{"version":"1.9","identifier":"eba6a516-6e32-46c0-955d-de2e6a07293c","language":"en-US","title":"17 international airline programs ranked: Aeroplan tops the list, and Emirates lands near the bottom","layout":{"columns":7,"width":1024,"margin":32,"gutter":20},"componentLayouts":{"text":{"columnStart":0,"columnSpan":7,"maximumContentWidth":720,"margin":{"top":12,"bottom":12}},"photo":{"columnStart":0,"columnSpan":7,"margin":{"top":20,"bottom":20}}},"componentTextStyles":{"default":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":18,"lineHeight":29,"textColor":"#171717"},"headline":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue-Bold","fontSize":36,"lineHeight":42,"conditional":[{"conditions":{"maxViewportWidth":480},"fontSize":28,"lineHeight":34}]},"intro":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":20,"lineHeight":28,"textColor":"#555555"},"caption":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":13,"lineHeight":19,"textColor":"#666666"},"byline":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":13,"lineHeight":20,"textColor":"#666666"},"body":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":18,"lineHeight":29,"paragraphSpacingAfter":14,"linkStyle":{"textColor":"#00704a"}}},"metadata":{"canonicalURL":"https://www.pointsfrog.com/news/international-airline-miles-ranked-cents-per-mile-october-2026","datePublished":"2026-10-26T00:03:10.697694Z","dateModified":"2026-10-26T00:03:16.464016Z","authors":["Patrick Karsh"],"excerpt":"We ranked 17 well-known foreign airline programs by our cents-per-mile estimates. Aeroplan leads at 1.45 cents; five programs, including Emirates Skywards, sit at 1.2.","keywords":["Program ranking"],"generatorName":"Frog News","generatorVersion":"1.0"},"components":[{"role":"title","text":"17 international airline programs ranked: Aeroplan tops the list, and Emirates lands near the bottom","textStyle":"headline","layout":"text"},{"role":"intro","text":"We ranked 17 well-known foreign airline programs by our cents-per-mile estimates. Aeroplan leads at 1.45 cents; five programs, including Emirates Skywards, sit at 1.2.","textStyle":"intro","layout":"text"},{"role":"byline","text":"By Patrick Karsh ยท Published October 26, 2026","textStyle":"byline","layout":"text"},{"role":"body","format":"markdown","text":"## How we ranked these programs\n\nRanked 17 widely held international airline programs in the Points Frog list_point_values catalog by their USD cents-per-mile redemption estimates, from the catalog snapshot dated September 20, 2026 (still the live values on October 25, 2026). Estimates are typical travel redemption values, not cash prices. Ties are listed in catalog order. The Avios currency description comes from British Airways' October 21, 2026 release.\n\n### 1. Aeroplan\n\n[Explore Aeroplan](https://www.pointsfrog.com/points-value/aeroplan)\n\n1.45 cents per point, the highest of the 17 programs here.\n\n### 2. LifeMiles\n\n[Explore LifeMiles](https://www.pointsfrog.com/points-value/lifemiles)\n\n1.4 cents per mile, tied for second.\n\n### 3. Flying Club\n\n[Explore Flying Club](https://www.pointsfrog.com/points-value/flying-club)\n\n1.4 cents per point, tied for second.\n\n### 4. ANA Mileage Club\n\n[Explore ANA Mileage Club](https://www.pointsfrog.com/points-value/ana-mileage-club)\n\n1.4 cents per mile, tied for second.\n\n### 5. The British Airways Club\n\n[Explore The British Airways Club](https://www.pointsfrog.com/points-value/british-airways-club)\n\n1.3 cents per Avios, the same value we give every Avios program.\n\n### 6. Flying Blue\n\n[Explore Flying Blue](https://www.pointsfrog.com/points-value/flying-blue)\n\n1.3 cents per mile.\n\n### 7. Iberia Plus\n\n[Explore Iberia Plus](https://www.pointsfrog.com/points-value/iberia-plus)\n\n1.3 cents per Avios.\n\n### 8. Finnair Plus\n\n[Explore Finnair Plus](https://www.pointsfrog.com/points-value/finnair-plus)\n\n1.3 cents per Avios.\n\n### 9. AerClub\n\n[Explore AerClub](https://www.pointsfrog.com/points-value/aerclub)\n\n1.3 cents per Avios.\n\n### 10. Privilege Club\n\n[Explore Privilege Club](https://www.pointsfrog.com/points-value/privilege-club)\n\n1.3 cents per Avios.\n\n### 11. KrisFlyer\n\n[Explore KrisFlyer](https://www.pointsfrog.com/points-value/krisflyer)\n\n1.3 cents per mile.\n\n### 12. JAL Mileage Bank\n\n[Explore JAL Mileage Bank](https://www.pointsfrog.com/points-value/jal-mileage-bank)\n\n1.3 cents per mile.\n\n### 13. Miles\\&Smiles\n\n[Explore Miles\\&Smiles](https://www.pointsfrog.com/points-value/miles-and-smiles)\n\n1.2 cents per mile, tied for last on this list.\n\n### 14. Skywards\n\n[Explore Skywards](https://www.pointsfrog.com/points-value/skywards)\n\n1.2 cents per mile, tied for last on this list.\n\n### 15. Etihad Guest\n\n[Explore Etihad Guest](https://www.pointsfrog.com/points-value/etihad-guest)\n\n1.2 cents per mile, tied for last on this list.\n\n### 16. Cathay (Asia Miles)\n\n[Explore Cathay (Asia Miles)](https://www.pointsfrog.com/points-value/asia-miles)\n\n1.2 cents per mile, tied for last on this list.\n\n### 17. Qantas Frequent Flyer\n\n[Explore Qantas Frequent Flyer](https://www.pointsfrog.com/points-value/qantas-frequent-flyer)\n\n1.2 cents per point, tied for last on this list.\n\nMany travelers in the US never fly on Air Canada, Avianca or Singapore Airlines, yet they hold or move points into those programs. So which foreign airline currency is worth the most? We ranked 17 well-known international airline programs by the cents-per-mile estimates in the Points Frog [points value catalog](https://www.pointsfrog.com/programs).\n\nThese are the live values on October 25, 2026, from a catalog snapshot dated September 20, 2026. Air Canada Aeroplan leads at 1.45 cents. Three programs tie for second at 1.4 cents. Five sit at the bottom at 1.2 cents.\n\nThese are travel redemption estimates, not cash prices. A single strong award can beat them, and a weak one can fall below them.\n\n## The full ranking","textStyle":"body","layout":"text"},{"role":"htmltable","html":"
RankProgramCents each
1Air Canada Aeroplan1.45
2Avianca LifeMiles1.40
2Virgin Atlantic Flying Club1.40
2ANA Mileage Club1.40
5Eight programs (see below)1.30
13Five programs (see below)1.20
","layout":"text"},{"role":"body","format":"markdown","text":"The eight programs tied at 1.3 cents are The British Airways Club, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Iberia Plus, Finnair Plus, Aer Lingus AerClub, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and Japan Airlines Mileage Bank. They share fifth place.\n\nThe five at 1.2 cents are Turkish Airlines Miles\\&Smiles, Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, Cathay Asia Miles and Qantas Frequent Flyer.\n\n## The spread is narrow\n\nThe top and bottom of this list are only a quarter of a cent apart. On a 60,000-mile balance, that is about $870 at 1.45 cents versus about $720 at 1.2 cents. The gap is $150.\n\nThat is much tighter than our [US airline ranking](https://www.pointsfrog.com/news/us-airline-miles-ranked-cents-per-mile-october-2026), where the spread runs from 1.55 cents down to 0.9.\n\n## All the Avios programs match\n\nFive programs on this list use Avios: British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Finnair and Qatar Airways. We value all five at the same 1.3 cents.\n\nBritish Airways describes Avios as the shared loyalty currency of British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling, Qatar Airways, Finnair and Loganair. So we do not treat an Iberia Avios as worth more or less than a British Airways one. The price of the award you book still differs by program, so search each one before you choose.\n\n## How to use the ranking\n\n* **Size a balance, then search.** Use the cents figure to estimate what a balance is worth. Then check the actual award price for your trip.\n* **Watch the transfer bonuses.** A 25% or 30% bonus into a 1.3-cent program can beat a plain transfer into a 1.45-cent one. Do the math on the miles you would actually receive.\n* **Count the cash part.** Taxes and fees vary by program and route. A low mileage price with high fees can lose to a higher mileage price with low fees.\n* **Never transfer on spec.** Moves out of bank programs are usually final. Find the seat first.\n\nYou can check any balance with our [points value calculator](https://www.pointsfrog.com/points-value/aeroplan), and see how bank points stack up in our [bank points ranking](https://www.pointsfrog.com/news/us-transferable-bank-points-ranked-cents-per-point-october-2026).","textStyle":"body","layout":"text"}]}