2017’s Best & Worst Frequent Flyer Programs

A study by WalletHub, the personal-finance website, reports that with 42 percent of Americans planning to take a vacation in 2017, business travel spending expected to grow by about 4 percent year over year and credit card debt levels exploding, they expect airfare savings to be increasingly important in the months ahead. WalletHub’s report 2017’s Best Frequent Flyer Programs ranks the 11 largest domestic airlines based on 23 key metrics, ranging from the value of a point/mile to blackout dates for rewards flights.

WalletHub’s report also features a custom calculator that allows users to personalize the results. Some highlights include:

• Delta SkyMiles is the best frequent flyer program for the second straight year.
• Hawaiian Airlines offers the most rewards value per $1 spent ($0.21), with Alaska Airlines coming in a close second ($0.20).
• Three of the 10 largest airlines offered more rewards in 2017 than in 2016, sweetening the pot by an average of 40 percent.
• Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways are the only two major airlines whose miles do not expire because of inactivity.
• The Frontier Airlines Credit Card and the Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express are 2017’s best airline credit cards, according to WalletHub’s editors.

For the full report, including the custom calculator, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-frequent-flyer-program/25943/