How to log first flight:
Logging a flight in TravelSmarter records it in your Flight Log and automatically updates your points balance, Tier Points progress, status tracking, and Analytics. This guide walks you through adding your first flight from start to finish.
Before you start what you need to know:
For logging your first flight follow the instructions:
Departure and destination airports (e.g. LHR → BKK)
Flight number (e.g. BA444)
Cabin class flown — Economy, Premium, Business, or First
Fare family / booking class (e.g. J, W, Q — found on your booking confirmation email)
Ticket price paid
Flight date
Fare family is optional but strongly recommended, it directly affects how many Avios are calculated. If you do not have it, you can still log the flight and update it later.
Step 1 - Open the Global Calculator
Click Global Calculator in the left-hand navigation menu.
On some views it may be labelled Airline Calculator.
The Global Calculator is the primary tool for logging flights in TravelSmarter, it calculates your points and saves the flight in one step.
Step 2 - Select Your Loyalty Programme
At the top of the calculator, programme tabs are displayed (e.g. American Airlines and British Airways).
Click the tab for the programme you want to earn points with. To compare earnings across two programmes at the same time, click + Add Program to add a second tab.
Step 3 - Enter Your Flight Details
Fill in each field in the flight entry form:
From: Click the FROM dropdown and select your departure airport.
To: Click the TO dropdown and select your destination airport.
Ticket price: Enter the total amount you paid for the ticket (including taxes).
Outbound date: Click the calendar icon and select the date you flew.
Return date: If it was a return flight, enter the return date here.
Booking reference (optional): Enter your booking reference for your own records.
Flight number: Enter the flight number (e.g. BA444).
Cabin class: Click the button for the cabin you flew - Economy, Premium, Business, or First.
Fare family (recommended): Click the Fare family dropdown and select the booking class shown on your confirmation (e.g. J for Business J-class). This determines the Avios earning multiplier applied to your flight.
Step 4 - Click "Calculate Points"
Once all fields are filled in, click the black Calculate points button. Two results panels will appear below the form:
Status Progress (left panel): Shows your projected progress towards the next status tier, your current Tier Points vs. the target (e.g. 7,299 / 20,000), the status reset date, and a full Tier Point breakdown - Ticket price, Total tax, Net fare, Cabin bonus, and Total Tier Points.
Miles Progress (right panel): Shows the total Avios or miles this flight earns, broken down into Base Avios, Status bonus, and Cabin bonus, ending with a Total Avios figure.
Step 5 - Save the Flight
After reviewing the calculation, click the Save Flight button.
The flight is now saved to your Flight Log. All sections of TravelSmarter that depend on flight data will update automatically.
What updates automatically after saving your flight:
Flight Log: The flight appears as a new row with your airline, route, date, class, price, points, and Tier Points recorded.
Status page: Your Tier Points progress bar updates to reflect the newly added flight.
Analytics: Your statistics update - including total flights, total spend, distance flown, and spending charts.
Goals: Any active goals (e.g. Reach Gold, Earn Trip to Tokyo) recalculate their progress percentage.
Dashboard: The Smarter Advisor briefing refreshes based on your updated position.
Tips for Accurate Flight Logging
Fare family is the most important field: The same cabin can earn very different Avios depending on the fare family. A Business J-class fare earns significantly more than a Business N-class fare. Always check your booking confirmation email for the booking class letter.
For British Airways Tier Points, enter the full ticket price: TravelSmarter automatically deducts taxes to calculate the net fare used in the Tier Point formula - you do not need to calculate this yourself.
Logging past flights is encouraged: You can add flights from previous months and years. The more historical flights you log, the more accurate your Analytics and Smarter Advisor recommendations become.
Round-trip flights count as two legs: Enter the outbound flight first, save it, then return to the calculator and enter the return leg separately for the most accurate tracking.
Next Steps
To view, edit, or delete flights you have already saved, visit the Flight Log.
To check how your logged flights are contributing to your elite tier, visit the Status page guide.
To set a goal around earning status or saving points for a trip, see How to Set and Track Travel Goals in TravelSmarter.
To search for future flights with points earnings shown alongside each result, use Smart Search.
If the points calculation looks different from what you expected, see Troubleshooting Common Issues in TravelSmarter.