Rick Steves Thinks This Popular Trend Is A Waste Of Money While Traveling

Rick Steves is a go-to source for travel tips, from how to find great restaurants in Europe to why you should fly "open jaws" to save money. He's flown more than most people over the last several decades with his European tours and for his show "Rick Steves' Europe," so when he has advice, it's important to pay attention, especially if it's something he says to avoid. One thing that Steves doesn't bother with is airline loyalty programs, no matter how popular or trendy they may be. In a 2024 profile in The Washington Post, Steves says that these programs "bully us into complicating our lives." If you've ever spent hours trying to figure out how many miles you'll get from a flight, shifted your vacation time so you can fit into a window that the airline hasn't blacked out, or chosen a more expensive ticket to get more miles, you may agree. 

In fact, in a post on his website, he says, "Don't let frequent flier miles cloud your judgment. Choose a plane ticket, car rental, hotel or tour according to the best value for your trip, not in hopes of scoring a few extra miles." While some mileage programs offer upgrades, that's not something Steves is interested in, nor does he pay for upgrades. In the Washington Post interview, he says of flying economy, "It never occurred to me that I'm suffering. ... As long as I've got an aisle and a seat that reclines, I'm happy." (That said, choosing to recline or not is one of the frustrating aspects of flying that often sparks heated debate among travelers.) He also shares that he thinks airlines should have one class instead of different tiers.

If you've ever chosen a flight that wasn't exactly when you wanted it to be, just so you could keep a certain loyalty status, or paid more for a flight so you could get more points, you might have felt that the program is working against you. Once upon a time, when these programs started, it was a much simpler process, where you earned miles for miles, and upgrades and free tickets were much easier to come by. These perks are much harder to earn nowadays. While a loyalty program may be worth it to you if you fly a lot for work or to see family, it may not get you much in terms of benefits if you don't.

However, it doesn't hurt to sign up for a frequent flier loyalty program for a flight. You may still get something out of it, even if it's not a free flight or upgrade. For instance, consumer aviation newsletter writer Brian Sumers tells Afar, "Delta gives loyalty members free internet. American Airlines lets members use travel credits for longer and board earlier than nonmembers. Airlines want you in their ecosystem—it's about keeping you connected to their marketing funnel." 

While Rick Steves may not be a part of airline loyalty programs, that doesn't mean you have to follow his lead. If you find a program where your miles don't expire (meaning you're not going to feel pressured to fly when you weren't planning to, just to keep your status), like JetBlue's TrueBlue program, Delta Air Lines SkyMiles, or United Airlines MileagePlus (as of this writing), or where there are no blackout dates, it won't matter when or how often you travel. Then, after signing up, keep an eye on your boarding pass, because seeing these sneaky letters on there means you're more likely to get upgraded.