Cape Air: The Complete Guide for Points Collectors

A little airline you might not be familiar with has a lot of big friends. Cape Cod-based regional airline Cape Air is unique in that it partners with major U.S. airlines such as:

• Alaska.

• American.

• Delta.

• Hawaiian.

• JetBlue.

• United.

• Silver Airways.

Thanks to these partnerships, you can earn and redeem AAdvantage miles, Delta SkyMiles and United MileagePlus miles on Cape Air flights. But, not all flights are eligible for mileage accrual or redemptions. So, let's show you what point collectors need to know about earning and burning miles on Cape Air.

» Learn more: Plan your next redemption with our airline points tool

American Airlines' codeshare and mileage partnership with Cape Air is limited to select flights in the Midwest. You'll only be able to earn and redeem AAdvantage miles on those routes. You won't earn any AAdvantage miles on Cape Air-operated flights that don't have an American Airlines flight number on the boarding pass.

Earning AAdvantage miles on Cape Air flights

When booking American Airlines codeshare flights on Cape Air, you’ll earn AAdvantage miles and elite status credits as if you’re flying on American. That means you'll earn between 5 and 11 miles per dollar spent, depending on your elite status level.

Redeeming AAdvantage miles for Cape Air flights

American Airlines members can redeem AAdvantage miles on select Cape Air routes:

• St. Louis: Kirksville (MO), Marion (IL), Quincy (IL) and Owensboro (KY).

• Chicago: Manistee (MI) and Quincy (IL)
.

• Nashville (TN): Marion (IL) and Owensboro (KY).

Cape Air award flights price at American Airlines' standard partner mileage redemption rates. This means domestic U.S. flights will cost 12,500 AAdvantage miles each way. The price is the same whether you fly nonstop or connect to or from an American Airlines flight.

Cash rates on many of these flights are pretty cheap. If you're flying nonstop on one of these routes, take a look at flight prices and consider using points to book through a bank travel portal. For example, if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card you can book a $20 one-way flight from St. Louis to Owensboro, Kentucky for just 1,599 points through the Chase portal.

» Learn more: Advanced tips for redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards

Delta and Cape Air upgraded their partnership in May, 2021. Now, Delta offers codeshare flights, and Cape Air offers earning and redemption of SkyMiles on its flights.

Earning SkyMiles on Cape Air flights

You'll now earn Delta SkyMiles on eligible Cape Air flights booked through Delta. As Delta codeshare flights, these flights earn SkyMiles and elite status credits based on the fare paid. General SkyMiles members will earn 5 SkyMiles per dollar spent, and Medallion elite members will earn an elite bonus on top of that.

Redeeming SkyMiles for Cape Air flights

Delta members can redeem SkyMiles for Cape Air flights on routes from Boston, San Juan and St. Thomas. Delta doesn't publish an award chart, so redemption rates will vary. As of this writing, Cape Air award flights start at just 5,000 SkyMiles each way.

Cape Air's partnership with United mostly centers around its San Juan hub. In addition, Cape Air connections to United are available through:

• Billings, Mont.

• Boston.

• Chicago-O’Hare

• Nashville, Tenn.

• New York-JFK.

• St. Louis.

• St. Thomas.

Earning MileagePlus miles on Cape Air flights

To earn miles on Cape Air flights, you need to book a codeshare flight with a United flight number and enter your MileagePlus number at booking. If the flight is ticketed through United (ticket numbers starting with 016) then you'll earn MileagePlus miles as you would when flying on United:

• United member: 5 miles per dollar spent on eligible fare.

• Premier Silver: 7x miles.

• Premier Gold: 8x miles.

• Premier Platinum: 9x miles.

• Premier 1K: 11x miles.

All other ways of booking United codeshare flights on Cape Air will earn miles based on the distance of the flight and your flight booking code. Most fare classes earn at a rate of 0%. That means you'll earn precisely 0 miles no matter the distance of the flight. To earn miles, you'll need to book one of the following fare codes:

• Y or B fare class: 125% of distance flown.

• M, E, U, H: 100%.

• Q, V, W: 75%.

• S, T, L, K, G, N: 50%.

Redeeming MileagePlus miles on Cape Air flights

United members should be able to redeem MileagePlus miles on Cape Air flights through United's website. However, no Cape Air awards are currently available on United's website.

United no longer publishes an award chart. That means you can't plan how many United miles you'll need to save up for an award on Cape Air. But, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to United to top off your account when needed.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

It's rare to see an airline have partnership agreements with so many other airlines within the same country. However, Cape Air's small size and unique destinations make it an appealing partner for airlines that want to expand their reach without launching new routes.

Depending on which Cape Air route you're flying, you may be able to earn or redeem American, Delta or United miles. However, before redeeming miles, make sure to check airfares for flights booked through Cape Air to make sure you're getting a good deal.