2016’s Best & Worst Frequent Flyer Programs – CardHub Study

With the average American budgeting $8,400 for travel in 2016 and one-third of people planning to spend more than last year, according to TripAdvisor survey data, the stakes are also rising in terms of our decisions regarding rewards program membership. In order to help travelers maximize their savings, CardHub today followed up its recent comparison of hotel rewards programs with its 2016 Frequent Flyer Study.

This study examines the loyalty rewards programs operated by the 10 largest domestic airlines based on 23 key metrics, such as the average value of a mile, mile expiration policies and blackout dates. In addition, CardHub’s report also features a custom calculator that allows users to personalize the results based on their own budgets.

Key Findings

• JetBlue Airways is the best airline rewards program for frequent fliers, while Delta Air Lines is the top choice for average and light travelers.
• The average airline earns a profit of 46.91% on the sale of miles to rewards program members, with Spirit (80.86%), Delta (65.96%) and Hawaiian (62.14%) making the most.
• Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways are the only two major airlines whose miles do not expire because of inactivity. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines miles expire after just 3 and 6 months of account inactivity, respectively.