For the sixth consecutive year, the Allways Rewards Visa (which was previously known as the Allegiant World Mastercard) was named Best Airline Credit Card by USA TODAY’s 10 Best 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards. Plus, the Allways Rewards program was crowned Best Frequent Flyer Program by the same awards.
What’s interesting about these results is that it’s highly unlikely that Allegiant’s rewards card and program are the first that come to mind when you think of air carriers. Plus, other airline cards — such as Delta’s Amex suite — offer much more lucrative benefits. So why Allegiant? Well, whether or not I’d actually agree with those rankings, I can absolutely see the unique appeal of Allways Rewards and its associated credit card.
Just this week, I took my latest flight on Allegiant Airlines — which reminded me just how valuable the Allways Rewards Visa card can be. Namely, the complimentary Priority Access boarding and free beverage benefits alone could easily cover the card’s annual fee quickly. With Priority Access currently going for $13.50 per passenger per way and the card’s perk applying to everyone on your itinerary, it’s not hard to exceed the $59 annual fee within one trip. So, even if the rewards categories (3x on Allegiant purchases, 2x on dining purchases, and 1x on everything else) aren’t anything to write home about, the core perks certainly
As for Allways Rewards itself, what makes it a unique frequent flyer program is that it’s, um, not really a frequent flyer program. Rather than rewarding loyal passengers with status, Allways Rewards earns easy-to-redeem points that have a flat value. Flyers can earn 1 point per dollar spent on bookings or 2 points per dollar spent on Allegiant itineraries over $500. Then, those points can be redeemed in any denomination, with each point being valued at 1¢. So, 2,000 Allways Rewards points could be used for $20 off a future booking on the airline.
While Allegiant is known as a budget airline, it’s also a leisure airline. Therefore, it makes a ton of sense that their loyalty program and rewards credit card would appeal to less-frequent, casual flyers. Honestly, that’s something I can definitely appreciate. In fact, after years of thinking about getting the Allegiant card (now the Allways Rewards Visa), this most recent trip on the airline has me once again pondering picking it up for the perks. Clearly I’m not the only one, judging by these latest USA Today wins. So, if you’re planning to fly with Allegiant, definitely be sure to sign up for their free Allways Rewards program and perhaps even consider grabbing the Allways Rewards Visa as well.