Miles Calculator
Air miles calculator
Great-circle distance: the shortest path over the Earth's surface, and the figure airlines usually use when they count miles flown.
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Flight times assume typical jet cruising speed plus half an hour for taxi, climb and descent. Real routings run a little longer than the great circle because of winds, airways and airspace closures.
How this calculator works
The distance shown is the great-circle distance: the shortest path between two airports over the surface of the Earth. It's calculated on the WGS-84 model of the Earth, the same one used by GPS and in aviation, which accounts for the Earth being slightly flattened at the poles. Add stops to work out a multi-leg trip, or check the flight back for a round trip.
Looking for a particular trip? See distances and miles for popular routes from Los Angeles, New York, London and Singapore.
Common questions
How are air miles calculated?
“Air miles” can mean two things. The distance is the great-circle distance between the two airports, the figure shown above. The frequent flyer miles you earn depend on your program. Distance-based programs, such as KrisFlyer, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles and Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles, credit a percentage of the distance depending on the fare you book: cheap economy fares may earn 25% or 50%, and premium fares 150% or more. Others, including United, Delta, American Airlines and British Airways, reward what you spend instead. The status calculator works this out for 37 programs, and our guides explain the rules.
Why does my airline show a different distance?
Many airlines and frequent flyer programs don't use the exact great-circle distance. Some use published industry distance tables between cities, some round figures or use city-to-city rather than airport-to-airport distances, and a few credit a fixed amount per flight instead. So a program's figure can differ from ours by a few miles, or occasionally more. The distance you actually fly is usually a little longer too, because of winds, air routes and closed airspace.
Do connecting flights earn more miles than a nonstop?
Often, yes. Each flight is counted separately, and going via a hub is usually farther than flying nonstop, so distance-based programs credit more miles for the same journey. Programs that reward spending, such as United, Delta and American Airlines, pay on the fare instead, so the extra distance makes no difference there. Use “Add a stop” to compare the two.
What's the difference between award miles and status points?
Award miles (called points or Avios in some programs) are what you spend on flights and upgrades. Status points, also called tier points or qualifying miles, count toward an elite tier such as Gold over a set period and are never spent. Most flights earn both, often at different rates. See the status targets for 37 programs in one table.
Do I earn miles when I fly a partner airline?
Usually, if the airline is in the same alliance as your program or has its own agreement with it. But partner flights often earn at different rates from the program's own airline, and some cheap fares earn nothing. The status calculator covers partner airlines for AAdvantage, SkyMiles, MileagePlus, Aeroplan, The British Airways Club, Qantas Frequent Flyer, KrisFlyer and Miles&Smiles. It also checks that the airline you pick actually flies the route.
How is the flight time worked out?
It's an estimate: the distance at a typical jet cruising speed of about 830 km/h (515 mph), plus half an hour for taxi, climb and descent. Scheduled times are usually a little longer, especially flying west against the jet stream.
Should I use miles, nautical miles or kilometers?
Frequent flyer programs almost all count ordinary (statute) miles. A few, such as Air China PhoenixMiles, count kilometers. Pilots and air traffic control use nautical miles: one nautical mile is 1.852 km, or about 1.15 statute miles.
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