Is Airline Loyalty Even Worth It Anymore?

If you think that being loyal to your favorite airline will score you a complimentary upgrade to business or first class on your next international flight, don’t get your hopes too high: Loyalty doesn’t pay off like it used to.

The people who fly the most aren’t always the customers who spend the most money. And as airlines monetize every aspect of air travel, from boarding priority to checked bags and seating assignments, loyalty program focus has shifted from frequent fliers to rewarding big spenders.

But don’t give up on your frequent flier miles just yet. Savvy users can continue to save on travel by leveraging loyalty programs in a smart way.

A brief history of aviation loyalty

Frequent flier programs have evolved significantly since they came onto the scene in the early 1980s. In May 1981, American Airlines and United Airlines launched loyalty programs within days of each other, with other airlines quickly following suit. (Now-defunct Texas International Airlines launched Payola Passes, the first frequent flier recognition program, in 1979.)

For many years, the concept of earning miles was literal: Most programs credited participants for each mile flown with that airline. By the 1990s, Southwest was awarding free tickets after customers flew a certain number of round-trip flights (typically between six and eight). In those golden days, travelers with elite status could expect benefits such as blocked middle seats or even unlimited domestic upgrades and lifetime perks for top-tier fliers.

In pursuit of such desirable benefits, travelers seeking status started doing mileage runs—quick trips taken solely for the sake of earning a large number of miles or reaching a specific goal. The best mileage runs achieved the trifecta of flying a long distance at a low cost, ideally in a complimentary premium-class seat courtesy of the traveler’s current elite status benefits.

In turn, airlines tweaked their loyalty programs, prioritizing customers who spent more money over those who flew the most. As the value of points and miles became more commonly known in the 2010s, airlines began moving the goalposts for earning elite status. Every airline had a different approach, but common methods included raising status tier requirements, partnering with credit card companies to offer cardholder-exclusive perks, and devaluing what each mile is worth by increasing the number of miles needed to book an award ticket.

The evolving economy of miles

“There was a time when flying a lot, even in economy, could earn you elite status, upgrades, and great award flights,” said Gary Leff, founder of consumer aviation site View from the Wing. “But airlines have gotten much better at selling every seat for cash.”

With fewer empty seats to fill thanks to last-minute cash upgrades sold before boarding time, airlines no longer need to offer generous mileage redemptions or upgrades. Airlines also release fewer award seats per route compared to what they made available in the past, artificially creating a scarcity of desirable redemption opportunities. For instance, if there are 10 business-class seats on a given route, in the past, many airlines might have made 6 seats available for both cash or award bookings. Now, they might only release 3 for award bookings on any given route, even if those seats aren’t sold.

As airlines continue prioritizing shareholder returns, they’ll keep pushing cash upgrades at the gate before offering unsold inventory to travelers on the complimentary upgrade list.

“The biggest benefit of status used to be upgrades, but that’s a lot harder to come by when airlines are more aggressive at selling first-class seats for cheap to anyone rather than giving them to loyal fliers,” Leff said.

He noted that airline loyalty programs have become billion-dollar businesses that are often more profitable than the actual flights themselves, because miles cost airlines nothing to issue but are worth a lot to consumers.

“Frequent flier programs buy inventory at a huge discount and sell those seats to us for points. They’re the largest purchasers of their own airline’s seats,” said Leff.

In addition, airlines can change how much miles are worth at any time. A flight that used to cost 10,000 miles might now cost 20,000 or 50,000 miles. So, the loyalty programs themselves are incredibly valuable to airlines; they get to make all the rules on what their miles are actually “worth.”

Who benefits from airline loyalty now?

Despite all these changes, frequent travelers can continue to enjoy advantages from airline loyalty programs. If you regularly travel for work or fly more than six flights a year on the same airline, frequent flier programs can provide you with some serious perks.

“For frequent travelers, status can save the day, like getting rebooked fast when a flight is canceled or scoring business-class upgrades with complimentary upgrade certificates,” said Alberto Riva, senior money editor at CNN Underscored, the news network’s product review brand, and a longtime holder of Delta’s top-tier Diamond Medallion status as well as top-tier status on several other airlines.

“I’ve been bumped from economy to first on nearly 60 percent of my Delta flights in the past year” as a result of his top-tier Diamond elite status, Riva said. “And with the Global Upgrade Certificates that come with Diamond status, my wife and I fly business class to Europe every year.”

According to Riva, though, true airline loyalty makes sense only for people who fly a lot these days: “If you fly fewer than 50,000 miles a year, you’re better off not chasing airline status.”

Leff recommends pursuing mid-tier airline status only if it’s easy for you to earn—for instance, by flying as you would normally for work or leisure, or if the benefits add tangible value to your travel experience, such as free extra-legroom seats or quicker help during cancellations.

“For many, just buying the exact product they want on a given flight works out better than chasing loyalty,” Leff said.

The best strategies for everyday travelers

“If you only fly once or twice a year, and you buy the cheapest tickets, you’ll earn shockingly few points,” said Brian Sumers, who publishes consumer aviation Substack newsletter The Airline Observer. “That’s a far cry from the past, where any seat in the sky could slowly get you closer to a free flight.”

That being said, it’s still worth linking your ticket to your frequent flier account for benefits beyond miles and status.

For instance, Sumers said, “Delta gives loyalty members free internet. American Airlines lets members use travel credits for longer and board earlier than nonmembers. Airlines want you in their ecosystem—it’s about keeping you connected to their marketing funnel.”

If you don’t fly very often, focus on tickets that offer flexibility and value instead of chasing airline loyalty benefits.

Riva recommends getting a travel credit card from major banks like American Express, Chase, or Capital One. These cards earn points you can transfer to a variety of airlines to pay for travel when cash rates are high or you want to spend less money.

“Credit cards are increasingly the key to unlocking good travel experiences,” Riva said. “It’s not about flying more; it’s about spending smarter.”

There’s a learning curve for maximizing points, especially if you’re a newbie or infrequent traveler. But simple tools like Points Path, a Chrome extension that works within Google Flights, show you in real time if your flight is cheaper in miles or cash. The tool allows you to maximize your rewards and hide award deals from airline programs you don’t use.

“You don’t need elite status to travel better; you just need better information,” said Julian Kheel, Points Path founder and CEO.

Courtesy of Katherine Fan

Not all frequent flier programs are created equal

If you’re still set on earning and burning miles, choose your loyalty wisely. The American Airlines AAdvantage program—one of the originals from 1981—gets high marks.

“Now that you can transfer Citi ThankYou points to American, it’s a lot easier to earn miles,” Riva said, referencing Citi’s rewards program for travel credit cards. “And unlike Delta, American doesn’t ask crazy-high prices to fly up front.”

On the flip side, Delta’s SkyMiles program is frequently criticized for poor redemption value.

“Delta’s devaluation of awards—especially for business class—has made it nearly impossible to get outsized value,” Kheel said. “Even if you have a six-figure mileage balance, it may not get you very far.”

But Delta offers strong operational performance and top-notch customer service, especially for elite fliers. “For me, it’s been worth it,” Riva said. “But that’s because I’m flying a lot, spending a lot, and I know how to make the most of the program.”

The bottom line

There’s still a lot of value in airline loyalty for frequent travelers, especially if you know how to work the system. But for everyone else, the rules have changed. In many cases, the best flight for you won’t actually be a loyalty play. Instead, you’re seeking the airline that will get you where you need to go—at the best time, for the right price.

“You don’t have to chase status,” Kheel said, “to travel well.”