Point.me has released a report on the world’s best frequent flyer programs, with a surprise “bronze” finish for United Airlines MileagePlus. Let’s unpack this list and explore the value of each of the top programs.
The 10 Best Frequent Flyer Programs Via Point.me
As a reminder, point.me is a service that helps you find frequent flyer award seats and set up accounts…it’s a valuable tool that anyone sitting on a cache of points or miles should explore.
Let’s take a look at its top-10 list of best frequent flyer programs:
1. Flying Blue
2. Air Canada Aeroplan
3. United MileagePlus
4. British Airways Executive Club (tie)
4. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (tie)
6. American Airlines AAdvantage
7. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
8. Qatar Airways Privilege Club
9. JetBlue True Blue
10. Avianca LifeMiles
The list, other than #3, is not a surprise. I’m going to work my way through this list, saving United for last.
Flying Blue
FlyingBlue, the loyalty program of Air France and KLM, offers excellent value for economy class awards and transatlantic business class awards for as little as 50,000 miles one-way (including an onward connection beyond Paris or Amsterdam). On the flip side, some last-minute tickets can run over 700,000 miles one-way in business class…worse than even Delta’s deplorable SkyMiles program…but at least there is a balance and at least with some flexibility you can score some very good deals (and the ease and wide availability of Flying Blue miles via multiple transfer partners also add value to the program.
Air Canada Aeroplan
Air Canada is also an excellent program: easy to use, reasonably priced (no more fuel surcharges), and with a host of partners. Air Canada also has an annoying cancellation fee and partner booking fee plus long hold times to speak to an agent and a website that is still not nearly as functional as promised years ago. Still, though, it is an easy program to use and the points are easy to come by.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
We’ll jump past United for a moment and move to British and Virgin Atlantic, which tied for fourth place. I am fond of both programs and both have sweet spots that bring tremendous value.
People like to focus on the ANA business class and first class awards on Virgin, which are theoretically highly valuable, but I like that Virgin tends to offer plenty of award space and all three cabins and last-minute Upper Class space at a good price, despite the heavy carrier-imposed fees.
British Airways Executive Club
British Airways Executive Club is a very different program but has gotten better, not worse over the last couple years. Intercontinental flights on Finnair or Qatar Airways are now reasonably priced and I continue to find great value in short-haul awards. Longhaul flights from Europe to the USA via London continue to have moderate surcharges and achieving oneworld emerald status via British Airways is reasonable, not overly burdensome.
American Airlines AAdvantage
I still find American Airlines a very valuable program…the last-minute deals on AA space in premium cabins are impressive and the award charts, long overdue for a devaluation, have somehow persisted, with deals like 75,000 miles one-way to fly from Los Angeles to Cape Town via Doha in Qsuite Business Class or 80,000 miles to fly from New York to Tokyo in first class on JAL’s brand new A350-1000.
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
Alaska Mileage Plan remains an eclectic and excellent program with an eclectic mix of partners and earning based on miles flown, not dollars spent.
Qatar Airways Privilege Club
The great thing about Qtar Airways Privilege Club, now part of the Avios family, is the ability to pay double the points for space on Qatar Airways…which can still make sense versus cash purchases.
JetBlue True Blue
Not my favorite program, but flying Qsuites for 79,000 points is not a bad deal (JetBlue partners with Qatar Airways). Always check cash prices versus points prices, since redemption values can vary.
Avianca LifeMiles
I’ve soured on this program….there are still sweet spots, but the recent devaluation rubbed me the wrong way. The advantage is that miles can often be purchased very cheaply so if you’re looking to go to Europe or Asia with some flexibility, buying Avianca miles and redeeming can save you a lot of money versus a revenue ticket.
On United Airlines MileagePlus…#3?
I’m known as the United guy (sometimes the United apologist) around here and I want to focus specifically on United. How could United wind up at #3?
I am quoted in the point.Me report. Here’s what I said about United:
“United Airlines MileagePlus has consistently proven to be a strong loyalty program when it comes to giving members access to the world. Thanks to United’s Star Alliance partnerships and its own extensive route network, members enjoy points redemption options to some of the most far-flung destinations on the globe. Over the last two decades, I have immensely enjoyed traveling across six continents thanks to United MileagePlus and helped countless others do the same.
“With the recent introduction of miles pooling, United has made it easier than ever before for families and friends to create priceless memories together. If there is anywhere in the world you wish to visit, chances are strong that your United miles can take you there.”
I made that statement months ago, but stand by it. I think it is undeniable that for the majority of travelers, MileagePlus has become a more valuable program. Yes, we’ve seen coach award inflation as well, but it has not been nearly as significant as in premium cabins.
We’ve also seen a great app and website that makes booking easy, no cancellation or change fees, miles pooling, and more last-minute saver space, especially now that United is limited its own saver space to MileagePlus members. Plus, the Star Alliance network does give passengers far more reach than using Alaska, American, or Delta miles in nearly any region in the world.
The premium cabin devaluations drive me crazy too…I think it’s so foolish considering how much loyalty that fosters in passengers on the margins when United’s own reimbursement rates for those seats are so low.
Would I have put United at #3 ahead of Alaska Mileage Plan? No, I would not have. Is United as valuable as it was before? Not for premium cabin travelers. But it remains valuable and for the occasional traveler or United MileagePlus credit card holder, MileagePlus is more valuable than it has been in years past.
CONCLUSION
Point.me is out with its rankings of airline frequent flyer programs and overall the list is solid. United’s high rank may have surprised me in some ways, but in other ways, it does not…the ease of using miles is itself a value, even at higher price points.
Finally, I’m proud of what Tiffany Funk and Adam Morvitz have done with point.me. It’s a valuable service and both Funk and Morvitz are people I fully trust and who truly understand the loyalty space. Do take a look at the full rankings and methodology. This isn’t a fly-by-the-night ranking propped up by sponsors: it’s a thoughtful and insightful analysis into the frequent flyer programs that continue to offer great value…and some that do not.
image: Air France
They got the Delta SkyReais ranking correct — not on the top 10.
For sure.
A complete misrating for United IMHO.
Daddy will be along shortly with his triggered opinion-based facts as to why SkyPesos are the most valuable currency in the history of mankind!
Matthew, you are just as bad as Ben in allowing these trolls. Why do you allow it?
The obvious truth is that Delta runs the most highly profitable and respected airline and has a loyalty program that makes sense to its employees and shareholders. Every Delta customer makes an informed decision and we continue to see such strong SkyMiles growth because Delta can boast, in totality, of being the best airline in the world.
These sorts of silly reports focus on the wrong factors. They are meaningless.
Says the biggest troll of the aviation comment section.
Tim, If you want to avoid silly trolls, don’t be the biggest one of them all with about 3o fake usernames. You fool no one and have been banned based on how many different usernames on a.net?
“Best airline in the world”
That’s bold. Delusional even. I’m fine with you arguing that it ranks the best for service and network in the U.S. But the world? You must not get out of ATL much. Or have ever traveled beyond your Delta shareholder meetings.
LOLOLOLOL
Been a member of DL Frequent Flyer program since the 1990s. Have flown them maybe once every 4-5 in the last several decades, and then only when they are the only ones who fly the route I need with a reasonable schedule.
I can’t bring myself to liquidate my Sky Pennies on the off-chance I might need them some day for such a trip. I have not experienced the supposed difference in the quality of their service, although I will acknowledge that I prefer most Sky Clubs I have visited to most United Clubs.
It’s funny you complain about trolls. Put it up for a vote with the readers. I’d bet the mortgage that the vast majority would vote to have you sent packing, not the other way around.
Why did you get fired by DL? We would love to know.
Naw Tim, in quality Delta is basically the same as all of the other major US airlines, and it’s point currency is practically worthless.
Also why are there so many cancel pigs on this site?
Leaving aside the fact that MileagePlus is definitely too high up that list, the idea that BA Executive Club and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club are equal is laughable.
Presumably status benefits aren’t being taken into account (a category in which BAEC would win as well), but in terms of how much value you can get out of each program’s currency (with relative ease), BA crushes VS. It’s not even a competition,
For me:
1. Flying Blue
2. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
3. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
4. Qatar Airways Privilege Club
5. Air Canada Aeroplan
6. JetBlue True Blue
7. British Airways Executive Club
8. United MileagePlus
9. American Airlines AAdvantage
10. Turkish Miles & Smiles
It’s too difficult to normalize the programs so that they make sense for the general public. After all, Turkish Miles & Smiles is a great program and you live in the US, why would their program make any sense? It might make sense to someone who lives in IST, but not for someone who lives in PHX.
So does that mean there isn’t much you would change with regards to that list? Where would you rank United if it was your list?
My big problem with these rankings is that there doesn’t seem to be sufficient attention paid to actual award availability. So many bloggers try to inveigle you through their hucksterism yet somehow neglect to mention the real life drawbacks. What good is a hypothetical award when there’s just no availability? I used to adore Alaska miles for redemption in first class on Cathay Pacific. Now Alaska has plenty of nothing. I’d just like to see reality like that factored in on the rankings.
The problem is that no one really knows. At times I wonder if most leaders in the industry even know. There is no transparency. There is no idea as to what your miles are really worth. There is no idea as to what the redemption might be on any given day outside of the exorbitant extortion rate. The only thing we do know is that a few days out a few seats in premium cabins MAY open up…and that’s all we have now in a game of cat and mouse.
And people wonder why the DOT is looking deeply into these programs? It’s a game of Japanese Gacha. Waving that rare in front of you as you put in your dollars and continually wait for the holy grail they so beautifully tout in their marketing.
The reality, though, is that while you and I (and Matt, and Kyle, and Lucky, etc. al.) utilize these programs for unicorns like EVA J, the majority of participants don’t. They’re redeeming for awards in Y, and are more than content to use 160k miles for 4 coach tickets to Europe. Most of the programs actually do offer decent availability if that’s what you’re after.
I’m not sure that a program only offering low-to-medium value deserves a spot near the top. Tiffany is a highly seasoned award booker and I really would have thought that high value awards with availability would have topped the charts. If I can’t find a couple of EVA J tickets to Asia with Aeroplan but can with EVA’s program then that program should be listed instead.
Is there a difference between QR’s Privilege Club and BAEC at this point? The benefits seem basically equivalent for people who do are not based in the Middle East and BAEC seems to have better redemption with miles.
Ranking United MP over AA is a bad joke.
Will say that Flying Blue’s main caveats for those not based in Europe is that the miles are sorta useless unless you fly with AF/KL. There is a lack of award availability outside of AF/KL a lot of the time at least every time I’ve tried to use miles.
True about AF/KLM, but at the same time, they seem to still make a decent amount of TATL saver award space available, while it has been drying up on a lot of others. I generally agree on Virgin, which is another one with a reasonable amount of saver award availability, but again limited, basically US-LHR only. UA has really limited its TATL saver awards, but can still find some (I saw some at 80K on a partner today for next spring), so I would rate it as dropping in usefulness, but not useless.
Rankings are a total joke and since they cannot be compared because each uses a different criteria they are basically useless. Look at College rankings. They are laughable so actually nobody cares about them.
You are correct in the uselessness of these ratings. And I am surprised that points.me, which is an extension of another well known blogger, would even bother trying to isolate programs into a rating when even they don’t know what the heck is going on with them anymore. On any given day a program can change from best to worst, all a result of some sort of weird algorithms of yield management that none of us understand. Further, that they bait and switch constantly in a random game of cat and mouse. No one has any clue anymore. We are told to just get their credit cards and put our butts in their seats and maybe, just maybe, we will offer you a carrot when they actually are marketing that they are offering a golden palace. But hurry, devaluations can come at any moment and with no notice!
I am fine with the absurdity of it all if there is transparency. You give us this and we give you that…period. Dynamic pricing my ass. You can’t have it both ways. Just do away with the programs if you can’t properly administer them in a fair manner. And none of them do. Which is why I support the DOT investigation.
…which is an extension of another well known blogger…
This right here. I take rankings like these with a huge grain of salt because bloggers’ ultimate jobs are to sell things. So it’s ALWAYS in their best interest to be biased. Ben is no different.
How do you guys see The Points Guy? Just curious.
What do you mean? Do we like it? Trust it? I used to follow it way back when it was just the guy that founded it and nobody else. It was a very good source of travel information. But he grew it way too much, brought a bunch of very stupid people to write articles and then sold it to a bigger investment company. I haven’t looked at that page once in that last 5 or 6 years. I prefer small blogs like this one which you feel a connection with the writer and not part of a biased for profit enterprise.
TPG is absolutely bereft of integrity and I avoid it like the plague. You can do an online search about some of the scandals if you like. For me, the killing off of comments was the last straw. Around a decade ago I got my first real taste of the founder’s hucksterism. He wrote something like “How To Fly Free On The Best First Class Awards” and he listed some airlines like Air France that will under no circumstances allow redemption for first class unless you hold high level elite status. Comments were allowed back then so I commented that it was misleading and intellectually dishonest to tell Joe Shmo that they could fly this product just by using XYZ points since the founder never mentioned that restriction. He doubled down on his dishonesty and stood by his misleading post.
As someone who has lived near a United hub and flown them for a loooooong time, I was a Premier Executive for years, I will say that I again find the program to have significant value and go out of my way to collect United miles.
UA went through a dark decade (or more) after 9/11, when I would go out of my way to not fly them, but it has turned around and I have had mostly good experiences in recent years.
Yes, the devaluations have been significant and sweet spots are harder to find. But they are still there, particularly for UA credit card holders and Premier members. Example: two of us flew nonstop from the mainland to Tahiti in Polaris this New Year’s for 70K miles each with nominal fees. Definite win.
Tahiti is a unicorn. They average 55% load factors and you can expect that route to be gone eventually. I don’t see it surviving. Good for you though in taking advantage of it but you got very very lucky. It is far from the norm.
I am glad that you live near United hub but I live in NYC and going to EWR isn’t convenient.
I live equidistant from JFK and LGA. United does have flights out of LGA but LGA is limited in scope. United abandoned JFK. If I want to go to the west coast then I can’t fly on United.
This leads to my use of Delta. Why split mileage on different airlines? I use Delta to fly international and domestic.
I agree. When TPG killed comments, my interest died as well.
Flying Blue is one of the worst-value programmes for partner redemptions, and even some of the AFKL ones are extreme. For example, FCO-MAD on AZ in business is 34.5k miles, while LIS-DSS (a 4-hour flight direct on TAP that can be had for barely €200) starts at 25k+€122 in Y and a ridiculous 70k+€220 in business (that’s the absolute cheapest, obviously not available all the time).
Oh, and the accrual rates are also pretty poor. It does have sweet spots and certainly isn’t an horrible programme, particularly for those with some status, but that’s nowhere near sufficient to make it the best in the business. I think what the ranking really means is that FB is the best programme for Americans who want to fly to Europe with their transferrable credit card points.
I take any ratings as inaccurate and false…. Air Canada is towards the bottom.