Navigating the world of airline loyalty programs can be extremely challenging. Understanding mileage programs involves confusing tables and complex math for how flights, status, and other perks are accessed. It gets even more complicated when carriers suddenly either change how points are earned and redeemed or devalue them. The result is that many travelers are left wondering whether airline loyalty is even worth it anymore.
To help take some of the guesswork out of which companies offer the best value for travelers, Point.me, a points and travel reward search platform, released its second annual ranking, this time analyzing 59 global airline loyalty programs.
The list is based on eight quantitative and qualitative factors determined by data from searches and the site’s airline experts, with the most heavily weighted areas being ease of earning miles (20 percent), redemption rates (20 percent), partner opportunities (20 percent), redemption experience (10 percent), and award availability (10 percent). The company explicitly did not consider status benefits; it wanted the rankings to reflect the best program for casual fliers.
“Getting real value from airline loyalty points is often significantly harder for passengers than it needs to be,” said Adam Morvitz, CEO of Point.me, in a press release announcing the original ranking in 2024. Morvitz noted that rankings resulted from “deep data-led insight from our reward search engine” combined with in-house knowledge and expertise.
The 2025 ranking aims to offer “a road map for loyalty programs to drive genuine value for current and prospective customers,” Tiffany Funk, cofounder and president at Point.me, stated in a press release announcing the new global list.
The world’s best airline loyalty program
Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines’ Flying Blue program is the top-ranking program for the second year running. While the program is based in Europe, Flying Blue is on its way to becoming a household name among American travelers. “Its extensive partnerships make it almost effortless to earn miles without ever boarding an Air France or KLM flight, as consumers can transfer points from all of the major credit card points currencies to Flying Blue, and it has its own co-branded card available to U.S. consumers,” the awards search platform reported.
It also noted that points are easily transferable with Flying Blue: “The redemption experience is a great one, with excellent customer service from well-trained agents and an easy-to-use website and app.”
On Point.me’s 100-point scale, Air France–KLM scored 92.38, with nearly perfect scores in each category.
American Airlines AAdvantage was the highest-ranking U.S. airline loyalty program, taking second place, up from sixth in 2024. It was praised for its “global reach, which is due, in part, to its strong Oneworld alliance, easy booking experience, reliable award availability, [and] industry-leading cancellation policies.” American Airlines’ loyalty program earned 87.63 points, with the experts highlighting AAdvantage’s fair and consistent pricing but docking the program because it offers few credit card transfer partners.
Other U.S. airlines in the top 10 were the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan (now merged with Hawaiian Airlines and called Atmos Rewards, which was created too late to be part of the study), with 82.38 points; United’s MileagePlus, with 79.88 points; and JetBlue’s TrueBlue program, with 69.88 points.
Point.me also shared its rankings for the best points programs by region. See the full list below.
The best airline loyalty programs in the world
- Flying Blue (Air France/KLM): 93.06 points
- American Airlines AAdvantage: 87.63 points
- Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan: 82.38 points
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: 81.25 points
- United MileagePlus: 79.88 points
- The British Airways Club: 76.38
- Air Canada Aeroplan: 72.38
- JetBlue TrueBlue: 69.88
- Emirates Skywards: 68.75
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club: 67.38
The above points were assigned on a 100-point scale.
The best airline rewards programs in North America
- American Airlines AAdvantage
- Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- United MileagePlus
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
- Delta Skymiles
- Frontier Miles
- Allegiant Allways Rewards
- Spirit Airlines Free Spirit
The best airline rewards programs in Europe
- Flying Blue (Air France/KLM)
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- British Airways Executive Club and
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Finnair Plus
- Miles & More (Lufthansa Group)
- Club Iberia Plus
- Aegean Miles+Bonus
- SAS EuroBonus
- TAP Miles&Go
The best airline rewards programs in Latin America
- Avianca LifeMiles
- Copa Airlines ConnectMiles
- LATAM Pass
- Aeromexico Rewards
The best airline rewards programs in the Middle East and Africa
- Emirates Skywards
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- Etihad Guest
- Ethiopian Airlines ShebaMiles
- MEA Cedar Miles
- Royal Air Maroc Safar Flyer (tie)
- South African Airways Voyager (tie)
- Royal Jordanian Royal Club
- Saudia AlFursan
The best airline rewards programs in Asia and Oceania
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (tie)
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer (tie)
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- China Airlines Dynasty Flyer Program
- Korean Air Skypass Club
- ANA Mileage Club
- EVA Air Infinity MileageLands
- Air New Zealand Airpoints
- Japan Airlines JAL Mileage Bank
- Air India Maharaja Club
This story was originally published in September 2024 and was updated on September 10, 2025, to include current information.
