Lifestyle / Travel

Which Travel Rewards Program Should You Join?

JetBlue’s TrueBlue earned the top spot in the rankings of American-based airline frequent flier programs.

Aug 12, 2014 | By AFPRelaxnews

Jetblue

Your odds of finally accruing enough points to get a free flight or free night’s stay are best if you’re a loyalty member of JetBlue and Marriott, according to a new report that did the number crunching for US airlines and hotels.

In US News & World Report’s 2014-2015 Best Travel Rewards Programs report, JetBlue stole the top spot from last year’s winner, Southwest Airlines.

To determine the best airline reward programs, analysts evaluated flight volume, geographic coverage, free flight options, ease of earning a free round-trip flight and additional benefits the programs had to offer.

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Editors also considered the carrier’s score on Airline Quality Rating, which measures on-time arrivals, lost or mishandled baggage and complaints.

JetBlue TrueBlue program members earn points for every dollar spent on flights. But flyers can also earn points on Emirates and Hawaiian Airlines, as well as hotel stays and car rentals on their retail partners.

There are no blackout dates for JetBlue flights.

Marriott Rewards

In the hotel category,  topped the list for a consecutive year, after analysts looked at everything from network size to property diversity, geographic coverage and the ease of earning free nights.

Guests can accrue points at sister hotel chains across 70 countrie that include the Ritz-Carlton, Courtyard Marriott, Renaissance and JW Marriott.

Rules are also less rigid than other rewards programs, with no blackout dates for redeeming free nights on standard rooms.

Here are the top three airline rewards programs in the US:

1. JetBlue TrueBlue
2. Southwest Rapid Rewards
3. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

Top three hotel reward programs:

1. Marriott Rewards
2. IHG Rewards Club
3. Best Western Rewards

For the full list visit http://bit.ly/1svlLoZ.


 
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