SLOW TRAVEL
U.S. News Ranks Land & Air Travel Rewards Programs
Today is the day: U.S. News & World Report, publisher of Best Cruise Lines and Best Vacations has announced the 2019-20 Best Travel Rewards Programs. Let’s go right to the rankings and double back to the methodology.
Top Hotel Reward Programs
- Marriott Bonvoy
- Wyndham Rewards
- World of Hyatt
- Choice Privileges
- Best Western Rewards
Top Airline Reward Programs
- Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- Delta Sky Miles
- JetBlue TruBlue
- United Mileage Plus
- American Airlines AAdvantage
To deliver these rankings, U.S. News editors evaluated each program on key attributes that actual, everyday travelers value: the size and diversity of each airline or hotel network and how quickly miles/points add up to aa free flight or hotel stay. Also included: the number of ways rewards can be used and the added benefits you receive as a member. Interestingly, I am typing this on a computer that came to me via spending a bunch of United Airlines miles.
The Points Guy would tell you that’s a bad way to get value from points but I’m ok with it. The last time we used excess United miles was on a couple of 50,000-mile hamburgers at an airport.