Recently, I covered loyalty programs from America’s top airline carriers.
Videos by TravelAwaits
I compared the pros and cons of the top programs, including United, Delta, Atmos, American, JetBlue, and Southwest. Atmos took first place in terms of value, flexibility, and ease of use. One of its main perks is the ability to add points from its 30-partner airline group.
Still, each airline loyalty program also came with its own drawbacks. In the case of Atmos, the main con is that you need to choose how to accrue points from a limited set of options, and you need to stick with that method for a full year before you can change.
That’s not too problematic in my book. However, as a Delta SkyMiles member, I think it’s a huge drawback that the airline no longer lets you earn miles for basic fare. Instead, you need to pay more to earn miles. It doesn’t make sense for me to pay more to earn miles on a ticket; I’m essentially paying for those miles, meaning I’m just funneling money toward future flights.
But what about other cons of popular airline loyalty programs in the US? After all, all those perks won’t add up to much if there’s a hidden drawback compromising your points.
Top cons when you join these popular airline loyalty programs in the US
American Airlines AAdvantage
There are a few major drawbacks to becoming a member of American’s AAdvantage program. The first is its use of dynamic pricing, which isn’t unique to American, but is still something to know about. Dynamic pricing means that American will charge surge rates for some fares, when available—including to its loyalty program members.
Another con is that the AAdvantage loyalty program doesn’t have a published award chart, meaning the value of its points is hardly standardized. Redemption values fluctuate, just like with dynamic pricing for its tickets. On top of that, miles expire after two years if there’s no account activity.
Lastly, as with Delta, American Airlines doesn’t award miles to members who book basic fare. In short, you’ll be paying for those earned miles because the airline charges higher prices for its standard tickets.
Atmos Rewards
Atmos Rewards is regularly listed as the best loyalty program from US airlines, including from publications like The Points Guy and US Travel News. However, there are still a few cons to keep in mind—including the fact that Atmos Rewards is geared toward regional domestic flyers who like Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines routes.
Aside from its regional capacity, Atmos Rewards cons include a hard-to-reach elite status and its limited credit card partners. If you like to build your points with credit card spending, you won’t get far with Atmos Rewards.
Delta SkyMiles
Like I mentioned up top, Delta SkyMiles members can’t earn points when booking basic fares. Like American AAdvantage, Delta also lacks a published award chart that is used to standardize value and redemption. That brings me to my next point: Delta doesn’t just use dynamic pricing, which shifts prices up or down based on real-time booking data. It’s similar to hiked fares on a ride-share app; prices go up as demand goes up.
Delta now uses a proprietary AI-driven pricing model for 3% of all flights. And it’s not just dynamic pricing at play. While Delta denies that personal data is used to create individualized prices based on what the algorithm thinks you’d be willing to pay, the announcement of its AI-pricing rollout has been met with what I’d call ‘passionate suspicion’ by travelers and travel writers.
Some politicians have even weighed in, demanding more transparency into Delta’s latest pricing models.
JetBlue TrueBlue
As with Atmos Rewards, JetBlue’s main drawback is its limited flight routes. It’s a smaller domestic airline that’s concentrated on the East Coast. (Atmos is great for West Coast flyers, by contrast.) Additionally, some TrueBlue members dislike the Mosaic elite status, as its perks and earning structure are difficult to keep track of.
Southwest Rapid Rewards
Southwest’s Rapid Rewards has changed drastically over the last few years—and it’s taken a huge hit in popularity due to features like the companion pass and baggage fees. Its variable reward pricing also hasn’t been popular with Rapid Rewards members, as point values are quite low.
Southwest Rapid Rewards also has limited elite status, with only two tiers available. Additionally, it doesn’t have many credit card reward partners, meaning you won’t earn transferable points even if you’re spending on a co-branded Southwest card.
United MileagePlus
You’ll notice a pattern: the US’s largest carriers, including American, Delta, and United, all use dynamic pricing. American and United aren’t using AI-driven models, for now—but they’re likely to adapt to offer fares that are even more tailored to users. The airline also lacks an awards chart, further muddying the waters when it comes to redemption.
Additionally, United MileagePlus is geared to favor flyers who have a branded credit card. Loyalty members without a card don’t earn miles on basic fare—but cardholders can earn up to 2-4x more when booking flights with a card.
