The World’s Best Airline Rewards Programs – Travel Noire

Travelers who use their reward programs often and want to maximize their benefits are in for a real treat. The points and travel reward search platform POINT.ME independently assessed 65 worldwide airline loyalty programs. Their research aims to assist regular passengers in making the most of their loyalty points.

According to the study, Air France and KLM’s joint reward program, Flying Blue, has the finest mileage-earning experience. It also has the most attractive redemption rates and the most accommodating routing rules for smooth travel bookings.

Which Airlines Have the Best Reward Programs 

POINT.ME’s World’s Best Airline Rewards Programs Report is the result of a meticulous research process. A team of 55 top points and miles experts analyzed massive amounts of data to determine which programs were the best. Customer service, availability of flights across routes, simplicity of earning points and miles, buying reward tickets, and partner programs were among the nine traveler needs that were considered.

“Getting real value from airline loyalty points is significantly harder for passengers than it needs to be,” said Adam Morvitz, POINT.ME CEO, in a press release. “This report drew on our team’s collective travel expertise and deep data-led insight from our reward metasearch engine to take everyday travelers behind the curtain, unraveling the intricacies of reward programs to spotlight where the true value lies.

The Top 10 Airline Rewards Programs

1. Flying Blue (93.06%): Ease of earning points through its extensive partnerships and great redemption rates.
2. United MileagePlus (80.56%): Competitive in many metrics and excellent for less frequent flyers.
3. Air Canada Aeroplan (77.43%): Reward seat availability on partner airlines with the most extensive network globally and generous routing.
4. British Airways Executive Club (77.43%): Great redemption rates, ease of earning, and guaranteed seat availability.
5. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (73.26%): Excellent points pricing and good reward seat allocations on popular routes.
6. American Airlines AAdvantage (68.06%): Global travel, owing to its alliances with partner airlines and strong domestic footprint.
7. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan (65.97%): Enhanced seat availability and “free” 24-hour stopover options.
8. Avianca LifeMiles (59.72%): Competitively priced redemptions and the ability to easily accrue miles.
9. Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (59.72%): Well-priced award seats with fair fees.
10. Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards (57.64%): It is easy to earn and redeem miles on flights with limited fees.