TRAVEL REWARDS
WINNERS for 2021
Travel was difficult last year, and we’re hoping our list of winners can help make all your travel dreams of 2021 come true. Check out 2021's best options and why we love them.
Best-Of Awards > Travel Rewards
Best Hotel Rewards Program
READ REVIEW
on NerdWallet's website
READ REVIEW
on NerdWallet's website
- IHG points are easy to earn and offer good value.
- Fewer and lower fees, including resort, parking and pet fees.
- Solid COVID-19 response and simple elite status program.
- IHG points are easy to earn and offer good value.
- Fewer and lower fees, including resort, parking and pet fees.
- Solid COVID-19 response and simple elite status program.
- IHG points are easy to earn and offer good value.
- Fewer and lower fees, including resort, parking and pet fees.
- Solid COVID-19 response and simple elite status program.
- IHG points are easy to earn and offer good value.
- Fewer and lower fees, including resort, parking and pet fees.
- Solid COVID-19 response and simple elite status program.
- IHG points are easy to earn and offer good value.
- Fewer and lower fees, including resort, parking and pet fees.
- Solid COVID-19 response and simple elite status program.
- IHG points are easy to earn and offer good value.
- Fewer and lower fees, including resort, parking and pet fees.
- Solid COVID-19 response and simple elite status program.
Why this program made the list
IHG was the only brand in our analysis to offer both low fees and good rewards on hotel stays.
Read our methodologyBest Hotel Rewards Program for Families
READ REVIEW
on NerdWallet's website
READ REVIEW
on NerdWallet's website
- IHG’s rewards points offer good bang for your family’s hotel spending buck.
- Fewer hidden “gotcha” fees.
- Traveler-friendly COVID-19 health policies.
- IHG’s rewards points offer good bang for your family’s hotel spending buck.
- Fewer hidden “gotcha” fees.
- Traveler-friendly COVID-19 health policies.
- IHG’s rewards points offer good bang for your family’s hotel spending buck.
- Fewer hidden “gotcha” fees.
- Traveler-friendly COVID-19 health policies.
- IHG’s rewards points offer good bang for your family’s hotel spending buck.
- Fewer hidden “gotcha” fees.
- Traveler-friendly COVID-19 health policies.
- IHG’s rewards points offer good bang for your family’s hotel spending buck.
- Fewer hidden “gotcha” fees.
- Traveler-friendly COVID-19 health policies.
- IHG’s rewards points offer good bang for your family’s hotel spending buck.
- Fewer hidden “gotcha” fees.
- Traveler-friendly COVID-19 health policies.
Why this Program made the list
IHG’s low fees and good response to the COVID-19 pandemic make it a strong choice for families.
Read our methodologyBest Hotel Rewards Program for Frequent Travelers
Read review
on NerdWallet's website
Read review
on NerdWallet's website
- Hyatt’s elite status program offers excellent value for frequent travelers.
- Highly valuable rewards points.
- Comprehensive COVID-19 health policies.
- Hyatt’s elite status program offers excellent value for frequent travelers.
- Highly valuable rewards points.
- Comprehensive COVID-19 health policies.
- Hyatt’s elite status program offers excellent value for frequent travelers.
- Highly valuable rewards points.
- Comprehensive COVID-19 health policies.
- Hyatt’s elite status program offers excellent value for frequent travelers.
- Highly valuable rewards points.
- Comprehensive COVID-19 health policies.
- Hyatt’s elite status program offers excellent value for frequent travelers.
- Highly valuable rewards points.
- Comprehensive COVID-19 health policies.
- Hyatt’s elite status program offers excellent value for frequent travelers.
- Highly valuable rewards points.
- Comprehensive COVID-19 health policies.
Why this program made the list
A best-in-class elite status program and high-value rewards program set Hyatt apart for frequent travelers.
Read our methodologyBest Airline Rewards Program
Read Review
on NerdWallet's website
Read Review
on NerdWallet's website
- Alaska offers the most valuable combination of earning and value with its rewards miles.
- Fewer “gotcha” fees, such as seat selection, at checkout.
- Impactful COVID-19 policies.
- Alaska offers the most valuable combination of earning and value with its rewards miles.
- Fewer “gotcha” fees, such as seat selection, at checkout.
- Impactful COVID-19 policies.
- Alaska offers the most valuable combination of earning and value with its rewards miles.
- Fewer “gotcha” fees, such as seat selection, at checkout.
- Impactful COVID-19 policies.
- Alaska offers the most valuable combination of earning and value with its rewards miles.
- Fewer “gotcha” fees, such as seat selection, at checkout.
- Impactful COVID-19 policies.
- Alaska offers the most valuable combination of earning and value with its rewards miles.
- Fewer “gotcha” fees, such as seat selection, at checkout.
- Impactful COVID-19 policies.
- Alaska offers the most valuable combination of earning and value with its rewards miles.
- Fewer “gotcha” fees, such as seat selection, at checkout.
- Impactful COVID-19 policies.
Why this Program made the list
Alaska outperformed other airlines in nearly every area we considered, from the value of elite status and rewards to COVID-19 response and add-on fees.
Read our methodologyBest Airline Rewards Program for Families
read review
on NerdWallet's website
read review
on NerdWallet's website
- Alaska charges reasonable fees, ensuring affordable family travel.
- Safety-first COVID-19 response policies.
- Easy to rack up lots of rewards miles.
- Alaska charges reasonable fees, ensuring affordable family travel.
- Safety-first COVID-19 response policies.
- Easy to rack up lots of rewards miles.
- Alaska charges reasonable fees, ensuring affordable family travel.
- Safety-first COVID-19 response policies.
- Easy to rack up lots of rewards miles.
- Alaska charges reasonable fees, ensuring affordable family travel.
- Safety-first COVID-19 response policies.
- Easy to rack up lots of rewards miles.
- Alaska charges reasonable fees, ensuring affordable family travel.
- Safety-first COVID-19 response policies.
- Easy to rack up lots of rewards miles.
- Alaska charges reasonable fees, ensuring affordable family travel.
- Safety-first COVID-19 response policies.
- Easy to rack up lots of rewards miles.
Why this Program made the list
Lower fees and a strong focus on safety during the pandemic make Alaska our airline of choice for families.
Read our methodologyBest Airline Rewards Program for Frequent Flyers
Read review
on NerdWallet's website
Read review
on NerdWallet's website
- Alaska’s elite status program offers terrific value at every level.
- Frequent travelers can earn loads of valuable Alaska miles.
- Simple fee structure keeps total costs down.
- Alaska’s elite status program offers terrific value at every level.
- Frequent travelers can earn loads of valuable Alaska miles.
- Simple fee structure keeps total costs down.
- Alaska’s elite status program offers terrific value at every level.
- Frequent travelers can earn loads of valuable Alaska miles.
- Simple fee structure keeps total costs down.
- Alaska’s elite status program offers terrific value at every level.
- Frequent travelers can earn loads of valuable Alaska miles.
- Simple fee structure keeps total costs down.
- Alaska’s elite status program offers terrific value at every level.
- Frequent travelers can earn loads of valuable Alaska miles.
- Simple fee structure keeps total costs down.
- Alaska’s elite status program offers terrific value at every level.
- Frequent travelers can earn loads of valuable Alaska miles.
- Simple fee structure keeps total costs down.
Why this program made the list
Alaska offers the best elite status program and the best rewards rate, making it a clear favorite for frequent flyers and other high spenders.
Read our methodologyBest Travel Insurance
read review
on NerdWallet's website
read review
on NerdWallet's website
- World Nomads offers two travel insurance plans: Standard and Explorer, with the latter providing coverage for adventure sports.
- If you decide to prolong your vacation, World Nomads allows you to purchase a new policy so you can extend coverage mid-trip.
- Customer satisfaction ratings are average for World Nomads.
- World Nomads offers two travel insurance plans: Standard and Explorer, with the latter providing coverage for adventure sports.
- If you decide to prolong your vacation, World Nomads allows you to purchase a new policy so you can extend coverage mid-trip.
- Customer satisfaction ratings are average for World Nomads.
- World Nomads offers two travel insurance plans: Standard and Explorer, with the latter providing coverage for adventure sports.
- If you decide to prolong your vacation, World Nomads allows you to purchase a new policy so you can extend coverage mid-trip.
- Customer satisfaction ratings are average for World Nomads.
- World Nomads offers two travel insurance plans: Standard and Explorer, with the latter providing coverage for adventure sports.
- If you decide to prolong your vacation, World Nomads allows you to purchase a new policy so you can extend coverage mid-trip.
- Customer satisfaction ratings are average for World Nomads.
- World Nomads offers two travel insurance plans: Standard and Explorer, with the latter providing coverage for adventure sports.
- If you decide to prolong your vacation, World Nomads allows you to purchase a new policy so you can extend coverage mid-trip.
- Customer satisfaction ratings are average for World Nomads.
- World Nomads offers two travel insurance plans: Standard and Explorer, with the latter providing coverage for adventure sports.
- If you decide to prolong your vacation, World Nomads allows you to purchase a new policy so you can extend coverage mid-trip.
- Customer satisfaction ratings are average for World Nomads.
Why this program made the list
World Nomads’ Explorer Plan offers the best all-around trip insurance due to its robust coverage for travel delays, lost baggage and adventure sports.
Read our methodologyFrequently Asked Questions
NerdWallet's award winners are chosen through a rigorous evaluation process involving more than four dozen of our 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 mortgages, our evaluation includes loan types, loan products, online capabilities, online rate information, customer service and complaints filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. For more info, see our methodologies.
Our team of Nerdy experts is composed of writers and editors — based all across the country — who have years of experience reviewing and writing about personal finance products for consumers.
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.
NerdWallet’s awards are given annually to the best of the best. Our other lists of top financial products throughout the year may be longer than the list of award winners, offer additional consumer choices and get updated as products change, products are discontinued and new products emerge. This year's winners were chosen in mid-November 2020 (except for Taxes, which are chosen in January 2021).
Our 2020 Best-Of Award winners are still live. If you’d like to see who won last year, feel free to take a look and compare with this year’s winners.
Want to dive deeper?
See how this year's winners stack up against the competition – including a breakdown of the average value per mile.
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