BEST AIRLINE REWARD PROGRAMS IN THE U.S.A
The loyalty programs of the six biggest U.S.-based airlines have gotten major overhauls in the last few years. Here is how to earn or buy miles to achieve elite status faster.
ALASKA AIRLINES MILEAGE PLAN
Partners: 18
Minimum Elite Status Requirements: Fly 20,000 qualifying miles or 30 segments
Voted the best in the US by the readers of US News, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan caters to flyers who frequent various destinations in Alaska, West Coast cities (like Seattle and Portland) and major transportation hubs (like Atlanta and New York City). By joining the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, you can start earning miles on every Alaska Airlines flight you take, as well as on all Virgin America flights and eligible flights on Alaska Airlines’ 18 partner airlines, including American Airlines, Emirates and British Airways.
You can also earn miles by making everyday purchases with the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card or by staying with 10 participating hotel partners, including Hilton, Best Western and Marriott. The miles you earn can be used toward free flights on Alaska Airlines and other participating carriers.
DELTA SKYMILES
Partners: 26
Minimum Elite Status Requirements: Fly 25,000 qualifying miles or 30 segments and spend $3,000
The Delta SkyMiles program is convenient for frequent flyers based in United States cities like Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Seattle, and for passengers who often travel to and from New York City. Delta Air Lines operates more than 15,000 flights each day to 335 destinations across more than 60 countries. By becoming a SkyMiles member, you’ll earn miles based on the amount you pay for your flight with Delta, Delta Connection or Delta Shuttle; you can also earn miles for flying with any of Delta’s multiple partner airlines, including KLM, Air France and Virgin Atlantic, among others. Those miles can be redeemed for free air travel on any participating airline or cashed in for cabin upgrades, unique experiences or items for sale at the SkyMiles Marketplace. When you fly with Delta, you will also earn Medallion Qualification Miles, which will help you gain access to a variety of perks through the Delta SkyMiles Medallion elite membership program. (Medallion-level members can rack up miles at participating Starwood Hotels through the Crossover Rewards program.) You can also earn miles on everyday purchases if you’ve signed up for a Delta SkyMiles credit card by American Express.
JETBLUE TRUEBLUE
Partners: 7
Minimum Elite Status Requirements: Fly 30 segments and 12,000 or 15,000 points within a year
The JetBlue TrueBlue program best serves travelers based in East Coast cities (like Boston, New York City, and Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida) who primarily fly domestically and to the Caribbean. Members earn points for every dollar spent on JetBlue
flights and JetBlue Vacations packages. You can also earn points on flights booked with seven partner airlines, as well as on hotel stays, car rentals and purchases with retail partners like Amazon and 1800Flowers.com. Earn even more points by staying connected on social media and by making purchases with one of the JetBlue credit cards from MasterCard. You can use those points to cover the cost of future air travel on JetBlue or Hawaiian Airlines, as well as the cost of JetBlue Vacations packages. Loyalty program members also have the option to use points to bid on experiences, such as sporting events and trip packages (like a family trip to Disneyland), along with memorabilia.
SOUTHWEST RAPID REWARDS
Partners: 0
Minimum Elite Status Requirements: Fly 35,000 qualifying points or 25 segments
The Southwest Rapid Rewards program is most beneficial for budget-minded travelers based in the United States who frequently fly to major cities around the U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean. Southwest offers more than 3,900 flights a day to more than 100 destinations. By becoming a Southwest Rapid Rewards member, you’ll earn points for every dollar spent on Southwest flights and with the airline’s hotel, car rental and retail partners. If you have one of the Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards from Chase Visa, you can earn additional points on Southwest Airlines and partner purchases and by making everyday purchases. You can use your Rapid Rewards points to pay for the cost of air travel on any Southwest flight, and if you are a Southwest credit card holder, you can also use points to cover the cost of hotel stays, cruises, car rentals, and gift cards.
UNITED MILEAGEPLUS
Partners: 39
Minimum Elite Status Requirements: Fly 25,000 qualifying miles or 30 segments and spend $3,000
The United MileagePlus program is best for travelers based in major American cities and those who travel to destinations in Europe,
Latin America, and Asia. When you become a MileagePlus member, you can earn and use miles on United and its 35-plus airline partners like Singapore Airlines, ANA and Copa Airlines, many of which are part of the Star Alliance network. As a MileagePlus member, you’ll accrue Premier Qualifying Miles (PQMs), Premier Qualifying Segments (PQSs) and Premier Qualifying Dollars (PQDs) each time you fly. Earn enough PQMs or PQSs and you’ll reach Premier status – MileagePlus membership levels for which you’ll receive extra benefits. Additionally, you can earn miles on qualifying cruise vacations, car rentals, and train fares, as well as on shopping, dining, and other services. And since United partners with major hotel brands, including Marriott, Hilton, and IHG, you can earn rewards when you stay at properties worldwide. You may also redeem miles for flights, hotel stays, cruises, magazine subscriptions, destination experiences (think: sporting events and theater performances) and more. Choose to use one of four United MileagePlus credit cards from Chase Visa and you’ll earn miles on flights and everyday purchases.
WHEN BUYING FREQUENT FLYER MILES MAKES SENSE
Purchasing frequent-flier miles for air travel doesn’t always make sense; it all depends on your travel needs. Is it for a free ticket, or an upgrade, or to reach a higher elite level?
Purchasing a large number of miles to buy an airline ticket usually results in the ticket having a higher cost than if it were purchased outright. Occasionally, though, buying miles can save travelers money. If the traveler is only a few miles away from a free ticket or from a free upgrade, for instance, purchasing the miles to make up the difference can be cheaper than paying full price. Additional miles can be bought through the airlines, especially when they have bonus opportunities.
Let’s assume American Airlines is offering a 50% bonus opportunity until the end of the month. If you buy 60,000 AAdvantage miles, you get an additional 30,000-mile bonus. The cost? $1650.
Worth it? Depends on how you spend the miles. Let’s say you were contemplating a business class trip from New York JFK to Tokyo Haneda on American’s nonstop, traveling outbound March 4, returning on March 13. A business/first fare on American would cost $5136 round-trip.
But with your $1650 mileage purchase, you get almost all of the 100,000 AAdvantage miles you’d need to obtain that ticket, after paying $42 in taxes.
So yes, I’d say it’s worth buying the miles in such a scenario (I’m assuming you already have 10,000 miles in your account).
Short answer, yes, if you fly in business or first class, buy the miles. However, if you do most of your travel in economy class, then skip this sort of offer. It’s just not worth it.
If you fly economy or economy plus, I suggest you use miles and buy additional miles and use them for upgrading to business or first class.
As for reaching a higher elite level, airlines do not let you buy miles for that purpose, but some allow you to purchase booster miles when you are buying a ticket.
As a rule of thumb, only buy miles if you have immediate need for them, since they can devalue over time. Also confirm beforehand that an award ticket is available for your chosen flight. You do not want to end up paying for miles you can’t use. Purchased miles are often non-refundable, and most airlines limit the number you can buy each year, usually 60,000 or 100,000 miles.