air mile

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A unit of credit earned by flying with an airline or using a partner service, which can be exchanged for free flights or other rewards.

   Grammar: Countable; often used in the plural: 'I have thousands of air miles.'

   Patterns

   • earn air miles
   • collect air miles
   • redeem air miles for something
   • air miles program

   She earned enough air miles to get a free ticket to Paris.

   You can collect air miles when you book a hotel through the airline's website.

   He used his air miles to upgrade to business class.

2. 2nouncountabletechnical

   A unit of distance equal to one nautical mile, used in aviation and international law.

   Grammar: Countable; used in technical contexts. Often appears in the plural: 'The island is 200 air miles from the coast.'

   Patterns

   • X air miles from somewhere
   • within X air miles

   The rescue team searched an area of 500 square air miles.

   The country's airspace extends 12 air miles from the coast.

Word forms

Common combinations

earn air miles

You earn air miles every time you fly with this airline.

collect air miles

He collects air miles from all his business trips.

redeem air miles

She redeemed her air miles for a hotel stay.

air miles program

The airline's air miles program has millions of members.

Synonyms and how they differ

frequent flyer miles

A more specific term used in some airlines' programs; 'air miles' is broader and can include partner purchases.

points

A general term for reward credits; 'air miles' specifically refers to airline miles, though the two are often used interchangeably in loyalty programs.

Word family

airmail noun

Mail sent by air; not related to rewards but shares the 'air' element.

Commonly confused: air mile or nautical mile?

Practice

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