U.S. News Announces the 2024-2025 Best Travel Rewards Programs

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• July 29, 2024

• Newsroom

U.S. News Announces the 2024-2025 Best Travel Rewards Programs

U.S. News & World Report, publisher of Best Hotels, Best Cruise Lines and Best Vacations, today unveiled the 2024-2025 Best Travel Rewards Programs to help everyday travelers find the best loyalty programs.

The 2024-2025 rankings highlight 10 airline and 14 hotel loyalty programs that offer travelers the best perks, as well as easy ways to earn and redeem points and miles:

• Wyndham Rewards holds on to the No. 1 spot on the Best Hotel Rewards Programs ranking for 2024-2025. The program remains a leader in offering members easy access to free nights. Wyndham boasts a vast network of 9,000-plus eligible properties, catering to a wide range of budgets, from value-conscious to luxury. Ranking No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, are Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt. These programs – which are both up one spot from last year's ranking – have strong network coverage and offer benefits that allow members to enhance their stay and save money, including late checkout and complimentary nights.
• Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan remains in the No. 1 spot for the 10th consecutive year on the Best Airline Rewards Programs ranking. In this rewards program, members earn points based on the miles they fly, so they can attain elite status regardless of how much they spend. The first tier of elite status grants perks like upgrades, free checked bags and same-day confirmed flight changes. In addition, the airline's extensive partnerships allow members to use miles to book flights to a wide range of destinations. Next in the ranking are American Airlines AAdvantage at No. 2 and Southwest Rapid Rewards at No. 3. For these airlines, point requirements for rewards flights were below the average across all programs. Both programs also offer plenty of flight options that members can book with points, allowing for flexibility in flight costs and schedules.

"With the pandemic slump behind us, we're seeing record-setting travel days in the U.S. Since travelers can feel lost in the shuffle, airline and hotel programs that offer extra luxuries are all the more attractive," says Elizabeth Von Tersch, U.S. News' senior travel editor. "Travelers continue to be focused on saving money. Top loyalty programs make it easy to earn and redeem points for free nights and flights, and offer a range of choices." 

U.S. News analyzed travel rewards programs in two categories, airline frequent flyer programs and hotel loyalty programs, using a comprehensive and transparent methodology that factors in membership benefits, network coverage, the ease of earning and redeeming points or miles, hotel property diversity and airline quality, with expert and editor analysis.

This year, the airline quality methodology was adjusted to measure reliability based on on-time arrival scores. The score is calculated using the Bureau of Transportation's on-time arrival percentage for each airline.

2024-2025 Best Travel Rewards Programs Rankings
See the full rankings.

Hotel Rewards Programs

1. Wyndham Rewards
2. Marriott Bonvoy
3. World of Hyatt
4. Choice Privileges
5. InterContinental (IHG) One Rewards

Airline Rewards Programs

1. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
2. American Airlines AAdvantage
3. Southwest Rapid Rewards
4. United Mileage Plus
5. Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles

For more information on the Best Travel Rewards Programs, explore Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #BestRewards.