Frequent Flyer: The Best Airline Miles Programs of 2025 and Those That Stand Out in Latin America

Airline mileage programs have evolved over time, and it's also true that the way of earning and redeeming points has become more complex . From the days when miles were earned solely by flying to the present day, where points are collected, among other things, through spending and purchases, the airline industry and its frequent flyer programs have changed.

"Airline loyalty programs no longer compete for the few sporadic trips the average traveler takes each year ; they compete for the daily transactions made by millions of consumers," says Point.me, a team of experts dedicated to the experience of traveling with points or miles based in the United States.

"With opportunity comes complexity , and even many savvy users are leaving enormous value on the table simply because they don't know how to navigate this intricate web of programs , don't want to waste time searching airline by airline for the best fare, or are simply overwhelmed by their choices ," add the experts at this "award travel" tool, which has an advisory service that helps you find better flights for fewer points.

They work with more than 30 programs, and while they primarily focus on U.S. credit card programs, they also offer a wide range of international airline loyalty programs.

Using all the information from the last year (more than 22 million user searches), this company analyzed the programs, opportunities, and redemptions and compiled the ranking "The 10 Best Airline Loyalty Programs of 2025."

• Air France-KLM Flying Blue

With more than 30 million members worldwide , Flying Blue leads the ranking.

The program celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and this international recognition is a reward for the quality and flexibility, as well as the value of the benefits and advantages it offers its members.

• American Airlines AAdvantage

It climbed four spots from last year thanks to its global reach, strong Oneworld partnership, ease of booking, reliable award availability, and industry-leading cancellation policies, among other benefits.

• Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

Another program jumps four places and takes third place in the rankings. Two important factors: its exceptional redemption value and the availability of prizes.

The program receives an "Excellent" rating for redemption experience, rates, availability, fees and exchange policies, and partnership opportunities.

• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Maintains its fourth-place finish year after year with solid, consistent performance in most categories.

Earning points is easy with this program, as they can be transferred from major credit cards. Flying Club also offers features like household point pooling , where multiple people can combine points into a single pool for shared use.

Its Star Alliance network and access to 16 non-Star Alliance partners expand its global network .

MileagePlus miles are easy to earn across a wide range of partner and co-branded credit cards, and families can collect points .

The program offers good redemption rates, flexible routing rules, and offers near-last seat availability on many dates.

The ranking of the 10 best is completed with

• The British Airways Club
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Emirates Skywards
• Qatar Airways Privilege Club

In Latin America, the Point.me ranking highlights the following programs and airlines:

• Avianca LifeMiles (ranked 14th globally; ranked 10th overall in 2024)

• Copa Airlines ConnectMiles (ranked 24th)

"The year-over-year changes in the rankings demonstrate that strategic investments in member experience, partnerships, and accessibility to earnings can generate significant results," notes the consulting firm responsible for analyzing the results and developing the rankings.

Some of the keys that stand out for the programs to be successful:

• Ease of earning miles is key. Gone are the days when people were loyal to a single airline and earned all their miles by flying exclusively with that airline.
• Power of partnership. Programs with strong partnerships consistently outperform those without.
• Focus on the customer experience. Programs that invest in customer service, intuitive booking platforms, award retention options, and flexible change and cancellation policies are the most valued.
• The availability of prizes is important.