Published Mar 11, 2025, 5:50 PM EDT by Lauren Giella, of Newsweek

After a cold and snowy winter, many Americans are ready to escape to warmer temperatures. Picking the perfect spring break destination is easy—the real challenge comes when it’s time to book flights, hotels and other excursions. With rising costs, travelers want to ensure they can still save money and get the most out of their trip.

One of the best ways to save money and access upgrades and rewards is by using travel loyalty programs. Newsweek, in partnership with Statista, recently published its ranking of America’s Best Loyalty Programs 2025, highlighting the top programs across 39 industries.

Statista defines a loyalty program as a rewards program that provides customers with a benefit when purchasing or using products or services of the associated brand. This includes everything from coffee shop punch cards to discounts and free shipping from your favorite retailer on your birthday.

With more than 4,000 reviews collected, this ranking assesses loyalty programs based on the ease of use, value of the benefits, customer support, trust regarding the use of personal data, overall customer satisfaction and the likelihood of recommendation.

With peak travel season approaching rapidly, the five categories within the travel and transportation sector will help customers when planning their next vacation: airlines, car rentals, hotels and holiday booking platforms, gas stations, and hotel and hospitality rewards programs.

These were the top programs in each of those categories:

Airline: Southwest’s Rapid Rewards

In the 2025 ranking, Southwest’s Rapid Rewards jumped to the No. 1 spot for airline loyalty programs. It scored well in ease, customer satisfaction and customer recommendations. Members earn points for flights, shopping and hotel stays that move them up the four tiers. Perks of member status include priority boarding, same-day changes and free in-flight Wi-Fi.

As of March, Southwest announced major updates to its Rapid Rewards program. The airline’s two free checked-bag policy will only be for A-List Preferred Members and customers traveling on the most expensive Business Select fares, and one free checked bag will be available for A-List Members and other select customers, like Rapid Rewards credit card members. Everyone else will be charged for checked bags. Southwest also adjusted its points system so customers on Business Select earn more points, and those traveling on Wanna Get Away and Wanna Get Away Plus fares earn fewer.

Hotels: Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy improved from the No. 2 spot to land at the top position on the 2025 ranking, with high scores in ease, trust and customer recommendation. The more days that members stay at Marriott hotels, the closer they are to moving up to the next level in the program. They earn more points, room upgrades and perks like late checkout at each of the five levels.

Hotel and Holiday Booking Platforms: Priceline VIP

Priceline VIP made a grand return to the loyalty programs ranking since its last appearance in 2022. It earned the top spot with high scores in customer recommendation and ease. At each of the four levels of the program, members earn more savings, instant discounts and priority status with each trip booked.

Car Rental: Hertz’s Gold Plus Rewards

Hertz is the top rental car loyalty program this year, moving up from its No. 5 spot on the 2024 ranking. Its Gold Plus Rewards program earned high marks in customer recommendation, trust and overall satisfaction. The more members rent cars, the more they move up the three-tiered program that offers free vehicle upgrades, easy returns and dedicated customer service.

Gas Station: Thorntons Refreshing Rewards

The Louisville, Kentucky-based gas station chain debuted at No. 1 on the ranking, with high scores in ease, benefit, customer satisfaction and recommendation. With locations across six states, Refreshing Rewards offers discounts on fuel, free drinks and other offers and perks in the mobile app.

The State of Loyalty Programs

When flying, being a part of a loyalty program comes with various perks—like priority boarding, seat upgrades or free checked bags. It also might ensure that if something goes wrong, members get priority customer services to resolve issues.

But travel program expert Henry Harteveldt told Newsweek that airlines have evolved how flyers are rewarded.

“Airlines have shifted their focus to spending,” he said. “Spending really counts more than frequency or distance flown. [Airlines] don’t care if you spend a lot of money on a single flight or on a dozen flights as long as you reach certain spending criteria. That’s how you earn status.”

While hotels still consider the number of stays as they relate to loyalty programs, Harteveldt said many hotel companies have cut back on benefits. This includes closing concierge or executive clubs or removing complimentary breakfast and Wi-Fi.

“For these brands, it is all about the money that is spent because they look at the financial value of a customer, even within the same tier of a loyalty program,” he said.

As a result, Harteveldt said many customers feel loyalty only goes one way.

Travel Trends

In recent years, consumer wants shifted. According to data from Statista, customers want consistency from their loyalty programs, regardless of industry. Regular discounts were the most important benefit that would lead customers to subscribe to a certain program, along with the monetary value of points earned based on total spend.

There was a decline in the importance of instant discounts over the last three years with a slight uptick in the importance of exclusive events and birthday surprises over the last year, according to Statista.

When it comes to travel booking, customers want to earn their points and use them too. A great loyalty program, therefore, starts with simplicity and ease—if customers can’t figure out how to utilize the program, they won’t subscribe.

“When you get into complex programs, [customers] get lost on how they’re going to earn, and it alienates them from the program and they’re not engaged in that,” Len Covello, the chief technology officer at Engage People, told Newsweek.

There are two types of travelers, Covello said: the average consumer who takes one or two trips a year and the business traveler who is a frequent flyer. He said brands have to understand both demographics and design programs that will appeal to both of them.

Accessibility and Utility

Programs must appear easy and valuable to customers by allowing them to earn and use points quickly to see real rewards. There is, however, a delicate balance between making programs accessible and maintaining elite status at each successive tier of the program.

“While you don’t want to give away everything, you want your programs to stand out and have people be brand ambassadors,” Covello said.

Brian Canning recently joined Hertz as the vice president of marketing and loyalty. He told Newsweek that the experiential loyalty program is a “no brainer” to join.

“Earning points and being able to use those points to book cars and get free days is a huge benefit,” he said. “As you go up in the tiers, you get more benefits in terms of choice of cars and special service lines.”

Benefits include no cost for adding a second driver, free vehicle upgrades and easy returns. Canning also noted the low threshold for moving up in the tiers, compared to competitors.

He said the company wants 100 percent of its customers to be Gold members to further incentivize them to always pick Hertz when they travel. Exclusivity and member-specific offers are important.

“You’re signing up for a loyalty program so you’re expecting something in return,” he said. “So you should have access to something someone who is not in the program shouldn’t [have access to].”

Special Experiences

As personalization expands, customers realize that the more they use a program, the better the experience will get.

“Ultimately, people want to feel special, they want a personalized relationship, and shame on us as a loyalty industry if we don’t give it to them,” Covello said. “You need to have enough options or opportunities in your loyalty program for it to resonate with the individual.”

In the travel sector, the desire for more personalized experiences forces brands to move beyond points and upgrades.

Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer of Marriott International Peggy Roe told Newsweek that Marriott Bonvoy has evolved from a frequency points program to an “elevated” membership that offers customers broader access.

As soon as customers join and start using the Bonvoy app, Roe said members access exclusive rates, customer service and preference settings.

“We are starting to get to know you through your preferences and passions, which allows us not only to give you targeted offers and promotions but deliver better and personalized services to you based on your preferences when you get to the hotel,” she said.

By understanding why someone is traveling, what types of vacations and activities they enjoy and their hobbies and interests outside of vacation, Roe said Marriott can tailor the customer’s experience.

The Marriott Bonvoy Moments program lets members bid on or redeem points for thousands of once-in-a-lifetime experiences based on hobbies and interests like music, food and sports. Experiences include trips to the Super Bowl, private dining experiences at Michelin-starred restaurants, wine tours in Tuscany, trips to Carnival in Rio de Janeiro and tickets to Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour.

Travel Bundling

For novice travelers, the booking experience can be overwhelming, so many people turn to booking websites.

Travel loyalty program expert Covello said bundling travel experiences on a booking website might be a good idea for consumers who travel less frequently because it offers an easy experience with instant discounts. For more frequent travelers, building a relationship with a brand-specific loyalty program could be more beneficial in the long run.

Travel booking platform Priceline launched its flexible travel membership, VIP, in 2020. Customers earn discounts when they bundle deals across airlines, hotels and car rental companies.

“Companies are making it much more difficult to earn status, and what Priceline has done has continued to make it easier to earn status,” Priceline Senior Vice President of Strategy and Brand Marketing Lesley Klein told Newsweek. “That is the core differentiator that people really appreciate.”

Most travelers would rather get discounts than loyalty points, Klein said, and the ability to unlock deals upon sign-up puts the money back in the customers’ pockets.

“[Customers] would rather have the flexibility to travel across different brands than have to be locked into one brand’s loyalty program that is getting increasingly harder to achieve status with,” she said.

Choosing the Right Program

When deciding between programs, it is important to remember that it’s not one-size-fits-all.

“Take your time to do the research and figure out what’s right for you,” travel expert Henry Harteveldt said. “There is no one universal answer. We are all individuals and what’s right for your neighbor or your best friends or even your spouse may not be right for you.”

When you find an airline or a hotel chain that you love, look into its programs, credit cards and other partnerships. Harteveldt noted some co-branded credit cards offer perks based on what you spend.

“You’re going to have to do your homework,” he said. “Unfortunately, these programs have become exceedingly complex.”