Note: for our airline loyalty programs comparison for European business travelers, click here.
When you’re busy traveling, you might not have the time to scour the internet for the best frequent flyer program in the US. The truth is, there isn’t one best program for everyone. There are actually seven great programs, and we’ve put together all of the finer details so you can easily review them and sign up for the one that works for you.
Want the quick answer to which one you should pick? Skim the “partner airlines” section for each program and see if the airlines you often fly with are included. If there’s some overlap with your top-trusted airlines, you can just take a look at the benefits of each and make your choice.
And remember, TravelPerk makes it easy to save loyalty program membership numbers for business travelers. This way, no matter who’s booking—your internal travel manager, administrative assistant or the traveler themselves—the business travelers will automatically collect their miles.
Here’s our airline rewards program comparison with all the top programs for US-based business travelers.
Airline Loyalty Programs Comparison
TrueBlue
With no blackout dates, a fair amount of partner airlines, and sweet bonuses in the upper tier, this rewards program from JetBlue is a fan favorite. Plus, if you’re a regular Lyft user (Lyft beats Uber on price and service in the Bay Area), then you’ll really be racking up those points quickly.
Partner Airlines:
- JetBlue
- Emirates
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Icelandair
- JetSuiteX
- Silver Airways
- Singapore Airlines
- South African Airways
Top Partner Companies:
- JetBlue credit cards
- Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Lyft
- Jet Options (points for taking surveys!)
- Avis
- Budget
- Marriott
- Amazon (do your Amazon shopping on JetBlue’s wi-fi for bonus points)
- Citi
- IHG Rewards Club (there are 4,700 participating hotels in 100 companies)
Tiers & Benefits
You’ll be collecting 3 points for every dollar spent with JetBlue and their partners. If you travel often, the Mosaic level will give you priority boarding, free changes and cancellations, and free booze!
| Tier Names | TrueBlue | TrueBlue Mosaic |
| Qualifications | Free | 15,000 flight points in one year |
| No blackout dates for spending points |   | |
| Use points for any seat, any time | | |
| Points don’t expire | | |
| Pool points with your family | | |
| No change or cancellation fees |  | |
| 1st and 2nd bag are free | | |
| Expedited security line | | |
| Early boarding | | |
| Get seats with extra legroom at reduced prices | | |
| Earn points on every flight | 3 points per dollar spent with JetBlue and partner airlines, plus bonus points when booking on jetblue.com (when on the Premium plan, your TravelPerk representative can do this for you to keep all travel spend trackable in one place) | 6 per dollar spent with JetBlue and partner airlines, plus get 15,000 bonus points after you qualify |
| Dedicated customer service line | | |
| Complimentary alcoholic beverages onboard | | |
Learn more about signing up for TrueBlue
Rapid Rewards
The Rapid Rewards program from Southwest Airlines won’t allow you to collect points from other airlines other than Southwest, but it does have partnerships with over 800 retailers in the US (including heavyweights like Macy’s, Home Depot and Sephora) as well as a dozen popular hotel chains.
Partner Airlines:
- Southwest Airlines
Top Partner Companies:
- Southwest Hotels
- Best Western
- Choice Hotels
- La Quinta
- World of Hyatt
- MGM Resorts
- Marriott Rewards
- Starwood Preferred Guest
- Avis
- Hertz
- Budget
- Macy’s
- Home Depot
- Sephora
Tiers & Benefits
When you ascend the tiers, you get even more points for dollars spent and you get that much closer to the famed Companion Pass.
| Tier Names | Base | A-List | A-List Preferred |
| Qualifications | Free | Fly 25 qualifying one-way flights or earn 35,000 points in a calendar year | Fly 50 qualifying one-way flights or earn 70,000 points in a calendar year |
| No blackout dates for spending points | |||
| No fee to change or cancel a flight purchased with rewards points | |||
| Earn points on every flight | 12 points per dollar on Business Select flights. 10 points per dollar on Anytime flights. 6 points per dollar on Wanna Get Away? Flights | 15 points per dollar on Business Select flights. 12.5 points per dollar on Anytime flights. 7.5 points per dollar on Wanna Get Away? Flights | 24 points per dollar on Business Select flights. 20 points per dollar on Anytime flights. 12 points per dollar on Wanna Get Away? Flights |
| Priority boarding | |||
| Free same-day standby (get an earlier flight on the same day of your ticket) | |||
| Priority check-in | |||
| Priority security | |||
| Dedicated customer service |
Companion Pass
We can’t talk about Rapid Rewards without mentioning the Companion Pass. If you qualify (fly 100 one-way flights or earn 110,000 points in a calendar year) then you get a Companion Pass for the remainder of that calendar year plus the entirety of the next calendar year. The Companion Pass allows you to bring another passenger with you on any flight and only pay the applicable taxes and fees (not the airline charges for the ticket). Pretty sweet deal for the business traveler who’s also a weekend warrior. You can also get a Companion Pass for all of 2019 when you sign up for a Southwest credit card and spend $4,000 in the first 3 months. If you fly Southwest with a “companion” a lot, it’s certainly worth looking into!
Learn more about signing up for Rapid Rewards
Mileage Plan
Alaska Airline’s rewards program, the Mileage Plan, has partnerships with global airlines, including many in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. If your travel takes you out of the states often, then choosing a program with a lot of global partnerships is a smart move.
Partner Airlines:
- Alaska Airlines
- Aer Lingus
- American Airlines
- British Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- Condor
- Emirates
- Fiji Airways
- Finnair
- Hainan Airlines
- Icelandair
- Japan Airlines
- Korean Air
- Latam Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
- Airfrance
- KLM
Tiers & Benefits
With First Class and Premium upgrades on lots of fares, you’ll be sitting pretty if you earn MVP status.
| Tier Names | Mileage Plan | MVP | MVP Gold | MVP Gold 75K |
| Qualifications | Free | In a single calendar year: 20,000 miles flown on Alaska Airlines OR 25,000 miles flown on Alaska Airlines and elite-qualifying partners OR 30 segments flown on Alaska Airlines and elite-qualifying partners | In a single calendar year: 40,000 miles flown on Alaska Airlines OR 50,000 miles flown on Alaska Airlines and elite-qualifying partners OR 60 segments flown on Alaska Airlines and elite-qualifying partners | In a single calendar year: 75,000 miles flown on Alaska Airlines OR 90,000 miles flown on Alaska Airlines and elite-qualifying partners OR 90 segments flown on Alaska Airlines and elite-qualifying partners |
| Blackout dates | Some blackout dates apply | Some blackout dates apply | Some blackout dates apply | Some blackout dates apply |
| Earning points | — | 50% more bonus miles earned | 100% more bonus miles earned | 125% more bonus miles earned |
| First class upgrades at time of booking (Alaska Airlines only) |
— | Y, S, or Z fares | Y, S, B, M, or Z fares | Y, S, B, M, H or Z fares |
| Premium class upgrades at time of booking (Alaska Airlines only) |
— | Y, S, B, or Z fares | Y, S, B, M, H, Q, L, V, N, K, or Z fares | All fares except Saver fares |
| First or Premium Class upgrades on other fairs | — | 48 hours before departure | 72 hours before departure | 120 hours before departure |
| Companion upgrades to First Class (Alaska Airlines only) |
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| Companion Upgrades to Premium Class (Alaska Airlines only) |
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| Complimentary premium beverage (Alaska Airlines only) |
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| Priority check-in and boarding | ||||
| Two free checked bags | ||||
| Preferred seating | ||||
| Express security line | ||||
| Standby and waitlist for full flights | ||||
| No fees for changing tickets |
Learn more about signing up for Mileage Plan
SkyMiles
This is the best fit for the traveler who flies in Europe just as often as the States! If your national carrier is likely to be Delta but you want global partners, then consider SkyMiles for your top-choice rewards program.
Partner Airlines:
- Delta Air Lines
- AeroMexico
- AirFrance
- Alitalia
- China Eastern
- KLM
- Korean Air
- Jet Airways
- Virgin Atlantic
- Virgin Australia
- AirEuropa
- Kenya Airways
- MEA
- Saudia
- Tarom
- Aeroflot
- Aerolineas Argentinas
- China Airlines
- China Southern
- Czech Airlines
- Garuda Indonesia
- Vietnam Airlines
- XiamenAir
- Hawaiian Airlines
- WestJet
Top Partner Companies:
- Delta SkyMiles Credit Card
- Lyft
- Airbnb
- Marriott
- Westin
- Sheraton
- InterContinental
- Hertz
- Enterprise
- Apple
- Macy’s
- Nike
Tiers & Benefits
The coolest thing about the mass of tiers that the SkyMiles program offers is that you can rollover your MQMs (Medallion Qualification Miles) to the next calendar year, so if you have more than you needed to qualify, those extra MQMs rollover when it’s time to re-qualify for the next year. This makes it more likely that you’ll hit the higher tiers.
Another interesting element of this program is that in the two higher tiers, you choose your benefits.
| Tier Names | SkyMiles | Silver Medallion Status | Gold Medallion Status | Platinum Medallion Status | Diamond Medallion Status |
| Qualifications | Free | 25,000 MQMs | 50,000 MQMs | 75,000 MQMs | 125,000 MQMs |
| No blackout dates for Delta Airlines | |||||
| Blackout dates for partner airlines | Some blackout dates apply | Some blackout dates apply | Some blackout dates apply | Some blackout dates apply | Some blackout dates apply |
| Earning points | 5 miles spent for each $1 on Delta flights | 7 miles spent for each $1 on Delta flights | 8 miles spent for each $1 on Delta flights | 9 miles spent for each $1 on Delta flights | 11 miles spent for each $1 on Delta flights |
| Rollover MQMs | — | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Choice Benefits Options:Upgrade certificates, Global Entry Application Voucher, Delta Sky Club Access, Bonus Miles, $200 Travel Voucher | — | — | — | Choose 1 “Choice Benefits” | Choose 3 “Choice Benefits” |
| Unlimited Complimentary US Delta One Upgrades (except E fares) | — | Day of Departure | Day of Departure | Day of Departure | Day of Departure |
| Unlimited Complimentary First Class Upgrades (except E fares) | — | Availability begins 1 day prior to departure | Availability begins 3 days prior to departure | Availability begins 5 days prior to departure | Availability begins 5 days prior to departure (with priority over Platinum members) |
| Complimentary Preferred Seats | |||||
| Priority Waitlist Status | |||||
| Dedicated Phone Line | |||||
| Priority Check In | |||||
| Priority Boarding | |||||
| Priority Security Line | |||||
| SkyTeam Lounge Access |
Learn more about signing up for SkyMiles
AAdvantage
With a long list of partner airlines, the AAdvantage program from American Airlines is a great option for the global traveler. Note that there are less European airlines here than the SkyMiles program. With the highest number of participating retailers (950 to be exact) this card lets shoppers rack up miles.
Partner Airlines:
- American Airlines
- British Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- Iberia
- Japan Airlines
- Qantas
- Qatar Airways
- Royal Jordanian Airlines
- S7 Airlines
- Finnair
- LATAM Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
- Air Tahiti Nui
- Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air
- Cape Air
- Etihad Airways
- Fiji Airways
- Gulf Air
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Interjet
- Jet Airways
Top Partner Companies
- Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Card
- Marriott
- Holiday Inn
- Avis
- Hertz
- Budget
- QVC
- Staples
- Banana Republic
- Kohl’s
- Bergdorf Goodman
Tiers & Benefits
To move up the tiers, you need EQMs, which aren’t exact miles but are a percentage of the miles flown. You can learn how to calculate EQMs here.
| Tier Names | AAdvantage | Gold | Platinum | Platinum Pro | Executive Platinum |
| Qualifications | Free | 25,000 EQMs or 30 segments in a calendar year | 50,000 EQMs or 60 segments in a calendar year | 75,000 EQMs or 90 segments in a calendar year | 100,000 EQMs or 120 segments in a calendar year |
| No blackout dates for American Airlines | |||||
| Blackout dates for partner airlines | Some blackout dates apply | Some blackout dates apply | Some blackout dates apply | Some blackout dates apply | Some blackout dates apply |
| Earning points | 5 miles for every dollar | 7 miles for every dollar | 8 miles for every dollar | 9 miles for every dollar | 11 miles for every dollar |
| Complimentary Auto-Requested Upgrades | — | Available on flights 500 miles or less, 1 day prior to departure | Available on any flight 2 days prior to departure | Available on any flight 3 days prior to departure | Available on any flight 4 days prior to departure |
| Free checked bags for each flight | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Complimentary Main Cabin Extra and Preferred Seats | — | At Check-in | At booking | At booking | At booking |
Learn more about signing up for AAdvantage
MileagePlus
As part of the Star Alliance, United Airlines offers MileagePlus members the ability to collect miles from over 35 other airlines. Since United Airlines flies almost everywhere in the US (more than most other US companies), this is a great option for the States-bound traveler who also flies internationally. There are also 900+ retailers to collect 1 mile per dollar spent.
Partner Airlines:
- United Airlines
- Adria
- Aegean
- Air Canada
- Air China
- Air India
- Air New Zealand
- ANA
- Asiana Airlines
- Austrian
- Avianca
- Brussels Airlines
- CopaAirlines
- Croatia Airlines
- Egyptair
- Ethiopian Airlines
- Eva Air
- Polish Airlines
- Lufthansa
- SAS
- Shenzhen Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
- South African Airways
- Swiss Airlines
- AirPortugal
- Thai Airways
- Turkish Airlines
- Aer Lingus
- Aeromar
- AirDolomiti
- Azul
- Boutique Air
- Cape Air
- Edelweiss
- Eurowings
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Olympic Air
- Silver Airways
Top Partnering Companies
- Several Chase Credit Cards
- Le Club AccorHotels
- Groupon
- Bed Bath & Beyond
- New Balance
- Elizabeth Arden
- Zales
- CVS
Tiers & Benefits
Tiers are based on Premier Qualifying Miles (PQMs), which are simply the number of qualifying miles flown, and not a complex percentage calculation as with the AAdvantage program.
| Tier Names | Mileage Plus | Premier Silver | Premier Gold | Premier Platinum | Premier 1k |
| Qualifications | — | 25,000 miles or 30 segments | 50,000 miles or 60 segments | 75,000 miles or 90 segments | 100,000 miles or 120 segments |
| No blackout dates | Some blackout dates apply | Some blackout dates apply | Some blackout dates apply | Some blackout dates apply | Some blackout dates apply |
| Earning points | — | 7 miles for every dollar spent | 8 miles for every dollar spent | 9 miles for every dollar spent | 11 miles for every dollar spent |
| Complimentary access to Economy Plus | — | At check-in | At booking | At booking | At booking |
| Complimentary access to Preferred Seating | — | At booking | At booking | At booking | At booking |
| Complimentary Premier Upgrades | — | Available on the day of departure | Available 2 days prior to departure | Available 3 days prior to departure | Available 4 days prior to departure |
| Instant Upgrades on Y- or B-class full-fare economy tickets | |||||
| Instant Upgrades on M-class full-fare economy tickets | |||||
| Priority waitlist and standby | |||||
| Priority check-in | |||||
| Priority security access | |||||
| Priority boarding | |||||
| International lounge access | |||||
| Complimentary checked bags | — | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
Learn more about signing up for MileagePlus
HawaiianMiles
This program is great for Pacific Coast or Hawaiian-located travelers who fly often from the islands to the mainland or from either place to Asia. With their signature motto “a mile flown is a mile earned,” we’ll leave it to you to guess how you earn miles. 😉
Partner Airlines:
- Hawaiian Airlines
- China Airlines
- Japan Airlines
- JetBlue
- Korean Air
- Virgin Atlantic
- Virgin Australia
Top Partner Companies:
- Hilton
- Wyndham
- Marriott
- Hyatt Aston
- IHG
- Avis
- Budget
- Payless Car Rental
- Old Navy
- Papa John’s
- 76
Tiers & Benefits
The higher tiers are some of the easier ones to access versus other plans. Fly round-trip between SFO and HNL four times in one year and you’ll almost reach Pualani Gold. A few partner hotel stays should get you to the 20,000 mile requirement.
| Tier Names | HawaiianMiles | Pualani Gold | Pualani Platinum |
| Qualifications | — | Fly 30 segments or 20,000 miles in a calendar year | Fly 60 segments or 40,000 miles in a calendar year |
| No blackout dates | |||
| Earning miles | — | — | Earn 1 mile for every mile flown (ex: Honolulu to Hilo gives you 216 miles each way, while Honolulu to San Francisco gives you 2,397 miles each way regardless of your ticket price) |
| More seats available for selection | |||
| First Class check-In | |||
| Premier Club Access (Honolulu, Hilo, Kona, Kahului, Lihue) | |||
| Priority Security Lines (in select airports) | |||
| Complimentary checked bags | — | 2 | 3 |
| Earn 500 HawaiianMiles on any Neighbor Island flight | |||
| Neighbor Island Same Day Standby for an earlier flight with no additional fee | |||
| Complimentary First Class Upgrade based on availability | — | 50% discount | |
| Complimentary Preferred Seat Upgrade based on availability |
Learn more about signing up for HawaiianMiles
