Who has the best mileage program airlines

This program is recommend for those who like to travel frequently between North America and Europe. Lufthansa organizes many promotions and bargains where you can book flights for half the points.

You need to earn 35, status miles or book 30 flights per calendar year. To start earning miles, you will sign up for credit cards and this way you can earn tons of miles and points for your next amazing trip! Do you have lots of miles and want to get value out of them? Why not sell miles for cash? Your email address will not be published.

Find out more or adjust your settings. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. Skip to content. Minimum elite status requirements: Earn 25, Tier Miles or take 25 flights within a rolling month period. Standout elite benefit: Top-tier Platinum members can confer Gold status on another member.

Keep in mind that some American and Delta tickets do not earn miles. Beware extensive award blackout dates. Phenomenal award availability on Korean Air itself. Minimum elite status requirements: Earn 50, miles with at least 30, flown on Korean Air or 40 qualifying flights. Lower requirements to maintain for two-year periods. Minimum elite status requirements: Earn 35, status miles or fly 30 flights in one calendar year. Standout elite benefit: Gold elites earn Star Alliance Gold benefits like access to hundreds of lounges worldwide.

Beware of high fuel surcharges costing hundreds of dollars. Minimum elite status requirements: Earn Tier Points within a rolling month period based on flight activity.

By Eric Rosen August 23, Save Pin More. Best Airline Loyalty Programs. The loyalty programs of the six biggest U. Because of those overhauls, many travelers might find it worthwhile to consider the mileage programs of international carriers. They are listed in alphabetical order, with the U. Award prices can vary and are sometimes cheaper if you fly on a partner airline, which may require telephone booking. Also check the special offers on airline websites for award-redemption discounts.

There is more information below the slideshow. Take my poll or leave a comment below. Although Delta offers one of the best and most consistent inflight products of all USA airlines, its frequent flyer program is not in the same league as Delta continuously introduces surprise changes and unannounced devaluations that leave its loyal frequent flyers baffled.

Delta was also the first airline in the world to introduce a revenue based program in although others quickly followed. The program was launched in and is now the largest frequent flyer loyalty scheme in Europe with more than 30 million members. Passengers earn miles on all Star Alliance airlines as well as several other airlines and non-airline partners. The program will get a complete makeover later this year.

More than , new members sign up for Flying Blue each month, making it one of the most popular loyalty programs in the world. Unfortunately, Flying Blue became a revenue-based program in and has lost a lot of its value since then. Following the merger agreement between United Airlines and Continental Airlines, United Mileage Plus was chosen to be the frequent flyer program for the combined airline. The program was subsequently renamed to MileagePlus, and maintained its relationship with its Star Alliance partners, as well as other airline and travel enterprise agreements.

Following the merger, several controversial changes were introduced to the program, such as the reduction in bonus miles for elite members, and the introduction of a revenue based model in , making it a less attractive option for frequent flyers. Avianca is the largest airline in Colombia and second largest in Latin America. The frequent flyer program of Avianca is LifeMiles and its members earn miles every time they fly with Star Alliance carriers and Avianca subsidiaries or use service in some hotels, retails, car rental and credit card partners.

If you tend to fly with Korean Air often, you definitely have to take some time to look into this program and its many benefits. In , following its merger with Iberia, the flag carrier of the United Kingdom and the founding member of the One World global airline introduced dramatic changes to its Executive Club program, creating a distinct reward currency, Avios. Avios is a coalition program, offering members of the frequent flyer programs of British Airways and Iberia thousands of ways to earn and redeem Avios for flights, hotels, and even travel experiences.

Members earn flight miles according to the distance flown, rather than according to the price of their tickets which is now the new standard in the USA, and soon, Europe and Asia. For the average traveler, this means more free flights and faster elite status. Mileage Plan miles can be redeemed for award flights on Alaska Airlines and its partner carriers and provide eligibility for frequent flyer elite status.

AAdvantage is the frequent flyer program of American Airlines. Launched in , it was the second such loyalty program in the world after the first at Texas International Airlines in and remains the largest with a reported membership of more than million.

For decades, AAdvantage was by far the best and most rewarding loyalty program, not only for American citizens living nearby the American Airlines hubs of Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and Dallas but also for travelers based outside the USA. However, that all changed after USA Airways took over American Airlines, keeping the brand name and the loyalty program, but introducing a massive devaluation and — last year — a revenue based earning system.

But despite these changes, I still consider AAdvantage to be the best frequent flyer program in the world because of the many benefits.

Monday newsletters always feature top 10 travel lists to inspire […]. Wednesday newsletters always feature a hotel or flight review […]. Friday newsletters always feature luxury travel contests, tips, series, or newsLondon […]. Thank you for a helpful list. I am a devoted Lufthansa Senator, I like this program, but it is becoming very difficult to maintain the status… Ani Right.

I do not think AAvantage is even close to number 1.