These Are the Best Airline Rewards Programs

Published by FareCompare on September 16, 2024

Earning and cashing in on airline rewards has become more of a headache than ever. Sometimes you need to open a new credit card, figure out how to accumulate the most amount of miles in the shortest amount of time, and then determine how to use them the best to go on the trip of your dreams.

Point.me, an airline point concierge service that provides assistance with reward bookings, has recently compiled an extensive global ranking of the world’s best airline rewards programs. The detailed report, which ranks 62 of the world's airlines, tapped the expertise and insights of over 50 experts as well as years of the website's data. To compile the ranking, several factors were taken into account, from redemption rates to ease of booking, customer service quality, and change fees.

The top-ranking program in the world is Air France and KLM’s Flying Blue rewards program, according to point.me. Reasons cited included the ease of booking, low cost of redemptions, and the ability to book on partner airlines within the SkyTeam alliance.

The Flying Blue program regularly posts promotions and discounts on reward tickets. For example, KLM is currently offering a 15,000 mile reward ticket between Newark-New York (EWR) and several destinations in Europe.

"The top worldwide programs excel at providing value for customers who engage with their extensive networks of financial and commercial partners, building brand loyalty and traveler awareness even for those travelers who have yet to fly on the host airline directly," point.me posted on its website.

After Air France/KLM (93.06), Air Canada’s Aeroplan (77.43), United’s MileagePlus (72.22), British Airways Executive Club (69.10) and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (69.10) rounded out the top five. American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Qatar Airways, JetBlue, and Avianca rounded out the top ten.

For comparison, the lowest-rated US-based carrier reward programs included Spirit Airlines’ Free Spirit (22.22), Frontier Airlines’ Frontier Miles (18.06), and Sun Country Airlines’ Sun Country Rewards (17.01). They were rated as being restrictive in redemption, or expensive to use. Despite its loyal following, Delta's SkyMiles program also scored poorly with a 49.31.

This report about airline rewards comes as the Department of Transportation is investigating US-based airlines for potential unfair practices in their loyalty programs.