Travel loyalty programs built their reputations on a simple promise: Fly or stay often enough, and a free flight or hotel night is yours. That promise still holds, but the strongest programs are now stretching well beyond airline seats and hotel rooms, letting members earn and spend points on luxury cruises, cultural experiences, concert tickets, and everyday lifestyle purchases.
Elizabeth Von Tersch, senior travel editor at U.S. News & World Report, has a front-row view of the shift. In an interview with Luxury Travel Advisor tied to the publication's 2026–2027 Best Travel Rewards Programs rankings, she pointed to the rapid expansion of loyalty partnerships as one of the strongest trends reshaping the space. The rankings themselves delivered a shakeup: American Airlines AAdvantage claimed the top spot among airline rewards programs for the first time, ending the 11-year reign of Atmos Rewards (formerly Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan), while Wyndham Rewards moved ahead of Marriott Bonvoy to lead the hotel rankings. The publication also named Marriott International the best hotel brand for business travelers and United Airlines the top U.S. airline for business travelers.
While the points in these loyalty programs remain important, Von Tersch noted that rather than limiting members to redeeming points for hotel nights or flights, programs are allowing them to earn and spend rewards across cruises, entertainment, tours, and everyday purchases.
Von Tersch pointed to Hilton Honors' partnership with luxury cruise line Explora Journeys as one of the more significant recent developments.
"It's adding so many more options for earning and redeeming points, especially at that luxury level," she said. "It's no longer just redeeming points for hotel rooms — you can get all kinds of experiences from it."
She expects this trend to continue.
"We're seeing a huge growth in programs allowing members to earn and use points on tours and cooking classes and cultural experiences," Von Tersch added. "A lot of them are partnering with Ticketmaster or StubHub so members can use their points not just for hotels and airlines, but for a variety of things."
She stressed that luxury travelers are also placing more value on improving the overall journey rather than just cost reduction. She noted independent luxury hotel loyalty programs, including Leaders Club, SLH Club, and I Prefer Hotel Rewards, have become more attractive because they focus on personalized perks, some even from the moment guests enroll.
"These hotels already do a wonderful job of personalizing the stay with their boutique hotels, but they offer some really nice benefits including complimentary breakfasts, room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout that are very valuable to travelers seeking convenience and flexibility," Von Tersch said.
For luxury travel advisors, Von Tersch believes loyalty programs are becoming another way to personalize client recommendations.
"Advisors can definitely use these programs as an extension of their services," she said.
Understanding which brands deliver the strongest elite benefits, widest global networks, and most diverse portfolios can help advisors steer clients toward programs that best match their travel habits. Additionally, as major hotel companies continue expanding through acquisitions and partnerships, advisors have a broader range of products to match varied client preferences.
This continued broadening of offerings also presents the opportunity to spend points in a variety of ways. And spend them you should, as many programs continue to devalue their currencies.
"This year saw a lot of major points devaluations. It's a good reminder to use your points. Don't be saving them up for five to 10 years from now for this dream trip because they are going to be worth a lot less ultimately," she said.
Instead, she said travelers can, and should, think more creatively about how to use their balances.
Amid these points devaluations, Von Tersch said the strongest loyalty programs moving forward will be those that continue delivering genuine value.
"The most important thing for the traveler is the value they're getting out of being a loyalty member," she said. "Programs that keep points realistic are going to thrive, whereas those that continue to devalue year after year are not going to perform as well."
As these programs become intertwined with every stage of the travel experience, those that are able to command continued strong loyalty from their members will be those that can beautifully balance value with a variety of experiences.
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