Navigating airline loyalty programs can be a real puzzle. With confusing mileage charts and fluctuating rates for redeeming points and miles, it’s hard to figure out which programs offer the most value. To help guide you, Point.me, a travel rewards search platform, clears up the confusion with its first-ever ranking of 62 global airline loyalty programs. After all the number crunching, four U.S. airlines ranked in the top ten.
The rankings are based on a mix of nine factors, both qualitative and quantitative, judged by Point.me’s 55 airline experts. The biggest priorities were how easy it is to earn miles (25 percent of the score), how good the redemption rates are (20 percent), how widely available miles are on partner airlines (15 percent) and how easy the booking process is (12.5 percent). The scores don’t factor in status perks, so they reflect the best options for casual travelers rather than frequent fliers.
Topping the list is Air France and KLM’s Flying Blue program, scoring an impressive 93.06 out of 100. In second place is Air Canada’s Aeroplan program, but with a much lower score of 77.43 points. The first appearance by a U.S. airline rewards program comes in at number three.
United Airlines’ MileagePlus landed in third place with 72.22 points. The program earned kudos for its flexible award pricing, beating out other American contenders like American Airlines’ AAdvantage (68.06 points), Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan (65.97 points) and JetBlue’s TrueBlue (61.81 points), which also made the top ten. Point.me noted that United’s program “can actually be beneficial to casual travelers—particularly those tied to school schedules and fixed dates.”
At the other end of the spectrum, some U.S. carriers didn’t fare as well. Spirit Airlines’ Free Spirit (22.22 points), Frontier Airlines’ Frontier Miles (18.06 points) and Sun Country Airlines’ Sun Country Rewards (17.01 points) ranked at the bottom, mostly due to restrictive redemption rules that make it tough to cash in on those hard-earned miles.
If you’re struggling to figure out if airline frequent flyer programs are even worth it, the Point.me ranking can help guide you to the best.
The top 10 airline loyalty programs in the world
- Flying Blue (Air France/KLM)
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- United MileagePlus
- British Airways Executive Club, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (tie)
- American Airlines AAdvantage
- Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Avianca LifeMiles
- Emirates Skywards