Best and Worst U.S. Frequent Flyer Programs
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Travel is not cheap. At least not on a regular basis. This is where frequent flyer programs come in. They can help you earn airline miles that can be redeemed for free travel.
But not all airline rewards programs in the United States are created equal. Look at the 10 largest passenger airlines in the country. Some are worth your time and money. Others? Forget about it.
These are the best and worst airline frequent flyer programs in the U.S., ranked from skip it (worst) to open an account today (first).
10. Spirit Airlines — Free Spirit
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Overall score: 33.42*
Number of destinations: 80
Best for: N/A
*Rankings are based on Wallethub’s 2021 Best Frequent Flyer Programs report. The "best for" category is only for the top five airlines.
Things to Consider: Spirit Airlines
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Major hubs: Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas
Alliance: None
Do points expire: Yes, if there is no account activity within 12 months.
Is credit card worth it: No. The annual fee makes it too expensive for the perks.
Bottom Line: Spirit Airlines
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If you’ve ever had the misfortune of flying with Spirit Airlines, you very well know it’s an experience that comes from necessity rather than desire.
Yes, Spirit often has very low rates (for an American airline), but flying with it is often so inconvenient and uncomfortable that it may not be worth saving a bit of money.
Its reward program, Free Spirit, is also terrible. Points expire after only 12 months, a very short time window. You can keep points from expiring by paying $79 for the Free Spirit Travel More Mastercard, but that price is way too high for getting to fly one of the country’s worst airlines.
9. Sun Country Airlines — Sun Country Rewards
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Overall score: 38.66
Number of destinations: 60
Best for: N/A
Things to Consider: Sun Country Airlines
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Major hubs: Minneapolis/St. Paul, Dallas/Fort Worth, Las Vegas
Alliance: None
Do points expire: Yes, 36 months after the date they were earned.
Is credit card worth it: No. The annual fee makes it too expensive for the perks.
Bottom Line: Sun Country Airlines
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Most people have never even heard of this ultra-low-cost carrier. And those that have probably would have rather not.
Like Spirit, Sun Country Airlines offers bare-bone flights where you can’t even get a glass of water if you’re choking unless you pay for it first. The airline also ranks worst for reward value, with points being worth $2 per $100 spent.
There are some good things about Sun Country Rewards like no blackout dates, the ability to combine points with cash for any trip and having 36 months before your points expire. For $69 a year, you can keep your points with the Sun Country Airlines Visa Signature Card. Still, why spend time accruing points for an airline that treats you like cattle?
There are other, better carriers to be loyal to.
8. Southwest Airlines — Rapid Rewards
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Overall score: 47.97
Number of destinations: 103
Best for: N/A
Things to Consider: Southwest Airlines
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Major hubs: Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles
Alliance: None
Do points expire: No
Is credit card worth it: Maybe. Only if you fly Southwest frequently.
Bottom Line: Southwest Airlines
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Although it’s a low-cost carrier, Southwest actually provides passengers with a decent experience and works to reward members of its Rapid Rewards program.
The best thing about the program is that miles never expire, no matter how long you leave them alone and neglected in their virtual vault. Given that you can join Rapid Rewards for free, if you live near a Southwest Airlines hub and frequently go for low-cost carriers, it certainly makes sense to open an account and accrue points whenever possible.
The one thing that makes Southwest Airlines shine above almost any other airline in the world is its Companion Pass, which allows travelers to add a companion to any flight they take for free. This means that you and your travel partner are basically earning a buy-one-get-one-free deal for flights. Usually, you have to fly 100 one-way segments to earn the pass, so this is only for serious frequent travelers.
Its Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card has a $69 annual fee, but the perks aren’t shiny enough to be interesting to anyone other than people who constantly fly the airline and want to amass as many points as possible with it.
7. JetBlue Airways — TrueBlue
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Overall score: 50.03
Number of destinations: 100
Best for: N/A
Things to Consider: JetBlue
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Major hubs: Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Fort Lauderdale, San Juan
Alliance: None
Do points expire: No
Is credit card worth it: Maybe. Only if you fly JetBlue frequently.
Bottom Line: JetBlue
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As far as low-cost carriers go, JetBlue is the shining beacon that proves you can offer good prices and still treat passengers with dignity and respect.
The airline consistently ranks at the top for having the most legroom in main cabin — something that can make a huge difference when you’re stuck in a plane for hours. What’s best, TrueBlue points never expire, and the program is free to join, so you literally lose absolutely nothing by signing up, even if you use the airline infrequently.
As far as credit cards go, the airline offers three tiers, the lowest of which, the JetBlue Card, has no annual fee. Other than that, it offers few other interesting perks, so it’s really only worth it for people who do fly JetBlue and want to accrue points faster.
6. Frontier Airlines: MyFrontier
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Overall score: 50.68
Number of destinations: 100
Best for: N/A
Things to Consider: Frontier Airlines
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Major hubs: Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, Miami, Philadelphia, Tampa
Alliance: None
Do points expire: Yes, if there is no account activity for six months.
Is credit card worth it: No. The annual fee makes it too expensive for the perks.
Bottom Line: Frontier Airlines
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In terms of experience, Frontier Airlines is similar to Spirit and Sun Country Airlines. However, the company manages to distinguish itself from its less-graceful counterparts with a high-reward value for miles. Members of the myFrontier program will earn $20.99 per $100 spent, making the airline second in this category.
However, we’re not sure this is enough to make myFrontier membership worth it. Points expire after six months, the shortest time out of any of the analyzed airlines. As with Spirit, you can keep the points from expiring by paying $79 for the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard, but that is too steep a price to pay to fly on this airline.
5. Hawaiian Airlines — HawaiianMiles
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Overall score: 53.06
Number of destinations: 33
Best for: Rewards value and redemption policies
Things to Consider: Hawaiian Airlines
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Major hubs: Honolulu, Maui
Alliance: None
Do points expire: Yes, if there is no account activity for 18 months.
Is credit card worth it: No. The annual fee makes it too expensive for the perks.
Bottom Line: Hawaiian Airlines
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Although Hawaiian Airlines is pretty limited in its number of destinations, it ranks high because it has the best rewards value, at $24.19 per $100 spent. The airline does not belong to any of the three main airline alliances, but does have partnerships with JetBlue, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia.
The amount of time you have before points expire is in the mid-range, and its Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard doesn’t appeal to anyone except very loyal customers. The card offers a $100 companion credit and free checked bags, but at $99 a year, the price tag is not worth it.
4. American Airlines — AAdvantage
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Overall score: 56.11
Number of destinations: 352
Best for: Airline coverage
Things to Consider: American Airlines
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Major hubs: Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Washington, D.C.
Alliance: Oneworld
Do points expire: Yes, if there is no account activity for 18 months.
Is credit card worth it: Yes. For frequent American Airlines customers.
Bottom Line: American Airlines
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Enjoying worldwide coverage and recognition, American Airlines is efficient at getting customers basically anywhere they need to go. As a member of Oneworld, you can earn AAdvantage points when you fly partner airlines like British Airways and Cathay Pacific. AAdvantage members are also given preference in certain circumstances like when bumping passengers from overbooked flights.
That being said, service at American Airlines flights is subpar for a mid-tier airline with its reputation. The food is more than often disappointing and the main cabin tends to be cramped. Besides, when you purchase flights rather than earn them, they cost 191 percent more than they are actually worth — by far the worst percentage out of all 10 airlines in the study.
People basically fly American Airlines because it’s cheap, services major cities nationally and internationally and gives you a snack and a drink. It’s a step above Spirit but decidedly behind some of its partners, like Cathay Pacific.
Its most basic credit card, the AAdvantage MileUp Mastercard has no annual fee and is the easiest way to earn miles fast. If you’re based near one of the airline’s hubs, it's definitely worth it.
3. Delta Air Lines — SkyMiles
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Overall score: 59.46
Number of destinations: 290
Best for: Most additional features
Things to Consider: Delta Air Lines
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Major hubs: Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle/Tacoma
Alliance: SkyTeam
Do points expire: No
Is credit card worth it: Maybe. Only if you fly Delta Air Lines nationally with frequency.
Bottom Line: Delta Air Lines
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Delta Air Lines is ranked No.1 for most additional features. This isn’t surprising, given that Delta has by far the best service of any U.S. airline — though this more often applies to international flights than national ones.
Delta SkyMiles never expire, and the airline is part of SkyTeam, partnering it up with airlines like Air France, KLM and Korean Airlines. This means you can earn points for Delta by flying at other member airlines. Delta also has worldwide coverage.
However, unlike American, Delta's basic credit card, Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card, is only worth it if you’re going to be using Delta for national flights on a regular basis. The card has a $99 annual fee and few perks beside a free first checked bag and priority boarding.
Given that the airline already includes checked bags for most international flights, the perk is only relevant if you’re constantly needing to fly with a large bag within the U.S.
2. Alaska Airlines — Mileage Plan
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Overall score: 61.17
Number of destinations: 199
Best for: Redemption policies and partner coverage
Things to Consider: Alaska Airlines
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Major hubs: Anchorage, Los Angeles, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma
Alliance: Oneworld
Do points expire: Yes, if there is no account activity for 24 months.
Is credit card worth it: Yes. For frequent Alaska Airlines customers.
Bottom Line: Mileage Plan
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Alaska Airlines’ consistently high rankings often confuse people, given that it’s a regional airline. However, given its membership in the Oneworld alliance, you can use and earn points even while you’re flying to places not directly serviced by the airline.
Like Southwest, Alaska Airlines differentiates itself by offering a Companion Pass. But unlike the former, you can get access to the pass simply by getting the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card, which is $75 a year.
Keep in mind that you can only use the pass once and that it cannot be used for flying on partner airlines. This means that the credit card is definitely worth it, but only if you are on the West Coast and will fly with the airline at least once a year.
1. United Airlines — MileagePlus
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Overall score: 71.42
Number of destinations: 370
Best for: Overall, airline and partner coverage
Things to Consider: United Airlines
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Major Hubs: Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C.
Alliance: Star Alliance
Do points expire: No
Is credit card worth it: Yes. For frequent United Airlines customers.
Bottom Line: MileagePlus
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Coming out best overall is the United Airlines MileagePlus program. This program is free for anyone and points never expire, so signing up is a no-brainer.
United Airlines also services more destinations than any other airline on the list. Add to that it's a member of the Star Alliance. That means it partners up with other airlines like Air Canada, Turkish Airlines and Singapore Airlines, which has been named the No. 1 airline in the world for the past consecutive 25 years.
Its United Explorer card isn’t cheap, with a $99 annual fee after the first year, but it does offer free checked bags, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit and two annual passes to the United Club lounge.
If you’re not a frequent flyer, these perks won’t matter much, but those who see themselves at airports frequently can definitely make up the money with the perks. Since the airline flies all over the world, it can be worth getting the card.
Related: Best Airlines l Worst Airlines