Airline loyalty programs help members earn perks and enjoy the journey. Benefits like lounge access, free flights, and seat upgrades make membership worthwhile. But which airline has the best program?
To find out, WalletHub studied the 10 largest domestic airlines’ loyalty rewards programs, analyzing 21 metrics like blackout-date policies and point earning potential. Here’s what the study found.
How WalletHub tabulated its rankings
WalletHub ranked the best loyalty programs using three airfare budgets: Light ($459), Average ($3,393), and Frequent ($6,326). That provides ratings suited to a range of travelers, with top scorers offering balanced perks.
WalletHub interviewed Steven Carvell, Ph.D. – Professor of Finance, Arthur Adler ‘78 & Karen Adler ’78; Director of the Center for Real Estate and Finance; Chair, Finance Area, S.C. Johnson College of Business – Cornell University, and asked his opinions on today’s loyalty programs.
In response to “Who benefits more from airline rewards programs: consumers or the airlines themselves?” his comments included: “It is not really who benefits “more”, so much as what motivates the behaviors. First, an increasing number of new members are solicited to join loyalty programs through special introductory offerings, often in flight, for airline-linked credit cards. Companies like Delta, United Airlines, and American are booking an increasing proportion of income through their share of credit card fees on these linked credit cards.”
“As for consumers benefiting, they do in the sense that they can accrue miles that can count toward a “free” trip. Of course, when booking these, there are often booking charges and seat charges that get added, so the flight winds up not being completely zero cost to the traveler. Also, airlines have been increasing the number of miles that are required for a trip, especially during peak travel times and days.”
WalletHub’s Best Frequent Flyer Programs for 2025:
| Airline Rewards Program | Best For | Overall WalletHub Score | Number of Destinations |
| Alaska Mileage Plan | Overall | 70.69 | 128 |
| United MileagePlus | Destination Coverage | 70.21 | 365 |
| Delta SkyMiles | N/A* | 65.71 | 312 |
| HawaiianMiles | Rewards Value & Membership Status Perks | 64.69 | 30 |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | Airline Coverage | 60.70 | 406 |
Note from WalletHub: The “Best For“ column represents the category in which a frequent flyer program ranked the highest. Alaska Airlines ranks first, with United Airlines as a close runner-up. The differences between them are minimal, and the points above outline key factors, including how each may be better suited for different spending levels. *Delta didn’t rank number 1 in any of the categories, but they ranked highly across the board.
