---
title: "What are Elite qualifying miles? | Benefit Systems"
description: "Elite qualifying miles are miles that count only towards reaching a frequent flyer tier and cannot be redeemed for awards."
source: "aus dem gebauten HTML abgeleitet"
---
# What are Elite qualifying miles?

Elite qualifying miles are miles that count only towards reaching a frequent flyer tier and cannot be redeemed for awards.

Also called: Qualifying miles, Tier points, Status miles.

## How it works #

Almost every programme runs two accounts side by side: a redeemable balance that gets spent, and a qualifying balance that tracks the qualification period and resets to zero afterwards. One flight credits both, often at different rates. Confusing the two numbers leads either to planning a redemption against a balance that cannot be spent, or to underestimating how close a tier actually is.

## Not to be confused with #

Elite qualifying miles are not the same as redeemable miles: redeemable miles pay for flights, qualifying miles buy nothing and reset when the qualification period ends.

## In German #

The German term is Statusmeilen. [German version of this term](/de/glossar/statusmeilen)

## Related terms #

- [Mile](/en/glossary/mile): A mile is the currency unit of a frequent flyer programme: a credit in an airline account that can be exchanged for flights and other awards.
- [Elite qualification](/en/glossary/elite-qualification): Elite qualification is the proof that enough flights, qualifying miles or spending have accumulated within a defined period to reach a status tier.
- [Mileage run](/en/glossary/mileage-run): A mileage run is a trip booked purely to collect the qualifying miles or segments still missing for a status threshold.

## Articles that use this term #

- [How many flights do you need for airline elite status?](/en/knowledge/elite-qualification)
- [What is the difference between points and miles?](/en/knowledge/points-vs-miles)
- [Is a mileage run worth it?](/en/knowledge/mileage-runs)
- [Do miles expire, and how do you stop it?](/en/knowledge/miles-expiry)
- [Can you pool points with your partner or family?](/en/knowledge/pooling-points)
- [How does a round-the-world ticket work?](/en/knowledge/round-the-world-tickets)