American Airlines’ AAdvantage ranked first for the first time in the 2026-2027 Best Travel Rewards Programs from U.S. News & World Report. Wyndham Rewards was No. 1 among the Best Hotel Rewards Programs, driven by its strong redemption value and expansive global footprint.

For the first time, there was a Best Hotel Brands for Business Travelers list, and Marriott International led that ranking, while United Airlines ranked No. 1 in the new Best U.S. Airlines for Business Travelers for its flight availability, elite benefits and traveler experience.

Elizabeth Von Tersch, U.S. News’ senior travel editor, said, “Whether travelers are planning for a family vacation or for a work trip, choosing the right loyalty program or travel brand can make a meaningful difference in both value and overall experience.” The 2026-2027 rankings, she said, “combine robust data and expert analysis to help consumers identify the airlines, hotels and rewards programs that best fit the way they travel.”

The full rankings were:

• Hotel loyalty program: Wyndham Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt, Choice Privileges, Sonesta Travel Pass
• Hotels for business travelers: Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, IHG Hotels & Resorts IHG, Hyatt Hotels, Choice Hotels
• Airline loyalty program: American Airlines Advantage, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines Atmos Awards, United MileagePlus, JetBlue TrueBlue, Delta Air Lines SkyMiles
• Airlines for business travelers: United, Delta, America, Alaska Airlines  and Southwest Airlines

To determine the 2026-2027 travel rewards programs rankings, according to an announcement, U.S. News uses a comprehensive methodology that evaluates membership benefits, network coverage, the ease of earning and redeeming points or miles, hotel property diversity and hotel and airline quality. Methodology updates for the 2026-2027 rankings include expanded scoring for additional member benefits and more frequent airline and hotel data collection. The new 2026-2027 business traveler rankings introduce a data-driven evaluation of hotel brands and U.S. airlines designed specifically for frequent business travelers. Its methodology considers the key factors that impact business travel — including loyalty program benefits, network strength, reliability and overall value — to identify brands that best meet the needs of that segment.

The entire report is here:  https://travel.usnews.com/rankings/travel-rewards/?src=usn_pr