn miles. Programme: AAdvantage.

Sources

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. Only American Airlines AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles and The British Airways Club earning pages are used here; the earning rates of United MileagePlus, Flying Blue, Aeroplan, Emirates Skywards and Miles & More are not covered, and the full cabin-by-cabin and booking-class tables published by these programmes are not reproduced in full.

1. American Airlines: Earn on American Airlines, AAdvantage program, checked 18 October 2026
2. Delta Air Lines: How to Earn Miles, SkyMiles, checked 18 October 2026
3. The British Airways Club: Collecting Avios on flights, checked 18 October 2026