Your shortcut to the best travel rewards programs for you
Our Nerds researched more than 40 travel rewards programs, narrowing down to just one winner per category.
Your shortcut to the best travel rewards programs for you
Our Nerds researched more than 40 travel rewards programs, narrowing down to just one winner per category.


Find a top travel rewards program — fast

BEST HOTEL REWARDS PROGRAM 2026
World of Hyatt

World of Hyatt
Top features
Most valuable hotel points reviewed by NerdWallet.
Resort fees are waived on award stays.
An award chart makes redemptions easier to plan.
No annual fee
High rewards rate
Intro balance transfer fee
No intro APR period on purchases

WHY OUR NERDS LOVE IT

World of Hyatt wins for both the value of its points and how easily they can be earned.

BEST AIRLINE REWARDS PROGRAM 2026
Atmos Rewards

Atmos Rewards
Top features
Good partner availability and award pricing.
Only domestic airline to let you earn distance-based miles.
No annual fee
High rewards rate
Intro balance transfer fee
No intro APR period on purchases

WHY OUR NERDS LOVE IT

Atmos Rewards, the joint loyalty program of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, offers distance-based points earnings and solid redemption opportunities through Oneworld Alliance partners.

BEST HOTEL CHAIN 2026
Marriott

Marriott
Top features
Largest footprint of any hotel chain.
Excellent variety of brands.
Points are easy to earn and redeem.
No annual fee
High rewards rate
Intro balance transfer fee
No intro APR period on purchases

WHY OUR NERDS LOVE IT

Marriott has the biggest footprint of any hotel chain and a wide variety of brands that offer something for every type of traveler.

BEST AIRLINE 2026
Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines
Top features
High-value loyalty program.
Good customer service experience.
Excellent food and beverage selection compared to other domestic airlines.
No annual fee
High rewards rate
Intro balance transfer fee
No intro APR period on purchases

WHY OUR NERDS LOVE IT

Alaska Airlines offers low fees and the most valuable rewards program of any domestic airline.

BEST AIRPORT LOUNGES 2026
Capital One Lounges

Capital One Lounges
Top features
Great food and drink options.
You can join the waitlist in the app when you land.
Day passes are available to the general public.
No annual fee
High rewards rate
Intro balance transfer fee
No intro APR period on purchases

WHY OUR NERDS LOVE IT

Capital One Lounges offer great food and drink options, modern decor, and the lowest barrier to entry of any credit card lounge network.

BEST CREDIT CARD POINTS FOR TRAVEL 2026
Chase Ultimate Rewards®

Chase Ultimate Rewards®
Top features
High-value transfer partners, including Hyatt.
Points are easy to earn through eight Chase-branded credit cards.
Flexible redemption options, including hotels, flights, rental cars and cruises.
No annual fee
High rewards rate
Intro balance transfer fee
No intro APR period on purchases

WHY OUR NERDS LOVE IT

Chase Ultimate Rewards® are easy to earn, and the program offers great transfer partners, including World of Hyatt.

BEST AWARD TRAVEL SEARCH TOOL 2026
PointsYeah

PointsYeah
Top features
Easily search for award flights across two departure and two arrival airports.
Easy to set alerts for when award space becomes available.
Robust explorer tool.
No annual fee
High rewards rate
Intro balance transfer fee
No intro APR period on purchases

WHY OUR NERDS LOVE IT

PointsYeah offers fast and comprehensive searches for award redemptions, useful alerts and a Daydream Explorer tool for discovering deals.
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Frequently asked questions
NerdWallet's award winners are chosen through a rigorous evaluation process involving 37 writers and editors. NerdWallet's ratings formulas for credit cards, for example, consider the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel, or balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards, and other features. For more info, see our methodologies.
Our team of nerdy experts is composed of writers and editors — based all across the country — who have a combined 450 years of journalistic experience reviewing and writing about personal finance products for consumers.
Yes. Writers and editors use comprehensive scoring formulas that assess each financial product’s key features, weighting them according to their importance to consumers.
Nope. Editorial team members are solely responsible for creating all product reviews and ratings, and these assessments reflect their opinions alone. Only products that meet the editorial team’s standards appear in our Best-Of Awards lists, meaning no company can “buy” an award.
Our Best-Of Awards are given annually to the top financial products on the market. Our other “best” articles may:
• be longer than our Best-Of Awards list
• offer additional consumer choices
• get updated as products change or are discontinued and as new products emerge
This year's Best-Of-Awards list winners were chosen in mid-October 2025.