Why Reward Flight Costs Have Skyrocketed—Except on American Airlines
Discover how domestic award flight prices have surged across major U.S. airlines since the pandemic, with American Airlines standing out as the only carrier reducing miles needed for rewards.
Essential Insights
- Domestic economy reward flights on six leading U.S. airlines have increased in cost by nearly 12 percentage points above inflation since the pandemic began.
- According to IdeaWorksCompany, the average value received per dollar spent on base fares, known as "reward payback," has halved over the past six years.
- American Airlines is a notable exception, with domestic economy award redemptions now requiring 21% fewer miles than in 2019.
Since the onset of the pandemic, the price in miles for domestic award flights has consistently risen across most major U.S. airlines. However, American Airlines bucks this trend by lowering the miles needed for reward flights.
A recent IdeaWorksCompany report reveals that the average miles required for domestic economy award flights on six major U.S. carriers have climbed nearly 12 points beyond inflation since 2020. The study analyzed popular reward options from American, Delta, United, Southwest, Alaska, and JetBlue.
The firm's research involved hundreds of flight queries for travel between June and October 2025, covering distances from 251 to 2,500 miles. Results showed that "reward payback"—the value travelers get per dollar spent on base fares—has declined by approximately 50% since 2019.
For example, Southwest Airlines saw a dramatic increase, with average reward flights rising from 7,367 miles in 2019 to 18,673 miles in 2025, representing a 150% jump. Delta, JetBlue, and Alaska experienced increases between 23% and 26%, while United’s growth was more moderate at 9%.
In contrast, American Airlines reduced its average domestic economy award redemption from 23,700 miles in 2019 to 18,690 miles in 2025, a 21% decrease. This is attributed to American’s dynamic award pricing system, which often makes affordable domestic coach awards readily available.
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