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For frequent and infrequent air travelers alike, a reliable and rewarding frequent flyer program can enhance your travel experiences. Fortunately, all major U.S. airlines have loyalty programs that let you earn miles on flights and for various nonflight activities.
These programs also provide upgraded benefits for frequent flyers who earn elite status. These perks can include priority boarding, airport lounge access and complimentary upgrades, depending on the airline you choose (and how frequently you fly).
However, with so many airline loyalty programs, it can be challenging to determine which one is the best fit for your travel needs.
Today, we’ll delve into the high-level details of each program, highlighting the opportunities to earn miles, enjoy exclusive perks and make the most of your loyalty. We’ll look at network coverage, partner airlines, award availability and the overall value provided by each program. Plus, we’ll share strategies for maximizing your miles, achieving elite status and capitalizing on program benefits to ensure you get the most out of your travels.
Whether you’re a frequent business traveler or a leisurely vacationer, this guide will help you select the best frequent flyer program for your needs.
Related: Why I do not care about airline elite status
What is the best US frequent flyer program?
As you might expect, choosing the best U.S. frequent flyer program depends heavily on individual preferences and personal travel patterns. However, there are some things to consider that can help you make a more informed decision.
American Airlines AAdvantage: Best for earning status without flying
Despite moving to dynamic pricing on American Airlines flights (instead of offering fixed, predictable award rates), AAdvantage continues to provide some of the best redemption rates on partner carriers. AAdvantage members can redeem miles to travel on highly coveted airlines like Japan Airlines, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways.
You can gain AAdvantage elite status by earning Loyalty Points. Some popular ways to earn redeemable miles and Loyalty Points include flying American and its Oneworld partners, spending on an American Airlines cobranded credit card and shopping through the AAdvantage shopping portal.
While other major loyalty programs allow you to earn status without flying, you may find the AAdvantage thresholds slightly easier to meet, especially if you aim for top-tier elite status.
United MileagePlus: Best for long-haul upgrades
United Airlines has historically offered the most extensive route network of the U.S. carriers, especially for long-haul destinations. MileagePlus miles and United Premier status remain valuable for the airline’s patrons. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, the largest airline alliance.
Members can earn miles through flights, credit card spending and with other partners. The airline’s top elite members receive PlusPoints, which you can use to confirm upgrades to premium cabins like Polaris business class.
If you wish to upgrade to fly long-haul in a premium cabin, either by redeeming United miles or applying PlusPoints, MileagePlus is a good program to consider.
Related: Is United Polaris business class worth it to Singapore?
Delta SkyMiles: Best for making your status count
Delta Air Lines shocked travelers when it announced major changes to Medallion status by removing flight-based metrics and shifting entirely to spending requirements. This led to elite status requirements in 2024 increasing by 75% for Diamond Medallion members, 50% for Platinum and Gold Medallion members and 100% for Silver Medallion members year over year. To earn top-tier Diamond Medallion status on Delta in 2025, you must earn at least 28,000 Medallion Qualification Dollars.
Earning your status solely on Delta-issued tickets is roughly double the spending requirement of earning American and United’s top-tier statuses. That likely means there will be fewer upper-tier Medallion elite members in the future, especially among flyers who live outside of a Delta hub. You can hopefully expect more upgrades and better status recognition as a result.
But there’s some bad news for nonelite Delta SkyMiles members. Delta SkyMiles are ranked among the least valuable airline miles on our January 2025 valuations. Members can earn miles through flights, credit cards and by leveraging other partners, but the program has minimal opportunities to maximize your rewards.
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan: Best for Alaska travelers in the Pacific Northwest
Mileage Plan is best for frequent travelers who fly with Alaska Airlines or its partner airlines. With an extensive partner network and a generous partner award chart, it offers great value for the airline’s loyal flyers. The airline also offers traveler-friendly policies such as free stopovers on award tickets.
Mileage Plan elite status offers perks like complimentary upgrades on Alaska and some American Airlines-operated flights, lounge access on select international itineraries and priority boarding. You can earn Alaska miles on transactions like flying, spending on the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card, or online purchases made through the Mileage Plan shopping portal.
JetBlue TrueBlue and Southwest Rapid Rewards: Best for simplicity
JetBlue TrueBlue and Southwest Rapid Rewards are the simplest options due to their straightforward and user-friendly programs. These loyalty programs stand out for their uncomplicated earning and redemption processes.
TrueBlue members earn points based on the cost of their flights, and there are no blackout dates for award travel. The airline has also launched long-haul international service, with flights from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR), Dublin Airport (DUB) and Edinburgh Airport (EDI), among others.
Southwest Rapid Rewards also offers a simple points-based system with no blackout dates and the ability to earn the buy one, get one free Companion Pass. It serves various destinations in the Caribbean and Central America and has frequent flights from the West Coast to Hawaii.
These programs prioritize transparency, lack complex rules and provide clear benefits, making them ideal choices for travelers seeking straightforward loyalty programs.
Related: What exactly are airline miles, anyway?
How do you choose a frequent flyer program?
Here are some factors to consider when selecting a frequent flyer program.
Hub cities and where you fly
Airline hubs play a crucial role in connecting flights across the U.S. If you live in a hub city, choosing your hometown carrier for more nonstop options may be the way to go. Here’s a look at the major airlines and their hubs or hub equivalents.
- Alaska Airlines: Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Portland International Airport (PDX), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
- American Airlines: Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), LAX, Miami International Airport (MIA), JFK, New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
- Delta Air Lines: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), BOS, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), JFK, LGA, Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) and SEA
- JetBlue: BOS, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), LAX, JFK, LGA, Orlando International Airport (MCO) and San Juan, Puerto Rico’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU)
- Southwest Airlines: ATL, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), Chicago’s Midway International Airport (MDW), Dallas Love Field (DAL), Denver International Airport (DEN), FLL, Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), LAX, Nashville International Airport (BNA), MCO and PHX
- United Airlines: ORD, DEN, Guam’s Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM), Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), LAX, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), SFO and Washington, D.C.’s Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Beyond that, consider the places you travel frequently. If you’re traveling the same route for work at least once a month or flying to see your parents or grandkids in the same city multiple times per year, you should pick an airline serving those destinations.
Related: How to leverage airline and alliance hubs to book better award tickets
Which programs will you earn the most miles in?
You can earn redeemable points and miles in popular frequent flyer programs in many ways beyond just flying that airline.
These include (among others):
- Crediting flights flown on partner airlines
- Spending on a cobranded credit card
- Transferring points from eligible credit card programs
- Online shopping portals
- Booking hotels, vacations, car rentals or other travel through the program’s website or the travel partners’ websites
- Booking restaurants through the program’s dining rewards platform
While you don’t need to have a photographic memory of every program’s earning opportunities, it’s a good idea to choose a program where you will be able to earn lots of redeemable points and miles without needing to change your behavior, which you can then redeem for rewards like flights and upgrades.
For example, if you’re already earning Chase Ultimate Rewards, you might want to choose United MileagePlus, JetBlue TrueBlue or Southwest Rapid Rewards, as you can transfer Chase points to these programs at a 1:1 rate. Or, if you fly Oneworld airlines like British Airways or Japan Airlines, you might consider crediting them to American Airlines AAdvantage or Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan.
If you’re a big Starbucks drinker, Delta SkyMiles’ unique partnership with the coffee chain can easily boost your points balance. The same goes for Lyft riders, since you can earn Alaska miles or Bilt Rewards Points — which transfer to Alaska, United and other airlines — when you ride.
Is it easy to use your airline miles?
While earning airline miles can be relatively straightforward, redeeming them can sometimes be challenging. When redeeming miles for flights, it’s important to carefully review an airline’s policies, restrictions and fees. While many airlines have eliminated blackout dates, they have implemented dynamic pricing, which means the number of miles required to book flights during peak travel periods or holidays can be significantly higher.
For example, you can book a United flight from SFO to Hawaii for just 9,800 United miles. However, during peak dates, these economy-class award rates can increase to 90,000 miles one-way.
If you don’t have the time, flexibility or interest to deal with airline saver award space, you might be better off applying your credit card points toward the cash price of an airline ticket. Cardholders with a Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card can reimburse themselves for eligible travel purchases made within the last 90 days at a fixed 1 cent per Capital One mile rate (i.e., a $100 reimbursement costs 10,000 miles). Book your flight with the airline, pay with your Capital One card and follow these steps to reimburse yourself.
Alternatively, Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders can redeem their points for 1.5 cents apiece in the Chase travel portal. Thus, 30,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points would be needed to purchase a $450 flight.
Although this isn’t the best use of Capital One miles or Chase points, you’ll generally still earn frequent flyer miles and work toward elite status since airlines recognize these purchases as paid tickets.
Consider how easy it is to redeem airline miles based on your travel patterns, especially if you travel during busy times.
Are airline frequent flyer programs worth it?
Even if elite status is out of reach, you should earn miles on all your eligible tickets. These programs offer benefits like earning miles through flights, credit card spending and partner activities. Depending on the program, you can redeem your hard-earned miles for award flights, upgrades and other perks.
Even better, many points currencies — including Delta SkyMiles, JetBlue TrueBlue points, Southwest Rapid Rewards points and United MileagePlus miles — never expire. Even if it takes you years to earn enough miles to book anything meaningful with them, there’s no risk to joining.
Frequent flyer programs provide elite members with priority boarding, complimentary upgrades and enhanced customer service, among other perks. For frequent travelers or those who can strategically maximize their mileage earnings and redemptions, these programs can provide significant value and enhance the overall travel experience. However, it’s important to consider your travel habits and preferences to determine if the benefits outweigh the cost of elite status.
Bottom line
If you’re ready to select the best airline program, consider your home airport, targeted destinations and which airline(s) best meet your needs. Additionally, the ease of earning and redeeming miles should be considered when evaluating an airline rewards program.
Regardless of the airline loyalty program you select, it might make sense to hold your carrier’s cobranded credit card to supercharge your mileage balance with a welcome bonus. Airline cobranded credit cards often include benefits like a free checked bag and no foreign transaction fees, which can be cost-saving tools when you travel.
American AAdvantage offers excellent partner airlines and award rates, while United MileagePlus provides valuable long-haul upgrades. Delta SkyMiles focuses on making elite status count (especially in 2025), and the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is ideal for travelers in the Pacific Northwest. JetBlue TrueBlue and Southwest Rapid Rewards offer user-friendly programs with clear benefits for those seeking simplicity.
Selecting the right program will enhance travel experiences and reward loyalty — but why stop there? Joining these programs is free, so you have nothing to lose by signing up.
