About Alex and Milesmate

I got into points and miles the way a lot of people do - someone showed me.

It was my friend Andrew at my first job. He pulled up his frequent flyer account one afternoon and walked me through what he'd booked: two business class tickets to Europe for a fraction of what it would have cost in cash. I remember thinking it seemed almost too good to be true.

He pointed me toward a few blogs like One Mile at a Time - the ones where people document redemptions, break down programs, and share what actually works. I started reading and I couldn't stop.

That conversation changed how I thought about every trip that I took.

My first "real redemption" was 22,500 AAdvantage miles for a trip to Paris. It was economy, but I didn't care - my girlfriend and I were flying to Paris for less than the taxes of a cash ticket. After that I started paying closer attention to the world of points.

I'd get creative visiting friends in other parts of the country - seeking out awards that included fun itineraries that ranged from short hops on Cessna Caravans, domestic widebodies from LAX to DFW, and more. From there I was bit by the points and miles bug.

A few years later, I fly close to 100,000 miles a year and travel all over the world using points and miles. Last year alone I redeemed close to $60,000 in award travel on AAdvantage miles. While Qatar Airways Qsuites and JAL business class came later, it started with Paris.

It all began with an AAdvantage Redemption to Paris in the summer of 2018

Honestly? It started as a side project to learn more about these programs. I wanted to figure out how to 'get the math right' when it came to calculating elite earnings and maximizing redemptions.

I kept running into is that airline loyalty programs are deliberately opaque. Earning rates differ by fare class, cabin, and whether you're on the airline's own metal or a partner flight. When it comes to redeeming miles, there's no easy way to know if you're getting good value or leaving money on the table.

I was doing this math in my head or in spreadsheets. Milesmate was a product of that.

Every calculator on this site reflects the rules used by airlines for calculating their ticket earnings. I've also created calculators that calculate the logic I apply when I'm deciding whether to book with miles or pay cash for a flight. I hope you'll have the chance to check them out.

An example of our Miles vs Cash Calculator for the AAdvantage Program

How the Calculators Work

Milesmate covers the four major US airline loyalty programs: American Airlines AAdvantage®, Delta SkyMiles®, United MileagePlus®, and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan®.

Each calculator is built around how that program actually works. For example AAdvantage Loyalty Points are revenue-based. Delta MQDs are spend-based with credit card accelerators. United PQP is fare-based with partner caps. Alaska Atmos points can be earned by distance, price, or segment depending on your preference. The calculators handle all of it.

The miles vs cash tools use my own working valuations for each airline, but can be adjusted to your preferred value.