“Travel is not a matter of money but of courage,” proclaimed a social media post, to which another user quickly clapped back, “Hi, please give me a list of hotels and airlines that accept courage as payment.”
Seeing the world is undeniably rewarding but can strain your wallet easily. Savvy queer travelers know there are ways to make your money work for you, such as utilizing airline loyalty programs. Also known as “frequent flyers,” these programs reward patrons with points that can be applied to discounts on flights and other perks such as seating upgrades, waitlist priority, and lounge access.
We’ve collected some of the industry’s best options to help you navigate the staggering number of airline loyalty programs available. Let these airline loyalty programs handle the payments so you can focus on the courage.
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Flying Blue
If we learned anything from this year’s Olympics, with its well-hung pole vaulters and drag queen tableaus, it’s that Paris is trés queer. So LGBTQ+ travelers looking to fly in and out of the City of Lights may want to look into Flying Blue, the airline loyalty program of AirFrance and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
Tiffany Funk & Katie Hammel, writers for the travel site point.me, have ranked this program as the best in the world due to its “great redemption rates, extensive partnerships that make it easy to earn miles (even without ever boarding an Air France or KLM flight), and flexible routing rules that make it easy to reach destinations worldwide.”
While it’s too late to visit the Olympics, you still have plenty of time to rack up some points to fly in for Paris Pride in June.
United Airlines MileagePlus
Regarding US airline programs, Funk and Hammel suggest this program from United Airlines, which they laud as one of the best, specifically for “less-frequent” flyers. Matthew Klint, writer for the Live and Let’s Fly travel site, echoes their sentiments.
“Over the last two decades, I have immensely enjoyed traveling across six continents thanks to United MileagePlus,” said Klint, adding, “With the recent introduction of miles pooling, United has made it easier than ever before for families and friends to create priceless memories together.”
That’s why this program is ideal for gaggles of gays looking to pull together a boys’ trip.
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
US News ranks this as “#1 in Best Loyalty Rewards Programs,” citing members’ ability to accumulate points through numerous hotel and car rental partnerships and its distinction for earning miles through distance flown rather than dollars spent. So, if you find a deal on a flight from Seattle to Belize, you’ll snatch as many points as you would paying full price.
American Airlines AAdvantage
American Airlines founded the world’s first modern loyalty program in 1981. Over forty years later, AA continues to serve as one of the best programs in the world, ranked #2 by US News. The finance site Nerdwallet valued of their miles as “the highest value among its competitors” at 1.6 cents apiece. And point.me lauds its redemption rates for international partner airlines such as Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, and Qatar Airways.
“The ability to book experiences like Qatar Airways Qsuites,” said travel vlogger Max Do in recent point.me” article, “renowned as one of the top business class products, for just 70,000 AAdvantage Miles one-way from the U.S. to the Middle East shows the incredible value of American Airlines’ loyalty program.”
(That being said, for our queer tourists traveling to the notoriously homophobic Middles East, it’s essential to be as careful as you are courageous.)
Southwest Rapid Rewards
Ranked #3 by US News, this loyalty program caters primarily to travelers on a budget who frequent major cities in the US, Mexico, and Central America.
Members earn points for every dollar spent on Southwest flights and its partners. Additionally, those who use Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards from Chase Visa can earn extra points through everyday purchases, which can be applied to various experiences, from wine tastings to concerts. So you can sip on Chablis while rocking out to Chappell Roan for free.
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