Miles Tool
Miles Calculator.
30+ frequent flyer programs across Star Alliance, SkyTeam, oneworld and independents. See how much you earn, when to redeem, and when to transfer credit card points to miles.
Frequently asked questions
Are miles better than cash in economy?+
On long-haul (NYC-LON, LAX-TYO), economy rarely wins: value per mile sits below 1.2¢. Redeem miles for business and first, where value per mile climbs to 3-6¢. Cash in economy + bank miles for J/F is the travel-hacker rule.
Star Alliance, SkyTeam or oneworld: which is best for Europe?+
Depends on origin. From the US: oneworld (American/British/Iberia) has more options via JFK/MIA. From São Paulo: Star Alliance (United/Lufthansa/TAP) via GRU is denser. SkyTeam (Delta/Air France/KLM) wins on intra-Europe connectivity.
Is Amex Membership Rewards worth it?+
Yes, especially in the US. 1:1 transfer ratios to 18+ programs including Air France Flying Blue, British Airways Avios, Singapore KrisFlyer, Virgin Atlantic. Periodic 30% bonuses to Virgin Atlantic and 25% to Etihad are opportunities to track.
Are Livelo, Esfera, Iupp transfer bonuses worth it?+
Yes, but only with 80%+ bonuses. A 100% Livelo→Smiles promo can push value per Livelo point to R$0.04-0.06. Without a bonus, transferring is almost always worse than spending Livelo directly inside Shopping Livelo Travel.
How many miles for a business class NYC-LON?+
Wide range: American AAdvantage uses 57,500 miles (sweet spot). British Airways Avios uses 75,000 (high London taxes). United asks 60,000-88,000 (dynamic pricing). Air France Flying Blue swings between 65,000-110,000. Always hunt saver awards.
How does the 30% Amex → Virgin Atlantic transfer bonus work?+
During promo windows (3-4x per year), Amex MR offers a 30% bonus. Transferring 50k MR yields 65k Virgin Miles. Pair with Virgin sweet spots: ANA business trans-Pacific for 47,500 Virgin Miles is one of the best redemptions on the market.
Do Livelo, Esfera, Iupp points expire?+
Livelo: 24 months from issuance. Esfera (Santander): 24 months. Iupp (Itaú): 24 months. Smiles: 24 months (extendable via Clube Smiles). TudoAzul: 24 months. LATAM Pass: 24 months. Do not hoard without a redemption plan — silent expiry is common.
Wise + a miles card: how do they combine?+
Wise does not earn miles (pure debit). Use a miles credit card (Amex Platinum, Chase Sapphire, Itaú Click, Bradesco Infinite) to earn MR/UR/Iupp, and Wise as the wallet to dodge FX fees on international purchases. Do not stack them on the same transaction.
Do regional programs (Smiles, TudoAzul, LATAM Pass) compete with global ones?+
On Brazil/LatAm domestic routes, yes. Internationally they lose on value per mile (0.9-1.2¢) versus the best alliance programs (1.3-1.6¢). Smiles has a niche issuing on Air Europa to Europe. TudoAzul is strong into North America via the United partnership.
Does status match between programs exist?+
Yes. American Platinum Pro → United Premier Platinum (challenge), British Airways Gold → Iberia Plus Platino (alliance status), Lufthansa HON Circle, Emirates Skywards Platinum. Typically requires status proof + qualifying flights within 90 days.
Trans-Pacific miles: which program is cheapest?+
Singapore KrisFlyer 92k saver business LAX-NRT is the benchmark. ANA via Virgin Atlantic at 47,500 is the hack. American 70k business via Cathay/JAL. Alaska Mileage Plan 60k Cathay business is one of the best values in the industry.
Are Avios from BA/Iberia/Aer Lingus/Qatar worth it?+
Yes for short-haul. Iberia Plus issues trans-Atlantic Madrid-NYC for 34k Avios saver (J: 68k). Pool Avios across BA, Iberia, Qatar, Aer Lingus, Finnair. Sweet spot for intra-Europe: 9k Avios short-haul.
Itaú Always On vs LATAM Pass Black: which earns more?+
Always On earns 2.2 Iupp points per dollar spent. LATAM Pass Itaú Black earns 2.5 miles per dollar. Iupp gives flexibility (transfers to G3, AD, LA); LATAM Pass Black is locked in but adds LATAM Elite perks. Pick by need: flexible → Always On.
How to minimize fees on award tickets?+
Avoid British Airways on London routes (£500+ surcharges). Use Aeroplan, Alaska, Avianca LifeMiles, ANA — all low-fee. Redeeming via TAP Miles&Go usually has low fees. Avoid Gulf carriers (EK, EY, QR) in business: big fuel surcharges.
Which miles program does Voyspark recommend for beginners?+
Link an MR card (Amex Gold) or UR card (Chase Sapphire Preferred) to keep optionality. Do not marry a single program early. Learn to compute value per mile first (1.2¢ Y, 3-6¢ J/F). Tools like this calculator help — start free here.
Related reading
Sources: official award charts (United, American, Air France-KLM, Singapore, Avianca, ANA, Cathay), public point transfer policies (Amex MR, Chase UR, Capital One, Citi ThankYou, Bilt, Livelo, Esfera, Iupp). Cash-per-mile values calibrated against The Points Guy, One Mile at a Time and Frequent Miler valuations.