Traveler’s guide to the best frequent flyer programs

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:

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.