According to a new poll conducted by Airlines for America, the trade association for the majority of major U.S. airlines, most Americans cherish their airline loyalty awards.
This includes credit cards that offer frequent flyer miles for everyday expenditures. The poll comes at a time when certain legislators in Washington are advocating for the abolition of airline reward schemes.
A4A found that 81% of respondents valued earning bonus reward points for travel with their credit or charge card, and 73% actively track their points earned.
A poll found that 77% of respondents redeem travel rewards credit card points within a year after accrual.
Nearly all major airlines have connected charge cards and sell applications on flights. The Durbin-Marshall credit card bill would not allow consumers to choose the network for credit transactions. The bill would purportedly raise rewards program costs.
A clause targeting debit cards was added to the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010. Nearly all debit card rewards are gone.
A4A detected nearly 30 million U.S. airline credit card holders, or one in four families, four months ago. A4A expects that airline credit cards contributed 63% of consumer frequent flyer miles/points in 2022.
As of 2022, A4A forecasts airline credit card rewards paid for 15 million domestic visitor journeys that generated $23 billion in economic activity. In other news, A4A reiterated its commitment to disabled air travelers.
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