U.S. News & World Report Reveals 2017-18 Best Travel Rewards Programs

Marriott Rewards takes top spot in Best Hotel Rewards Programs; Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan continues reign as No. 1 in Best Airline Rewards Programs

U.S. News & World Report, publisher of Best Hotels, Best Cruise Lines and Best Vacations, today announced the 2017-18 Best Travel Rewards Programs. The annual rankings identify 26 hotel and airline loyalty programs with the most rewarding perks for everyday travelers. Marriott Rewards ranks No. 1 in Best Hotel Rewards Programs, while Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan holds on to the top spot in Best Airline Rewards Programs.

Marriott Rewards is No. 1 among the Best Hotel Rewards Programs due in part to the ease of earning points and its large network of hotels in popular destinations. The program offers complimentary Wi-Fi access and the ability to use points toward booking experiences such as sporting events and concerts. At No. 2, Wyndham Rewards continues to earn high marks for ease of earning a free night, member access to reduced room rates and the availability to earn points through two affiliated credit cards.

Soon to merge with the Virgin America Elevate program, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is the Best Airline Rewards Program for the third consecutive year. Its mileage-based earning structure makes it easier for travelers to earn miles at a faster pace than with revenue-based earning programs. Delta SkyMiles moves up to the No. 2 spot because of its competitive redemption rates for award flights and diversity of benefits, such as using miles for hotels stays, cabin upgrades, experiences and free flights.

"Today's travelers have so many rewards programs to choose from, comparing and contrasting them based on your specific needs can be a challenge," said Christine Smith, associate travel editor at U.S. News. "Our Best Travel Rewards Programs rankings emphasize the ease of earning points and miles, and redeeming them for free nights and flights, which everyday travelers identify as a top reason to join a loyalty program."

U.S. News ranks the Best Travel Rewards Programs in two categories: hotel loyalty programs and airline frequent flyer programs. The methodologies take into account membership benefits – such as free amenities, program-affiliated credit cards and redeemable experiences – network coverage and a strong emphasis on the ease of earning and redeeming free flights or nights. Additionally, U.S. News factors in property diversity for the Best Hotel Rewards Programs and Airline Quality Rating scores for the Best Airline Rewards Programs.

2017-18 U.S. News Best Travel Rewards Programs
Hotel Rewards Programs	Airline Rewards Programs
1. Marriott Rewards	1. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
2. Wyndham Rewards	2. Delta SkyMiles
3. Choice Privileges	3. JetBlue TrueBlue
4. World of Hyatt	4. Southwest Rapid Rewards
5. Best Western Rewards	5. United MileagePlus

For more information on the Best Travel Rewards Programs, visit Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #BestRewards.

About U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report is a digital news and information company that empowers people to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. Focusing on Education, Health, Personal Finance, Travel, Cars and News & Opinion, USNews.com provides consumer advice, rankings, news and analysis to serve people making complex decisions throughout all stages of life. More than 30 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

SOURCE U.S. News & World Report

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Travelore Tips: Eight Reasons To Collect Southwest Rapid Rewards Points #RapidRewards

Southwest Airlines jets at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Jan. 26, 2016. (Photo: Ted S. Warren, AP)

Renowned for its friendly service, Southwest Airlines has no luggage fees, an expanding list of destinations and affordable priority access. It also has a loyalty program that is frequently ranked as one of the best in the country. Here are a few reasons to collect Southwest Rapid Rewards points.

Flexibility

Southwest is great for indecisive travelers. Other U.S. airlines generally charge between $75 and $150 for most changes to an award ticket, and between $75 and $200 to redeposit miles after canceling an award flight. But Southwest will allow you to change your ticket for only the difference in cost of the new flight. And if your new flight is cheaper, Southwest will refund the difference in miles. On canceled tickets, the airline will return your miles and refund the taxes you paid.

Recently, I booked a flight to Mexico, but wasn't sure whether I'd need to come back on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday. But the flight was so cheap (7,300 miles from New York) that I wanted to lock in the fare. So I booked all three flights, and about a month later, canceled two of them and received a full refund for both.

No fees

Southwest famously remains the sole U.S. carrier that doesn’t charge fliers for checking baggage. It doesn’t charge fliers for much else, either. Most airlines demand a fee for everything from booking an award ticket within three weeks of the flight to fuel surcharges that can add hundreds of dollars to the cost of a free ticket. Southwest charges only government-imposed taxes that cost $5.60 for domestic flights, and usually range from about $25 to $75 for international fares.

Expanding international service

One of Southwest’s few weaknesses has always been its lack of international flights. The airline began limited service abroad after taking over AirTran  in 2011. Southwest’s new international terminal in Houston is a game-changer, and another is coming to Fort Lauderdale in 2017. For now, Southwest’s international flight map is limited to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. That’s tiny compared to other major carriers, but prices on those routes are usually reasonable.

PHOTOS: Scenes from Southwest's inaugural Caribbean flights

Open Gallery

Passengers don complimentary snorkel gear that Southwest handed out on its second-ever international flight -- which flew from BWI to Montego Bay, Jamaica, on July 1, 2014.  Southwest Airlines Wieck

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Redemptions start incredibly low

Unlike other major U.S. carriers, Southwest has a revenue-based redemption system, meaning the cost of awards directly correlates to the cost of a paid ticket instead of having a fixed rate depending on departure and destination regions. The value of points does fluctuate depending on a variety of factors, but points are generally worth between 1.4 and 1.6 cents each. This has advantages and disadvantages, but it means that one-way flights can go for less than 2,000 miles. Compare that to a standard domestic ticket on the other major airlines, which generally go for 12,500 one way and almost never drop below 10,000. International one-ways can go for as low as 3,000 miles, compared to the standard 17,500 most carriers charge to the same destinations.

Points are easy to rack up

One of the biggest complaints among frequent fliers in the past couple years has been the transition of nearly every major airline to a revenue-based loyalty program. This is one area where Southwest is like the rest, but Southwest awards between six and 12 points per dollar spent on flying depending on type of fare. That’s slightly better than the five to 11 points United and Delta hand out.

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No blackout dates

The revenue-based redemption system also means that if there is a seat on a plane, you can book it using Rapid Rewards. Southwest is the only U.S. airline that can make that claim.

Chase partnership

The carrier has a partnership with Chase for both Southwest co-branded credit cards and Chase Ultimate-Rewards earning credit cards like the Ink Plus and Sapphire Preferred. Both Chase cards come with big signup bonuses, and allow you to transfer Ultimate Rewards points to Rapid Rewards points almost instantly.

Companion Pass

Southwest offers what many travel hackers consider the greatest perk in the frequent-flier universe, and you don’t even need to fly a single mile to earn it. To qualify for a Southwest Companion Pass, all you have to do is sign up for a couple credit cards (just make sure to be smart about it). There are a lot of airlines that offer one-off companion certificatesallowing you to bring a friend along for a free ride, but Southwest is the only carrier that will allow you to designate a companion for free on unlimited flights for up to two calendar years with no caveats. In order to qualify, you will need to earn 110,000 miles in a calendar year, which is very hard to do flying. But Southwest often offers 50,000 to 60,000 points for signing up for a co-branded credit card, so it’s possible to earn the companion pass and 110,ooo+ miles just for signing up for two cards. Even if you can’t find the 60,000-point offer, there are plenty of other tricks to help you earn the extra miles you’ll need.

Brad Cohen, Special for USA TODAY