Travel rewards

Travel rewards are points or miles earned by travelers through loyalty programs offered by airlines and hotels or when using travel credit cards. People accumulate rewards over time to offset various travel expenses and enhance their experiences. Brands, in turn, benefit from repeat bookings, strengthened customer loyalty, and ability to gather more customer data.

Rewards vary across the travel industry. Hotels offer points for stays, which can be redeemed for free nights or room upgrades, while airlines grant frequent flyer miles that can be used for flights, class of service upgrades, or airport lounge access.

Airlines and hotels partner with other travel and non-travel businesses, allowing program members to earn and redeem points across a wide range of companies (car rentals, cruise lines, etc.). Besides that, major carriers and hotel brands let their customers accrue rewards when buying goods and services with co-branded credit or debit cards. Examples are Hilton Honors AmEx cards, AAdvantage Citi cards, Lufthansa Miles & More Mastercard, etc.

Travel rewards can be also earned through general travel cards not connected to a particular brand. Each purchase brings cardholder points or miles to buy travel from a number of partner hotels, airlines, and other companies.