The best airline loyalty programs for families

1 month ago 15

When it comes to family travel, not all airline loyalty programs are created equal. The programs that most benefit solo or business travelers may not be the ones that provide the best perks for families — such as free checked bags for your entire party and discounts for kids.

There are some airline loyalty programs that excel in different ways for families, both for base-level members and for those leveling up through each program's elite status tiers.

Delta Air Lines SkyMiles

Best airline credit cards for family travel perks

There are several avenues for earning Delta SkyMiles, and redeeming SkyMiles is equally simple. Since Delta is a member of the SkyTeam airline alliance, Delta SkyMiles members can redeem miles with over a dozen partner airlines, making it easy to travel to your family's favorite destinations.

Delta SkyMiles has four elite status tiers — Silver Medallion, Gold Medallion, Platinum Medallion and Diamond Medallion — which you can qualify for by earning Medallion Qualification Dollars. You can do this by spending on Delta cobranded cards and flying with Delta and its partners.

When you hit Silver Medallion after earning 5,000 MQDs in a calendar year, you are eligible for complimentary upgrades, priority boarding and one complimentary checked bag. The complimentary upgrade is only available to you and a companion, but the free-checked-bag benefit extends to up to eight people in your travel party.

As you climb the Delta SkyMiles ladder, you can get additional benefits like a higher spot on the upgrade list, additional checked bags, complimentary same-day changes, priority check-in and boarding, and more.

These perks can make flying with your family more comfortable, but you can get additional benefits by holding one of Delta's cobranded cards.

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card comes with an annual companion certificate that you can use to bring a family member along when you purchase a cash fare for your flight and a statement credit to cover the application fee for Global Entry ($120 every four years) or TSA PreCheck (up to $85 every 4 1/2 years), among other benefits.

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When you apply and are approved for Global Entry, your children under 18 years of age can apply for free and speed through customs upon reentry to the U.S. along with you. TSA PreCheck works a bit differently. Children 17 and under can typically come through the TSA PreCheck lane with a parent or guardian who is a member, but this only applies to children ages 13 through 17 if their boarding pass is marked with the TSA PreCheck indicator. Still, it's hugely beneficial to have a card that reimburses the out-of-pocket cost for these expedited security programs.

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card offers the same perks as the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card, with the added benefit of Delta Sky Club lounge access when flying Delta (subject to limitations beginning Feb. 1, 2025) and American Express Centurion Lounge access when flying Delta with a ticket purchased on a U.S.-issued American Express card.

Delta SkyMiles Reserve cardmembers also get four one-time Sky Club guest passes upon account opening and each year upon account renewal. If you have a family, you might burn through these pretty quickly, but they can come in handy during a long layover.

Air France-KLM Flying Blue

Great award prices and child discounts

The Air France-KLM Flying Blue program is beneficial to families in a very tangible way. Through the Flying Blue Family program, both Air France and KLM offer one of the best discounts for award flights for kids — on top of the already favorable award rates that you can sometimes get to and from Europe via this program.

When you book an award flight using Flying Blue miles, you can save 25% on the miles required for your child's ticket. The discount applies to children ages 2 to 11 who are traveling with a parent and can save you potentially tens of thousands of miles on family award travel.

For example, if you booked a 50,000-mile business-class award to Europe for one kid and one adult, the kid business-class award ticket would only cost 37,500 miles, which is excellent.

With Flying Blue Family, you can also pool your points with family members (up to two adults and six children). When you redeem your family's points for award flights, you can take advantage of the 25% discount for the kids in your travel party.

Flying Blue has several transfer partners, making it a good option for those who prefer transferable rewards. If you have a card that earns rewards in one of the following programs, you can transfer those rewards to Flying Blue:

United Airlines MileagePlus

Biggest US airline to allow family mileage pooling

Families flying with children under 2 can board with the preboarding group so you have extra time to get situated. If you are traveling with children under 12, your kid(s) are guaranteed to sit with at least one adult on the same reservation free of charge, even if you purchase basic economy tickets, which do not include seat selection (all other fare classes allow you to choose seats for your family).

In addition to these family-friendly boarding and seating policies available to all travelers, there are a few good reasons for families to join the United MileagePlus program.

United is one of several airlines that makes miles pooling simple for loyalty members. If you and your partner both have a stash of MileagePlus miles, you can combine them in one account. You can include up to five members in your "pool," so if you follow TPG's advice to create loyalty accounts for your kids, you can even include miles they earn when you fly as a family in the pool.

As a United MileagePlus member, you can earn miles when you fly with United and its partner airlines or through everyday activities like spending on credit cards, dining and shopping. Flying with United can also help you earn Premier qualifying points and Premier qualifying flights toward United elite status.

Once you earn elite status with United, you are eligible for benefits like priority security screening, check-in and boarding; preferred seating; free checked bags; complimentary upgrades; and other perks that can make flying as a family more comfortable.

United Airlines has several cobranded cards that can help you earn status more quickly. The most valuable of these for frequent United flyers is the United Club℠ Infinite Card. The card's $525 annual fee can be easily offset by the included United Club lounge membership, which normally costs $650 annually.

With your United Club membership, you can bring up to two adult companions (or one adult and any dependent children under the age of 21) into United Clubs and select Star Alliance lounges when flying United and its partners. No more keeping your kids busy at the gate and spending $25 on a sad-looking hamburger while you wait for your flight.

United Club Infinite Card holders also get a statement credit for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application; two free checked bags for you and a companion; automatic IHG Platinum status; an annual $75 credit for IHG Hotels & Resorts purchases; priority access for check-in, security screening, boarding and baggage handling (where available); and more.

JetBlue TrueBlue

Free snacks, free TV and family pooling

There are several facets of the JetBlue TrueBlue program that families can benefit from if you fly JetBlue or one of its partner airlines often.

JetBlue automatically seats children ages 13 and under with an accompanying adult (as long as seats are available), regardless of the fare type you purchase. If you happen to be passing through John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), be sure to stop by the kids play area in Terminal 5. No matter where you are traveling, kids can enjoy free seatback entertainment and snacks while on board.

JetBlue also allows families to pool their points and earn free flights faster.

JetBlue TrueBlue has four elite status tiers: Mosaic 1, Mosaic 2, Mosaic 3 and Mosaic 4. As soon as you hit Mosaic 1, you are eligible for priority boarding and security (where available), two free checked bags for yourself and eligible travel companions, up to three complimentary drinks per flight, preferred seating, complimentary upgrades (based on availability), and more.

If you get the JetBlue Plus Card, you can get to status even faster. Cardholders can get automatic Mosaic 1 status after spending $50,000 on the card in a calendar year. If you pair this with the points you earn when flying JetBlue, you could potentially reach a higher tier and get even more value from the program.

The information for the JetBlue Plus Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Air Canada Aeroplan

Best for flying with a lap infant

Air Canada's Aeroplan program makes flying with a lap infant simpler and more affordable than other airlines. You can add a lap infant to your reservation for just 25 Canadian dollars or 2,500 points. Considering surcharges for premium cabins on international flights can cost thousands of dollars, this can save you a pretty penny depending on your destination.

Air Canada makes it easy to book your lap infant and pay the fee, as well. You can book your lap infant online using the same process as booking an adult ticket rather than visiting the check-in desk at the airport, as is the process for many other airlines.

Air Canada also provides a family check-in area at the airport and early boarding for families flying with children under 6; the airline also ensures kids under age 14 are seated with at least one adult on the reservation at no extra charge.

British Airways Executive Club

Best for flying with young children

Like Air Canada, British Airways makes flying with a lap infant (any child under 2) much more affordable than other airlines. In the United Kingdom, children under 2 are not charged Air Passenger Duty fees, which already makes their tickets less expensive than adult fares. The airline also allows you to book your lap infant online.

When booking award tickets, you can save even more because children under 2 pay just 10% of the miles you'd need for an adult ticket. Even better, if your child happens to turn 2 on the journey, the airline will provide an assigned seat on the return flight at no additional charge.

British Airways also ensures that all children under 12 will be seated with an accompanying adult free of charge.

British Airways also offers free family pooling of Avios for up to seven people in a household, including children. "Add up to seven members of the same household (including children) and any Avios they generate will be pooled for the whole family to use, meaning everyone from the grandparents to the grandkids can get away for less," British Airways said of the program on its website.

In terms of inflight entertainment, British Airways has offerings from CBeebies, Cartoon Network and Disney, along with soothing bedtime stories and music to help kids get some rest on long-haul flights. Kids can also pick up a free Skyflyers activity pack that comes with an eye mask, socks, crayons and a postcard at the Family and Club World check-in zones at Heathrow Airport (LHR), London Gatwick Airport (LGW) and London City Airport (LCY).

Bottom line

When choosing which airlines to stay loyal to, parents and caregivers need to keep in mind which loyalty programs have the best benefits for families. The loyalty programs in this guide can improve your family vacations through the perks you get just by joining and the additional rewards you can enjoy when you earn elite status.

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Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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