How IHG, Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Accor, and the three major airline alliances actually work — plus which credit cards feed them and which redemptions beat cash.
Where you earn and burn points. Chase-enabled at best-in-class value (Hyatt), Amex-heavy at scale (Marriott, Hilton), and the global footprint answer (IHG).
Three alliances. Twelve currencies worth tracking. The secret sauce is partner awards — Lufthansa First on United, Qatar Qsuite on AA, Delta One on Virgin.
Global giants and regional specialists. Our ratings blend point value, elite benefits, award availability, and card ecosystem.
6,000+ hotels · Holiday Inn to InterContinental · 4th Night Free on award stays
One of the largest hotel loyalty programs on earth, with genuinely strong mid-tier redemptions and the industry's most useful Reward Night certificates.
8,000+ hotels · 30 brands · largest loyalty program in hospitality
The biggest loyalty program in the world. If you need a hotel somewhere, Bonvoy probably has one nearby — and the elite benefits travel with you.
7,000+ hotels · fast earning · Diamond that actually delivers
Lower per-point value than competitors, but enormous velocity and some of the most reliably-honored Diamond benefits in the industry.
1,300 hotels · small footprint · best per-point value in the industry
The miles-and-points enthusiasts' favorite. Published award chart, confirmable suite upgrades at Globalist, and a real Guest Services line.
5,500+ hotels · Europe/Asia dominance · cash-like redemption
The non-US traveler's go-to. Points convert directly to euros off your bill — no award availability game.
9,000+ hotels · 7,500-30,000 pts flat tiers · road-trip kingpin
Frequently overlooked, but the flat tier pricing makes Wyndham one of the most reliable point redemptions in mid-tier travel.
7,500 hotels · 8k-35k flat tiers · Citi ThankYou transfer sweet spot
Comfort, Quality, Cambria, Radisson Americas — and the ability to transfer Citi ThankYou at 1:2 unlocks some of the best redemption math in hotel points.
4,700 independently-owned hotels · no blackout dates · steady value
Independent-owner footprint you won't find in the big chains. No blackout dates on redemptions and promotional point sales that can make buying points cheap.
100+ Asia-Pacific luxury properties · fast-track elite · on-property credit
The Asia-Pacific luxury loyalty program — particularly strong in Hong Kong, Singapore, mainland China, and across Southeast Asia.
1,100 hotels · EMEA + APAC strong · unified post-split program
Post the Choice Americas split, Radisson Rewards focuses on Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific — underrated for cross-continent travelers.
| Program | Footprint | Per-point value | Top elite benefit | Best for | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IHG One Rewards 19 brands | 6,000+ | 0.6¢ | 4th Night Free on awards | Mid-tier domestic | ★ 4.5 | Review |
Marriott Bonvoy 30 brands | 8,000+ | 0.7¢ | 85k free-night cert | Global footprint | ★ 4.4 | Review |
Hilton Honors 18 brands | 7,000+ | 0.5¢ | Amex Aspire Diamond | Fast accrual | ★ 4.3 | Review |
World of Hyatt Globalist status | 1,300 | 1.7–2.5¢ | Confirmable suite upgrade | Per-point value | ★ 4.8 | Review |
Accor ALL 40+ brands | 5,500+ | ~1¢ cash | Redeem like cash | Europe · APAC | ★ 4.4 | Review |
Wyndham Rewards 22 brands | 9,000+ | 1–1.5¢ | Flat 7.5k / 15k / 30k tiers | Budget road trips | ★ 4.1 | Review |
Choice Privileges 22 brands | 7,500 | 0.8–1.1¢ | Citi TYP 1:2 transfer | TYP-holders | ★ 4.0 | Review |
Best Western Rewards 5 brands | 4,700 | 0.6–0.8¢ | No blackout dates | Independents | ★ 3.8 | Review |
Shangri-La Circle 5 brands | 100+ | Varies | Suite upgrade + dining credit | APAC luxury | ★ 4.3 | Review |
Radisson Rewards EMEA · APAC | 1,100 | ~0.4¢ | Flat-tier awards | Europe travel | ★ 3.9 | Review |
Best Star Alliance currency? Aeroplan. Best OneWorld for short-haul? BA Avios. Best SkyTeam workaround? Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.
Star Alliance flagship · most flexible US-based Star currency
The default mileage program for US-based Star Alliance flyers. Not the cheapest on partners — but the most flexible.
SkyTeam · revenue-based · ubiquitous US domestic
Devalued often, but still valuable if your home airport is a Delta hub. Revenue-based earning aligns rewards with what you actually spend.
OneWorld anchor · loyalty points for status · partner award sweet spots
The OneWorld flagship for US flyers. Partner awards on Cathay, Qatar, JAL, and BA are where AAdvantage miles still deliver real value.
Short-haul sweet spot · transfer from Chase, Amex, Capital One, Bilt
The best short-haul miles currency in the OneWorld ecosystem. 8,000 Avios flies most sub-650-mile hops — unbeatable on short US domestic routes.
Best Star Alliance currency · published chart · stopovers for 5k
Since its 2020 relaunch, Aeroplan has arguably been the best Star Alliance mileage program on earth. Transparent chart, stopovers allowed, and every major US transferable points currency feeds it.
SkyTeam flagship · monthly Promo Awards · Paris & Amsterdam hubs
The best SkyTeam currency for trans-Atlantic redemptions, with Promo Awards and Promo Rewards running monthly at 25-50% off standard pricing.
Star Alliance · round-the-world charts · legendary premium cabins
Best-in-class round-the-world awards (115k business for 22-25k miles flown) and exceptional Japan-domestic access.
OneWorld · partner award charts · stopover on one-ways
A small program with outsized value. Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines redemptions through Alaska are among the best in OneWorld.
Delta One sweet spot · ANA First access · 4 US transferable currencies
The escape hatch for Delta SkyMiles holders. Transfer from any major US currency and redeem Delta One or ANA First at a fraction of the cost.
| Currency | Alliance | Transfers from | Sweet spot | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aeroplan Air Canada | Star Alliance | Chase · Amex · Cap One · Bilt | Stopover for 5k miles | ★ 4.7 | Review |
British Airways Avios | OneWorld | Chase · Amex · Cap One · Bilt | 8k for sub-650mi hops | ★ 4.4 | Review |
ANA Mileage Club | Star Alliance | Amex MR | RTW biz at 115k | ★ 4.6 | Review |
Alaska Mileage Plan | OneWorld | Direct earning | Cathay First 70k | ★ 4.5 | Review |
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | SkyTeam-adjacent | Chase · Amex · Cap One · Citi | Delta One NY-LON 50k | ★ 4.4 | Review |
Flying Blue AF / KLM | SkyTeam | Amex · Chase · Cap One · Citi | Monthly Promo Awards | ★ 4.2 | Review |
United MileagePlus | Star Alliance | Chase UR (1:1) | Lufthansa First 110k | ★ 4.0 | Review |
American AAdvantage | OneWorld | Direct earning | Qsuite 80k · JAL biz 60k | ★ 4.0 | Review |
Delta SkyMiles | SkyTeam | Direct earning | (Use Virgin transfer) | ★ 3.7 | Review |
Korean Air SkyPass | SkyTeam | Family pooling | US-Korea biz 125k | ★ 4.1 | Review |
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