The points & miles world is filled with acronyms and abbreviations. Many of these become second nature after some time. But if you are starting out or saw a new acronym used in our Facebook group, here is a list of common abbreviations and acronyms:
5/24: Chase’s rule that you cannot get a new Chase product unless you have less than 5 new credit card accounts in the (rolling) prior 24 months
Amex: American Express
AF: Annual Fee
AO: Amex Offers (targeted offers from Amex on specific cards for bonus points or cash back at specific merchants)
AP: Amex Platinum
AU: Authorized User (on a credit card)
BBP: American Express Blue Business Plus Card
BR: Bonvoy Rewards (Marriott’s loyalty program)
Bonvoyed: a company and/or a CSR botched a simple task (usually in reference to Marriott, as its new Bonvoy Rewards and integration with the old SPG Hotel chain has not gone smoothly)
CA: Cash Advance
CS: Charles Schwab
CF: Chase Freedom
CFF: Chase Freedom Flex
CFU: Chase Freedom Unlimited
CIBP: Chase Ink Business Preferred
CIC: Chase Ink Cash
CIU: Chase Ink Unlimited
CP: Southwest Companion Pass
CPP: Cents Per Point, the cash value derived from a points redemption
CSP: Chase Sapphire Preferred
CSR: Chase Sapphire Reserve OR Customer Service Rep
DG: Downgrade, usually the same as a Product Change (see PC)
DP: Data point
F: First class
FNC: Free Night Certificate (a certificate issued by a hotel (often through a co-branded credit card) that is valid for a one-night stay) (also known as FNA – free night award)
FR: Fuel Rewards (Shell) OR Financial Review (usually Amex)
GE: Global Entry
HUCA: Hang Up, Call Again (speak to multiple CSRs to get the response you want)
J: Business class
MCGC: Mastercard Gift Cards
Metal: The airline on whose plane you're actually flying, not the airline through which you necessarily booked your flight (e.g., if you redeemed British Airways Avios to fly on American Airlines, you're flying on AA metal)
MPX: United MileagePlus X mobile app
MR: Membership Rewards (Amex’s rewards currency)
MS or MSR: Minimum Spend or Minimum Spend Requirement, the amount of money required to be spent on a particular card in order to earn the sign up bonus
NLL: No Lifetime Language (credit card offers from Amex without the standard language in the terms and conditions precluding applicants from receiving a welcome bonus if they have received a welcome bonus for that card before)
P1: Player One, the primary points and miles enthusiast in a household/family/relationship
P2: Player Two, a secondary person (spouse/significant other/family member/friend) whose points and miles and credit contribute to travels with P1
PC: Product Change (to a different credit card), usually the same as a Downgrade (see DG)
PP: PayPal or Priority Pass (Lounge Access)
PPK: PayPal Key, a virtual Mastercard debit card offered by PayPal that is linked to any form of payment you want.
Recon: A Reconsideration Call. Asking a human to review a credit card application after a denial. It happens and if the first one doesn’t work, HUCA.
SUB: Sign Up Bonus
TY or TYP: Thank You Points (Citi’s rewards currency)
UR: Ultimate Rewards (Chase’s rewards currency)
VGC: Visa Gift Cards
WOH: World of Hyatt (Hyatt’s loyalty program)
Y: Economy class
YMMV: “Your mileage may vary” (your experience might be different than someone else's when trying something)
YQ: Fuel surcharges or “carrier-imposed surcharges” (fees charged by some airlines when booking an award flight)
A lot of acronyms also involve airlines and airport codes. A list of popular airline codes is available here, and a list of airport codes is available here.
