US Carriers Favor Credit Card Spending for Loyalty Status
Major US airlines are restructuring loyalty programs to favor credit card spending over ticket fares. Bank payments for miles now provide billions in revenue.
The traditional financial model for carriers in the United States is undergoing a fundamental transformation as revenue from co-branded credit cards increasingly outweighs ticket sales. For decades, airline profitability was tied to passenger loads and fuel costs, but a shift toward loyalty-program monetization is reshaping how travelers are rewarded and how airlines generate cash.
Starting in April 2026, United Airlines Holdings, Inc. will implement new rules where members without a co-branded card earn significantly fewer miles per dollar spent compared to cardholders. Similarly, American Airlines Group Inc. has moved to restrict mileage and loyalty point accrual on its lowest-priced tickets. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has also integrated spending on its American Express Company cards as a primary pathway for customers to achieve elite status.
