America wizardry of points, miles and loyalty programs: here's what frequent flyers in the U.S. are up to

The world of points and loyalty programs Is a world. And this world runs fast and more and more people are part of it, especially in America, the realm of the frequent flyer e traveler.

Italy, on the other hand, is discovering this world little by little. It is still a relatively small slice of Italians who are part of it, know the rules of the game and have begun to understand how to take advantage of it. Therefore, To better understand and learn from the best let's go and see what those who are more experienced than us are up to And what happens on the other side of the ocean.

AwardWallet, a site that monitors travel loyalty programs, such as those of airlines and hotels, recently shared the results of the survey Travel Reward and Loyalty Report 2025, led by Barclay - market research company-between March 10, 2025 and March 18, 2025.

First, from the report emerges strong involvement in loyalty programs among travelers of all ages and genders. Although there are some differences in program use between genders.

Here are the main results of the new survey:

• Travel awards are critical

A 79% of travelers rely on loyalty programs. And this percentage-per thousand people contacted-marks a significant increase from previous years.

L'82% of the respondents admits that in the absence of travel rewards, their travel habits would change substantially or, in extreme cases, cease altogether.

• The media is a huge attraction

Television and film are influencing travel decisions more than ever before. Two-thirds of travelers said they were inspired to choose destinations based on their favorite TV shows or movies.

Of these, the 40% has already acted on this impulse, while another 30% is planning to do so in the near future.

• Millennials are strategic travelers when it comes to travel awards

I millennial are at the forefront of maximizing travel awards. The 72% uses award-focused strategies to maximize its travel budgets. What is truly surprising is that a incredible 94% of them is employing advanced techniques to earn points, compared with other generations.

• Gender preferences in awards

The survey shows a sharp division in how men and women use travel awards.

As a rule, men tend to prefer benefits that emphasize exclusivity, as upgrade free of charge, access to the lounge and more. On the other hand, women tend to lean toward practical benefits that improve the comfort and convenience, such as free checked baggage.

• Parents prefer cruises

Parents stand out as the most adept at navigating rewards systems, showing a growing interest in cruise line loyalty programs. Currently, one in five parents are enrolled in such a program, further solidifying their position as an experienced rewards demographic.

• Younger travelers are more motivated by the binge-watching (compulsive and prolonged viewing of TV series) of TV programs.
• There is a strong involvement and enrollment in loyalty programs across all generations.
• Both men and women tend to be equally involved in loyalty programs.

In conclusion, it can be said that this report is very good news, as it shows that loyalty programs are increasingly engaging so many different types of travelers. And because of this, it is assumed that the rules of the game are going to get better and better, so we Italian travelers for now can look overseas and learn, poke around and copy some tricks.