Discover the Top Airline Loyalty Programs Worldwide—One U.S. Airline Takes the Lead

Navigating airline loyalty programs can be quite daunting. Understanding mileage schemes often involves confusing charts and complex calculations for accessing flights, status, and other benefits. It becomes even trickier when carriers unexpectedly alter their earning and redemption processes or reduce point values. To clarify which airlines provide the best value for travelers, Point.me, a platform for points and travel rewards, has just published its first ranking of 62 global airline loyalty programs.

The rankings are based on nine quantitative and qualitative metrics evaluated by the site's 55 airline experts, with the most significant criteria being the ease of earning miles (25 percent), redemption rates (20 percent), partner airline availability (15 percent), and booking simplicity (12.5 percent). The company intentionally excluded status benefits to focus on the best programs for casual travelers.

“Gaining real value from airline loyalty points can often be much more challenging for travelers than it should be,” stated Adam Morvitz, CEO of Point.me, in a press release. He emphasized that the rankings stemmed from “thorough data-driven insights from our rewards search engine” paired with internal expertise.

This report comes shortly after the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) launched a federal consumer protection investigation into airline rewards programs.

“Rewards programs like frequent flyer miles and credit card points have become such an integral part of our economy that many Americans consider their points balances as a form of savings,” stated Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg regarding the investigation. “These programs provide real value to consumers, with families often relying on airline rewards to finance vacations or visits to loved ones. However, unlike traditional savings accounts, the value of these rewards is subject to changes made by the company.”

The DOT aims to ensure that the flying public is “receiving the value that was promised to them, which involves confirming that these programs are both transparent and equitable.”

The premier airline loyalty program in the world

According to Point.me, the top-ranking program is Air France and KLM’s Flying Blue. Recent changes to its loyalty strategy have resulted in “excellent redemption rates, extensive partnerships that facilitate earning miles (even without flying Air France or KLM), and flexible routing rules that make it easy to reach global destinations,” Point.me mentioned in a statement about the new rankings. They also highlighted the ease of point transfers: “Consumers can transfer points from all major credit card rewards systems to Flying Blue (including American Express, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Citi, and Marriott Bonvoy), making it simple to accumulate enough points for a flight, even if spending is spread across various programs.”

On Point.me’s 100-point scale, Air France–KLM received a score of 93.06, achieving nearly perfect ratings in every category. In contrast, the second-place program, Air Canada’s Aeroplan, scored only 77.43 points. The experts noted Aeroplan’s fair and consistent pricing but criticized it for the difficulties faced when booking tickets online.

The top U.S. airline loyalty program

United Airlines’ MileagePlus program emerged as the leading U.S. airline loyalty program, ranking third with a score of 72.22 points. It was commended for its dynamic award pricing, which Point.me noted “can be advantageous for casual travelers—especially those with fixed schedules or school commitments.”

Other U.S. airlines that made it into the top 10 include American Airlines AAdvantage with 68.06 points, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan with 65.97 points, and JetBlue’s TrueBlue program with 61.81 points.

The lowest-rated U.S. airline loyalty programs included Spirit Airlines’ Free Spirit (22.22), Frontier Airlines’ Frontier Miles (18.06), and Sun Country Airlines’ Sun Country Rewards (17.01), primarily due to their restrictive redemption policies.

Point.me also provided its rankings for the best points programs categorized by region. Check out the complete list below.

The leading 10 airline loyalty programs globally

1. Flying Blue (Air France/KLM): 93.06 points
2. Air Canada Aeroplan: 77.43 points
3. United MileagePlus: 72.22 points
4. British Airways Executive Club (tied with Virgin Atlantic): 69.10 points
5. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (tied with British Airways): 69.10 points
6. American Airlines AAdvantage: 68.06
7. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan: 65.97
8. Qatar Airways Privilege Club: 62.85
9. JetBlue TrueBlue: 61.81
10. Avianca LifeMiles: 59.72

The scores listed above are based on a 100-point scale.

The leading 10 airline rewards programs in North America

1. Air Canada Aeroplan
2. United MileagePlus
3. American Airlines AAdvantage
4. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
5. JetBlue TrueBlue
6. Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
7. Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles
8. Delta SkyMiles
9. Allegiant myAllegiant
10. Spirit Airlines Free Spirit

The leading 10 airline rewards programs in Europe

1. Flying Blue (Air France/KLM)
2. British Airways Executive Club and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (tied)
3. Aer Lingus AerClub
4. Finnair Plus
5. Aegean Miles+Bonus
6. SAS EuroBonus
7. Miles & More (Lufthansa Group)
8. Iberia Plus
9. TAP Miles & Go

The premier airline rewards programs in Latin America

1. Avianca LifeMiles
2. Copa Airlines ConnectMiles
3. LATAM Pass
4. Aeromexico Rewards

The top 10 airline rewards programs in the Middle East and Africa

1. Qatar Airways Privilege Club
2. Emirates Skywards
3. Etihad Guest
4. EgyptAir Plus
5. Saudia Alfursan
6. Ethiopian Airlines ShebaMiles
7. Royal Air Maroc SDinogo Flyer
8. El Al Matmid Frequent Flyer Club
9. Royal Jordanian Royal Club
10. South African Airways Voyager

The leading 10 airline rewards programs in Asia and Oceania

1. ANA Mileage Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer (tied for first)
2. Asiana Airlines Asiana Club
3. Japan Airlines JAL Mileage Bank
4. Qantas Frequent Flyer
5. Korean Air SkyPass
6. EVA Air Infinity Mileagelands
7. Virgin Australia Velocity
8. Air New Zealand Airpoints