FREQUENT FLYER GLOSSARY
What are upgrade awards?
An upgrade award (mileage upgrade) redeems miles or points to move a paid ticket into a higher cabin. Whether it is allowed, which cabin, which carriers and fares, and any co-pay must be read under each programme’s stated scope; this page quotes official sentences under scope labels and never shows mileage amounts.
Reviewed by: Content review · Last updated:
Key takeaways
- Upgrade awards are not free upgrades: they usually cost miles, and some programmes also charge a co-pay or taxes.
- Within one programme, own-metal and alliance partners, or domestic and international, often differ — sentences without a scope label are not shown.
- This page covers 6 programmes from knowledge #81; 17 field entries are sourced, the rest are marked per scope as lacking an official statement.
- Mileage amounts and exact upgrade prices are not shown here — confirm them on each programme’s official calculator or terms.
How to read scope
Official terms often split by route, carrier or product: for example Air India’s own flights vs Star Alliance partners, or ShebaMiles upgrades vs Star Alliance Upgrade Awards. This page uses the same controlled scope map as the preview candidates; source-page names (redemption rules page, terms page, and so on) render as “Source: …”, not as route scopes.
Where content review ruled side-by-side display (for example Malaysia Airlines Enrich Upgrade terms vs the definition clause, or Qatar’s separate pages), this page keeps each quote with its own source and never writes a blanket “always” rule.
What each programme's official text says
Five fields per programme: miles upgrade allowed, cabins, eligible fares/booking classes, carriers, and co-pay. Multi-scope fields carry scope labels.
| Frequent flyer programme | Official text by field and scope |
|---|---|
| ANA Mileage Club | Official text by field and scopeUpgrade with miles (ANA international routes):特典交換に必要なマイル数は、1区間（片道）の距離およびご利用クラスによって異なります。 Official source Upgrade with miles (ANA domestic routes): 2026年5月19日搭乗分より、ANA国内線航空券におけるエコノミークラスからプレミアムクラスへのマイルによるアップグレードが可能となります。 Official source Cabins you can upgrade to (ANA international routes): 旅程開始エリア エコノミークラスからプレミアムエコノミー プレミアムエコノミー・エコノミークラスからビジネスクラス Official source ビジネスクラスからファースト クラス Official source エコノミークラスからファーストクラスへのアップグレードはできません。 Official source Cabins you can upgrade to (ANA domestic routes): 2026年5月19日搭乗分より、ANA国内線航空券におけるエコノミークラスからプレミアムクラスへのマイルによるアップグレードが可能となります。 Official source Cabins you can upgrade to (Star Alliance airlines): エコノミークラスからファーストクラスへのアップグレードはできません。ただし、一部ファーストクラスとエコノミークラスの2クラス設定の便では、エコノミークラスからファーストクラスへのアップグレードが可能です。 Official source Eligible fares / booking classes (ANA international routes): 日本地区旅程開始 Y/B/M/U/H/Q/Vクラス G/E/Y/B/M/Uクラス J/C/D/Zクラス Official source 日本地区以外の旅程開始 Y/B/M/U/H/Q/Vクラス G/E/Y/B/M/U/Hクラス J/C/D/Zクラス Official source Eligible fares / booking classes (Star Alliance airlines): 対象運賃については運航各社で異なります。航空券の予約クラスで対象をご確認ください。 Official source パッケージツアーその他に適用される包括旅行運賃などでは、アップグレード特典はご利用できません。 Official source Eligible carriers (ANA international upgrade awards): ANA便名で他社が運航するコードシェア便や他社便名でANAが運航するコードシェア便はご利用できません。 Official source Eligible carriers (Star Alliance Upgrade Awards): 本特典は、スター アライアンス各社便のご利用になるため、各社システム事由などにより、特典をご利用できない場合があります。 Official source Extra fee / co-pay (ANA international routes): アップグレード特典のご利用にともない発生する「各種税金」、「空港利用料」、「燃油付加特別運賃」およびすべての付帯費用は会員ご本人様もしくはご搭乗者様負担になります。 Official source Extra fee / co-pay (ANA international routes: specific taxes on departures from the UK, France, Malaysia and Hong Kong SAR, China): マイルまたはアップグレードポイントによるアップグレードも課税対象になります。 Official source |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | Official text by field and scopeUpgrade with miles: no official statement found. Cabins you can upgrade to: no official statement found. Eligible fares / booking classes: no official statement found. Eligible carriers: no official statement found. Extra fee / co-pay: no official statement found. |
| KrisFlyer / PPS Club | Official text by field and scopeUpgrade with miles:“upgrade award(s)” refers to upgrades on a commercial Singapore Airlines flight marketed by Singapore Airlines as Advantage and Saver upgrade awards, which may be redeemed using KrisFlyer miles Official source Cabins you can upgrade to (Singapore Airlines operated flights): Two-class upgrades are now available for upgrades from Economy Class to Business Class for flights with a Premium Economy Class cabin are available with effect from 3 January 2019. Official source Cabins you can upgrade to (Star Alliance Upgrade Awards): Upgrades are available to the next higher class of service. Official source Double class upgrades are not permitted. Official source Eligible fares / booking classes (Singapore Airlines operated flights): The only tickets eligible for redemption of upgrade awards using KrisFlyer miles are Standard and Flexi tickets, being Economy Class tickets booked in Y, B, E, M, H, or W class, Premium Economy tickets booked in S, T, P or L class, and Business Class tickets booked in Z, C, J or U class, which are not industry discount, agency discount, award tickets or redemption tickets. Official source Eligible fares / booking classes (Star Alliance Upgrade Awards): Only selected booking classes on the participating airlines, as specified here, are eligible for upgrades. Official source Industry discount, agency discount or award tickets cannot be used for upgrades. Official source Eligible carriers (Singapore Airlines operated flights): “upgrade award(s)” refers to upgrades on a commercial Singapore Airlines flight marketed by Singapore Airlines Official source Eligible carriers (Star Alliance Upgrade Awards): Travel on Star Alliance Award tickets and Star Alliance Upgrade Awards is subject to capacity controls by the partner airline. Official source Extra fee / co-pay: KrisFlyer award tickets, upgrade awards and redemption tickets are subject to, and the passenger is responsible for, applicable departure taxes; Official source |
| JAL Mileage Bank | Official text by field and scopeUpgrade with miles:なお、JAL国際線アップグレード特典については、座席の占有の有無に関わらず、大人と同じ必要マイル数が必要です。 Official source Cabins you can upgrade to: no official statement found. Eligible fares / booking classes: no official statement found. Eligible carriers: no official statement found. Extra fee / co-pay: 国際線特典航空券やアップグレード特典のご利用に際して発生する出入国税、空港使用料、燃油特別付加運賃、航空保険料などの税金・料金などや各種手数料は、会員ご本人様または特典利用者のご負担となります。 Official source |
| TAP Miles&Go | Official text by field and scopeUpgrade with miles (TAP Air Portugal operated flights):Os Upgrades – alteração para uma Classe de serviço superior mediante desconto de milhas – não podem estar associados a Bilhetes de Milhas. Official sourceUpgrade with miles (Star Alliance airlines): As milhas só podem ser utilizadas em Upgrades para a Classe de viagem imediatamente superior à do bilhete comprado. Official sourceCabins you can upgrade to (TAP Air Portugal operated flights): Os Upgrades – alteração para uma Classe de serviço superior mediante desconto de milhas Official sourceCabins you can upgrade to (Star Alliance airlines): As milhas só podem ser utilizadas em Upgrades para a Classe de viagem imediatamente superior à do bilhete comprado. Official sourceAs tarifas que permitem Upgrade para Business são a Y e a B, e as tarifas que permitem o Upgrade para First Class são a C e a D. Official sourceEligible fares / booking classes (TAP Air Portugal operated flights): Os Upgrades – alteração para uma Classe de serviço superior mediante desconto de milhas – não podem estar associados a Bilhetes de Milhas. Official sourceOs Upgrades não estão disponíveis para reservas de grupo. Official sourceEligible fares / booking classes (Star Alliance airlines): As tarifas que permitem Upgrade para Business são a Y e a B, e as tarifas que permitem o Upgrade para First Class são a C e a D. Official sourceOs Upgrades estão disponíveis somente em determinadas Classes de reserva e podem variar consoante a Companhia Aérea operadora. Official sourceOs Upgrades não estão disponíveis em reservas de milhas. Official sourceEligible carriers (Star Alliance airlines): Os Upgrades estão disponíveis somente em determinadas Classes de reserva e podem variar consoante a Companhia Aérea operadora. Official sourceOs Upgrades não estão disponíveis para voos operados em codeshare Official sourceEligible carriers (TAP Air Portugal operated flights): no official statement found. Extra fee / co-pay (TAP Air Portugal operated flights): no official statement found. Extra fee / co-pay (Star Alliance airlines): no official statement found. |
| WestJet Rewards | Official text by field and scopeUpgrade with miles:WestJet Rewards members can also earn or redeem WestJet points when purchasing cabin upgrades at check-in, helping you save money or reach your next achievement. Official source When redeeming WestJet points on flight taxes, fees and charges or on and all items available post-booking, including, but not limited to, seat selection, checked bags and cabin upgrade fees, the number of WestJet points required may vary. Official source Cabins you can upgrade to: no official statement found. Eligible fares / booking classes: no official statement found. Eligible carriers: no official statement found. Extra fee / co-pay: no official statement found. |
The “candidate · pending review” upgrade block on programme pages remains preview-only; this glossary page cites the same sourced sentences for scope comparison.
Sources and review
- www.ana.co.jp
- www.ana.co.jp
- www.ana.co.jp
- www.flytap.com
- www.jal.co.jp
- www.jal.co.jp
- www.singaporeair.com
- www.westjet.com
- www.westjet.com
Quotes on this page are verbatim from each programme's official documents (archived in our knowledge base with capture dates) and checked by content review; no amounts are shown; fields the documents do not address are marked as lacking an official statement.
Reviewed by: Content review.