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Unlock unbeatable advantages with the 10 best frequent flyer programs

Best Frequent Flyer Program (2024) August 7, 2024

Savvy frequent travelers know that loyalty to a specific airline can translate to big savings on flights, as well as the chance to receive upgrades. But not all loyalty programs work the same or have equal benefits. 

So, we asked miles-and-points experts to nominate the most worthwhile programs — those with plenty of ways to earn and redeem miles, great coverage, and an abundance of flight options when it comes time to book that free trip. Then, readers voted for their favorites to determine the winners.

Here are the 10 best frequent flyer programs.

No. 10: Air France & KLM Flying Blue

While Flying Blue is the loyalty program for two European airlines (Air France and KLM), it does offer appealing benefits for American flyers as well, including the ability to earn miles through airline partners and a wide variety of hotel and retail partners. Plus, points from Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Hilton Honors, and American Express Membership Rewards can be converted to Flying Blue miles.

No. 9: United MileagePlus

United's MileagePlus program is excellent for domestic and international travelers, who can earn and use points with United and more than 20 partner airlines to access over 1,000 destinations around the globe. Besides booking travel, rewards points can go towards hotels, car rentals, cruises, shopping, or experiences.

No. 8: Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

Fliers from across the West Coast and major transportation centers throughout the United States can benefit from Alaska Airlines' Mileage Plan. Passengers earn miles on every flight — as well as on eligible flights with several partner airlines — and by booking stays with hotel partners. Points can be used for booking free flights, cabin upgrades, and hotel stays, and MVP status begins at just 20,000 miles.

No. 7: American Airlines AAdvantage

AAdvantage program members can earn can miles on both American Airlines and oneworld partner airlines, as well as everyday activities like dining and shopping, making it easier to accumulate rewards. Those miles can be redeemed towards flights, hotels, upgrades, and rental cars. With tiered status levels, frequent flyers can enjoy perks such as priority boarding, free checked bags, and access to exclusive lounges.

No. 6: JetBlue TrueBlue

TrueBlue, JetBlue's loyalty program, offers flexible points redemption with no blackout dates. Passengers earn points on JetBlue flights (bonus points for flights booked through the JetBlue website or app), as well as flights with partner airlines — and points never expire.

No. 5: Southwest Rapid Rewards

Points never expire and there are no blackout dates with Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards. And with unlimited reward seats, redeeming points is easy. Rapid Rewards members can earn points when they fly, on car rentals, with hotel stays, and by shopping with Rapid Rewards partners.

No. 4: Cathay

Global travelers benefit from a Cathay membership by earning miles on flights. Those miles can then be boosted by shopping and booking vacations with the company. With Cathay or over 800 of their partners, miles can be redeemed for flights, lifestyle rewards, and experiences.

No. 3: Delta SkyMiles

SkyMiles members earn miles with flights on Delta and several partner airlines, as well as through Delta Vacations getaways or through myriad hotel, car rental, restaurant, and retail partners. Miles never expire and can be used to book flights on Delta or partner airlines, purchase cabin upgrades, or book travel packages.

No. 2: Air Canada Aeroplan

Aeroplan miles can be earned by flying to some 1,300 destinations worldwide through Air Canada and Star Alliance partners, as well as by shopping with partners online. Points can be redeemed for flights with Air Canada and partner airlines, hotel rooms, travel experiences, and more.

No. 1: Allegiant Air Allways Rewards

Earn all kinds of rewards in all kinds of ways with Allways Rewards by Allegiant Air — and explore a variety of exclusive member offers and promotions. The program is free to join, and points don’t expire until 24 months of inactivity. Earn 1 point for every dollar spent on Allegiant.com or 2 points per dollar for itineraries over $500. With no minimum required for points redemption, you can enjoy flexibility in rewards.

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The Best Frequent Flier Programs for 2023

Carol McPherson

Carol is an editor with SmarterTravel Media, specializing in travel writing, multimedia production, and trying every local cuisine she can find. You can follow her journeys @cj_mcpherson on Instagram.

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Savvy travelers know the value of a good airline loyalty program. With perks like airport lounge access, seat upgrades, and free or discounted travel, it pays to rack up those frequent flier miles. WalletHub recently released their annual study ranking the best frequent flier programs to help travelers decide which airline best meets their needs. 

WalletHub compared ten major domestic carriers using 21 key metrics—such as number of international destinations, earning limits, and booking blackout dates—factoring in the travel needs and budgets of light, average, and frequent fliers. Use WalletHub’s Frequent Flier Miles calculator to get a personalized recommendation on what frequent flier program best suits your travel style.

United Airlines: MileagePlus

United Airlines’ MileagePlus overtook Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan to become the best frequent flier program for 2023. Mileage Plus offers the most award destinations of any reward program and MileagePlus Premier members have access to even more perks, such as seat upgrades and complimentary baggage check. Sign up here.

The 14 Best Flight Search Sites for Booking Cheap Airfare

Alaska Airlines: Mileage Plan

Award travel with Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan starts at 5,000 miles, and members earn up to 30% more miles on their travel than with competitor programs. Earn miles by flying Alaska Airlines (one mile earned for every mile flown), booking with one of their travel partners, or shopping with an Alaska Airlines credit card. Sign up here.

Delta Air Lines: SkyMiles

SkyMiles are earned with every Delta flight at the Main Cabin level or higher, by booking with a SkyMiles partner, or by making purchases with a SkyMiles American Express card. Sign up here.

Hawaiian Airlines: HawaiianMiles

HawaiianMiles can be earned by flying Hawaiian, shopping with a Hawaiian Airlines credit card, or booking with one of Hawaiian’s airline, hotel, car rental, or shopping/dining partners. Miles can also be purchased, with a limit of 30,000 miles. Sign up here.

What Are Your Rights If You’re Involuntarily Bumped?

American Airlines: AAdvantage

AAdvantage recently introduced a rewards level below Gold, with membership starting at just 15,000 miles and including perks like guaranteed group five boarding, preferred seat coupons, and priority privileges. Earn miles by flying American, booking with airline partners, or signing up for an AAdvantage credit card. Sign up here.

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Traveler’s guide to the best frequent flyer programs

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Key takeaways

• Frequent flyer programs offer rewards to encourage customer loyalty.
• Rewards are issued in the form of miles or points, and you can also earn elite status to qualify for upgrades and other perks.
• Although all frequent flyer programs are free to join, you should focus on one primary program for earning rewards and status.
• When determining which frequent flyer program is best for you, consider your hub city, travel habits and goals.

Frequent flyer programs have gained popularity since they were introduced three decades ago, with savvy travel hackers figuring out how to leverage them for heavily discounted (and upgraded) travel. But you don’t have to be a seasoned pro to get started with these programs. All it takes is a quick sign-up process, a bit of research into the different ways to earn miles and remembering to credit your flights to your account.

While frequent flyer programs are free to join — and you can certainly sign up for all of them — you should focus on one primary program to earn status with. But with so many options, how do you choose? Here’s a look at some of the best airline rewards programs and how to choose one that suits your needs.

What is a frequent flyer program?

Frequent flyer programs are airline loyalty programs that offer rewards to encourage customer loyalty. Rewards are issued in the form of miles or points , and you can also earn elite status to qualify for upgrades and other perks.

Until recently, members were limited to earning miles based on fare class and distance flown. However, in recent years, airlines have moved toward a revenue-based system, where the number of miles you earn depends largely on the cost of airfare, and achieving elite status comes with spending requirements.

The good news is that despite the difficulty of earning miles and status through flights, most airlines have partnerships that make it easy to earn miles (and, in some cases, elite status) through other means. Co-branded credit cards , dining rewards programs and shopping portals all offer viable (and lucrative) ways to earn frequent flyer miles without flying.

What is the best frequent flyer program?

The best frequent flyer program depends on your hub city, travel habits and goals. As hub cities go, if you’re based in Atlanta, Delta SkyMiles might be a good fit, while American AAdvantage is better suited to those living in Dallas. If your goals involve using miles to travel abroad, the allure of Southwest Rapid Rewards might be lost on you.

All that aside, some frequent flyer programs are more rewarding than others. They make earning miles and elite status easy while offering reasonable redemption rates, especially when a program’s airline is partnered with popular travel rewards credit cards . While some programs are affiliated with foreign carriers, you don’t have to fly with them to earn status or miles. You can travel on domestic partner airlines and credit your flight to the foreign rewards program for better value.

Here’s a look at the best frequent flyer programs within Oneworld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance.

Alaska Mileage Plan

As part of the Oneworld Alliance, Alaska Mileage Plan is one of the best frequent flyer programs for domestic travelers. The program has reasonable elite status requirements and is one of the few airlines still publishing an award chart. This makes it easy for members to figure out how many miles they need for a flight. Alaska Mileage Plan’s free stopover allowance on one-way awards allows you to stretch your miles further by working multiple trips into one award redemption.

One of the best ways to redeem Alaska miles is for long-haul business class flights with partner airlines. Examples include 50,000 miles one-way for a business class seat to Asia on Japan Airlines or Cathay Pacific. It’s worth noting that award charts were revamped in March 2024 to become distance-based. Even so the rates are reasonable compared to other loyalty programs. Flying from the West Coast to Japan, for example, will still cost just 50,000 miles each way in business class.

American Airlines

The American Airlines AAdvantage program isn’t perfect, but it has several things going for it. For starters, the program still publishes an award chart, with several off-peak and sweet spots redemptions on the table. American Airlines is part of the Oneworld Alliance, meaning you can use AAdvantage miles on partner carriers like Iberia, Japan Airlines, Qatar Airways and Finnair, to name a few. One of the best “sweet spot” awards includes off-peak economy tickets to Europe for just 22,500 miles each way. Even luxury travel is reasonably priced, with the famous Qatar Airways Qsuites pricing out at 70,000 miles each way to the Middle East.

American Airlines is also one of the only frequent flyer programs that counts nearly all rewards earned toward elite status. This includes purchases made through credit card spending, shopping portals and dining rewards. In other words, with AAdvantage, you could earn top-tier elite status without ever stepping on a plane.

All Nippon Airlines (ANA) Mileage Club

If you’re looking for cheap award flights, ANA Mileage Club is one of the best frequent flyer programs out there. ANA is part of the Star Alliance, which has the most comprehensive routing network of all the alliances. That means you can travel virtually anywhere with your ANA miles. Plus, ANA requires fewer miles for long-haul awards to popular destinations.

Notably, you need just 100,000 miles for a round-trip business class award to Europe. Compare that to United MileagePlus , which often charges 62,400 miles or more each way for the same award. If Japan is on your travel bucket list, your ANA miles will get you there during the low season for just 40,000 miles round-trip in economy and 100,000 miles in business class. Again, this is about half of what some other Star Alliance members require for the same award.

ANA Mileage Club is a 1:1 transfer partner of the Amex Membership Rewards program. That means you can convert points earned from The Platinum Card® from American Express and American Express® Gold Card into some incredible award redemptions.

Delta SkyMiles

The Delta SkyMiles program has taken a hit in popularity over the years, since it has implemented dynamic pricing that often results in sky-high award flights. However, SkyMiles Deals occasionally turns up good deals and members like the ability to earn Medallion elite status entirely through Delta credit card spending. Delta may not be everyone’s cup of tea but the program retains value for those who want to fast-track their status goals without the need to go mileage running. Delta flyers also remain loyal to the airline due to its award-winning seats and customer service.

Turkish Miles&Smiles

The Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles program has two notable attributes. Importantly, Turkish Airlines is a member of Star Alliance, so rewards can go quite far with partner airlines. Miles&Smiles has some incredible sweet spot awards that are significantly cheaper than most other loyalty programs. For example, you can fly to Hawaii on United Airlines, another Star Alliance member, for just 20,000 miles round-trip in economy class. United Airlines often charges that many miles for a one-way ticket, making Miles&Smiles a much better option.

Miles&Smiles also offers one of the easiest ways to earn Star Alliance’s elite status. It takes just 25,000 miles to earn Classic Plus status, equivalent to Star Alliance Silver. There’s no revenue requirement, making earning status from cheaper flights possible.

Best of all, Turkish often runs status match promotions, so elite members from other programs can leverage existing status for a leg up.

Air France/KLM Flying Blue

Air France and KLM’s joint Flying Blue program is one of the best options in the SkyTeam alliance. The program partners with five transferable rewards programs:

• Membership Rewards
• Bilt Rewards
• Capital One miles
• Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Citi ThankYou Rewards

Not only are Flying Blue miles easy to earn, but they’ll go a long way thanks to generous sweet spot awards. For example, economy-class tickets to Europe start at just 20,000 miles each way. Business-class flights to North Africa are also a bargain at just 55,000 miles each way. Most programs charge at least 70,000 miles for the same award, making this a terrific use of miles.

If you prefer to travel stateside, flights to Hawaii typically cost just 17,500 miles each way in economy class. Flying Blue’s monthly Promo Rewards offer value beyond its standard award chart, with discounts of up to 50 percent.

Southwest Rapid Rewards

The Southwest Rapid Rewards program is great for domestic travelers who want a straightforward loyalty program that offers practical rewards. Members earn points based on the fare type and cost. In addition to making their way toward higher status, members can qualify for the Southwest Companion Pass after earning 135,000 points. Points earned from Southwest credit card sign-up bonuses also qualify toward the Companion Pass.

Further, Southwest famously offers two free checked bags per passenger, making this a preferred airline for value travelers who want a no-frills travel experience with practical perks and easy redemptions.

United MileagePlus

The United MileagePlus program is popular among domestic frequent flyers seeking valuable elite perks and a large partner network. United Airlines is part of the Star Alliance , which includes 26 airlines serving over 1,200 airports worldwide. While award flights are priced dynamically (i.e. based on demand and paid fares), the program can offer excellent value on short-haul and off-peak season travel. Unlike Star Alliance airlines like Lufthansa, United doesn’t impose fuel surcharges on award flights. So even if you end up redeeming more miles, you might save money by redeeming United miles.

Travelers also remain loyal to United for its attainable elite status requirements. United makes it possible to earn Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) through spending on select United credit cards. Once they’ve earned status, United elite members can enjoy perks like complimentary seat upgrades, free checked bags and access to better award availability.

How to choose the best frequent flyer program for you

Choosing the best frequent flyer program comes down to numerous personal factors that impact your travel habits and goals:

• Which airlines service your home airport?
• What do you plan on redeeming your miles for?
• How often do you fly?
• What are your status goals?
• Is your travel mostly focused domestically or internationally?

The most important factors include which airlines service your area as well as your travel and status goals. If you live in an Alaska Airlines or American Airlines hub city, then either of those frequent flyer programs will be a great fit for you. You’ll have an easier time earning miles and elite status when paying for flights, along with ample opportunities to redeem those miles for travel.

If you fly United frequently and want to redeem miles for international business class, then you may want to consider crediting your flights to All Nippon Airways (ANA). ANA charges half the miles as United on many of the same flights, making it an excellent frequent flyer program for earning and burning miles.

If your goal is to fly international first class, then Southwest Rapid Rewards probably isn’t the best program for you since Southwest flies mostly domestic routes and has no first class equivalent. While you should claim your miles when flying Southwest, you can probably skip the co-branded credit card.

Ultimately, frequent flyer miles should be rewarding. Think about what that means to you and which program might best serve those needs.

The bottom line

Navigating frequent flyer programs can be overwhelming, but immensely rewarding for those who put in the work. By taking the time to do your research and find the most rewarding option, you’ll be on your way to earning more miles, elite status and (nearly) free travel. By understanding how the programs work, which co-branded credit cards are worth signing up for and how to take advantage of the best redemption rates, you can stay ahead of a game that’s designed to benefit the airlines.

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Best Travel Rewards Programs for 2024-2025

It's easy to feel enticed by an airline or hotel rewards program. After all, who wouldn't want a free flight, a room upgrade or other lucrative benefits ? The catch – as any travel rewards program loyalist can attest to – is that maximizing these perks can be challenging. While it's often easy to join a program, attaining meaningful travel points and miles may come with a string of caveats. So how can you tell if a travel rewards program is worth your time and effort?

For the 12th consecutive year, U.S. News editors evaluated each travel rewards program based on key attributes that everyday travelers value, such as the size and diversity of each airline or hotel network and how quickly you can accumulate enough miles or points to earn a free flight or hotel stay. Our rankings also take into account the number of ways you can use travel rewards and the added benefits you receive as a member. 

Read more about  how we rank the best travel rewards programs , and find out which frequent flyer and hotel rewards programs top the 2024-2025 lists.

Best Hotel Rewards Programs

• # 1 Wyndham Rewards
• # 2 Marriott Bonvoy
• # 3 World of Hyatt
• # 4 Choice Privileges
• # 5 IHG One Rewards

Best Airline Rewards Programs

• # 1 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
• # 2 American Airlines AAdvantage
• # 3 Southwest Rapid Rewards
• # 4 United MileagePlus
• # 5 HawaiianMiles

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What does it mean to be a Frequent Flyer?

What is a frequent flyer program, types of frequent flyer programs, benefits of frequent flyer programs, early boarding, fly for free, enjoy upgrades, preferred seating, lounge access, earning miles & elite status, tips for earning miles, 1. choose wisely, 2. don’t spread yourself too thin, 3. monitor your accounts, 4. get clear about your goals, 5. maximize miles with affinity cards, 6. leverage airline alliances, 7. ensure you get the credit you deserve, faq: airline frequent flyer programs.

Being a frequent flyer means more than just traveling often—it's about creating a relationship with the skies and the airlines that get you there. I’ve been flying regularly for years (1 Million Miler on 2 airlines), whether it's for business or to explore new places, and I’ve learned that having a dedicated airline (or a few) can really enhance the experience. For example, I often find myself on the popular routes from New York's JFK to LAX , or from Chicago's O'Hare to Boston's Logan Airport . These routes feel like a second home to me, and being a frequent flyer with a trusted airline makes all the difference.

Most frequent flyers, including myself, sign up for loyalty programs to take advantage of the numerous benefits airlines offer in return for our loyalty. If you’re like me and find yourself flying frequently for work or personal reasons, you’re a perfect candidate for these programs. In our continuing series on flying info and help , I’ll share more about how these programs have worked for me...

Over the years, I’ve come to see frequent flyer programs as a key part of my travel routine. A frequent flyer program is essentially a loyalty program that airlines offer to encourage us to accumulate points—often called miles, kilometers, or segments. I’ve earned these points in various ways, from flying to simply using an affiliated credit card. The points can be redeemed for flights, upgrades, and sometimes even for non-flight rewards. It’s like getting a little something extra for every trip you take.

Ever wondered what it's like to be the world's most frequent flyer? Meet Tom Stuker, the man who has racked up an astonishing 23 million miles and counting! In this fascinating video, Tom shares his incredible journey from a work trip to Australia in the 80s to becoming a globe-trotting legend with a United Airlines lifetime flying pass. His tips on snagging early flights, having a plan B, and joining frequent flyer programs have completely transformed the way I travel. Plus, his stories about the friendships he's made along the way are truly heartwarming. Don't miss out on this chance to learn from the best—watch the video and get inspired to take your travel game to new heights!

Through my travels, I’ve encountered different types of frequent flyer programs, each with its own perks. Here’s what I’ve learned about the main types:

Region-Based Programs

These programs were more common when I first started flying. They don’t focus on the distance or cost of your ticket but rather the locations you’re flying between. Although they’re harder to find now, I still encounter them occasionally, particularly on regional flights.

Distance-Based Programs

Distance-based programs are pretty straightforward—they reward you based on the actual distance you fly. I’ve always found these easy to understand, though there are often additional rules regarding the class of service and fare type. It’s nice to know that the farther you go, the more you earn.

Revenue-Based Programs

Most of the airlines I fly with now use revenue-based programs. These programs reward you based on how much you spend on your ticket. It’s a model that’s become the norm, especially with major US airlines. If you’re buying premium tickets, like I sometimes do for business, these programs can really pay off.

READ MORE: What's the difference between a 'Direct Flight' and a 'Non-stop Flight'?

One of the reasons I stick with frequent flyer programs is because of the benefits—they truly make a difference in how I experience air travel. Here’s what I appreciate the most:

I love being able to board early. It’s a small perk that makes a big difference, especially when I’m carrying a lot of gear for work or just want to settle in quickly. Frequent flyers like myself typically board before most passengers, which helps avoid the overhead bin scramble.

Who doesn’t love a free flight? It’s probably the most popular benefit of frequent flyer programs. Over the years, I’ve been able to redeem miles for both short domestic trips and even a few luxurious international ones. It’s satisfying to know that those long hours in the air are paying off in free travel.

Upgrades are another perk I’ve come to enjoy. Whether it’s moving to an exit row or being bumped up to a higher class, these small changes can make a big difference on long flights. As an elite member, I also earn annual upgrade certificates, which I always look forward to using.

Choosing my seat is something I never take for granted. Frequent flyers often have access to seats that regular passengers can’t book, like those with extra legroom or in more desirable locations on the plane. For me, this is crucial, especially on longer flights where comfort is key.

After a long flight, having access to an airline lounge is a lifesaver. Depending on my status and the airline, I’m often invited to relax in these lounges during layovers. It’s a much-needed break from the hustle and bustle of the airport.

Earning miles and reaching elite status isn’t just about flying a lot—it’s about flying smart. I’ve learned that to enjoy elite status benefits, I usually need to fly at least 25,000 miles or complete 30 segments within a year. It sounds like a lot, but if you travel as much as I do, it’s definitely doable. For those who don’t fly as often, it might take a bit longer to save up enough miles for a free flight, but the rewards are worth it.

Over the years, I’ve picked up a few strategies for maximizing miles and getting the most out of frequent flyer programs. Here are some tips that have worked well for me:

When it comes to picking a frequent flyer program, it’s important to find one that fits your travel patterns and goals. For me, the best programs are those that offer points for not just flights but also for hotel stays, car rentals, and dining out. It’s like getting rewarded for all the little things I do while traveling.

While it’s tempting to sign up for every program out there, I’ve found it’s more effective to focus on one or two airlines that serve my local airport frequently. This way, I can concentrate my efforts and earn miles faster. Of course, I still join other programs when I fly different carriers—you never know when those miles might come in handy.

Keeping track of your frequent flyer accounts is essential. I always make sure to monitor my miles, check for special promotions, and keep an eye on expiration dates. I also hold onto my boarding passes until I see that my miles have been credited, just to be safe.

Before choosing a frequent flyer program, it’s important to know what you’re aiming for. Whether it’s earning free flights or achieving elite status for those extra perks, having a clear goal in mind helps you pick the right program. Personally, I’m always looking for ways to elevate my status, so I focus on programs that reward flight activity.

Credit cards that earn miles for everyday purchases are a great way to boost your balance, but they can also be a double-edged sword. I’ve learned to use them wisely, avoiding high interest rates that could negate the benefits. Still, they’ve been a valuable tool in my mileage-earning strategy.

Airline alliances have been a game-changer for me. They allow me to earn and redeem miles across different airlines, giving me more flexibility in how I use my points. I usually stick to one program within each alliance to get the best of both worlds.

I’ve made the mistake before—forgetting to add my frequent flyer number when booking a flight. It’s frustrating, but fortunately, there’s usually a way to fix it at the check-in counter or with a gate agent. Now, I always double-check to make sure I get the miles I’ve earned.

READ MORE: Tips to Avoid Jet lag

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What to Know About United MileagePlus— Including How to Earn Status and Redeem Miles

Discover everything you need to know about United's frequent flier program.

How to Sign Up

How to earn miles, united airlines elite tiers, redeeming miles, how to get the most out of your mileageplus miles.

Courtesy of United

The United Airlines MileagePlus frequent flier program gives more than 100 million members travel perks in exchange for loyalty to the world’s third-largest airline. By flying on United and partner airlines, spending on co-branded credit cards, and other earning methods, members can acquire elite status and redeemable miles.

United Airlines recently revamped the MileagePlus program, emphasizing the accrual of Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) through activities like flying, using co-branded credit cards, and online shopping. This lets loyalists earn United elite status — Premier Silver, Premier Gold, Premier Platinum, and Premier 1K — and the associated perks without flying frequently. 

The airline’s miles can subsequently be redeemed for domestic and international flights on United and partner carriers across the Star Alliance and beyond.

“United has the largest network of quality international partners among U.S. airlines, giving members strong opportunities for mileage earning and redemption across the globe,” Gary Leff, travel expert from View from the Wing, tells Travel + Leisure . “With so many overlapping partners in Europe and Asia, there's a reasonable chance that one will have the award space you're looking for when planning travel abroad.”

To create a MileagePlus account, visit the enrollment page on the United Airlines website. You'll be prompted to complete a form with personal information, including your name, contact details, and date of birth, and then create a password for your account. You’ll then receive a confirmation email containing your MileagePlus account number — make sure you add this number to your flight reservations to earn miles.

When you fly with United Airlines, you can earn miles on the base fare of your ticket, excluding taxes and fees. The number of miles earned varies depending on your MileagePlus elite status:

• No status: 5 miles per dollar spent
• Premier Silver: 7 miles per dollar spent
• Premier Gold: 8 miles per dollar spent
• Premier Platinum: 9 miles per dollar spent
• Premier 1K: 11 miles per dollar spent

Like many other loyalty programs, you can also earn miles on flights operated by Star Alliance partners, typically based on distance flown and fare class. Star Alliance is the largest airline alliance in the world with more than 25 carriers, making it easy to rack up substantial MileagePlus miles through airlines other than United.

Credit Cards

United Airlines offers a few different co-branded credit cards with various sign-up bonuses and incentives: the United Gateway℠ Card; the United℠ Explorer Card; the United Quest℠ Card; and the United℠ Business Card, each with sign-up bonuses ranging from 30,000 to 90,000 miles. These cards earn anywhere from two to four miles per dollar on United Airlines purchases, with some cards earning miles on everything from gas to dining to local transit.

Other Ways to Earn

• Transferring Points: You can transfer points from partner programs, like Chase Ultimate Rewards or Marriott Bonvoy, to your MileagePlus account at varying exchange rates.
• Shopping Portal: Utilize the MileagePlus shopping portal to earn additional miles when making purchases online.
• MileagePlus X: Connect your credit or debit cards to participate in the MileagePlus X program, which lets you earn miles while shopping online or in-person at certain stores.
• Dining Program: Participating restaurants offer opportunities to earn up to five miles per dollar through the MileagePlus Dining program.
• Travel Partners: Book car rentals and accommodations through MileagePlus travel partners to accrue extra miles.
• Mileage Purchases: Occasionally, United Airlines provides opportunities to purchase MileagePlus miles, often with bonus incentives.

Related: Everything You Need to Know About Earning and Redeeming Airline Miles

United Airlines presents four elite status tiers with different benefits, ranging from bonus miles and complimentary seat selection to baggage allowances. Premier 1K members enjoy the most extensive privileges, including complimentary upgrades on award flights and access to United Club lounges when traveling internationally.

Premier Silver Status

Requirements:

• 5,000 Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) or 12 Premier Qualifying Flights (PQFs) and 4,000 Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs)
• 7x miles earned on every flight
• Complimentary access to Economy Plus seating at check-in (when available)
• Complimentary upgrades on select flights
• One free checked bag, up to 70 pounds

Premier Gold Status

• 10,000 PQPS or 24 PQFs and 8,000 PQPs
• 8x miles earned on every flight
• Complimentary access to Economy Plus seating at booking (when available)
• Two free checked bags, up to 70 pounds
• Star Alliance Gold status

Premier Platinum Status

• 15,000 PQPs or 36 PQFs and 12,000 PQPs
• 40 PlusPoints, to be used for upgrades
• 9x miles earned on every flight
• Complimentary access to Economy Plus seating
• Three free checked bags, up to 70 pounds

Premier 1K Status

• 24,000 PQPs or 54 PQFs and 18,000 PQPs
• 280 PlusPoints, to be used for upgrades
• Pre-boarding
• One free drink and snack in economy 
• 11x miles earned on every flight

Related: How to Use Airline Elite Status for Seat Upgrades, Free Checked Bags, Priority Check-in, and So Much More

United Airlines employs dynamic pricing for award flights. This means that the mileage cost can vary depending on demand, route, and travel date. While traditional award categories like "saver" and "standard" are no longer offered, United Airlines does maintain award charts with starting values, which can be helpful for travelers seeking seats at lower redemption levels.

“United also makes more seats available using points to members of their program who hold a United credit card,” Gilbert Ott, director of partnerships at Point.me , tells T+L. “This has been really successful at engendering loyalty and ensuring people who participate can usually get what they want, or close, with the program.”

All members can use their MileagePlus miles to request upgrades from economy to premium cabins on eligible flights. MileagePlus elite members, including Premier Silver, Premier Gold, Premier Platinum, and Premier 1K, can access complimentary flight upgrades within specific regions. Premier 1K members, in particular, enjoy the most extensive upgrade privileges, including complimentary upgrades on award flights. But, Leff warns, “Upgrades can be tough to come by, even for top-level elite fliers.” 

Other Ways to Redeem Miles

• United Hotels: You can book hotel stays through United Hotels using MileagePlus miles.
• Marriott Bonvoy: MileagePlus miles are transferable to the Marriott Bonvoy program at a 1:1 ratio.
• In-flight Wi-Fi: Want Wi-Fi during your flight? You can use your miles to pay for it.
• TSA PreCheck: One of the more unique MileagePlus redemptions is for the TSA PreCheck application fee — it costs 11,000 miles. (Note that some United Airlines co-branded credit cards offer credit for TSA PreCheck and/or Global Entry, too.)
• Go Shopping: United Airlines has an online store that allows you to pay in miles for various items like Bose headphones, Dyson hair styling tools, and Briggs & Riley suitcases.
• Charity Donations: You can donate your miles to various charities. The minimum donation is 1,000 miles.

Partner Airline Redemptions

Members can also redeem MileagePlus miles for flights with Star Alliance partners, including Lufthansa, Air Canada, Thai Airways, and Singapore Airlines.  United Airlines also has partnerships with various non-Star Alliance carriers like Aer Lingus, Hawaiian Airlines, and Copa Airlines. The availability of these redemptions depends on partner airlines' award inventory, so it's essential to check and plan your travel accordingly.

Earn elite status.

Focus on accumulating Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) through flying with United Airlines, using co-branded credit cards, and engaging with MileagePlus partners. Higher elite status tiers, such as Premier Gold, Premier Platinum, and Premier 1K, have significant benefits like bonus miles, seat selection, and free checked bags.

Explore partner airlines and alliances.

Consider redeeming miles for flights with Star Alliance partners to access a vast network of airlines worldwide. Additionally, explore redemption options with non-Star Alliance partners to broaden your travel horizons.

Take advantage of unique perks.

United Airlines offers unique perks like the Excursionist Perk and TravelBank, which can help you save on travel expenses and stretch your miles further.

Related Articles

40 years of miles: The history of frequent flyer programs

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

May is packed with holidays, from Mother's Day to Memorial Day and even " Star Wars " Day.

But the May milestone we've been most excited about at TPG this year, in particular, is the 40th anniversary of the founding of the first major U.S. airline frequent flyer programs.

In May 1981, American Airlines and United Airlines both established their mileage programs (within a week of each other, no less). The world of travel has never been the same.

Back then, frequent flyer programs were fairly straightforward: You'd take a few flights and earn a free flight. These days, frequent flyer programs are among the most complicated loyalty schemes in the world.

Travelers have to contend with earning and redemption rates that change all the time, a preponderance of credit cards with shifting bonuses and benefits, not to mention travel and non-travel partners that can make or break your entire mileage strategy. Good thing we cover all those changes and give you daily updated advice and tips at TPG.

New to The Points Guy? Sign up for our daily newsletter and check out our beginner's guide .

Today we're going to take a look back at the checkered history of airline mileage programs as we chart a course from their humble beginnings to the current, complex state of affairs.

Don't worry; there won't be a quiz on names or dates. Instead of a simple chronology, we're going to pinpoint the trends and patterns that have shaped the airline industry over the past four decades as we discuss how frequent flyer programs ended up the way they are today and how they might evolve in the future.

The early years: 1979-1986

The origins of frequent flyer programs remain murky since several airlines tracked customers and their flight activity starting in the 1950s and 1960s. However, Texas International Airlines is largely credited with creating the first mileage-based frequent flyer program back in 1979. The carrier is little known now since it merged with Continental in 1982. However, it lives on in frequent flyer lore thanks to pioneering the modern mileage program. Another carrier, Western Airlines, created a program called Travel Bank in 1980, but Delta took over that airline in 1987.

The next major frequent flyer program established is one that travelers today should still recognize (and which has become one of the largest in the world): American Airlines AAdvantage . The official launch date was May 1, 1981.

Mere days later (yes, it was literally less than a week), United unveiled its own Mileage Plus program. The name was later conflated to MileagePlus in June 2011 after United merged with Continental.

Later in 1981, Delta unveiled its own mileage program. Called Frequent Flyer at the time, it was eventually renamed SkyMiles in 1995 and continues under that name to this day.

Alaska Airlines' program started under the fanciful moniker of Gold Coast Travel when it debuted in 1983 and was renamed the more mundane Mileage Plan in 1989. Air Canada launched a miles program in 1984, and Continental established OnePass when the airline combined its frequent flyer roster with that of Eastern Airlines in 1987.

Related: The best airline credit cards

Southwest created a mileage program called The Company Club in June 1987 and then renamed it Rapid Rewards in 1996, which was more on-the-nose. Rather than basing earning and redeeming on miles, flyers could simply earn a free round-trip award after collecting 16 stamps within 24 months. You got one stamp per one-way trip between an origin and a destination. If you collected 100 in a year, you could earn the Companion Pass .

In 1982, American became the first U.S. airline to cooperate mileage-wise with an international carrier: British Airways . AAdvantage allowed members to earn and redeem miles on BA flights to Europe — unheard of at the time. That same year, British Airways launched its own frequent flyer program, which is now known as Executive Club . Right around then, United formed similar partnerships with Lufthansa and SAS .

Besides British Airways, it took international carriers a few more years to create their own mileage programs. Early notable examples include Korean Air, which formed a VIP program in 1984 that eventually turned into SkyPass . Qantas launched its Frequent Flyer mileage program in 1987.

KLM's Flying Dutchman (how perfect was that name?) debuted in December 1991. This was followed shortly by Air France's Fréquence Plus club, which premiered in 1992. After the two airlines merged in 2004, they created a new combined frequent flyer program called Flying Blue in June 2005.

Lufthansa and JAL started their respective mileage programs in 1993, and Singapore Airlines began KrisFlyer in 1999.

Most of these frequent flyer programs operated according to a distance-based structure, whereby flyers would earn award miles based on the actual flown distance of a trip. They could then redeem those miles for award seats at set levels depending on the regions of origin and destination and the class of service.

Related: The history of airline flight classes

That changed in 2009, however, when JetBlue revamped its TrueBlue program — originally launched in June 2002 — so that flyers began to earn a set number of points per dollar spent on airfare. Points could then be redeemed at another fixed rate, also based on airfare, for award tickets. Southwest adopted the same model in 2011 with its restructured Rapid Rewards program.

On the plus side, you can redeem your points for any open seat on the plane since the point requirement depends on the cash price of a ticket, just like purchasing airfare. The downside is, the more expensive the ticket, the more points you'll need for it (remember this for later!).

Related: The golden age of travel is now

Growing pains: 1987-1993

Following the advent of modern frequent flyer programs in the early '80s, airlines began tweaking their mileage formulas later in the decade, ending up with many of the characteristics and quirks consumers must contend with today.

American Airlines was the first to recruit non-airline partners through which you could earn miles, including Hertz and Hyatt , in 1981, and United hitched up with Avis. These became the precursors to mileage-earning partnerships that have grown exponentially to this day, including online shopping portals and dining rewards programs . Overall, this was a positive development, as it opened up all kinds of new purchases and transactions to the accrual of miles that travelers could redeem toward tickets.

Another milestone: United introduced the idea of elite status in 1983. Back then, there was just a single threshold called " Premier ." American created its AAdvantage Gold program, which was awarded to its top 2% of flyers, in 1987. We'll get into some of the more recent developments in elite status below.

Award charts and redemption rates really began to take shape in 1988 when several airlines offered triple miles on flights. It began as a promotion from American Express and Delta, though other airlines soon matched the terms. All those miles just waiting to be earned ignited the idea of "mileage runs" for both award miles and elite status.

As more flyers started to accumulate more miles, airlines began to raise the number of them needed for many awards, requiring tens of thousands in each direction of travel. As the saying goes: "One hand giveth, the other hand taketh away."

That same year, United also introduced the concept of saver-level awards . These awards were a fraction (usually half) of the cost of normal, or standard, awards. However, they had restricted availability — there's always a catch!

Related: Ultimate guide to searching award availability for the major airlines

The other legacy programs soon implemented this model, including American, which created "PlanAAhead" and "AAnytime Away" awards in 1988. Since then, airlines have made saver-level seats more and more scarce over time.

United once again upped the ante in 1989 with the new concept of miles that "expired," a characteristic that has become the industry standard , with notable exceptions like Delta SkyMiles (since 2011), JetBlue TrueBlue points (since 2013) and, ironically enough, United MileagePlus miles in 2019 . This created a sense of urgency about miles; you either use them or lose them.

While many airlines with mileage expiration policies at least let you keep all your miles if you earn or redeem even a few every year or two, some currencies — like Cathay Pacific Asia Miles or Singapore KrisFlyer miles — expire within a specific time frame no matter how much you travel.

Sighting a possible revenue source, Air Canada became the first airline to allow the direct purchase of miles in 1990. At the time, flyers could purchase up to 10% of the miles necessary for an award. Other airlines soon jumped into the fray and now offer promotions and discounts on up to hundreds of thousands of miles ... most of which are terrible deals without a promotion .

The following year, United once again led the pack by introducing award change fees . Given the high percentage of awards that passengers end up changing, other airlines also began including a fee structure into their mileage programs for everything from booking over the phone to canceling an award altogether. Welcome to the new landscape of nickel-and-diming for awards you've already earned.

Due to the pandemic , some airlines are rolling back these fees or eliminating them, though there's no telling if or when they might reemerge.

At this point, it was clear that frequent flyer miles had a monetary value. So, in 1993, the IRS released a statement that it would not pursue taxes on the personal use of frequent flyer miles. This move essentially left mileage programs in the Wild West of regulation and oversight. Since they were not considered financial instruments, airlines were allowed to institute draconian terms and conditions that largely left consumers at the mercy of airlines.

Credit card partners: 1987-present

One of the most significant developments in frequent flyer programs was the introduction of airline credit cards that earned miles on everyday spending. This single evolution shifted the entire landscape of mileage programs and expanded their scope to the public at large, whether they were already frequent flyers or not.

The first U.S. cobranded credit cards were introduced in 1986-87 . Continental (and Eastern Airlines) teamed up with Marine Midland Bank on the Continental TravelBank Gold MasterCard.

American first partnered on a card with Citi in 1987, while United issued the Mileage Plus First Card through First Chicago Corp. that same year.

Around this time, Chase and TWA also partnered on a mileage card. American Express and Delta began issuing cobranded cards in 1996 — the beginning of a fruitful, decades-long collaboration.

While these first airline cards were modest compared to current products in terms of bonuses and perks, they set the mold for today's travel rewards credit card marketplace . Since then, major airlines and their issuers have developed multiple tiers of credit cards ranging from no-annual-fee basic ones to premium products that include plenty of value-added benefits such as airport lounge access or the ability to earn companion tickets . That's not to mention perks that offset once-included services, such as free checked bags and discounts on inflight food ... which you now often have to purchase instead of expecting a free meal.

Related: Are airline credit cards worth it anymore?

The frenzy for new consumers reached a fever pitch at times, including the then-unprecedented offer of 100,000 miles as a sign-up bonus on the British Airways Visa Signature® Card in 2009 (offer no longer available). Although 100,000-mile bonuses are still rare, that number gets thrown around a lot more these days with hotel credit cards like Hilton's American Express stable, as well as with targeted offers on premium, transferable-points cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express.

Besides airline cobranded cards, several issuers created proprietary points programs of their own where members could transfer the points to a number of airline (and hotel) partners.

Diners Club introduced the first credit card with points you could transfer to airline mileage programs in 1985.

American Express launched Membership Rewards in 1991 with seven domestic airline partners, including Continental, Delta, Northwest, MGM Grand Air, Midway, Pan Am and Southwest.

Today, the four major transferable points programs — American Express Membership Rewards , Chase Ultimate Rewards (launched in 2009), Capital One miles , and Citi ThankYou Rewards (launched in 2004, though revamped several times ). Each program partners with over a dozen airline and hotel programs.

All four programs issue multiple credit cards ranging from basic to premium. While this has largely been to the benefit of consumers — who have seen their options for earning and redeeming points multiply many times over thanks to exciting new credit cards — it also makes deciding which cards to get and how to use them that much more complicated. Overall, though, the more choices we have, the better off we are.

Airline alliances: 1997-present

With the formation and expansion of airline alliances in the 1990s and 2000s, flyers saw their opportunities to earn and redeem miles across different carriers dramatically increase as well.

Star Alliance , of which United is a member, became the first of these organizations when it was formed in May 1997. Today, it is the largest alliance, both by number of airline members (26) and market share (just around 24% by recent estimates ).

Oneworld was founded in February 1999 by carriers including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas. Oneworld now counts 14 full members (including the most recent, Alaska Airlines ), making up around 16% of market share.

Related: What are airline alliances, and who's in them?

Finally, Delta formed SkyTeam in 2000 along with other carriers such as Aeromexico and Air France. It now has 19 members and accounts for nearly 20% of market share.

All this means that flyers should be able to earn miles in their two or three target programs on nearly every major flight they take. On the redemption side, it means being able to use their miles to fly to hundreds, if not thousands, of destinations that might otherwise have been inaccessible. While airline credit cards vastly increased the opportunity to earn miles, the formation of airline alliances likewise increased travelers' options for redeeming them in incredible ways.

Mergers: 2001-2016

Airline mergers have occurred since almost the beginning of commercial aviation. But in the last 18 years or so, the number of mergers and the size of the airlines participating have resulted in unprecedented consolidation within the industry and further standardization of frequent flyer programs into the forms we know today.

Without going into an exhaustive history, here are a few of the most significant recent mergers.

American Airlines took over TWA in 2001, and America West merged with US Airways in 2005, though it kept the US Airways moniker.

The next major merger was that of Delta and Northwest in 2008.

In 2010, United and Continental merged, while Southwest and AirTran came together in 2011.

US Airways and American Airlines joined forces in 2013.

Finally, Alaska Airlines and Virgin America closed their deal in 2016.

Outside the U.S., Air France-KLM was formed in 2004.

IAG, or International Airlines Group, was formed by the merger of British Airways and Iberia in 2010 and then grew further with the takeover of Aer Lingus in 2015.

Lufthansa purchased Swiss in 2005 and Austrian in 2008.

In Asia, Cathay Pacific purchased Dragonair in 2006, while in South America, Avianca and Taca merged in 2010, and LATAM was born of LAN and TAM in 2012.

Each of these mergers has represented both benefits and costs to consumers. On the positive side, mergers included the integration of mileage programs so people could combine their various accounts. In some cases, this opened up new awards to flyers as their miles became part of new programs and usable on new alliances.

On the negative side, mergers produced a lot of uncertainty mile-wise. Airlines could switch alliances. For instance, Continental was in SkyTeam before merging with United and joining Star Alliance. US Airways was in Star Alliance but switched to Oneworld due to its merger with American. TAM was part of Star Alliance until it also joined Oneworld as part of its takeover by LAN ... and then left the alliance in May 2020 due to a new linkup with Delta.

Those shifts meant that flyers who had diligently accrued miles in a certain mileage program in the hopes of redeeming awards on specific partners either had to book their awards within a very limited time frame or rethink their entire strategy.

Not only that, but flyers had to learn new award rules and charts based on those of the mileage program that remained standing after a merger. With each consolidation came a frenzy of mileage activity that also sent award space into a tailspin, which probably created some of the increasing scarcity of saver-level awards (at least pre-pandemic).

The disappearance of an airline and its mileage program also usually meant the changeover or outright cancellation of associated credit card products. We saw this in the case of the US Airways Mastercard, which was converted to the AAdvantage Aviator World Elite Mastercard. The Virgin America family of cobranded cards was closed in January 2018.

Although fewer choices generally mean worse options for consumers, the offerings have remained fairly competitive and consistent in the case of airline credit cards. We still see some great bonuses and benefits being offered.

Revenue requirements: 2014-present

In 1987, America West established a mileage program called FlightFund , which issued miles based on fare price rather than miles flown. FlightFund went the way of the dodo in 2006 after the airline merged with US Airways. However, its FlightFund formula was the one that both JetBlue and Southwest replicated with their mileage programs in the 2000s.

In 2014, the U.S legacy carriers decided to pursue a similar path. Delta and United announced that their respective mileage programs would become revenue-based the next year. American followed suit in 2016. The airline world has not been the same since.

Now, instead of earning miles based on the distances flown, members of most frequent flyer programs earn between 5 and 11 miles per dollar spent. The exact number is based on the type of fare and elite status level.

Partner mileage earning generally remains based on the fare class purchased (discount economy, full-fare economy, discount business class, full-fare business class, etc.) and the distance flown. However, even these rates have been slashed — to 25% (or less) of miles flown in some cases.

Earning elite-qualifying miles and segments on American Airlines and Delta remains based on distance or segments flown. Still, both have also instituted spending requirements for elite status ranging between $3,000-$15,000 depending on the airline and tier (Alaska has not instituted spending requirements at this time). Spending thresholds are waived at most levels if you make $25,000 or more in purchases annually on a cobranded credit card.

Meanwhile, United has adopted an entirely revenue-based elite system where you must earn both Premier Qualifying Points based on spending and Premier Qualifying Flights based on actual travel, though distance is no longer a factor.

Interestingly enough, both Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Lufthansa Miles & More also went revenue-based in 2018. Flying Blue also dropped its award charts soon after and began dynamically pricing awards based on paid airfare, though this structure remains illogical at best.

While the implications of these overhauls are complicated, there is one key takeaway: Airlines are rewarding travelers who spend rather than those who merely fly. It is more difficult to earn both award miles and elite status now, and it's only likely to get harder.

That said, airlines worldwide relaxed their elite status requirements in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, so it might be a while before they bounce back to their previous mileage and flight demands.

Surcharges and devaluations: 2004-present

Beyond predicating their mileage programs on spending, the legacy carriers have also significantly devalued their award charts over the years by repeatedly raising mileage requirements.

Delta began the trend, pulling its award charts in 2015 and beginning to price awards dynamically based on airfares. That means some economy awards are cheaper , but premium awards have shot up in price again and again ... and again .

Unfortunately, the trend has continued during the pandemic. United raised partner award prices in April 2020 and then again in October. That same month, Delta hiked up prices on partner awards with no notice.

For now, both American and Alaska Airlines still publish zone-based award redemption charts with fixed mileage levels for awards in various classes between specific regions ... after raising those mileage levels multiple times .

Even Southwest has upped its mileage redemption rates multiple times in the last several years, most recently last April . And foreign carriers, including Singapore Airlines , have been doing the same lately.

Related: The 7 best ways to redeem airline miles without flying

Now for one non-mileage type of devaluation. Let's go back to 2004. That's when oil prices spiked ... to $40 a barrel. Airlines that had failed to hedge their prices beforehand began implementing small "fuel surcharges" on award tickets to offset part of the ticket cost.

The price of oil spiked again in 2008, resulting in an even greater imposition of these additional costs — and the more generic catch-all phrase of "carrier-imposed surcharges." Despite ups and downs in the oil market, however, they've been with us ever since, albeit with dramatic increases that dwarf the rise in oil prices and can add up to thousands of dollars in some cases . Though they don't ostensibly affect mileage prices, they're nevertheless a factor in frequent flyer programs because these fees are frequently levied on award tickets and thus bring down the practical utility of the miles of airlines that charge them.

Luckily, U.S. frequent flyer schemes don't levy these onerous charges, and the mileage programs of international carriers, including the newly revamped Air Canada Aeroplan , Cathay Pacific Asia Miles and Emirates Skywards , have begun axing them as well.

What's next for the frequent flyer programs?

Given the uncertainty of the past year as well as what's to come in 2021 and beyond, trying to predict what's next for airline frequent flyer programs might be a fool's errand. But that doesn't mean we can't try .

Four major trends stood out from this past year.

First, airlines leveraged their mileage programs to underwrite their financing, so there is no doubt that they will continue to regard frequent flyer miles as key not only to their survival but as major assets for any turbulence to come.

Second, we're going to continue seeing miles flood the market. Several airlines, including United and Delta, sold massive quantities of miles to their credit card issuers to generate cash when travel demand dropped in the second and third quarters of 2020. That has resulted in some jaw-dropping credit card bonuses and spending promotions so far, and consumers can expect those to continue.

Related: How much money do loyalty programs make airlines?

Just look at the recently launched the United Quest Card, which comes with 70,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open.

On the flip side, though, that means we're also likely to see further award devaluations as more consumers look for more ways to redeem more of their miles after a year of pent-up travel demand. In short, if you're sitting on a stash of miles, now is the time to start thinking about how you'll redeem them .

Finally, if you were a super-triple-platinum-diamond-crusted elite in the past, this is the exact right moment to consider whether you want to hop back on the elite-status hamster wheel with your airline of choice or to branch out and explore new options. Many frequent flyer programs are offering generous status challenges this year to woo flyers back on their planes and they're gunning for competitors' customers. But if you want to stick to what you know, chances are the qualification requirements are much lower this year, and that means you can aim for an even higher echelon than you've ever achieved before, depending on how much you intend to travel.

Bottom line

In the four decades since the inception of modern frequent flyer programs, airline miles have become markedly more complicated. Many of the developments have been positive, including the panoply of perks-driven, cobranded credit cards now available for all the major airlines.

At the same time, however, consumers have faced a constantly shifting skyscape of labyrinthine earning and redemption rules, an elite-status system that keeps pushing qualification thresholds higher and higher, and increasing restrictions on how and where consumers can use their miles.

As is often the case, though, adversity also means opportunity for individuals who take the time to learn about mileage programs and master their complexities. Staying on top of ongoing developments, adjusting your strategy and maximizing your ability to earn and redeem miles make it still possible to reap tremendous value and benefits from frequent flyer miles as we see where airline programs evolve.

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Airline Loyalty Rewards

American Airlines AAdvantage Loyalty Program Review

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our  Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Charlotte, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York LaGuardia/JFK, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Washington Reagan

• American Airlines award chart
• Oneworld and other airline partner award chart

1.4 cents/point

Admirals Club , Flagship Lounge ,  and International First Class Lounge

• Best Ways to Earn American AAdvantage Miles
• Earn 100k AAdvantage Miles in 90 Days
• How To Use the AAdvantage Dining Program
• How To Use the AAdvantage Shopping Program
• Best American Airlines Credit Cards
• Best Ways To Redeem AAdvantage Miles
• Best Ways To Use 100,000 AAdvantage Miles
• Best Ways To Use 10,000 (or Fewer) AAdvantage Miles
• How To Book American Airlines First Class
• How To Book American Airlines Business Class
• How To Upgrade to Business/First Class on American Airlines
• American Airlines Review – Seats, Amenities & More
• American Airlines Boarding Groups & Process
• American Airlines Baggage Fees

American Airlines Overview

American’s mileage loyalty program is known as AAdvantage ; it is one of the industry’s original loyalty programs and remains the largest with millions of members.

AAdvantage has been acclaimed as one of the more customer-friendly airline mileage programs, with elite status acquired solely via Loyalty Points that can be earned via many different means, including flying.

Miles can be earned by spending with American, Oneworld partners, other select participating airlines, and over 1,000 non-airline partners.

Accrued miles can then be used on any American flight, upgrade, or redemption travel on a partner airline, as well as some vacations, car rentals, hotels, and other retail products.

Joining AAdvantage

Enrollment is easy; you do not have to fly American before applying. Simply fill out the form , and you’re on your way!

You will gain the ability to earn miles, redeem awards, and work your way up toward elite status, which we will discuss in the next section.

How To Sign in to Your AAdvantage Account

Sign in on the aa.com homepage. You must enter your last name, AAdvantage account number, and password.

Hot Tip: You can search for award flight availability on the American Airlines website without logging in to your account.

Viewing Your Account Activity

Detailed AAdvantage account activity is limited to 6 months. By visiting the new Account Activity page, you can see some activity as far back as 12 months.

Particularly if you have many partner flights that can have errors in awarding miles, it’s a good idea to print out your account activity every few months for your records.

Miles Expiration

AAdvantage miles expire after 24 months of inactivity, except for members who are under 21 years of age.

Any miles earning or redeeming activity counts, so you have many options beyond taking flights, such as using an American Airlines credit card, using the AAdvantage shopping portal, or enrolling in AAdvantage Dining to earn a few miles. All these activities reset the 24-month clock!

AAdvantage Program

Aadvantage elite status.

AAdvantage has 4 elite status levels.

AAdvantage Gold: While other airlines have silver as their first elite status tier, American starts with Gold. Like other airlines, benefits at this level are few, but here are some highlights:

• 1 free checked bag
• Complimentary Main Cabin Extra seats within 24 hours of departure (50% advance purchase discount eliminated)
• Complimentary preferred seats
• Complimentary same-day standby
• Complimentary upgrades on all eligible flights.
• Earn 1 mile per dollar spent at Hyatt with the AAdvantage – World of Hyatt promotion (link accounts  here )
• Oneworld Ruby status for priority check-in and security with partners

AAdvantage Platinum (comparable to Gold status with Delta and United):

All Silver benefits plus:

• 2 free checked bags
• Complimentary Main Cabin Extra seats
• Oneworld Sapphire status for access to partner business class lounges (not American Admirals Club)

AAdvantage Platinum Pro  (comparable to Platinum status with Delta and United):

All Platinum benefits plus:

• 1  Loyalty Choice Reward
• Complimentary same-day flight changes
• Oneworld Emerald status

AAdvantage Executive Platinum  (comparable to Delta Diamond and United 1K):

All Platinum Pro benefits plus:

• 3 free checked bags
• Highest priority on all standby and upgrade lists
• Loyalty Choice Rewards

Check American’s site for the full line-up of elite benefits .

Value of AAdvantage Elite Status

Overall, many travelers perceive that American Airlines’ elite status is losing value, and its Gold and Platinum levels lag behind the competition.

Frequent international travelers may consider their Oneworld Sapphire status among the best benefits of Platinum and Platinum Pro since it grants access to partner business class lounges.

At the top, Executive Platinum has long been respected as one of the highest-value airline status levels. Still, in recent years the primary benefit of systemwide upgrades (SWUs) was cut in half from 8 to 4, assuming the member selects those upgrades as part of their Loyalty Choice Rewards.

Unique among U.S. airline programs, Executive Platinum grants Oneworld Emerald status, which provides access to partner first class lounges even when flying economy. Comparable status with Delta and United only grants business class or similar lounge access, but not first class.

Earning AAdvantage Elite Status

Requirements for reaching elite status were recently revised to a Loyalty Points-based system.

Loyalty Points can be earned in numerous ways, including flying American or partners, staying in a Hyatt hotel, renting a car booked through American, eating at an American dining partner, and so much more. You do not need to fly to earn status on American.

How To Earn AAdvantage Miles

There are a variety of ways to earn miles. From flying on American or its partners to utilizing other services, you will always be able to find ways to earn AAdvantage miles .

Earning Miles Through Flying

Mileage earning on American Airlines flights is now based on ticket price (base fare plus carrier-imposed fees, excluding government-imposed taxes and fees):

• Base member — 5 miles per dollar spent
• Gold member — 7 miles per dollar spent (40% bonus)
• Platinum member — 8 miles per dollar spent (60% bonus)
• Platinum Pro member — 9 miles per dollar spent (80% bonus)
• Executive Platinum member — 11 miles per dollar spent (120% bonus)

What you earn with airline partners depends on the partner, fare class, and marketing carrier (codeshare).

Earning Bonus Miles in Other Ways

Other partner bonus miles are a great way to earn extra miles for less frequent travelers.

Sign up for newsletters or follow the airline or mileage program via its Facebook or Twitter accounts to find out the latest promotions for earning bonus miles.

Make sure to use partner services for car rentals and hotel reservations , and add your AAdvantage number to all reservations.*

American’s preferred car rental agencies are Avis and Budget, but you can earn miles with other rental car agencies as well.

You can also earn miles through dining and shopping with the AAdvantage Dining program  and the eShopping Mall .

*Note : If you add your airline loyalty program to other services, you won’t also earn status points with these franchises (unless it’s a preferred car rental agency that has specifically partnered with the airline; this partnership acts as a sort of alliance between airline and rental agency).

Branded and Partnered Credit Cards

There are several credit cards that can help you earn American miles that can be redeemed for some great award flights.

American Airlines Credit Cards

American Airlines has a credit card partnership with both Citi and Barclaycard. You can earn American miles directly with any one of them. One can even help you earn elite status.

Status lovers will enjoy the variety of benefits that come with this card. From free bags to reduced-price inflight beverages, AA still flies in style.

Blue skies and fair winds make for a good day to fly! Choosing your airline can be difficult, since factors like location, time, and destination all go into whether or not you can fly somewhere.

An easy choice for many people is American Airlines, because they’re the largest airline in the world. If you’re an American, you’ve probably flown American Airlines at least once.

Frequent fliers tend to enjoy the treatment they can get, from boarding privileges to free bags to lounge access. There’s many reasons to fly with AA, and if so then getting a Citi ® / AAdvantage ® Platinum Select ® World Elite Mastercard ® could be for you.

• Earn 75,000 American Airlines AAdvantage ® bonus miles after $3,500 in purchases within the first 4 months of account opening
• Earn 2 AAdvantage ® miles for every $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants, and on eligible American Airlines purchases
• Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage ® mile earned from purchases
• Earn a $125 American Airlines Flight Discount after you spend $20,000 or more in purchases during your card membership year and renew your card
• No Foreign Transaction Fees
• First checked bag is free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to four companions traveling with you on the same reservation
• Enjoy preferred boarding on American Airlines flights
• APR: 21.24% - 29.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees:  0%

American Airlines AAdvantage Program

Access to Admirals Clubs, tons of added benefits, and a way to spend towards elite status make this a great option for American Airlines loyalists.

The Citi ® /AAdvantage ® Executive World Elite Mastercard ® is a go-to card thanks to its exclusive perks and benefits for people who love to fly American Airlines. With a complimentary Admirals Club membership, free checked bags, inflight discounts, and the ability to earn Loyalty Points for every $1 you spend, there is plenty to love about the card.

• Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage ® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening
• Earn 10 miles per $1 spent on eligible car rentals booked through aa.com/cars
• Earn 10 miles per $1 spent on eligible hotels booked through aa.com/hotels
• $595 annual fee
• Doesn’t earn many miles on all other eligible purchases
• Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage ® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening.
• Admirals Club ® membership for you and access for up to two guests or immediate family members traveling with you
• No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
• First checked bag is free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to 8 companions traveling with you on the same reservation
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 

American Airlines AAdvantage Frequent Flyer Program

Earn 2x miles per dollar spent on American Airlines flights and at grocery stores, all without needing to pay an annual fee.

The American Airlines AAdvantage ® MileUp ®  is perfectly suited for those looking for a way to earn more American Airlines miles and earn Loyalty Points, all without needing to pay an annual fee.

• 2x mile per $1 on American Airlines and grocery store purchases
• 1x mile per $1 on all other purchases
• 25% savings on inflight food and beverage purchases
• Other cards are more rewarding for frequent American Airlines flyers
• Charges a 3% foreign transaction fee
• Earn 10,000 American Airlines AAdvantage ® bonus miles and receive a $50 statement credit after making $500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
• No Annual Fee
• Earn 2 AAdvantage ® miles for each $1 spent at grocery stores, including grocery delivery services
• Earn 2 AAdvantage ® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
• Earn 1 AAdvantage ® mile for every $1 spent on other purchases
• Save 25% on inflight food and beverage purchases when you use your card on American Airlines flight
• Foreign Transaction Fees:  3%

A low annual fee, a free checked bag, and tons of perks and discounts make this card valuable for business owners who travel.

With the CitiBusiness ® / AAdvantage ® Platinum Select ® Mastercard ® , you get a card that gives you perks like boarding privileges, free checked bags, and discounts on inflight purchases, while also earning more miles for your next award redemption.

• 2x miles per $1 spent on American Airlines purchases
• 2x miles per $1 spent on cable and satellite providers, at gas stations, on car rentals, and on select telecommunications merchants
• 1x mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
• $99 annual fee
• Does not earn transferable rewards
• Designed for businesses
• For a limited time, earn 75,000 American Airlines AAdvantage ®  bonus miles after $5,000 in purchases within the first 5 months of account opening.
• First checked bag is free on domestic American Airlines itineraries to reduce travel costs and boost your bottom line.
• 25% savings on American Airlines inflight Wi-Fi when you use your card
• Earn 2 AAdvantage ® miles per $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases, and on purchases at telecommunications merchants, cable and satellite providers, car rental merchants and at gas stations
• Earn 1 AAdvantage ® mile per $1 spent on other purchases
• Foreign Transaction Fees:  None

Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards

You can  earn Marriott Bonvoy points  and transfer those to American at a transfer rate of 3:1.

Recommended Marriott Bonvoy Cards

A great option for Marriott hotel fans who want a no annual fee card and automatic Marriott Bonvoy elite status.

Casual travelers who like to frequent properties that are part of the Marriott Bonvoy collection of brands may want to consider the Marriott Bonvoy Bold ® Credit Card.

The Marriott Bold card rewards cardholders for Marriott stays and gives them a boost towards Marriott Bonvoy elite status.

• Up to 14x points per $1 on Marriott purchases
• 2x points at grocery stores, rideshare, select food delivery, select streaming, and internet, cable, and phone services
• 5 Elite Night Credits each year
• Lower point earn rate than other Marriott Bonvoy cards
• Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status is the lowest status tier
• Earn 60,000 Bonus Points plus 1 Free Night Award after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Free Night valued at 50,000 points. Certain hotels have resort fees.
• Pay no annual fee with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold ® Credit Card from Chase ® !
• Earn up to 14X total points per $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy ® with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold ® Card.
• New! Earn 2X points for every $1 spent at grocery stores, rideshare, select food delivery, select streaming, and internet, cable, and phone services.
• 1X point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
• New! Travel now, pay later – Break up purchases into equal monthly payments with no interest plus no plan fees on qualifying travel purchases. Terms apply.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees.
• Member FDIC
• APR: 21.49%–28.49% Variable

Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott loyalists will love this card's annual Free Night Award, automatic elite status, and up to 17x points per $1 on Marriott hotel stays.

If you’re a frequent traveler and a Marriott loyalist, there’s a lot to love about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless ® Credit Card . The card comes packed with several great benefits like a free hotel night once a year, automatic Silver Elite status (with a fast-track to Gold Elite status), and multiple options for redeeming points.

• Earn big when you use your card at thousands of participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
• Earn big at grocery stores, gas stations, and dining
• Automatic Silver Elite Status
• $95 annual fee
• Marriott Silver Elite Status is the lowest status tier
• Earn 3 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after qualifying purchases.
• Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining.
• Earn 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 you spend.
• 1 Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary.
• Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy ® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless ® Card.
• Receive 15 Elite Night Credits annually, automatic Silver Elite status, and path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each calendar year.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees. Your points don't expire as long as you make purchases on your card every 24 months.

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card gives you automatic Marriott elite status and helps you earn more Marriott Bonvoy points on your everyday purchases.

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with  no credit score impact.

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express ® Card , the latest mid-tier offering in the Marriott Bonvoy lineup of cards, offers cardholders automatic elite status and ways to earn more Marriott Bonvoy points on each of their stays and daily purchases.

• 6x points per $1 at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
• 4x points per $1 at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per calendar year, then 2x points)
• 2x points per $1 on all other purchases
• $250 annual fee ( rates & fees )
• Free Night Award certificate is not an automatic benefit
• Earn 155,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy ® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
• Earn 4X points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets per calendar year, then 2X points).
• Earn 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
• Marriott Bonvoy 1K Bonus Points Per Stay: Earn 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy ® bonus points per paid eligible stay booked directly with Marriott for properties participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
• With complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elites status, earn up to 2.5X points from Marriott Bonvoy ® on eligible hotel purchases with the 25% Bonus Points on stays benefit, available for Qualifying Rates.
• Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Free Night Award: Earn 1 Free Night Award after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ Card in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy ® points) at a hotel participating in Marriott Bonvoy ® . Certain hotels have resort fees.
• 15 Elite Night Credits: Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express Card ® you can receive 15 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy ® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express. Terms apply.
• Plan It ® is a payment option that lets you split up purchases of $100 or more into equal monthly installments with a fixed fee. Plus, you'll still earn rewards the way you usually do.
• $250 Annual Fee.
• Terms Apply.
• APR: 20.99%-29.99% Variable

A premium card for Marriott fans who want perks like an annual statement credit and Free Night Award, plus a fast track to Marriott elite status.

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant ® American Express ® Card  is a premium card designed with road warriors and Marriott Bonvoy loyalists in mind.

So is the card a worthwhile addition to your wallet?

• 6x points per $1 at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy   program
• 3x points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines and restaurants worldwide
• Steep annual fee of $650 ( rates & fees )
• 6x points per $1 is the same earn rate offered with lower annual fee alternatives like the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express ® Card
• Earn 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy ® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
• $300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant ® American Express ® Card at restaurants worldwide.
• With Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant ® American Express ® Card Elite status, you can receive room upgrades, including enhanced views or suites, when available at select properties and booked with a Qualifying Rate.
• Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy ® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy ® . Earn 3X Marriott Bonvoy ® points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2X Marriott Bonvoy ® points on all other eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant ® American Express ® Card.
• Free Night Award: Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy ® . Certain hotels have resort fees.
• Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant ® American Express ® Card, you will be eligible to select a Brilliant Earned Choice Award benefit. You can only earn one Earned Choice Award per calendar year. See https://www.choice-benefit.marriott.com/brilliant for Award options.
• $100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton ® or St. Regis ® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
• Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck ® : Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($100) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck ® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant ® American Express ® Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
• Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant ® American Express ® Card you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy ® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express. Terms apply.
• Enroll in Priority Pass™ Select, which offers unlimited airport lounge visits to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks, and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
• With Cell Phone Protection, you can be reimbursed, the lesser of, your repair or replacement costs following damage, such as a cracked screen, or theft for a maximum of $800 per claim when your cell phone line is listed on a wireless bill and the prior month's wireless bill was paid by an Eligible Card Account. A $50 deductible will apply to each approved claim with a limit of 2 approved claims per 12-month period. Additional terms and conditions apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
• $650 Annual Fee.

Other Hotel Partner Credit Cards

Several other hotel programs will let you transfer points to American Airlines. However, this is almost always a poor use of hotel points. Unless you are really in a bind, save your hotel points for hotel award stays at your destination.

How To Redeem American AAdvantage Miles

American Airlines one standard form of awards, simply called Flight Awards. What you see on AA.com is the price you’ll pay. There are no longer “milesAAver” or “AAnytime” awards.

In a 3-cabin aircraft with separate economy, business, and first classes (such as JFK-LAX/SFO transcontinental routes or select international routes), American will charge higher rates for first than for business.

If you’re interested, we’ve dedicated an entire post to the best of the best ways to redeem 100K AAdvantage miles .

Oneworld and Partner Awards

AAdvantage has a separate  Oneworld and other airline partner award chart with its own pricing.

American Airlines has many unpublished award routing rules that you learn through trial and error. For instance, a U.S.-Australia route is not allowed to transit via Asia unless you pay the more expensive U.S.-Asia one-way price plus the Asia-Australia one-way price. It is cheaper to fly direct, but award availability on American and partner Qantas is scarce.

Both Etihad and Qatar now have certain transit exceptions providing for single-award pricing to Africa and other areas.

Booking Online

Not all American Airlines partners can be booked online, so don’t give up. Call American Airlines to check for availability.

Only these partners can be booked online: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Cape Air, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Hawaiian Airlines, Malaysian, Qantas Airways, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian Airlines, S7, SriLankan, and Air Tahiti Nui.

To save time, do research on partner airline websites prior to calling American Airlines:

• Use the British Airways or Qantas website for Oneworld partners
• Use the Etihad website for Etihad flights (look for GuestSeat availability, not OpenSeat)

Hot Tip: To book business or first class awards on Etihad, you need to call AAdvantange in Australia at +61-02-9101-1948. This team can put the award on hold for you; then call AAdvantage in the U.S. to issue the ticket. If you call the U.S. directly, you will be told there are no Etihad award seats.

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The information regarding the Citi ® / AAdvantage ® Platinum Select ® World Elite™ Mastercard ® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Citi ® /AAdvantage ® Executive World Elite Mastercard ® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the American Airlines AAdvantage ® MileUp ® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.  The information regarding the CitiBusiness ® / AAdvantage ® Platinum Select ® Mastercard ® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Bold ® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless ® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express ® Card, click here . For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant ® American Express ® card, click here .

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UP's Bonus Valuation

This bonus value is an estimated valuation  calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.

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Frequent flyer programs: a guide.

If you’re on a first-name basis with your airport security agents, you may have wondered if joining a frequent flyer program could benefit your on-the-go lifestyle. These programs may be a great way to earn and redeem frequent flyer miles or points, which may help cover your future travel expenses. Let’s learn more about what frequent flyer programs are and things to consider before joining one.

What is a frequent flyer program?

Frequent flyer programs are loyalty programs offered by airlines to reward you as a customer for traveling with them or their partners. The specific perks and potential fees between programs differ depending on the airline, but they all tend to share a common process.

Typically, signing up for a frequent flyer program allows you to earn frequent flyer miles or points. These are a specific type of currency reward that you earn when you purchase airfare with that program’s airline. Usually, you’ll earn a certain number of miles (sometimes referred to as “points” in some programs) per dollar you spend or per actual miles flown (which is where the name originates from).

Frequent flyer programs and travel credit cards

Frequent flyer programs may be a simple way to earn airline miles or points that may be redeemed for discounted flights or upgrades. However, you may accumulate airline miles by booking flights and making other direct purchases with that program’s airline. Miles and points can also be earned when using an airline credit card or a travel credit card.

Airline credit cards are cards that are partnered with specific airlines. Cardmembers automatically become loyalty members of the frequent flyer program and, therefore, earn miles or points when making purchases with their card that can be redeemed for airfares through that program's airline. Some airline credit cards may also offer more air travel perks, like in-flight Wi-Fi and discounted food and beverages.

Travel credit cards are generally flexible because they allow you to earn points through eligible purchases made across multiple spending categories and airlines. Points may be redeemed for travel-related expenses across multiple airlines or non-travel related options.

Benefits of frequent flyer programs

The perks of joining a frequent flyer program may differ between airlines, some common benefits include:

• Using earned rewards towards flights: Frequent flyer programs may allow you to redeem your miles or points toward the cost of your next flight through their airline.
• Cabin upgrades: Frequent flyers can typically redeem their miles or points to upgrade to a higher cabin class.
• Lounge access: Many frequent flyer programs allow members access to their airline lounge , which can include food, drinks and seating that’s typically more comfortable than what you’d find at your gate. Be sure to read your program's terms and conditions as some airlines offer this access complimentary to members while others may charge a fee.
• Complimentary checked bags: Frequent flyers often receive complimentary bag checks with their program’s airline.
• Priority boarding: Snag some room for your carry-ons and get some extra time to settle in as a frequent flyer, since most programs usually include priority boarding access for members.

Drawbacks of frequent flyer programs

Frequent flyer programs may be a great way to take advantage of your favorite airlines travel perks, but they could also come with a few drawbacks like:

• Blackout dates: Many frequent flyer programs restrict your ability to redeem miles or points during peak seasons for air travel, like major holidays.
• Mileage expiration dates:  Some programs may only allow you to redeem your frequent flyer miles for a specific window before they expire. If you wait too long or forget about the miles you’ve accumulated, you might ultimately lose them.
• Earning or redemption restrictions: Typically, frequent flyer programs only allow you to earn and redeem miles through the airline sponsoring the program. If you tend to fly with multiple airlines, this may hinder your ability to accumulate enough redeemable miles before they expire.
• Potential fees:  Some frequent flyer programs are free to join, but others may charge you an annual fee. Additionally, some programs may charge you for access to certain perks, like lounge access.

Tips for choosing between frequent flyer programs

Choosing the right frequent flyer program may take researching and comparing programs to find the one that suits your lifestyle best. During your research process, it may help to: 

• Consider your travel habits:  Most frequent flyer programs only allow you to earn miles when you travel with their airline. Choosing a program through an airliner that you fly with most often may be an easy way to pare down your options.
• Compare earn and redeem rates: There’s usually a difference between the rate at which you earn miles and how much redeemable value they hold. Cross-comparing competitive rates between different programs may help you understand how advantageous a particular program may be for you.
• Check for annual fees: While some programs are free, others include annual fees. Additionally, some frequent flyer programs may charge you for access to certain benefits. Consider reading through and understanding the potential costs and fees associated with each program as you weigh your decision.
• Count the perks:  Not all frequent flyer programs are created equal, and some may offer perks that others don’t. Consider asking yourself what benefits are most important to you and finding programs that offer them.

If you’re loyal to a particular airline, joining their frequent flyer programs may offer you a way to enjoy some perks while also earning some potential discounts miles on future travel expenses. While frequent flyer programs have their benefits, they may have their downsides as well — like potential annual fees or blackout dates. In the end, it’s helpful to do your research and understand each program’s terms and conditions before joining.

Frequent flyer program FAQs

1. how do i join a frequent flyer program.

You can typically enroll in an airline’s frequent flyer program online from a sign-up page found through the airline’s official website. You may also be able to sign up in person through an airline representative at the airport.

2. Are frequent flyer programs worth it?

Frequent flyer programs may be worth it if you’re a frequent flyer who’s loyal to a particular airline. If you don’t travel often or usually fly with multiple airlines, you may not accumulate enough airline miles to make membership beneficial for you.

3. Do frequent flyer programs cost money?

Some frequent flyer programs are free to join while others charge an annual fee to maintain membership. Fees may also vary between different programs from the same airline. Consult your membership agreement to learn more about any potential fees.

4. Can I have multiple frequent flyer programs?

There is no limit to the number of frequent flyer programs you can join, though the possibility of paying fees across multiple programs may be somewhat restrictive.

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Most major airlines offer frequent flyer programs — a benefits program for avid travelers. By remaining loyal to one airline, you can earn back "miles" to spend on future flights while racking up other benefits. So, which US airline's frequent flyer program offers the most affordable miles? We're evaluating the programs of major commercial airlines nationwide to determine which has the most advantages.

The Winner: Southwest Airlines' RapidRewards

Rapid rewards.

We selected Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards as the winning rewards program for a number of reasons. You can access major discounts for already discounted flights on the widely acclaimed budget airline. "Wanna Get Away" fare (which is equal to basic economy) will earn you 6 points per dollar, and the amount earned goes up even more based on fare class. You can also earn points by purchasing hotel stays and rental cars through the airlines' many partners.

Chase Visa cardholders can earn even more points through everyday purchases. These points can be used for free flights, rental cars, hotel stays, and more. Because the flights are already cheap, and the number of points per dollar is so high, this is by far the winning frequent flyer program in the affordability department.

The Runner Up: Alaska Airlines' Mileage Plan

Mileage plan.

Launched in 1983 as the Gold Coast Travel program, Alaska Airlines' frequent flyer program is now known as Mileage Plan. 

Members of the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program can earn points by flying Alaska Airlines or any of the brand's 30 partner airlines (including American, British Airways, and more!). They can also earn miles by booking hotel stays through the airlines' many hotel partners, which include major brands such as Best Western and Marriott.

One mile is valued at about 1.4 cents per mile, and you earn three miles per dollar spent on each flight. Miles can be spent on a number of things: free flights, hotel stays, magazine subscriptions, and even donations. Opting into the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature card can also help you accrue more points — so that may be the way to go.

Other Close Contenders:

American airlines' aadvantage program.

The American Airlines AAdvantage frequent flyer program was launched by the United States carrier on May 1st, 1981. It was the second loyalty program to be launched by an airline worldwide, and today it is the oldest still in existence.

AAdvantage members can earn both loyalty points and miles when taking flights via American Airlines or through partner companies such as JetBlue and Hawaiian Airlines. The oneworld frequent flyer network also allows you to accrue miles through British Airways and Qatar Airways, so world travelers may want to take note. Each mile is equal to about 1.7 cents, and you'll earn 5 miles per dollar spent on each flight (though that rate is higher for

Because the brand is partnered with a number of other travel companies, you can also earn points by spending on various rental car and hotel companies. Citi/Aadvantage and Barclays Aadvantage Aviator Mastercards also enable members to rack up points that way.

Delta Air Lines' SkyMiles

Those who opt into Delta Air Lines' SkyMiles program can redeem points for free or discounted flights, upgrades, vacation packages, and more. Each mile equals about 1.2 cents, and each dollar spent on a Delta flight earns members 5 miles (which goes up based on your "status." You can also earn miles on flights booked through Delta's many partners, which include Air France and Virgin Atlantic.

Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) are loyalty points that determine your status and, therefore, any additional perks. And those who sign up for an American Express Delta SkyMiles credit card can earn both MQDs and miles.

Frontier Airlines' FRONTIER Miles program

Based on the amount spent on a Frontier flight, members of the Frontier Miles program can earn different amounts of Elite Status Points and Travel Miles. You can earn 10 miles per dollar spent on a flight, and each mile is valued at about $.01 each.

Miles can be used for free flights, and they can also be earned when staying at partner hotels and using the Barclays Frontier Airlines World Mastercard . Unlike other programs, points cannot be used towards bags and seats, but those with "elite" status can earn free luggage fees, seat upgrades, and more. They're also known to have giveaways , so keep a close eye out for those!

Frontier Airlines' Frontier Miles Program: What Are The Hidden Perks?

There is some great value on offer in the Fronter Miles program, especially for elite members.

Hawaiian Airlines' HawaiianMiles

Hawaiianmiles.

Hawaiian Airlines' loyalty program is HawaiianMiles, and it was started back in 1983. It allows passengers to redeem earnings for free or discounted flights, to upgrade their class of travel and to access other discounts on things like car rental, hotel stays and merchandise.

Members of HawaiianMiles earn points based on how far they fly — not the amount you pay. Hence, they go by the saying, "Each mile flown is a mile earned." If you're flying business or first class, you can get a 50% bonus, while those with "elite" status can earn even more. However, those who fly the airlines' iteration of basic economy can't earn miles.

Those who sign up for the Hawaiian AirlinesWorld Elite MasterCard can also earn three miles per dollar spent. Cardholders also get two free checked bags, along with other benefits such as $100 off a companion's flight.

JetBlue's TrueBlue

JetBlue's loyalty program.

Anyone who opts into JetBlue's TrueBlue program is able to get three points per dollar spent on a main cabin flight. Points can also be accrued by spending on partner airlines, certain hotels, and even through purchases made through the TrueBlue shopping portal. These points can then be spent on JetBlue flights, Hawaiian Airlines flights, and on JetBlue Vacations packages.

Even more points can be earned by making everyday purchases on a JetBlue credit card . Cardholders also receive additional perks such as sign-on bonuses — as well as a higher "status." But based on the company's earnings as of late, they may be changing the loyalty program.

Which Airlines Can You Book Using JetBlue's TrueBlue Frequent Flyer Program?

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34 Things That Frequent Travelers Use While Traveling (So Maybe You Should, Too)

Frequent travelers are experts when it comes to knowing what to pack, so take it from them that these are worth buying before your next trip.

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A super smart reusable bottle bag to help protect wine, perfume, olive oil, and more in your checked bag. Whether you're bringing back a souvenir for a loved one or going on a cruise where you can bring on a bottle of your favorite vino, this will def come in handy!

A portable charger for those long days of sightseeing you have ahead of you where your poor phone battery can only handle so many photos and videos!!! Now, you can keep the memory-capturing going without having to scope out the nearest outlet!

An ultra-supportive Trtl neck pillow that'll make the whole "falling asleep while sitting upright" thing possible (and comfy). Is there any better way to pass the time on a plane than with a nice, long nap? I don't think so.

1. A membership to TSA PreCheck and Global Entry to help make getting through airport security and returning home from international trips a breeze. If you travel frequently for leisure or work (especially abroad), then you probably don't want to feel like you're spending the majority of your time on these trips standing in lines at the airport!

My colleague  Elizabeth Lilly  travels A LOT. Here's what she has to say about the perks of signing up for this membership: 

"I put off getting TSA PreCheck and even Global Entry for YEARS despite flying ~10x a year because I'm a person who likes to get to the airport early and has getting through security down to an efficient routine. However, my breaking point was July 2021 when I had to wait soooo long at the airport when coming back to the country from Croatia (I had Mobile Passport at the time, but the machines were broken, so I had to wait in line with everyone else). I went to Italy about a month later after signing up for Global Entry, and coming back to the country was a breeze. I just had to let a machine take my picture, print out a receipt with said picture, and then place it in a nearby TSA agent's open palm. Then, onto baggage claim! I've since used the Global Entry portion six times and the TSA PreCheck about a dozen times since getting it. So I feel as if I've already gotten my money's worth in less than two years."

Apply with the Department of Homeland Security for $100 . Once you're approved, you have to do an in-person interview and if approved on the spot, you can have your TSA PreCheck and Global Entry privileges available immediately.

2. Plus a CLEAR membership , which will allow you to skip the whole song and dance of digging through your carry-on to find your license or passport to prove your identity. Thanks to this helpful program, physical features such as your eyes and fingerprints will help get you to your gate in less time.

Elizabeth is also a big fan of Clear! Here's what she has to say about it:

"I recently finally gave in to getting Clear after enjoying Global Entry and TSA PreCheck for 2.5 years. The hook was.. .the (pricey) annual fee is covered by my American Express Platinum every year! You can do most of the work online for an application and just spend a few extra minutes at a Clear kiosk in an airport terminal before you go through the security line. So the application is more convenient than Global Entry (no need to go in for an official interview) and gets you through the security line much faster than TSA PreCheck. I travel about 10x a year and have always been put off signing up for Clear because of the annual fee. Though, I (and so should you) take advantage of every single credit card membership benefit that I possibly can, so that was the clincher for me. Is it worth it if you only fly a few times a year? Unlikely. And if your main airport doesn't have the kiosks, it's even less worth the money. But if your credit card or someone else (like, ahem, your job that makes you travel) will foot the bill, go for it!"

Sign up for $189/year from Clear or visit American Express to learn more about credit card rewards, including the paid annual fee for Clear through AmEx Platinum. 

3. A TSA-approved  clear case  perfect for holding your travel-sized beauty products and/or toiletries. 

Truffle is a woman-owned small business that specializes in bags and accessories that are TSA-approved or stadium-approved. 

Promising review:  "I travel for work quite a bit and love to add this to my travel uniform. It’s hard being away from the comforts of home, but when the things you travel with are of the best quality and offer practicality, it can feel special. If you like quality, don’t hesitate! No more plastic bags for me! ;)" — SOFÍA J.

Get it from Truffle for $75+ (available in four sizes and nine colors). 

4. An  AirFly Pro wireless transmitter  so you can connect your wireless earbuds to the airplane entertainment system. Watching your favorite shows/movies with clear sound is a heck of a lot better than the static that comes with the junk headphones the airline tries to sell you.

Twelve South  is a husband-and-wife-owned small business based in Charleston, South Carolina. They've been designing accessories inspired by and made for Apple products since 2009. It also comes with a USB-C charging cable, travel pouch, keychain holder, quick-start guide, and a manual.

Promising review: "I love this gadget...I fly a lot, and this works on the majority of wide-body planes I’ve taken over the past six months. It plugs into one of the three-prong outlets (or a single outlet in economy), and you can connect any Bluetooth device. It doesn’t always connect on the first try, as I have multiple devices that my headphones are searching for, but if you turn off all other devices, it seems to connect right away. Once connected, it works for many hours. A few planes I’ve taken recently (Qatar Airways) have USB charge points so close to the headphone jack that you can even plug it in while it's working and never lose the charge. Highly recommend for travelers." — Joseph Britto

Get it from Amazon for  $34.99+  (available in various styles and two colors).

5. A pair of  compression socks  for potentially bringing sweet relief to feet that tend to swell during air travel. 

Read more about compression socks and swelling or long flights at  Cleveland Clinic . 

Promising review: "These socks have not let me down! I do a lot of cross-country flying and often have pain in my calves or my feet falling asleep through the flights. I’ve worn these socks on a few different trips now, and they’re incredible! They don’t get too hot, and they’re just tight enough to feel like a little hug around my legs. Amazing." — N G

Get them from Amazon for $14.26+ (available in unisex sizes S–XXL and 13 styles).

Check out my colleague's  Physix Gear compression socks review  for more deets!

6. A shampoo bar so you can wave goodbye to the days of having to pour your shampoo into tiny bottles you could get through TSA. Not only are these so easy to toss into your carry-on or suitcase for your next trip, but they're also a good choice for those looking to cut down on their plastic use.

Promising review: "I was definitely skeptical about a bar shampoo and conditioner, but I travel a lot and really wanted to cut down the use of plastic products as much as possible. I honestly am in love! I got the Heali Kiwi shampoo bar and the Wonderbar conditioner , as well as one of their eco-friendly bamboo and sugar cane storage containers , and my very long, fine, oily hair, which I do have to wash daily, looks and feels great. I recommend anyone on the fence to definitely give it a try! It works! So wonderful for travel too!" — M.A.

Get it from Amazon for $15 (available in 11 varieties).

7. A set of packing cubes that'll not only make packing feel less overwhelming (because all your stuff will have a place!!!) but will also make unpacking a breeze because you'll actually know where your stuff is! Think about how nice it's gonna be to open your suitcase and see some order rather than an overflowing mess!

The set includes three different size packing cubes, one bra and underwear bag, one shoe bag, and one bag for your toiletries.

Promising review:  "I travel for work frequently and, over the years, have become a packing genius, but these have upped my game. I can easily use the large cube to pack an entire week of clothes and put it in my carry-on with room to spare. I’ll use one of the smaller ones for my intimates, and I’m good to go! I have recommended these to lots of people and even bought some as gifts for fellow travelers. Get these if you’re on the go! You won’t regret it." — abel

Get the six-piece set from Amazon for $13.99+  (available in 13 colors).

8. A  phone mount  so you can watch your favorite downloaded shows/movies on your flight — because sometimes the airline doesn't offer your comfort characters on their entertainment menu or worse...there's no television at all.

Promising review: "If you travel a lot, buy this!! Even if you don't travel, this phone holder would be useful. My hubby and I fly fairly often, and I'm always tired of holding my phone or figuring out how to set it up during plane rides.  This is a game changer for flights. Makes it so easy and convenient to watch movies or shows during trips. A few people even asked me where I got it from. Definitely recommend!" — Alex Norman

Get it from Amazon for $13.97+ (available in three colors and as a two-pack).

9. A  portable door lock  that'll provide some extra security and peace of mind in hotel rooms, hostels, and Airbnbs. 

Note: This can get flagged with going through security, so you may want to put it in an easily accessible place in your checked bag to be safe. 

Promising review: "I travel a lot for work and usually take a lot of measures for extra security, such as keeping the luggage roller in my room all week and rolling it in front of the door. It was large and cumbersome, but with this gadget, it's great! You can use it on almost any door, and it works better than the makeshift 'fork' one. Frequent traveler or not, this item offers peace of mind, which can prove invaluable while away from home. (I can even use it on my door at my house!)" — Deactivated

Get it from Amazon for $11.99 .

10. A contoured sleep mask you're gonna be really happy you have with you next time you're on a flight, and it's too bright to attempt to take a nap because the person next to the window refuses to close it. How's that for planning ahead?

Plus, it comes with a set of earplugs to block out all the noise around you!

Promising review: "I do a lot of traveling and many red-eye flights! Sleep is an important issue! My previous masks let in some light as well as put pressure against my closed eyes! This product has no light seepage, and my eyes are not in contact with the mask, which gives me total comfort! I highly recommend this product to anyone who travels frequently!" — Donna Smolinski

Get the set from Amazon for $16.99+  (available in six colors).

11. A  stroller  that *actually* folds up small enough to fit as a carry-on in the plane's overhead compartments. Let's be real: You and your kiddo who has been screaming their head off since takeoff do NOT wanna wait to retrieve a checked stroller and now you won't have to.

It folds up so small that it was awarded a Guinness World Record in 2014 for the most compact stroller. It can hold kids who weigh up to 55 pounds and only weighs 9.5 pounds.

Promising review: "We are frequent travelers. I've been on 15 flights with my 17-month-old toddler. I wish I would have bought this a long time ago. It's the best purchase we have ever made. It is sturdy, folds very easily, has a great design, and can literally fit in a reusable grocery bag. Highly recommend!" — Kateryna

Get it from Amazon for $219.99+  (available in two colors and three styles).

12. A carry-on garment duffel bag you'll be grateful to travel with for your next business trip or even an adventure to a destination wedding. Keeping your suit and/or dress and fancy shoes neatly stowed away in here vs. crinkled in your suitcase is a much better option.

Plus, the bag is water-resistant and has two exterior zip pockets, two interior shoe pockets, and a padded handle wrap. Yes, this one bag really can do it all.

Promising review: "I travel a lot for work and needed something lightweight and convenient. This fits the bill nicely and allows me to completely jettison a second carry-on. It’s great! Lots of storage. I love that it has room for shoes. No issues with wrinkles. Highly recommend it." — CB

Get it from Amazon for $49.99+  (available in five colors and two sizes). 

13. An  acupressure anti-nausea wristband  that claims to ward off motion sickness and nausea, minus the drowsiness side effect found in most nausea medications.

For more info on how to use acupressure for nausea management, check out this guide from the  Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center . 

Promising review: " Simple game changer! My car sickness has been getting worse for years. I often drive with my family back to my hometown, about five hours away. I put these on and was finally able to ride without constantly fighting nausea. They fit comfortably, and I quickly forgot they were on. This feels like a simple, cost-efficient fix." — Breya Porter

Get a set of two from Amazon for $7.85  (available in adult and children's sizes ).

14. A charging station complete with SIX USB ports — now you'll be able to travel with the peace of mind that all your devices can be juiced up all at once without taking up every. single. outlet in the hotel room.

Promising review: "This is a great product! I travel frequently, and I am always challenged with the number of USB ports I can get with the number of outlets available (and where) in hotel rooms. With this product, the number-of-ports problem goes away, and what's great is that it extends the charger interface out from behind a bed, nightstand, or other inconvenient receptacle location up onto a work surface for easy access. As far as power, I have had an ASUS transformer, two iPads, HTC One M8, and two iPhones connected to it at the same time, charging for hours with no heat on the device whatsoever. It works great at home, too. I have always had good luck with Anker products — good quality." — bishop

Get it from Amazon for $29.99 .

15. An RFID-blocking wallet designed to hold all of your important travel documents because every time you're at the airport, you swear you'll have your license, passport, and boarding pass easily ready to show and every time you're at the airport you end up fumbling all of those things and holding up the line.

The wallet has a passport pocket, boarding pass compartment, three credit card slots, an ID slot, a slim card pouch, a slim pocket, a ticket slot, a cellphone pouch, a zippered coin pocket, a key holder, and a pen holder.

Promising review: "This wallet is durable, chic, and spacious. The lining is very soft and feels expensive. From the design to the material to the zippers and snaps, it's well made. I ordered it in rose gold, and it's a beautiful color. I travel frequently and love the boarding pass pocket. I recommended it to my sister and mom, who also love theirs! They ordered in yellow and bronze and were also happy with the color." — Brianna graham

Get it from Amazon for $11.19 (available in 36 colors).

16. An ultra-supportive Trtl neck pillow that'll make the whole "falling asleep while sitting upright" thing possible (and comfy). Is there any better way to pass the time on a plane than with a nice, long nap? I don't think so.

Promising review: "I love this travel pillow! As someone who travels frequently for work and leisure, I try to get sleep on planes whenever I can so I am ready to go when I land. However, when bulging discs in my neck developed a few years ago, I tested six or seven different types of travel pillows and couldn’t find a pillow that gave proper support and didn’t aggravate my injury. Then I found this cozy little gem!!! I have now had my Trtl for about six months, and it’s been a game-changer. I am able to get some of the best sleep I’ve gotten on planes without further aggravation to my neck. I’ve recommended this to so many people who all have reported back their equal appreciation of the Trtl. It’s easy to pack around once you get to your destination, so you don’t have to have a travel pillow hanging off your bag. I also appreciate how easy it is to take apart to wash — with so many germs on planes, I like that I can wash it without worrying about ruining it. I’m buying another for my mom, who is getting ready for an overnight flight to Europe. I highly recommend this product!!!" — Henninsa

Get it from Amazon for $64.99 (available in four colors).

17. Or an  inflatable travel pillow  with a genius design that provides support for your head and arms so dozing off while en route to your destination will be comfy as can be.

Promising review:  "I am a very frequent traveler and had lived through many 13+ hour flights prior to purchasing this pillow. After using it for the first time on my 13-hour flight to Tokyo, I will never fly without it again ! It was comfortable not only for sleeping while leaning forward but also for leaning against the window on the larger international plane. If you're traveling with a companion, it is also very comfortable being used between two people. I especially love how there are holes for your arms, and they can be used at different angles/positions. It made for a very restful flight overall." — Elizabeth B

Get it from Amazon for  $24.99.  

18. A  TSA-friendly toiletries kit  featuring four travel bottles, two little jars, two spray bottles, two scoopers for transferring creams, one funnel to transfer liquids, one cleaning brush, a set of labels, and a clear pouch to store them all. Keeping all of your liquids contained in this kit should help make getting through security a bit smoother. 

Promising review: "This is essential for flying! I fly pretty often throughout the year, and after having numerous leakage issues with regular plastic travel containers, I decided to go the silicone route and am so glad I did. I love that this set includes different sizes of bottles and tools to help fill/empty them, so reusing them is a breeze, and there is no wasted product. The variety of colors is great, so I can easily tell apart my toiletries, even without the included labels! Love this set and highly recommend it!" — Hennie S.

Get it from Amazon for $8.49+  (available in various combos). 

19. A carry-on case designed to comfortably fit under your seat. Sure, you might be lucky enough to have plenty of room in the overhead bin, but there's just something really humbling about having to fight your way out of your row and into the aisle just for everyone behind you to watch you have a wrestling match with your carry-on. We're leaving those days behind thanks to this genius invention.

Promising review : "This works out so well for me. I’m a flight attendant, and I’ve had an infinite amount of day trips over the summer. I got tired of carrying around my regular TravelPro spinner, so I finally ordered this. SOOOOO MUCH BETTER FOR ME. It’s light, has enough pockets, and can easily fit under a seat if needed. The ONLY picky thing I can think of is how loud it sounds going across rough concrete. The wheels aren’t as silent as others, but that won’t stop me from buying another in the future." — Kayla T.

Get it from Amazon for $42.51+ (available in four colors).

20. A  compact pill organizer  complete with six compartments for keeping your medications separate and preventing you from having to pack multiple pill containers.  

Promising review: "My husband and I travel a lot and take a number of prescription drugs. It was always a hassle accessing our medication when needed, so I purchased this organizer to make things easier. I used a label maker and labeled each little compartment and it has performed wonderfully. I highly recommend this organizer to anyone who travels and needs medications throughout the day." — Jacqueline

Get a three-pack from Amazon for $8.97 .

21. An anti-blister balm to apply before putting on your shoes so you can prevent those painful annoyances from even trying to happen. Whether you're walking miles at a cruise excursion or dashing from tourist attraction to tourist attraction, your feet will be happy you prepped them ahead of time.

This is made of allergen-free, plant-derived ingredients and infused with vitamins A and C!

Promising review: "I don't normally have trouble with blisters or pain from my work shoes, but I travel regularly to Washington, DC, for work. I walk a lot while I'm there, including when it's hot and muggy in the summer, and any kind of shoe I've tried gives me blisters when I walk five miles a day with extremely sweaty feet and no socks. I thought my only options were to coat my feet in Band-Aids or bite the bullet and start wearing tights or socks in the heat, but then I found this stuff. I just got back from a week in DC in shoes that have given me blisters before, and my feet are completely fine. I did reapply in the evenings going out for dinner, but otherwise, just a few swipes on the problem spots, and I was ready to go, with no painful rubbing. And, of course, the size is convenient for travel and to keep in my bag in case I do need to reapply." — L. Kelly

Get it from Amazon for $8.99 .

22. A portable charger for those long days of sightseeing you have ahead of you where your poor phone battery can only handle so many photos and videos!!! Now, you can keep the memory-capturing going without having to scope out the nearest outlet!

Promising review: "This is an amazing rapid power charger! It charges an iPad faster than plugging it into AC, even while using it! The size is very manageable — about the size of a deck of cards. I travel frequently, and I'm not always near a power source. I just make sure to charge the Anker each evening, and then none of my devices will be without power during the day. I was so happy with it, I purchased two more — one for my husband and one for my sister who can't seem to remember to keep her devices charged." — Cathy K

Get it from Amazon for  $17.99 .

23. A pack of laundry soap sheets if your goal is to pack less and re-wear more of the items you're bringing. These will make it so simple to do so. No washing machine required!

Promising review: "This stuff is awesome. I take it everywhere! We travel a lot, and it's perfect for all sorts of reasons! It was very useful on our trip to Israel, where I ended up doing laundry in our hotel sink almost every night because of the dust. The packaging is very small, and for as much as I have used this traveling, I haven't run out yet!" — Mia Bauer

Get it from Amazon for $12.95 . 

24. A little white noise machine because you don't wanna be the person asking the hotel front desk for a room change, but you also reallllly don't wanna be in the hotel room next to the elevator AND the ice machine.

Promising review: "I was skeptical at first about how well this little noise machine would work in my hotel room (I am a frequent business traveler). However, skepticism gave way to satisfaction. This little sound machine blocked out hotel noises very well and helped me sleep through the night. For a little machine, it provides very good volume and different noise options. I highly recommend this product!" — Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $19.99+  (available in two styles and also packs of two and three).

25. A  shoe bag  that can hold up to three pairs of footwear. Think of how much less clunky it'll be to place this compact cube in your luggage than having to make space for three separate pairs of shoes. Don't even get me started on dirt from the bottom of your shoes getting over all of your other belongings!!!

Promising review:  "You can totally fit three pairs of shoes in this! (Size 6.5 female shoe, fit heels, wedges, and sandals.) I bought two and will absolutely be buying more for my husband. 10/10 would recommend! I travel frequently, and I always overpack; this helped cut down space and stress immensely! " — Taylor

Get it from Amazon for $22.99  (available in nine colors and patterns). 

26. An electronic accessories organizer because traveling in modern times means having to pack chargers, and flash drives, and cables, and whatever else you could possibly think of. Instead of having to go on a scavenger hunt for each of these items in your suitcase as you unpack, just keep them all in this handy spot!

Promising review:  "I travel a fair amount and am an admitted tech gadget enthusiast and became tired of dragging around a jumbled bag of cables, connectors, adapters, earbuds, thumb drives, card readers, MP3 players, and other necessities that resembled an episode of  Hoarders . This little pouch tamed the beast — a place for everything and everything in its place. The other side of the double-sided pouch holds a power pack, a multi-port USB charger, and even a short extension cord. This is a great setup if you're frequently on the road, and you don't have to worry about forgetting that 'critical' connector..." — Snowbound

Get it from Amazon for $18.99+ (available in two sizes and four colors).

27. A  foldable jewelry organizer  that'll take up less space in your bag than a clunky jewelry box AND also serves as a better method than just tossing your jewelry into your bag and having to untangle it once you reach your destination.

Promising review:  "I got this for a friend after buying one for myself! I travel frequently and always struggle to organize my jewelry so it won't be in a tangled mess once reaching my destination. This organizer accomplishes that as well as helps me to easily see what I brought with me!" — Lauren

Get it from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in two sizes and nine colors and patterns).

28. A silicone makeup brush cover because while it would be great, chances are you're not going to thoroughly wash and dry your brushes before packing them. If you want to avoid your smoky eyeshadow from mixing with your rosy pink blush brush and leading to a makeup disaster when you're in a rush to go to dinner, stock up on a few of these. You'll be glad you did, promise.

Promising review: "Excited to find these! I travel a lot and didn’t want a bulky brush holder. These will be perfect!" — Lana P.

Get a two-pack from Amazon for $9.99  (available in five colors). 

29. A  luggage caddy  so making a pit stop at the airport coffee shop for a caramel latte and a breakfast sandwich doesn't mean having to juggle your food/drink on the way to your gate. 

Reviewers say it's ideal for a suitcase that can roll on four wheels! If you have a suitcase that has to tilt while it rolls, just be careful if the drinks are open at the top.

Promising review : "We travel by air a lot, and this is great for your carry-on luggage when you have no hands. We always get a drink at the airport, so this helps a lot." — Rhonda Bolash

Get it from Amazon for $10.99+ (available in 30 colors, patterns, and styles). 

30. A super smart reusable bottle bag to help protect wine, perfume, olive oil, and more in your checked bag. Whether you're bringing back a souvenir for a loved one or going on a cruise where you can bring on a bottle of your favorite vino, this will def come in handy!

Promising review: "I love these bags. I frequently travel overseas and always want to bring olive oil, wine, or the like back. These bags are perfect for protecting my finds, and I am comfortable that they will absorb the liquid if it does get broken. My husband actually put a bottle of cracked-open wine in the bag to test it, laid the bag on its side, and it absorbed the liquid!" — JHN

Get a set of three from Amazon for $14.99  (available in four styles).

31. A  makeup remover cloth  that only requires WATER to take off your makeup at the end of the day. No wasteful wipes, no cotton rounds and travel-friendly cleansing liquids, no hassle! 

Promising review : "This is incredible! I can't believe how well this works! I travel a lot for work and usually take makeup remover wipes because of the liquid restrictions for travel, but they are expensive and heavy. I have been using this cloth all week and LOVE IT! A bit of warm water and everything comes off in a few easy swipes. I am super excited to travel with this. It weighs nothing and rolls up to take very little space. I am ordering another for my mom who also travels. Highly recommend!" — KT

Get it from Amazon for $3.99  (available in four colors).

32. A folding toothbrush because while you probably don't think of your toothbrush being some big, clunky item that interferes with your packing, saving a little bit of space here and there really does make a difference (especially when your goal is to pack light). 

Promising review: "These are great! I travel around a lot for work, and I also have Invisalign, so I like to keep one in my work bag as well as my travel bag. The best part is the convenience. I used to carry a toothbrush in a case that took up a lot of room in my work bag as well as my travel bag. Now, I just use these. They are small, durable, and easy to use, and the brush is fully covered when it is fully closed, which is what I was a little worried about at first. It was exactly what I was looking for in a travel toothbrush. I highly recommend it, and I will be purchasing it again." — Demetri

Get the two-pack from Amazon for $5.99  (available in two brush stiffnesses).

33. A shawl wrap that's light enough to be worn as a scarf and cozy enough to enjoy as a blanket en route to your destination.

Promising review: "I travel a lot internationally, and so I love the duality of a scarf that's also a blanket. It does come with a pocket to put a hand heater pack into, but I never use that. It's very comfortable, not scratchy at all, and it's easy to wash. It's great to wear traveling or as an awesome big scarf. I use it all the time." — Laura

Get it from Amazon for $45 (available in nine colors).

34. A pack of travel-sized antibacterial wipes great for wiping down your seat and tray, as well as your hands before ripping open a bag of airline cookies. 

Promising review: "As a flight attendant I always need wipes. These small packs are great for putting in your purse and having on the go. The bundle pack is a great value." — SJ1326

Get 20 packs of 10 wipes each from Amazon for $19.99 .

Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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국적 / 거주지를 선택해주시기 바랍니다., termination of the frequent flyer program partnership with scandinavian airlines (sk).

Aug 19, 2024

Referring to an announcement from Star Alliance, Scandinavian Airlines (SK) will exit the Star Alliance effective September 1, 2024. The frequent flyer program partnership between EVA Air and SK will end on September 1, 2024. To ensure your rights, please refer to the following information on the termination of the partnership:

• Mileage Accrual/Retroactive For flights taken on or before August 31, 2024, mileage claims submitted with ticket coupon and boarding pass, to any Infinity MileageLands Service Center will be accepted for retroactive credits until November 30, 2024.
• Award ticket redemption for Scandinavian Airlines flights Award tickets on Scandinavian Airlines flights must be reserved and issued before/on August 31, 2024. Besides, no changes allowed for issued tickets and the entire journey should be completed within ticket validity. For refunds, please contact your local EVA’s reservation or ticketing office directly.
• Star Alliance Upgrade Award (SAUA) redemption for Scandinavian Airlines flights Confirmed SAUA bookings on Scandinavian Airlines flights made before/on August 31, 2024, must be used as originally booked.
• Star Alliance Gold/Silver member services The Star Alliance Gold or Silver reservation or airport privileges on Scandinavian Airlines flights, will be offered until August 31, 2024.

Thank you for your support and cooperation with EVA Air.

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The Highest Value Airline Rewards Program Surprised Us, Too

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Airline reward programs offer a simple proposition: If you fly with our airline a bunch, you’ll get paid back in the form of miles or points that can be used for future travel. Yet understanding how many miles you’ll earn, and how much these miles are worth, can be anything but simple. 

These reward programs drive a huge part of airlines’ business. For example, American Airlines AAdvantage members spent $1,220 on flights on average in 2019 compared to $408 for non-members, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. So airlines have a strong incentive to earn frequent flyers’ loyalty with high-value rewards. 

Yet for customers, parsing the many variables that go into this value proposition isn’t easy. For many it can be downright daunting.

A survey in December 2021 and January 2022 of 2,150 U.S. consumers by Arrivia, a travel technology company, found that 45% of Americans say they don’t know if they’re getting the best value from their travel rewards.

Thankfully, you don’t have to figure it out for yourself. NerdWallet collected hundreds of data points of airline rewards programs to determine which one offers the highest overall value . And in 2023, that loyalty program is: Frontier Miles by Frontier Airlines.

Yes, an airline better known for its low fares and high fees beat out much bigger competitors like American and Delta Air Lines. 

So, how did Frontier come to be the most valuable airline rewards program this year? 

Miles flown, not dollars spent

To determine the most valuable airline reward program, NerdWallet performed a deep-dive analysis of the two most important variables: 

How many miles you earn with a program. 

How much these miles are worth. 

With these, we determined a “rewards rate” for each airline program, which is roughly similar to a cash-back rate. 

Basically, for every $100 you spend on airfare, you can expect to get about $10.10 back in value from the top airline rewards program, Frontier Airlines, and $3.40 back from the bottom performer, Spirit Airlines. Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines also do well, while the “ big three ” of American, Delta and United are clustered near the bottom. 

You might be wondering, “What’s going on here?” Frontier and Spirit Airlines are both budget carriers that offer no-frills fares and loads of add-on fees. Why does one offer more than double the return on spending as the other? 

In our analysis, it didn’t come down to how much the miles are worth for these programs. We value Frontier miles at 0.8 cent each. What mattered was how these miles were earned: either by the distance flown or the cost of the fare. 

Airlines that award miles based on the distance flown, such as Alaska and Frontier, performed much better than those that award them based on money spent. Distance-based programs simply dole out more miles per dollar spent on the airfare.

Is Frontier really the best? Well … 

Frontier’s ultra-low fares are part of its success in this analysis because it means flyers earn even more miles per dollar spent. If a traveler spends $200 on a 2,000-mile flight with Frontier, they’ll earn 10 miles per dollar. The same traveler spending $300 on an Alaska flight would earn 6.7 miles per dollar. 

And that’s where things get a little complicated. Frontier charges a lot more fees than Alaska, on everything from baggage to seat selection, and these fees don’t earn miles on either of those airlines. 

So a Frontier flyer is only getting the better deal if they’re willing to forgo some basic amenities, like a carry-on bag and assigned seat. Any money spent on fees with these distance-based carriers is essentially wasted, in terms of earning miles, lowering the number of miles earned per dollar spent.

Frontier also has a much worse elite status program overall than Alaska and most other airlines, and other big drawbacks, such as miles that expire after only six months of inactivity (yikes — as many don’t expire at all). 

So yes, on paper, Frontier offers the best raw return value in miles on dollars spent. But in practice, full-service airlines such as Alaska, Hawaiian and JetBlue — positions 2, 3 and 4 in our analysis — are still probably better bets. This is especially true for frequent travelers looking to benefit from elite status and credit card benefits, or for those who will spend money on ancillary costs when flying Frontier.

What else to consider

It’s clear that distance-based programs beat airfare-based programs in terms of the value of miles earned per dollar spent. But American, Delta and United, which make up a huge slice of the air travel pie, all have spending-based programs. 

What’s a frequent traveler trying to decide between these airline rewards programs to do? 

Just as Costco probably offers the best value per dollar spent on many items, but isn’t practical or feasible for many food shoppers (who needs that much cinnamon?), there’s more to consider than pure value. Ask yourself:

Which airline offers the best routes from my home airport? 

What about operational reliability (ahem, Southwest, ahem)? 

Which has the best partner airlines for international destinations? 

The list goes on, but the point is that no single variable determines the “best” airline for you. But if all those other factors are a toss-up, go with the one that offers a better rewards rate based on NerdWallet analysis.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1.5%-5% Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Up to $300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options

75,000 Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel.