Pros and Cons of Airline Frequent Flier Programs
When frequent flier programs were first introduced in 1981, they were advertised as a way for carriers to reward their most frequent travelers’ loyalty. Those who were filling seats on a regular basis would earn points that could be redeemed for free tickets, upgrades and priority bookings, or access to airport lounges. The scope of these programs has changed in recent years, causing some dissatisfaction with traditional frequent fliers.
Many airlines now work in conjunction with credit card companies that allow card holders to earn points on any purchases, and then apply them to a particular airline’s frequent flyer program. Most airline programs now also partner with their preferred hotel chains, car rental companies and even department stores. Program members can earn points for using these partners as well. The ability to earn huge program points based on spending and not actual flying has vastly increased the numbers of program enrollees and makes it more challenging than ever to redeem points airline seats.
According to USA Today, “the number of members who have signed up for U.S. airlines' frequent-flier programs exceeds 311 million, the population of the USA. Many of the airlines' most important customers, the frequent business travelers, are grumbling, though. They're bothered by non-frequent fliers reducing the availability of seats on planes. And they're annoyed by an inability to book a free flight at the lowest mileage-redemption levels…” because of the sheer number of enrollees.
Still, frequent flier membership does have its benefits and the programs remain popular. Recently, InsideFlyer, the frequent flyer magazine, rated various airline frequent flier programs based on the following criteria:
- Overall program
- Ease of redeeming miles
- Ease of redeeming rewards
- Upgrades
- Overall customer service
The findings rated United and Alaska airlines as having the best overall frequent-flier programs.
Airline Overall rating
United A-
Alaska A-
Delta B+
Southwest B+
American B+
AirTran B
Frontier B-
Hawaiian B-
US Airways C+
JetBlue C
Spirit C
Contact us and tell us what you think about today’s frequent flier programs.
Source: USA Today& InsideFlyer, written by Gary Stuller, 4/25/11