Navigating the world of airline loyalty programs can be extremely challenging. Understanding mileage programs involves confusing tables and complex math for how flights, status, and other perks are accessed. It gets even more complicated when carriers suddenly change how points are earned and redeemed or devalue them. To help take some of the guesswork out of which companies offer the best value for travelers, Point.me, a points and travel reward search platform, just released its inaugural ranking of 62 global airline loyalty programs.
The list is based on nine quantitative and qualitative factors determined by the site’s 55 airline experts, with the most heavily weighted areas being ease of earning miles (25 percent), redemption rates (20 percent), availability on partner airlines (15 percent), and ease of booking (12.5 percent). The company explicitly did not consider status benefits—they wanted the rankings to reflect the best program for casual fliers.
“Getting real value from airline loyalty points is often significantly harder for passengers than it needs to be,” said Adam Morvitz, CEO of Point.me in a press release. Morvitz noted that rankings resulted from “deep data-led insight from our reward search engine” combined with in-house knowledge and expertise.
The timing of this report comes just days after the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a federal consumer protection probe aimed at airline rewards programs.
“Points systems like frequent flyer miles and credit card rewards have become such a meaningful part of our economy that many Americans view their rewards points balances as part of their savings,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement about the probe. “These programs bring real value to consumers, with families often counting on airline rewards to fund a vacation or to pay for a trip to visit loved ones. But unlike a traditional savings account, these rewards are controlled by a company that can unilaterally change their value.”
The DOT is hoping to ensure that the flying public is “getting the value that was promised to them, which means validating that these programs are transparent and fair.”
The world’s best airline loyalty program
Air France and KLM’s Flying Blue program is the top-ranking program, according to Point.me. Thanks to recent adjustments to its loyalty strategy, the Flying Blue program has “great redemption rates, extensive partnerships that make it easy to earn miles (even without ever boarding an Air France or KLM flight), and flexible routing rules that make it easy to reach destinations worldwide,” Point.me stated in a release about the new ranking. It also noted that points are easily transferable: “Consumers can transfer points from all of the major credit card points currencies to Flying Blue (American Express, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Citi, and Marriott Bonvoy), which makes it easy to amass enough points for a flight even if your spending is spread among programs.”
On Point.me’s 100-point scale, Air France–KLM scored 93.06, with nearly perfect scores in each category. The runner-up, Air Canada’s Aeroplan program, by comparison, only earned 77.43 points. The experts highlighted Aeroplan’s fair and consistent pricing but docked the program because of the challenges associated with booking tickets online.
The best U.S. airline loyalty program
United Airlines’ MileagePlus program was the highest-ranking U.S. airline loyalty program. It took third, with 72.22 points, and was praised for its dynamic award pricing, which Point.me stated “can actually be beneficial to casual travelers—particularly those tied to school schedules and fixed dates.”
Other U.S. airlines in the top 10 were American Airlines AAdvantage, with 68.06 points, the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, with 65.97 points, and JetBlue’s TrueBlue program, with 61.81points.
The lowest-rated U.S. carrier’s reward programs included Spirit Airlines’ Free Spirit (22.22), Frontier Airlines’ Frontier Miles (18.06), and Sun Country Airlines’ Sun Country Rewards (17.01), largely due to restrictive redemption rules.
Point.me also shared its rankings for the best points programs by region. See the full list below.
The top 10 airline loyalty programs in the world
- Flying Blue (Air France/KLM): 93.06 points
- Air Canada Aeroplan: 77.43 points
- United MileagePlus: 72.22 points
- British Airways Executive Club (tie with Virgin Atlantic): 69.10 points
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (tie with British Airways): 69.10 points
- American Airlines AAdvantage: 68.06
- Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan: 65.97
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club: 62.85
- JetBlue TrueBlue: 61.81
- Avianca LifeMiles: 59.72
The above points were assigned on a 100-point scale.
The top 10 airline rewards programs in North America
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- United MileagePlus
- American Airlines AAdvantage
- Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
- Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles
- Delta SkyMiles
- Allegiant myAllegiant
- Spirit Airlines Free Spirit
The top 10 airline rewards programs in Europe
- Flying Blue (Air France/KLM)
- British Airways Executive Club and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (tied)
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Finnair Plus
- Aegean Miles+Bonus
- SAS Eurobonus
- Miles & More (Lufthansa Group)
- Iberia Plus
- TAP Miles&Go
The best airline rewards programs in Latin America
- Avianca LifeMiles
- Copa Airlines ConnectMiles
- LATAM Pass
- Aeromexico Rewards
The top 10 airline rewards programs in the Middle East and Africa
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Guest
- Egyptair Plus
- Saudia Alfursan
- Ethiopian Airlines ShebaMiles
- Royal Air Maroc Safar Flyer
- El Al Matmid Frequent Flyer Club
- Royal Jordanian Royal Club
- South African Airways Voyager
The top 10 airline rewards programs in Asia and Oceania
- ANA Mileage Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer (three-way tie)
- Asiana Airlines Asiana Club
- Japan Airlines JAL Mileage Bank
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Korean Air SkyPass
- EVA Air Infinity Mileagelands
- Virgin Australia Velocity
- Air New Zealand Airpoints
