Reproduced with Permission from PointMe

Airline loyalty programs are multi-billion dollar businesses, but most points aren’t earned from flying. Instead, travelers accumulate points through credit card programs and other non-flying methods, with airlines making more profit from these partnerships than from flight operations.

These programs benefit both airlines and travelers, as they allow people to earn points without frequent flying and offer many ways to redeem them. However, the wide range of options can be confusing, especially when it comes to choosing the best program and redeeming points efficiently.

To help travelers, point.me analyzed over 60 frequent flyer programs, evaluating how easily miles can be earned through non-flight activities, the value of those miles, booking ease, award availability, routing flexibility, and customer service quality. While rankings can guide travelers, the best program will vary based on individual needs—your mileage may vary.

1. Flying Blue Overall score: 93.06

Flying Blue, the loyalty program for Air France and KLM, tops our list with strong performance across all categories, matching the global average on change fees and policies.

The program’s strategy focuses on loyalty-driven revenue, offering excellent redemption rates, extensive partnerships, and flexible routing rules to make global travel accessible. Points are easy to earn without flying, thanks to partnerships with all major credit card point currencies (American Express, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Citi, and Marriott Bonvoy).

“Our enhancements aim to deliver great value when transferring and redeeming points, fostering loyalty even among those new to our airlines,” says Benjamin Lipsey, SVP Customer Loyalty, and President of Flying Blue.

2. Air Canada Aeroplan Overall score: 77.43

Air Canada revamped Aeroplan in 2020, making it the most modern program on our list. It offers excellent partner availability and flexible routing, benefiting travelers outside hub cities.

Points transfer from major credit cards (American Express, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, and Marriott Bonvoy).

While booking issues and long hold times hurt its ranking, Aeroplan remains an excellent program overall

3. United MileagePlus Overall score: 72.22

While recent changes have made United MileagePlus less rewarding for frequent flyers, the program remains excellent for casual travelers. Points transfer from Bilt, Chase, Marriott, and Bonvoy, and United’s Star Alliance network offers redemption options to destinations worldwide.

MileagePlus has also introduced miles pooling, making it easier for families and friends to travel together. Dynamic award pricing benefits those with fixed schedules, like students, by offering more flexibility.

Though some premium flights, like L.A. to Sydney in business class, can cost 300,000 miles each way, it’s still cheaper than competitors like AAdvantage or SkyMiles, which charge 400,000+ miles. Plus, MileagePlus provides near last-seat availability on many routes.

4. (tie) British Airways Executive Club Overall score: 69.10

British Airways revamped its Executive Club program, expanding the “Reward Flight Saver” to long-haul flights, allowing point redemptions at attractive rates with lower fees.

The US credit card was also upgraded, making it a top airline-specific option. Executive Club accepts point transfers from five major programs: American Express, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, and Marriott Bonvoy.

However, the program prices each flight segment individually based on distance, which benefits travelers to hub cities but makes connecting itineraries less competitive—especially with high surcharges on non-Reward Flight Saver trips.

4. (tie) Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Overall score: 69.10

Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club offers some of the best economy redemption rates and guarantees award seats on every flight. Its partnerships with major US credit cards—American Express, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Citi, and Marriott—help secure its spot in the top five.

However, fuel surcharges in premium cabins are steep, so travelers may need to budget or use a cash-back card. The program excels in availability, with economy flights from New York to London often under 9,000 points per person, even for families.

Some partner bookings with Virgin Atlantic require phone reservations, and the website isn’t always clear about this. While joining SkyTeam has improved partner availability, Flying Club still offers fewer redemption options than the top-ranked programs on our list.

6. American Airlines AAdvantage Overall score: 68.06

American Airlines AAdvantage, the first modern airline loyalty program, remains strong and may be the best fit for some travelers based on their needs. It excels with great redemption rates for Oneworld partners like Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines, and Cathay Pacific—offering experiences such as Qatar Qsuites for just 70,000 miles one-way from the U.S. to the Middle East.

The program also stands out with user-friendly award search tools and a helpful award calendar, making it easier for customers to maximize their miles.

However, earning AAdvantage miles is more challenging than with other programs. Miles are mainly earned through co-branded cards, savings accounts, and Marriott Bonvoy transfers, as AAdvantage no longer partners with Bilt Rewards.

7. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Overall score: 65.97

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan may get less attention due to its West Coast-focused network, but it’s a solid program with excellent partner availability and the unique option of adding a free stopover on one-way award tickets.

The program offers partnerships with top Oneworld carriers like Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, and Qatar Airways, along with unique partners such as Fiji Airways and Starlux Airlines. Frequent Buy Miles promotions also make it easy to boost balances.

However, redemption rates are less competitive overall, and miles can be harder to earn since transfer partners are limited to Bilt and Marriott Bonvoy, though the new Bilt partnership expands earning potential.

8. Qatar Airways Privilege Club Overall score: 62.85

Qatar Airways serves 12 U.S. cities, connecting travelers to over 90 countries through its Doha hub, often eliminating the need for multiple connections. Its competitive points prices—especially for both “Saver” and higher-cost “Flexi” awards—make Privilege Club a great option for those with diverse travel plans.

Named the world’s best airline for the 8th time and recognized as the top airline rewards program in the Middle East by point.me, Privilege Club aims to deliver unparalleled rewards and experiences, according to Thierry Antinori, Qatar’s Chief Commercial Officer.

As part of the Avios system under IAG, members can transfer points seamlessly across partner programs, including British Airways, Aer Lingus, Finnair, and Iberia, maximizing flight options. Points can also be transferred from American Express, Citi, and Marriott Bonvoy, further enhancing flexibility.

9. JetBlue TrueBlue Overall score: 61.81

JetBlue TrueBlue offers traveler-friendly benefits, such as a no-expiration policy and Points Pooling, which makes earning and redeeming points easier for families. The program features competitive pricing on popular East Coast routes, with last-minute deals to Florida and Mexico available for as few as 8,000 points per person.

What elevates TrueBlue into our top 10 is its meaningful redemption options with partner airlines. While it previously had limited opportunities with Hawaiian Airlines, new partnerships with Qatar Airways and Etihad Guest now provide global reach for travelers. TrueBlue also accepts point transfers from major credit card programs, including American Express, Capital One, Chase, Citi, and Marriott Bonvoy.

10. Avianca LifeMiles Overall score: 59.72

Avianca LifeMiles offers great redemption rates and a wide range of credit card partners—American Express, Bilt, Capital One, Citi, and Marriott Bonvoy—making it easy to accrue miles. Overall, the program has a lot to offer.

However, its complexity in booking flights has limited its appeal in the U.S. While point.me provides guidance on using LifeMiles effectively, improving customer service to better align with U.S. consumer expectations could help the program gain more traction.

Head over to Point Me for the full report showing how all the worlds loyalty programs stacked up.