Month: January 2025

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

Earn points or cash back while working up a sweat? Yup, it’s doable.

If one of your 2025 resolutions is to try a new at-home workout program or hit your favorite fitness studio more regularly, we can help you maximize your credit card rewards while doing so.

You may already know how to earn points on travel, dining and purchases in numerous other categories. But you can also turn your sweat equity into valuable rewards while working out, too.

From CrossFit and calisthenics to bodyweight exercises and Bollywood dance routines, the options are endless — and with the right credit card in hand, you’ll be able to reap financial benefits, too.

The best cards for gyms, fitness classes and equipment

Whether you already belong to a gym, want to try a new spot or are considering changing your usual workout, these cards can help you earn rewards while hitting your fitness goals.

• Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• World of Hyatt Credit Card
• Chase Freedom Flex®
• Bilt Mastercard® (see rates and fees)
• U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card
• Prime Visa
• The Platinum Card® from American Express

The information for the U.S. Bank Cash+ has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Beyond gym memberships and workout classes, we also expanded the criteria for this list to include cards that earn when you purchase fitness gear and athletic apparel, which can generate at least 2 points per dollar spent (and in some cases, up to 5 points per dollar spent).

Comparing the best cards for fitness purchases

Card	Best for	Earning rate
Chase Sapphire Reserve	Earning lots of points on equipment purchases from Peloton	10 points per dollar spent on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $150 (through March 2025) — with a limit of 50,000 points
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card	Earning points on equipment purchases from Peloton without a high annual fee	5 points per dollar spent on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $150 (through March 2025) — with a limit of 25,000 points
World of Hyatt Credit Card	Gym memberships	2 points per dollar spent on fitness clubs and gym memberships
Chase Freedom Flex	Gym memberships	5% cash back on rotating bonus categories after activation (up to $1,500 per quarter); gym memberships have been included in past quarters
Bilt Mastercard	Fitness classes	1 point per dollar spent; however, you can redeem your points for some of the most popular fitness classes in the world, including SoulCycle, starting at 3,000 points a class (members must use the card 5 times each statement period to earn points; see Rewards & Benefits)
U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card	Gym memberships and sporting goods stores	5% cash back on two categories out of a choice of 12, on up to $2,000 in combined spending per quarter
Prime Visa	Athletic clothing, gear or equipment purchased on Amazon.com	5% cash back on Amazon.com purchases
The Platinum Card from American Express	U.S. Equinox users	Up to $300 in annual statement credits each calendar year (enrollment required)

Details of each card

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Peloton fans who don’t mind paying an elevated annual fee will find a lot of value out of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

Rewards: Earn 10 points per dollar spent on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $150 (through March 2025) — up to a maximum of 50,000 points. You’ll also earn 10 points per dollar spent on hotels and car rentals booked through Chase Travel℠, 10 points per dollar spent on Chase Dining, 10 points per dollar spent on Lyft rides (through March 2025), 5 points per dollar spent on flights booked with Chase Travel, 3 points per dollar spent on other travel purchases and dining and 1 point per dollar spent on other purchases.

Note that you won’t receive elevated earning rates on travel purchases until you spend the first $300 (the travel credit that comes with the Sapphire Reserve) on travel annually.

Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases within three months of account opening.

As of December 2024, TPG values this bonus at $1,230.

Annual fee: $550

Keep in mind: The Sapphire Reserve is one of our favorite travel credit cards, providing benefits like lounge access and insurance protections. While it won’t provide free access to gyms or monitor your health goals, it can help you earn heaps of points when buying Peloton equipment. From our valuations, you can get approximately a 20% return on spending.

To learn more, see our full review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

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Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve

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Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

If you’re a fan of Peloton but don’t want to pay the Sapphire Reserve’s exorbitant annual fee, try the Chase Sapphire Preferred instead.

Rewards: Earn 5 points per dollar spent on travel booked through Chase Travel, 5 points per dollar spent on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $150 (through March 2025, with a limit of 25,000 bonus points), 5 points per dollar spent on Lyft purchases (through March 2025), 3 points per dollar spent on dining, select streaming services and online grocery store purchases (excludes Target®, Walmart® and wholesale clubs), 2 points per dollar spent on all travel not booked through Chase Travel and 1 point per dollar spent on everything else.

Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months from account opening. As of December 2024, TPG values this bonus at $1,230.

Annual fee: $95

Keep in mind: Like the Sapphire Reserve, the Sapphire Preferred is great for travel and for earning points on Peloton purchases. On top of a $50 annual hotel credit and moderate annual fee, you also can receive a roughly 10% return on spending for Peloton purchases, based on our valuations.

To learn more, see our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

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Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred

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World of Hyatt Credit Card

If you’re a Hyatt loyalist, it’s a no-brainer to get the World of Hyatt card.

Rewards: Earn 4 points per dollar spent on purchases at Hyatt hotels, 2 points per dollar spent at restaurants, select travel and commuting, fitness clubs and gym memberships and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.

Welcome bonus: Earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months, plus up to an additional 30,000 bonus points by earning 2 bonus points total per $1 spent in the first six months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 bonus point, on up to $15,000 spent.

Since TPG values Hyatt points at 1.7 cents apiece as of December 2024, this bonus is worth up to $1,020.

Annual fee: $95

Keep in mind: The World of Hyatt card earns 2 points per dollar spent on fitness clubs and gym memberships — a nice return that can be used toward a Hyatt redemption.

You can also earn up to two free nights per year on Hyatt properties by using this card. You’ll receive a free night certificate usable at a Category 1-4 property after your card anniversary and can earn a second free night at a Category 1-4 property by spending $15,000 on the card in a cardmember year.

To learn more, see our full review of the World of Hyatt card.

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Apply here: World of Hyatt card

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Chase Freedom Flex

If you’re looking for a well-rounded card to add to your wallet, look no further than the Chase Freedom Flex.

Rewards: Earn 5% back on up to the first $1,500 spent on rotating categories each quarter (activation required). Earn 3% back on dining (including takeout and eligible delivery services) and on drugstore purchases, and earn 1% back on all other purchases.

Welcome bonus: Earn $200 cash back after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $0

Keep in mind: The Freedom Flex could be a great option when its quarterly bonus categories include gym memberships. However, you’ll only earn bonus rewards on gym memberships for that quarter. After that, your earning rate will drop to 1% back.

These bonus rewards can be even more lucrative if you also have a higher-end Chase card in your wallet — like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve. That’s because you can combine your rewards from both cards into a single account, allowing you to convert the cash-back rewards on the Freedom Flex into fully transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

To learn more, see our full review of the Chase Freedom Flex.

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Apply here: Chase Freedom Flex

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Bilt Mastercard

If you rent, you’ll want to apply for the Bilt Mastercard so you can earn points on rent (up to 100,000 points per year).

Editor’s note: TPG founder Brian Kelly is a Bilt adviser and investor.

Rewards: Earn 3 points per dollar spent on dining and 2 points per dollar spent on travel. Additionally, earn up to one point per dollar spent on rent with no transaction fees on the first $100,000 spent (up to 100,000 points in a calendar year). Use your card at least five times each statement period to earn points on all purchases. See Rewards & Benefits for more.

Welcome bonus: None

Annual fee: No annual fee

Keep in mind: The Bilt Mastercard is the first and only card on the market that allows you to pay your rent with no transaction fees (see rates and fees).

Beyond that, there’s a key reason why this card is included as a great option for fitness purchases: You can redeem your points for some of the most popular exercise classes in the world, including SoulCycle, starting at 3,000 points a class.

Bilt Rewards points are quite valuable, as they can be transferred at a 1:1 rate to a wide range of airline and hotel loyalty programs. Some of our favorite transfer partners include Aeroplan and World of Hyatt. Other redemption options include future mortgage or rent payments, merchandise and more. See the full rewards and benefits here.

To learn more, see our full review of the Bilt Mastercard.

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Apply here: Bilt Mastercard

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U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card

If you’d prefer to earn cash back, the U.S. Bank Cash+ card may just be the right choice for you.

Rewards: Earn 5% cash back on your first $2,000 in eligible purchases each quarter on the combined two categories you choose; 2% cash back on your choice of one everyday category, such as gas stations or grocery stores; and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases.

Gyms/fitness centers and sporting goods stores are two of the categories available for 5% earning, allowing you to earn bonus cash-back on your fitness purchases.

Sign-up bonus: Earn $200 after spending $1,000 in eligible purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.

Annual fee: $0

Keep in mind: While you must enroll each quarter in the categories of your choice to earn 5% cash back, it’s nice to be able to periodically change your selection. Not able to make use of 5% back on gyms this quarter? Pick something else — including TV, internet and streaming services — and save gyms for later this year.

It’s worth noting that U.S. Bank says the category options are subject to change quarterly and that your 5% bonus earnings are capped at $100 per quarter.

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Learn more: U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card

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Prime Visa

If you’re an Amazon Prime member, consider applying for the Prime Visa to get the most out of your Amazon purchases.

Rewards: Earn 5% back at Amazon.com and at Whole Foods Market; 5% back on Chase Travel purchases; 2% back at restaurants, gas stations and local transit and commuting; and 1% back on all other purchases. Additionally, earn 10% or more on a rotating selection of items and categories on Amazon.com.

Welcome bonus: Receive a $150 Amazon gift card instantly upon approval for Prime members.

Annual fee: None — but you must be an Amazon Prime member to qualify. Prime subscriptions now cost $139 annually.

Keep in mind: This card offers best-in-class earnings on purchases at Amazon. With such a large selection of workout equipment, gear and exercise apparel available, we consider it a card that is worthy of mention. You can purchase weights, yoga mats, running gear, stationary bikes and much more to build your own home gym.

This card doesn’t technically come with a bonus rewards category for athletic gear, but any clothing, gear or equipment you purchase on Amazon.com should receive 5% cash back.

To learn more, see our full review of the Prime Visa.

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Apply here: Prime Visa

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The Platinum Card from American Express

Despite its incredibly high annual fee, the Amex Platinum has a lot to offer the right person.

Rewards: Earn 5 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar after that), 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels through American Express Travel and 1 point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn 80,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. You may be targeted for a higher welcome offer through the CardMatch tool; offers are subject to change at any time, and not everyone will be targeted for the same welcome offer.

Annual fee: $695 (see rates and fees)

Keep in mind: While you’ll only earn 1 point per dollar spent on gym memberships and fitness clubs, Amex Platinum cardmembers can get up to $300 back each calendar year in statement credits for eligible U.S. Equinox memberships or the Equinox+ app. Enrollment is required in advance, and terms apply; memberships are subject to auto-renewal.

Whether you choose to work out at home or in person, Equinox members can enjoy a discount on their membership costs thanks to the Amex Platinum.

To learn more, see our full review of the Amex Platinum Card.

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Apply here: Amex Platinum

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Other options

If you don’t love any of these options, you can still use a card that’s a solid pick for everyday spending. Some of these options include:

• The Chase Freedom Unlimited®, which earns 1.5% cash back on exercise spending (or 1.5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar if you also have an Ultimate Rewards-earning card)
• The Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees), which earns 2 points per dollar on all eligible purchases (1 point when you buy plus 1 point when you pay your bill)
• The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card both earn at least 2 miles per dollar spent on select purchases

These are normal earning rates on these cards — but it doesn’t make them any less lucrative.

Note that you should also check for discounts on your cards through programs like Amex Offers and Chase Offers. These are limited and almost always one-time discounts, but can still provide value.

Finally, if you plan on purchasing exercise equipment and want extra time to pay it off, you may want to look at a card with 0% introductory APR. Just be sure to pay off the entire amount before the end of that promotional period. Otherwise, you could be hit with massive interest charges.

Bottom line

You will almost certainly not spend enough money in a year to base your choice of a credit card on whether you can earn bonus points with the money you spend on gym memberships or gear. But if other bonus categories on a particular credit card align with your spending habits, receiving additional points for your workouts is a great perk.

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Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Apply here: World of Hyatt Credit Card
Apply here: Chase Freedom Flex
Apply here: Bilt Mastercard
Apply here: Amex Platinum

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For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click here.
For rates and fees of the Bilt Mastercard, click here.
For rewards and benefits of the Bilt Mastercard, click here.

What’s sneaky, super contagious and bound to cause diarrhea and vomiting? If you answered “norovirus,” you’d be correct. But what is it, and why is it often associated with cruises?

Norovirus cases are on the rise this winter, both on land and at sea. “The total number of outbreaks reported during the 2024–2025 seasonal year is above the range reported during the same period during the 2012–2020 and 2021-2024 seasonal years,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The increase in news reports about norovirus cases might make you think that cruise vessels are dirty or you’re likely to get sick if you sail. I’m here to set the record straight.

Find out why norovirus is unfairly labeled a cruise ship illness, what cruise lines do to minimize onboard spread and whether you should be worried about it on your next voyage.

What is cruise ship norovirus?

Norovirus is the most common of several viruses that cause severe gastrointestinal illness or acute gastroenteritis. Symptoms might include diarrhea and vomiting, as well as abdominal cramping, headaches, muscle aches and fever — an unpleasant experience anytime but especially when you’re on vacation.

Norovirus is highly contagious and spreads when you touch a contaminated surface and then put your fingers in or near your mouth, such as when eating without washing your hands. It’s also frequently spread through contaminated food, sometimes earning it the nickname “food poisoning,” even though there are many pathogens that can cause food-borne illnesses. You might also hear it generically called a stomach bug or the stomach flu, despite the fact that noroviruses are not the same as flu viruses.

How does norovirus spread on cruise ships?

What causes norovirus on cruise ships, anyway? Norovirus spreads easily in close quarters, such as those found on cruise ships. Although it can spread from person-to-person contact, on vessels, it’s most commonly passed when passengers fail to wash their hands after coming in contact with high-touch areas, such as handrails, elevator buttons and serving utensils in the onboard buffets.

Infected passengers who don’t wash their hands after coughing, sneezing or using the restroom are the reason those surfaces become contaminated in the first place. To avoid both spreading your own germs and picking up the germs of others, wash your hands frequently, especially before eating, for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water, making sure to scrub around your fingernails and between your fingers.

Contaminated food is also a cause, but it’s not as common on ships, where the staff is meticulously trained to follow health and safety guidelines for sanitation. Standards are enforced by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (See the next section for more.)

What do cruise ships do to prevent norovirus outbreaks on board?

Cruise lines employ crews dedicated to keeping public areas and high-touch surfaces clean. Galley crews and waiters receive extensive training on food safety and handling.

Lines also screen passengers for signs of illness at embarkation. They ask passengers who feel ill during their cruises to report symptoms to the medical center and keep themselves isolated in their cabins.

On ships where outbreaks occur, the crew conducts a deep cleaning of the ship after passengers have disembarked and before the next sailing begins. In cases where outbreaks are particularly severe, subsequent sailings could be canceled to allow for more thorough sanitization.

Additionally, the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program, implemented in the 1970s, subjects all passenger ships carrying 13 or more people to random, unannounced inspections if they wish to call on ports in the U.S.

As part of the program, ships are required to adhere to stringent health and safety protocols that dictate everything from the cleaning of high-touch areas to how food is stored in freezers, refrigerators and galleys.

VSP inspectors board ships and conduct thorough checks to ensure compliance — and the standards are high. A score of less than 86 out of 100 is considered failing. You can find a list of the most recent inspection scores and lists of violations for each ship on the VSP website.

Should you worry about getting norovirus on a cruise?

The short answer is no. Cruise ships are responsible for some of the smallest numbers of norovirus cases annually in the U.S. Most cases develop in restaurants, schools, hospitals and nursing homes. If you’re not worried about norovirus on land, you don’t need to worry more at sea.

However, you’re more likely to hear about outbreaks on ships because ships are required to report cases while other entities are not.

“Health officials track illness on cruise ships,” the CDC says on its VSP norovirus FAQ page. “So outbreaks are found and reported more quickly on a cruise ship than on land.”

In a study of acute gastroenteritis cases from 2006 to 2019 (before the cruise industry’s COVID-19 shutdown), the CDC found that the number of cases on ships decreased over those 14 years. It also noted that the number of cases tends to be higher on larger ships and on voyages of a week or longer.

“The rate of … illness on cruise ships decreased during 2006-2019 for passengers and crew,” the report says. That’s good news for cruisers.

During that time frame, approximately 127 million passengers sailed on the 252 cruise ships under VSP jurisdiction. Of those 127 million cruisers, 26,450 reported symptoms of gastrointestinal illness while on board. It sounds like a large number, but it amounts to just 0.02% (two one-hundredths of 1%) of cruisers throughout those 14 years, with the total number of cases decreasing from 4,507 in 2006 to 1,201 in 2019.

However, if 2025 is seeing higher reported cases of norovirus on land, you can expect cruise ship cases to rise accordingly. You should take the same precautions on vacation as you would at home to keep yourself healthy.

If you’d like to check out the outbreak information, you can find a detailed list of ships that have had acute gastroenteritis outbreaks (many of which were caused by norovirus), listed by year, about halfway down the CDC’s outbreak page.

For more details on how to keep yourself healthy on board, visit TPG’s story on how to avoid getting sick on a cruise.

Why are there so many cruise norovirus reports on the news?

The simple answer is that cruise ships are required to report cases of acute gastroenteritis to the CDC, even when the numbers are low. In contrast, other entities are not.

Specifically, the medical staff from each cruise ship must submit a report with the number of ill passengers within 24 to 36 hours of the ship’s arrival at a U.S. port from a foreign port, even when no cases of gastrointestinal illness are present. They must also submit reports if 2% or more of the passengers and crew become ill and the ship is scheduled to visit a U.S. port within 15 days. If the number hits 3% or more, cases must be reported to the CDC even if the ship is not scheduled to call on a U.S. port within the next 15 days.

That means data for norovirus on cruise ships is more readily available than for other entities. It’s easy to make norovirus case numbers sound alarming, but context matters. For example, 100 cases on a single ship might seem like a lot, but on a vessel like Oasis of the Seas, which carries more than 5,400 passengers, 100 cases are only about 2% of the onboard population.

Bottom line

Should you be worried about catching norovirus or another gastrointestinal illness when you cruise? The CDC says cruises account for some of the lowest case numbers in the U.S. annually.

Your chances of finding yourself confined to your room and hunched over a toilet for a week are slim when you sail, especially if you take common-sense precautions like washing your hands and not sharing drinks, utensils and other items that easily spread germs.

Have more cruise questions? TPG has answers:

• Are cruises safe? Here’s what you need to know before you sail
• Packing for a cruise? These items aren’t allowed on board
• Man overboard: Cruise ship overboards and how they happen
• What is baked Alaska, and why is it paraded around cruise ships?
• What are the largest cruise ships in the world?
• Gentlemen hosts: These men cruise to make sure single ladies have a great time
• What is the Jones Act and how does it affect cruise ships?
• What is a lido deck on a cruise ship?
• What’s a cruise cabin guarantee and will it save you money?
• What’s the difference between a cruise ship concierge and a butler?

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

When booking discounted travel, numerous opportunities are available — from paid ticket sales to redemption promotions. One of the most reliable deals is the monthly Promo Rewards Air France-KLM Flying Blue offers.

These monthly exclusive discounts are on the Flying Blue website. They apply to flights to and from specific cities or regions, and they are available for booking until the end of each month. They also apply to a specified travel window.

This month, there are enticing offers for one-way economy flights to various European cities starting at just 15,000 miles. This represents a significant discount compared to what other loyalty programs typically charge for similar award tickets. If you’re planning a trip to or from one of those cities, this could be an exceptional deal worth considering.

What is Flying Blue’s January award promotion?

Airlines: Air France and KLM
Routes: Economy award fares are available on short- and medium-haul flights between various European cities as well as on long-haul flights between Europe and North American cities like Atlanta, Miami and Phoenix. Premium economy seats are also available from Chicago and New York to Europe.
Cost: Short- and medium-haul economy awards start at 5,625 miles; long-haul economy awards start at 15,000 miles; long-haul premium economy awards start at 26,250 miles.
Travel dates: Through June 30
Book by: Jan. 31

Promo Rewards between North America and Europe

Right now, you can snag a one-way economy ticket from O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Scotland’s Edinburgh Airport (EDI) for just 20,000 miles. Remember our tip to easily search prices month by month.

Keep in mind that Flying Blue lets you add a free stopover on your connection(s). For example, you could fly from the U.S. to Edinburgh, spend a few days in Amsterdam and then travel to your final destination for no additional miles. To book a ticket with a stopover, you’ll need to call Flying Blue at 800-375-8723.

Related: The best ways to travel to Europe using points and miles

How to book Flying Blue Promo Rewards flights

Book Promo Rewards tickets on the Air France or KLM website. Log into your account and click the “Book with Miles” button on the home screen. Then enter your desired itinerary before clicking “Search flights.”

Now select the flight you’d like to book and follow the on-screen prompts to complete your reservation.

If you plan to transfer credit card points or miles to book this award, you should find award space first. Then place your ticket on hold and transfer your points or miles. You never want to transfer points or miles without having concrete dates in mind.

How to earn Flying Blue miles

Boosting your Flying Blue balance is easy, because the program partners with all major transferable points and miles programs.

You can transfer points or miles at a 1:1 ratio from American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Wells Fargo Rewards and Citi ThankYou Rewards. You can also transfer Marriott Bonvoy points at a 3:1 ratio, with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points you transfer.

Based on our tests, Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase and Citi transfers should post almost instantly. However, that wasn’t the case with our test transfer from Marriott, which took three days to arrive in our Flying Blue account. Because of this, credit card points and miles are your best bet if you hope to book right away; Flying Blue generally allows three-day holds on award tickets when you call, though.

Related: When does it make sense to transfer Marriott points to airlines?

Maximize your purchase

Use a card that earns additional points on airfare purchases to pay the taxes and fees on your award ticket.

Some of the best cards include:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express: 5 points per dollar spent on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 5 points per dollar spent on flights purchased through Chase Travel℠ and 3 points per dollar spent on other travel
• American Express® Gold Card: 3 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through amextravel.com
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 5 points per dollar spent on travel purchased through Chase Travel and 2 points per dollar spent on other travel purchases
• Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card (see rates and fees): 5 points per dollar spent on hotels, 4 points per dollar spent on airline purchases and 3 points per dollar spent on other travel

Bottom line

Few sales are as reliable as the Promo Rewards we see each month from Air France-KLM Flying Blue. Boosting your Flying Blue balance is easy since the program partners with all major transferable points and miles programs. Since you can reserve these tickets on either the Air France or KLM website, they’re simple for anyone to book.

Related reading:

• Key travel tips you need to know — whether you’re a first-time or frequent traveler
• Best travel credit cards
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
• 13 must-have items the TPG team can’t travel without

What was the most on-time airline — and airport — in the world in 2024?

New numbers released to kick off the new year offer some answers.

Aeromexico proved to be the global winner, according to data released Thursday by aviation analytics firm Cirium.

In 2024, nearly 87% of the Mexico City-based carrier’s flights arrived at their destination on time.

Closely following Aeromexico, two spots back in third place, was Delta Air Lines, the top U.S. carrier for on-time performance last year, Cirium said.

Here’s a quick rundown of the top-performing airlines, as well as large airports that saw the highest on-time rates — featuring one of the most popular U.S. cities for vacationers.

Most on-time airlines in 2024

To calculate the highest-performing airlines in the world, Cirium held to a widely recognized industry standard: the percentage of flights that arrived at their destination within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time.

Here’s how global airlines stacked up:

1. Aeromexico (86.7%)
2. Saudia (86.3%)
3. Delta (83.5%)

It’s worth noting that Panama City-based Copa Airlines actually outperformed Aeromexico, with 88% of its flights arriving on time. However, Copa doesn’t technically meet Cirium’s global network criteria for that ranking — though the Star Alliance airline did take the crown among Latin American carriers.

Most on-time airlines in the US

The top U.S. airlines for on-time performance in 2024 included:

1. Delta
2. United Airlines (80.9%)
3. Alaska Airlines (79.3%)

Delta’s top ranking among U.S. airlines came despite a mid-July meltdown in the wake of a global technology outage at CrowdStrike, which saw the Atlanta-based carrier cancel thousands of flights over a five-day period.

Yet, its full-year performance still ranked ahead of its closest U.S. competitors, Cirium said.

“Their recovery was superb, because the month after that whole issue occurred, they were at 91% [on-time flights] in August,” said Mike Malik, Cirium chief marketing officer.

Delta was the top-performing carrier in TPG’s Best U.S. Airlines in 2024 report released last spring. We’ll ultimately have to see how Delta stacks up when we crunch the numbers again this year.

Other regions of the world

Iberia Express, a regional subsidiary of Madrid-based Iberia, ranked first among European airlines in 2024 on-time performance, Cirium announced.

The mainline Spanish flag carrier ranked second, followed by Scandinavian Airlines, which in 2024 became the newest member of the SkyTeam alliance following years of financial turmoil.

“SAS is making huge strides and investment into I.T. and technology, and also fleet, as well,” Malik noted.

Japan Airlines was the top performer in the Asia Pacific region, narrowly topping Japanese competitor All Nippon Airways.

Read more: Japan Airlines’ A350-1000 inaugural from New York to Tokyo: Same great service, fabulous new seats

South Africa-based Safair led the rankings in the Middle East/Africa region.

Top airports in the world for on-time performance

Cirium also compiled rankings for the world’s best airports for on-time departures.

Among large hubs, here’s how the top three shook out in 2024:

1. King Khalid International Airport (RUH) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
2. Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) in Honolulu
3. Jorge Chavez International Airport (LIM) in Lima, Peru

Honolulu’s airport is the biggest airport in Hawaii, serving as a vital connection for interisland flights in the state and also as a gateway to Asia. It’s also a new global hub for the newly merged airline comprising the Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines brands.

Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport (PTY) was the best medium-size airport in the world for on-time flights, Cirium said, with Guayaquil, Ecuador’s Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport (GYE) leading among small airports.

Related reading:

• When is the best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare?
• The best airline credit cards
• What exactly are airline miles, anyway?
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
• The best credit cards to reach elite status
• What are points and miles worth? TPG’s monthly valuations

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.  

‘Tis the season for gifts — and that includes gift cards. Unfortunately, you may have received some gift cards for the holidays that you aren’t very excited about. If that’s the case, we have some good news: You can turn those unwanted gift cards into United MileagePlus miles through United’s MileagePlus Gift Card Exchange. Here’s how it works.

Related: What credit cards should you use to purchase gift cards?

Which gift cards are eligible for United miles?

On the MileagePlus Gift Card Exchange landing page, there’s a link to a “Gift card retailer list” at the bottom. This list currently includes over 30 retailers, such as Best Buy, Sears, Starbucks and Walmart.

However, note that some merchants on this list may not actually be available for exchange on the website. There are also some merchants available for exchange that aren’t on the list, including The North Face and HP.

Related: Flights, credit cards and more: How to earn miles with the United MileagePlus program

Is it worth exchanging gift cards?

United has a chart listing the “Minimum award miles awarded,” which would make you think that some options offer more miles than these rates. But we checked dozens of different merchants, and the mileage offer was the same for each one.

Despite the chart, you’re not limited to $25, $50 and $100 gift cards. According to the homepage, you can exchange gift cards with at least a $15 minimum balance. However, there are higher minimum balances for some merchants, like $50 at The North Face. If your balance is too low, a red box with the minimum will pop up when you click “Get Mileage offer.”

From what we’ve gathered, the number of miles offered is the gift card value times 26.6, rounded up to the nearest 10 miles. This comes out to between 3.70 and 3.76 cents per mile, depending on how many you’re trading in. For example:

• $15 gift cards equal 400 United miles (3.75 cents per mile)
• $20 gift cards equal 540 United miles (3.70 cents per mile)
• $25 gift cards equal 670 United miles (3.73 cents per mile)
• $30 gift cards equal 800 United miles (3.75 cents per mile)
• $40 gift cards equal 1,070 United miles (3.74 cents per mile)
• $50 gift cards equal 1,330 United miles (3.76 cents per mile)
• $100 gift cards equal 2,660 United miles (3.76 cents per mile)

This rate is much higher than TPG’s December 2024 valuation of 1.35 cents per United mile, meaning you’re not getting good value from your gift cards. Still, if you’d rather have the miles than the gift card, this could be a useful way to offload them.

Also, at least United is being consistent. When United isn’t running a buy miles promotion, you can buy United miles at a rate of $35 per 1,000 United miles. After taxes and fees, this comes out to 3.76 cents per mile.

Related: The best credit cards for buying points and miles

Limitations to the Gift Card Exchange

To sell gift cards through the MileagePlus Gift Card Exchange, your MileagePlus account must have been open for at least 90 days and have a positive account balance. This means you can’t exchange your gift cards for miles if there are no miles in your account.

But if your account is empty, don’t worry: There are several easy ways to earn United miles without flying, such as through the MileagePlus shopping portal or the MileagePlus Dining program.

Although the site may give you a quote for $10 gift cards at some merchants, the terms and conditions state that “gift cards accepted must have a $15 minimum balance on the card and may have a maximum imposed.” It also appears that the exchange will only accept gift cards up to $100.

If you decide to sell a gift card through the MileagePlus Gift Card Exchange, the miles should arrive in your United account within five business days.

Related: How to use points and miles to give gifts with zero out-of-pocket cost

Bottom line

While you’re not going to get the best value from exchanging gift cards for United miles, it’s nice to have the option to swap an unwanted gift card for something more useful. The MileagePlus Gift Card Exchange could come in handy if you need United miles for an upcoming redemption, have tapped out your Bilt Rewards Points and Chase Ultimate Rewards points, and are holding a qualifying gift card. If your only other option is to buy United miles, you might as well liquidate the gift card — especially if it’s one you wouldn’t use soon anyway.

On the other hand, if you don’t have a United redemption in mind, it might be worth checking online for another gift card exchange program (such as CardCash) that may give you a better rate.