Germán Ceballos

2026 is shaping up to be the most transformative year in airline loyalty history. Massive mergers are reshaping alliances, dynamic pricing is becoming the norm, and airlines are doubling down on turning their loyalty programs into billion-dollar financial engines. Alaska Airlines is flying 787 Dreamliners to London and Rome. United has partnered with JetBlue. American Airlines now offers free Wi-Fi to all AAdvantage members. And the beloved SAS EuroBonus program is on borrowed time as Air France-KLM tightens its grip.

American Airlines is kicking off the 2026 AAdvantage program year with the return of its Ready, Set, Jet promotion, offering members up to 5,000 bonus Loyalty Points for flights taken through April 30. The promotion gives members a fast start toward status and Loyalty Point Rewards early in the new program year.

We’re excited to announce a new partnership with Betalo — great news for our users in Sweden. Eligible Betalo users can receive a complimentary AwardFares Gold subscription as long as they meet Betalo’s qualification requirements.

Qatar Airways Privilege Club is one of the most powerful (and underrated) loyalty programs in aviation. It runs on the Avios currency, gives you access to Qsuites (widely considered the world’s best business class), and lets you transfer points freely between five different airline programs. Yet most travelers overlook it because Qatar’s own search tools make finding award flights frustratingly difficult.

On April 2, 2026, United MileagePlus switches to a fully revenue-based earning model where the number of miles you earn per dollar depends entirely on your Premier status and which United card you hold. For most cardholders, the new rates are higher than before. But for general members flying Basic Economy without a United card, the change is stark: zero miles earned.

As February 2026, the United-JetBlue Blue Sky partnership now lets you book flights on either airline’s website with cash, not just miles or points. United.com shows JetBlue flights you can buy with a credit card, and JetBlue.com shows United flights the same way.