Points vs. Miles: Same Same, But Totally Different

If you’ve ever fallen down the rabbit hole of travel rewards, you’ve probably asked yourself, “Wait… are points and miles the same thing?”

Great question. Short answer: yes-ish. Long answer? Buckle up.

Points and Miles: The Same, But Not Really

Let’s clear this up once and for all. Points and miles both come from loyalty programs. You earn them, you spend them, and you get perks that make your wallet feel like it just won the lottery. But the difference lies in where they come from and how you can use them.

• Miles come from airlines.✈️
• Points come from banks and hotels.💳 🏨

So technically, they’re cousins — not twins.👩🏻‍🦰👩🏻

Let’s Talk Miles

Miles are the OGs of the travel rewards world. You usually earn them one of two ways:

How to Earn Airline Miles:

• Flying with an airline that has a frequent flyer program (think: Delta SkyMiles, United MileagePlus, American AAdvantage).
• Using an airline-branded credit card like the Citi®/AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® or the Alaska Airlines Visa®.
• Shopping through an airline’s online shopping portal (yes, buying socks can get you closer to a free flight).

How to Spend Airline Miles:

• Free flights (even international ones, if you stack right).
• Seat upgrades to premium cabins like business or first class.
• In-flight extras, like snacks, Wi-Fi, or checked bags.
• Partner airline redemptions — use American Airlines miles to fly Qatar Airways, for example.

Example: Let’s say you’ve got 50,000 Delta SkyMiles. That could get you a round-trip economy flight from LAX to JFK, or a one-way business class seat to London.

Now, Let’s Talk Points

Points are the cool, flexible little siblings in the loyalty family. They come from banks or hotel programs, and they do a lot more than just book flights.

How to Earn Points:

• Using a travel credit card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® or American Express Platinum®.
• Staying at hotel chains like Marriott, Hilton, or Hyatt, which all have their own point systems.
• Dining out, grocery shopping, even paying bills — many cards give bonus points in specific categories.
• Shopping through an online shopping portal like Rakuten. Here you would link your American Express account to earn Amex Points.

How to Spend Points:

• Travel bookings through a card’s travel portal (Chase Travel, Amex Travel, etc.).
• Transfer to airline or hotel partners to get more value.
• Statement credits, gift cards, or even Amazon purchases (though these options are less valuable).

Example: 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points can be used to book a $750 flight through Chase Travel — or you could transfer them to Hyatt and snag two nights at a five-star resort. Your call.

Points vs. Miles: Which Is Better?

Ah, the million-point question. It depends on your travel goals.

• If you’re loyal to one airline and want to fly for cheap or upgrade to lie-flat luxury, miles might be your best friend.
• If you want flexibility and like playing the transfer game to get the most bang for your swipe, points are where it’s at.

Pro tip: Many travelers (including us) use both. We earn points through cards like Amex Platinum or Chase Sapphire, then transfer them to airline programs to book award flights. It’s like a loyalty program Voltron.

Final Thought: Don’t Overthink It — Strategize It

At the end of the day, points and miles are just tools. They don’t have feelings. They don’t care how you use them. But if you learn how to earn them wisely and redeem them cleverly, they’ll take you farther than you thought possible — sometimes literally to the other side of the world.

So next time someone asks, “Are points and miles the same thing?” you can confidently say: They’re related. But one wears a pilot’s hat and the other wears a suit from Wall Street.

And now you know.

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