Yahoo Finance The 3 Best Frequent Flyer Programs for 2017
For the second year in a row, Delta Air Lines’ SkyMiles program is the best frequent flyer program among large carriers, according to a new report from WalletHub.
The airline came out on top thanks to a lack of blackout dates, miles that don’t expire, service to a wide range of countries, and the ability to earn miles when booking on third-party websites.
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The value of Delta’s miles -- an average $8.96 per $100 spent -- held steady from 2016 to 2017, while most carriers’ programs became less generous this year. Three airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Virgin Airlines, bucked the trend and increased the value of their rewards for 2017.
SkyMiles members can earn even more rewards by using the Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express, which WalletHub has named one of 2017’s best airline credit cards.
Virgin Airlines came in second on WalletHub’s list of the best frequent flyer programs, and Alaska Airlines rounded out the top three. Among the 11 largest airlines included in the report, Spirit Airlines received the worst score.
Seven of the largest airlines allow rewards-program members to earn and redeem miles with partner carriers, which can be a valuable perk, since it increases the chances that you’ll find a flight that you can buy with your miles. You can also combine miles on multiple airlines within an alliance in order to claim an award, but that typically can’t be done online and requires a phone call to a reservation agent. Most airlines apply a fee for booking through their phone service, but some will waive it for tickets that can’t be booked online.
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