Want to know how good your airline’s rewards program really is? Point.me, a pioneering travel tech company, officially released its annual ranking of more than 60 global frequent-flyer programs.
The company evaluated a wide range of airline loyalty programs across different factors, including the value you’ll get for miles; how easy it is to earn miles from non-flying methods; how easy it is to book an award flight; and the frequency of award availability, flexibility in routing rules, change fees and policies, hold policies, and customer service when it comes to booking.
The top airline rewards program? If you’re Flying Blue with Air France and KLM, you’re a winner. This loyalty program received top marks in nearly every category. Additionally, Flying Blue customers can easily transfer points from all of the major credit card points currencies to Flying Blue, making it easy to amass enough points for a flight, even if your spending is spread among programs.
Air Canada’s Aeroplan ranks as the second-best loyalty program in the world thanks to its modern approach and flexibility, making it easy for travelers, especially in non-hub cities, to leverage their miles.
Coming in at third is United MileagePlus, earning high marks for its adaptability to market changes with dynamic pricing and valuable credit card partnerships, making it ideal for less-frequent travelers. Even more, points can be transferred to United MileagePlus from Bilt, Chase, Marriott and Bonvoy.
Other top 10 airline rewards programs include British Airways Executive Club, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, American Airlines AAdvantage, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, JetBlue TrueBlue and Avianca LifeMiles.
What airline rewards programs received the worst marks? Frontier Miles, WestJet Rewards, Royal Jordanian Royal Club, Air China PhoenixMiles, MEA Cedar Miles and Air India Flying Returns ranked as some of the worst airline programs, according to Point.me.
“We know everyone has their favorites, and the particulars of a person’s situation will impact which program provides them the most value,” Point.me stated in its study. “Just because we’ve ranked a program at a certain number does not necessarily mean it’s going to be the best for every individual. In short: Your mileage may vary. Ultimately, we want you to have confidence that your everyday loyalty choices are setting you up to successfully navigate a system that often feels intentionally opaque. Whether it’s what credit card to use or where to credit miles earned from a flight, travelers can use these rankings to determine the best airline rewards programs for their needs.”
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