This American airline now has the highest-ranked U.S. airline loyalty program, jumping to No. 2 globally

Air France-KLM Flying Blue has secured the top global spot for the third consecutive year in Point.me’s 2026 World’s Best Airline Loyalty Program Rankings. But one U.S. airline made a major jump from last year to take the number two spot globally: United Airlines MileagePlus moved up three spots to claim runner-up status, establishing itself as the premier airline rewards program in the United States.

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To evaluate 33 global programs, Point.me analyzed over 250 million award fares across eight categories: ease of earning, redemption rates, partner opportunities, redemption experience, award availability, award holds, customer service and change fee policies.

United’s climb to the number two spot—ranking behind global champion Flying Blue and ahead of number three Air Canada Aeroplan—was driven by user-friendly policies and redemption flexibility. MileagePlus scored as the top program for redemption experience and took the number one spot globally for customer service.

A key advantage of MileagePlus is accessibility: Any seat sold for cash can be booked using miles, down to the last seat on the aircraft. The program offers free changes and cancellations online, creative mixed-partner routings and a fee-free miles-pooling feature for up to five members. In addition, if an award flight is disrupted, United’s customer-centric rebooking policy places travelers on alternative United flights regardless of the current ticket price.

While United requires a co-branded card for basic economy earnings and optimal award pricing, and only receives transfers from Chase and Bilt, its core flight access and flexibility set it apart from domestic competitors.

American Airlines AAdvantage, which earned the number-two spot last year, fell to number five globally. JetBlue, at number seven, is the only other U.S. airline to make the top ten. Delta SkyMiles and Southwest Rapid Rewards tied at number 22.

As Point.me CEO Adam Morvitz noted, travelers want programs that deliver reliable availability, fair pricing, easy booking and flexibility when plans change. By delivering across those core pillars, United MileagePlus has set the standard for U.S. airline loyalty in 2026.

Find the full report here.

The 10 best airline loyalty programs in the world, according to Point.me:

1. Air France-KLM Flying Blue
2. United MileagePlus
3. Air Canada Aeroplan
4. Atmos Rewards
5. American AAdvantage
6. Qatar Airways Privilege Club
7. JetBlue TrueBlue
8. British Airways Club
9. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
10. Cathay Pacific Asia Miles