Airlines have quietly made huge changes to their loyalty programs... we'll show you how to maximize your points

A dramatic shift in the way airline loyalty programs reward frequent flyers is forcing a new approach from customers hoping to maximize their benefits.

For years, airlines used loyalty rewards as a point of differentiation from their competitors. Passengers who were in the know could calculate which company deserved their loyalty based on differing mileage math.

Now, the 'Big Three' US airlines - Delta, American Airlines and United Airlines - have converged on the same basic formula: Points are earned based on dollars spent not distance flown.

Passengers who buy cheap long-haul economy tickets are the obvious losers under the new model - for decades, an ideal itinerary for a points nerd would be a long route at a knockdown price, but today that is exactly the type of journey that is likely to earn the least number of points.

‘In general, the move towards awarding miles based on price paid is bad news for consumers,’ Clint Henderson, managing editor at The Points Guy, told the Daily Mail.

‘In many cases travelers are earning fewer miles overall. Of course, there are exceptions. Travelers booking last-minute, expensive tickets… are oftentimes getting more miles than they would have before.

‘It also can benefit you if you have elite status and the airline credit card. However, for most budget travelers booking cheap coach tickets in advance, you are getting a lot less miles.’

The changes reflect the fact that loyalty programs are no longer just ways for airlines to market themselves. They have become huge financial assets in their own right, driven by relationships with co-branded credit cards and banks.

Delta Skymiles is worth $32 billion, American AAdvantage is worth $27 billion and United Mileage Plus is worth $25 billion, according to a March ranking by On Point Loyalty.

‘There are a lot of airline miles sitting around out there especially in the time of bigger signup bonuses on credit cards,‘ said Henderson.

‘Those miles do cost the airlines money when they get redeemed for seats that the airlines could have sold for cash. Less miles means more money for airlines.’

In 2025 Delta received $8.2 billion from American Express for points remuneration, according to Simple Flying. The aviation website said this figure accounted for 14 per cent of the airline's total operating revenue. 

So how can you maximize the number of points earned under the new programs?

Delta’s example is the simplest model. Standard members earn 5 miles per dollar on eligible purchase. The number of miles earned rises with each tier of membership, ranging from 7 miles per dollar for Silver tier up to 11 miles per dollar for Diamond Medallion members.

The American Airlines program is structured in an extremely similar way. United also has tiers, but it brought in new rules this year that penalize flyers who don't have one of its co-branded credit cards.

Henderson advises points collectors to focus on spending miles they earn as soon as possible rather than hoarding them: ‘We say "earn 'em and burn 'em." Miles and points are constantly getting less valuable over time - they lose value and you should use them as you earn them.’

He raises the example of Delta Skymiles. 

‘Delta generally only gives you a cent per mile when you go to redeem. At the same time, a business class seat that might have cost just 50,000 miles 10 years ago, can cost 500,000 miles today- that's hyperinflation.’

The Daily Mail approached, Delta, American and United for comment.

Rather than focusing on staying loyal to one airline, Henderson suggests nimbly taking advantage of credit card sign-up bonuses.

‘I tell people to spend the points and then move on to the next big signup bonus. People also shouldn't be afraid of credit cards. That's how you really rack up a lot of points. 

'You don't have be crazy like me and have 27 cards, but a new card every year is not a bad idea.

'Remember you can downgrade cards to a no annual fee version in most cases if you don't want to pay the annual fee after a year or two of holding a particular card.'

He also cautions points collectors to watch out for miles expiring, pointing out that different airlines have different policies on this.

Another tip is not to be afraid of transferable currencies from the likes of American Express Membership Rewards or Chase Unlimited. 

‘You'll often get better value from transferring those points to more than a dozen airline or hotel partners rather than booking through the bank travel portals,’ said Henderson.

And the golden rule to always remember? Always pay off the balances of rewards credit cards in full or the expensive cost of borrowing can easily wipe out any potential benefits.