Which airline has the best travel point program?
August 17, 2019 9:08 AM Subscribe
I’m about to do a lot of traveling over the next several years. Recommend an airline for the best frequent flyer program.
I know some airlines have credit cards you use to earn travel points, and some use frequent flyer miles, and some do both? Looking for recommendations for an airline to pledge some loyalty to and benefit from some sweet rewards.
I know some airlines have credit cards you use to earn travel points, and some use frequent flyer miles, and some do both? Looking for recommendations for an airline to pledge some loyalty to and benefit from some sweet rewards.
If you are going to follow up to answer theory's question, it would be good to also follow up with what type of sweet rewards you are looking for. Do you want to get upgraded? Points so you can get discounts and fly cheaply often? Miles so that you can get whole-hog free flights? Status so that you get the perks every time you fly, like seats with free food/booze, early/priority boarding, free baggage check, the opportunity to choose your seat before others on the plane? My experience with different airlines is that they offer different types of perks than others, so that will also help for the recommendations.
I pledged my loyalty to Virgin America, and I liked the cheap upgrades to first class (but I still had to pay), the free premium seats if they were available, the ability to pick my seat early, and the priority boarding. Then they got bought by Alaska and I didn't get any of those things, but I got so many miles that I could fly for free a lot - and I got upgraded to first class a lot (flying short haul domestic so no big whoop, but still).
Now that I've moved to England, I picked British Airways because that's who I happened to get booked with for work, and I really like them. I earn miles with their partner program on American Airlines, which I haven't tried to use yet, I get points which I can use for discounts on flights all around Europe, and with status you can get into their lounges which are pretty sweet before a flight.
The better the customer service of the airline, usually the better the loyalty program - because they have a focus on customer service! So for me it's more about the airline itself that I'm going to be flying with a lot. Do they have a lot of flights from airports I like? Do they fly to places I might want to go on vacation? Do they tend to fly out of nicer terminals? Do they have lounges in places I might be? Do I like their service and the planes they fly? Do they tend to be on time or late? Etc.
So - if you can, update with some perspective on what kind of perks would be ideal for you, as well as where you'll be traveling to the most, and you may get some better tips!
posted by pazazygeek at 9:54 AM on August 17, 2019 [2 favorites]
I pledged my loyalty to Virgin America, and I liked the cheap upgrades to first class (but I still had to pay), the free premium seats if they were available, the ability to pick my seat early, and the priority boarding. Then they got bought by Alaska and I didn't get any of those things, but I got so many miles that I could fly for free a lot - and I got upgraded to first class a lot (flying short haul domestic so no big whoop, but still).
Now that I've moved to England, I picked British Airways because that's who I happened to get booked with for work, and I really like them. I earn miles with their partner program on American Airlines, which I haven't tried to use yet, I get points which I can use for discounts on flights all around Europe, and with status you can get into their lounges which are pretty sweet before a flight.
The better the customer service of the airline, usually the better the loyalty program - because they have a focus on customer service! So for me it's more about the airline itself that I'm going to be flying with a lot. Do they have a lot of flights from airports I like? Do they fly to places I might want to go on vacation? Do they tend to fly out of nicer terminals? Do they have lounges in places I might be? Do I like their service and the planes they fly? Do they tend to be on time or late? Etc.
So - if you can, update with some perspective on what kind of perks would be ideal for you, as well as where you'll be traveling to the most, and you may get some better tips!
posted by pazazygeek at 9:54 AM on August 17, 2019 [2 favorites]
The Points Guy Is traditionally the best resource for frequent flyer questions.
posted by kevinbelt at 10:13 AM on August 17, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by kevinbelt at 10:13 AM on August 17, 2019 [3 favorites]
This 100% depends on what airport you fly out of mostly and to where.
posted by k8t at 10:16 AM on August 17, 2019 [18 favorites]
posted by k8t at 10:16 AM on August 17, 2019 [18 favorites]
When traveling a lot for work the perk that's been most valuable to me, by far, is the ability to get upgrades easily and/or cheaply.
The appeal of lounge access might depend on what kind of flying you're doing. If you're frequently making connections or flying internationally a lot, then lounges could be important since you'll be spending more time in airports. But if, for example, you're in the US near a large hub (and thus can get direct flights to more places) and taking mostly domestic trips, lounges aren't as much of a factor.
Seconding the Points Guy as the best resource for info. Also flyertalk.com
posted by theory at 10:16 AM on August 17, 2019 [3 favorites]
The appeal of lounge access might depend on what kind of flying you're doing. If you're frequently making connections or flying internationally a lot, then lounges could be important since you'll be spending more time in airports. But if, for example, you're in the US near a large hub (and thus can get direct flights to more places) and taking mostly domestic trips, lounges aren't as much of a factor.
Seconding the Points Guy as the best resource for info. Also flyertalk.com
posted by theory at 10:16 AM on August 17, 2019 [3 favorites]
If you live in a place whose airport is dominated by one airline, the gain to your life as a frequent traveler from using that airline is much, much greater than any difference between frequent flyer programs.
I live in a place whose airport has two airlines with roughly equal levels of service, and I have found it better to participate in both frequent flyer programs than to try to pile all my miles into one program, because, again, you sacrifice a lot of time and convenience if you give yourself access to only half your home airport's departures.
posted by escabeche at 12:17 PM on August 17, 2019 [8 favorites]
I live in a place whose airport has two airlines with roughly equal levels of service, and I have found it better to participate in both frequent flyer programs than to try to pile all my miles into one program, because, again, you sacrifice a lot of time and convenience if you give yourself access to only half your home airport's departures.
posted by escabeche at 12:17 PM on August 17, 2019 [8 favorites]
Came in to also direct you to the Points Guy. All of the answers upthread are good, so I'll just add that you will also want to look at your credit cards as well as hotel and (if you expect to be driving when you travel), rental car loyalty programs. For example, if you knew you were going to be flying on Delta all of the time, you'd also want to use one of the Delta Amex cards to buy your tickets with. If you end up splitting across multiple airlines, you might do better with something like a Chase Sapphire Reserve. Loyalty programs change and cards have aggressive sign on bonuses that come and go, so you have to evaluate all of this at a point in time; last year's advice on specific cards or programs may no longer be relevant. Start with the Points Guy Beginner's Guide
posted by kovacs at 2:20 PM on August 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by kovacs at 2:20 PM on August 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
I know this is not the question you asked. If your credit is good, and you don't want to stick to any one airline, then have you considered a general rewards credit card? The best card I would recommend is the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Not that cheap at $450/year (but you get $300 in travel credit), and you can use their points to purchase tickets on any airline. They usually have a 50K points deal going on most months, so look around.
(Not affiliated with chase, just a happy customer who doesn't like commitment.)
posted by Arthur Dent at 2:36 PM on August 17, 2019
(Not affiliated with chase, just a happy customer who doesn't like commitment.)
posted by Arthur Dent at 2:36 PM on August 17, 2019
I've collected points recently on both Delta and American.
Delta points--at least at the moment--don't expire. I've found it's fairly straightforward to spend them (usually on upgrades, once on a flight to Montreal).
American points last a whlie, but eventually expire if you don't use them. American seems to have more complicated pricing and rules around using points, but that might only be a perception of mine.
The associated credit cards don't do a lot of build your miles balance unless you're willing to put big purchases through them. The exception is with the signup bonus; I think I got 50k miles for signing up for the Delta Skymiles Amex. You do get a few perks through them whether or not you have status with the airline. Be wary of high annual fees, of course.
The status levels (like Delta's 'Medallion' status) don't offer a ton of perks until you get into the mid levels. Most people need to be travelling very frequently for business to get to those levels. If you're paying for the tickets yourself, you'll have to avoid budget fares that don't earn miles if you want to maintain that status--and the perks of having the status might not be worth the extra cost of those higher fares. Example: Silver Medallion on Delta doesn't get you lounge access--you have to pay an extra $29 to get in.
The one place where earning status can help for real is when the airline's algorithms kick in to calculate who is going to get kicked off an overbooked flight. Status makes it less likely that you'll be bumped. Likewise, access to upgrades starts to kick in with status.
Do examine partner airlines as well when you're considering a program--I've earned good miles that way. I've earned a lot of Delta miles on Air France, for example.
But like other people have said, it may just depend on your nearby airport. My city is a Delta hub, so it makes sense for me to collect Delta miles.
posted by gimonca at 6:22 PM on August 17, 2019 [2 favorites]
Delta points--at least at the moment--don't expire. I've found it's fairly straightforward to spend them (usually on upgrades, once on a flight to Montreal).
American points last a whlie, but eventually expire if you don't use them. American seems to have more complicated pricing and rules around using points, but that might only be a perception of mine.
The associated credit cards don't do a lot of build your miles balance unless you're willing to put big purchases through them. The exception is with the signup bonus; I think I got 50k miles for signing up for the Delta Skymiles Amex. You do get a few perks through them whether or not you have status with the airline. Be wary of high annual fees, of course.
The status levels (like Delta's 'Medallion' status) don't offer a ton of perks until you get into the mid levels. Most people need to be travelling very frequently for business to get to those levels. If you're paying for the tickets yourself, you'll have to avoid budget fares that don't earn miles if you want to maintain that status--and the perks of having the status might not be worth the extra cost of those higher fares. Example: Silver Medallion on Delta doesn't get you lounge access--you have to pay an extra $29 to get in.
The one place where earning status can help for real is when the airline's algorithms kick in to calculate who is going to get kicked off an overbooked flight. Status makes it less likely that you'll be bumped. Likewise, access to upgrades starts to kick in with status.
Do examine partner airlines as well when you're considering a program--I've earned good miles that way. I've earned a lot of Delta miles on Air France, for example.
But like other people have said, it may just depend on your nearby airport. My city is a Delta hub, so it makes sense for me to collect Delta miles.
posted by gimonca at 6:22 PM on August 17, 2019 [2 favorites]
Choose whoever offers the best flights for what you'll be doing in the next few years. Dealing with the stress of awkward flight paths, frequent delays, or lousy customer service is not worth a few free flights down the line. Delta and Southwest are the two best matches for my travel patterns so I use both of them but if I moved and someone else was better, I'd jump ship without a consideration for the existing points.
Almost all major airlines will have a credit card that gets you a free checked bag but carries a yearly fee. Even if you don't plan on checking a bag very often, it's usually worth having that flexibility. If things like airport lounge access is important, stepping up to the fancier versions of their cards is worth it. They tend to have a $500 fee but generally come with enough travel credits plus the lounge access that they pay for themselves. If you're traveling for business, make sure that your company will let you use a personal card before getting one.
posted by Candleman at 6:50 PM on August 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
Almost all major airlines will have a credit card that gets you a free checked bag but carries a yearly fee. Even if you don't plan on checking a bag very often, it's usually worth having that flexibility. If things like airport lounge access is important, stepping up to the fancier versions of their cards is worth it. They tend to have a $500 fee but generally come with enough travel credits plus the lounge access that they pay for themselves. If you're traveling for business, make sure that your company will let you use a personal card before getting one.
posted by Candleman at 6:50 PM on August 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
As noted above, where you are typically flying to/from is the key factor. If you travel internationally, I'd say to choose and airline that's a member of either Star Alliance or One World as if you achieve status with one airline it usually counts for the other group members, and you can usually earn points by flying on any member carrier. I have gold status on United and it is awesome for traveling in Asia since Singapore Airline is also Star Alliance and my favorite airline in the region.
posted by emd3737 at 8:55 PM on August 17, 2019
posted by emd3737 at 8:55 PM on August 17, 2019
As mentioned upthread, the biggest determining factor is probably where you're based (or more precisely, what your home airport is) and what routes you'll be flying. Another factor if you're flying on someone else's dime - how much control do you have over airline choice? Many employers either have a preferred airline, or other restrictions like GSA city pairs (if government) or lowest fare no matter what.
I'm a mid-tier United elite (gone between gold and platinum the past few years - never quite hit 1K) largely due to lots of international business travel and living close to IAD, a major United hub. Their customer service kind of sucks, but they treat elites reasonably well and the miles are still pretty usable, I've used mine for multiple upgrades and a couple of business-class award bookings the past several years (although there's rumors of a mileage devaluation later this year, not too happy about that).
Having access to Star Alliance is a nice perk - my status gives me lounge access and priority boarding on all Star Alliance flights (Lufthansa, Swiss, Brussels, ANA, Thai, etc). I have coworkers who have similar status on AA and Delta - AA I think is similar, Delta is a bit different and a tad harder to get top status, but in my limited experience Delta does have better customer service.
The airline-branded cards are okay and might be an option for you. Another might be non-airline travel cards (CSR, AmEx) - I put most of my spending on my CSR now as the points are way easier to use.
posted by photo guy at 7:49 AM on August 18, 2019
I'm a mid-tier United elite (gone between gold and platinum the past few years - never quite hit 1K) largely due to lots of international business travel and living close to IAD, a major United hub. Their customer service kind of sucks, but they treat elites reasonably well and the miles are still pretty usable, I've used mine for multiple upgrades and a couple of business-class award bookings the past several years (although there's rumors of a mileage devaluation later this year, not too happy about that).
Having access to Star Alliance is a nice perk - my status gives me lounge access and priority boarding on all Star Alliance flights (Lufthansa, Swiss, Brussels, ANA, Thai, etc). I have coworkers who have similar status on AA and Delta - AA I think is similar, Delta is a bit different and a tad harder to get top status, but in my limited experience Delta does have better customer service.
The airline-branded cards are okay and might be an option for you. Another might be non-airline travel cards (CSR, AmEx) - I put most of my spending on my CSR now as the points are way easier to use.
posted by photo guy at 7:49 AM on August 18, 2019
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posted by theory at 9:22 AM on August 17, 2019 [4 favorites]