The Biggest Loyalty Trends Shaping Late 2025 — And What Will Matter Most in 2026
Loyalty is entering a new era. Over the past 18 months, nearly every major loyalty program — from airlines and hotels to retailers, credit cards, and emerging fintech platforms — has restructured how members earn, redeem, and experience value. Economic pressure has made consumers more selective. AI has reshaped expectations for personalization. And everyday spending behaviors now matter as much as traditional travel patterns.
As 2025 comes to an end, the loyalty landscape looks radically different from even a few years ago. The following trends highlight what’s changing, why it’s happening now, and what brands should prepare for as we move into 2026.
1. Coalition Loyalty Is Back — With Larger Ecosystems and Everyday Utility
Coalition loyalty refers to earning and redeeming rewards across multiple brands or categories within one connected structure. After a quieter period in the 2010s, these programs have re-emerged with better economics and more flexible redemption options.
Recent examples:
Bilt Rewards expanded its network across Alaska Airlines, Hyatt, IHG, United, Flying Blue, and more. Alaska confirmed in 2025 that its partnership with Bilt remains active even as it launched Atmos Rewards. Bilt also began shifting from “Milestone Rewards” to a more flexible “Bilt Cash.”
Nectar → British Airways Avios integration in 2024 linked major retail spend to a major airline currency.
Uber + Marriott / Uber + Avios (2024) connected rides and Uber Eats orders to established travel loyalty ecosystems.
Why it matters for 2026: Coalition programs are moving toward unified “wallets” where everyday spend reliably converts into travel value.
2. Status Inflation Triggered a Global Recalibration
Status inflation (meaning when too many members qualify for elite tiers) became a major issue from 2021 to 2023. In 2024 – 2025, loyalty programs began recalibrating to restore the value of elite benefits.
Recent changes:
Delta SkyMiles (2024): Moved entirely to spend-based qualification (MQDs only) and later reduced thresholds after consumer pushback.
Marriott Bonvoy (2024 – 2025): Introduced a global promotion offering bonus points and elite night credits to rebalance progression.
United MileagePlus (2024): Increased PQP-earning opportunities and simplified segment requirements.
Looking to 2026: More hybrid qualification models (e.g. blending nights, spend, and engagement) are likely, along with a renewed focus on protecting mid-tier value.
3. Everyday Spend → Travel Rewards Becomes the Dominant Earn Path
Earning travel rewards from non-travel categories surged in 2024 – 2025, redefining what “loyalty participation” looks like.
Proof points:
Bilt Rewards turned rent into a major earn category and influenced other issuers to rethink everyday earn potential.
Co-branded cards expanded multipliers for dining, grocery, gas, rideshare, subscriptions, and transit.
Target Circle → Starbucks Stars (2024) created a widely adopted retail-to-F&B earning partnership.
Why it matters for 2026: Consumers expect loyalty to reward daily life as much as travel. This is especially true during periods of financial caution.
4. Experiential Loyalty Overtakes Transactional Loyalty
Experiential loyalty prioritizes redemptions tied to events, culture, sports, entertainment, and unique access rather than just flights or hotel nights.
Recent examples:
Marriott Bonvoy Moments consistently selling out premium experiences such as F1 paddock access and major concert packages.
American Express “By Invitation Only” expanding across culinary residencies and high-demand live events.
Why it’s accelerating: Travelers increasingly value exclusive, meaningful experiences over incremental point redemptions.
5. AI-Driven Personalization Becomes Invisible but Essential
AI has shifted from an optional loyalty feature to core infrastructure powering personalization and reducing friction.
Notable developments:
United’s ConnectionSaver and predictive rebooking tools improved satisfaction by automating high-stress travel moments.
Companies like Expedia embedded AI recommendation engines into loyalty-driven booking flows
What to expect in 2026: Programs will increasingly adapt benefits, offers, and redemption guidance automatically based on individual behavior.
6. Paid Loyalty & Subscriptions Become Proven Revenue Models
Paid loyalty once struggled, but 2024–2025 confirmed its staying power across industries.
Evidence:
Walmart+ (2024) added expanded travel benefits via Expedia.
Programs like Frontier’s The Works / The Perks demonstrate consistent demand for predictable value bundles.
Amazon Prime continued piloting travel-linked perks in select markets.
2026 trajectory: Expect hybrid models that combine fixed benefits, status accelerators, and flexible “boosters” members can activate on demand.
7. Loyalty Shifts from Retention Tool to Conversion Engine
Loyalty incentives are increasingly used at the moment of purchase, not just after the trip.
Recent examples:
AAdvantage and MileagePlus integrated mileage multipliers and elite boosts directly into booking flows.
Southwest Rapid Rewards used “20% back in points” messaging to drive sale-event conversions.
Expedia One Key and companies like Hopper leaned on loyalty benefits to reduce reliance on paid acquisition.
Why it matters: Loyalty is becoming a frontline acquisition strategy, not just a post-booking engagement tool.
8. Values-Based Loyalty Regains Momentum
Sustainability, community impact, and purpose-driven benefits regained traction in 2024–2025.
Examples:
Etihad Green Tier expanded rewards for sustainable travel actions.
United Eco-Skies made SAF-support redemptions more visible in booking flows.
Air Canada + CHOOSE introduced climate-focused redemption options.
Marriott added community-based tourism experiences into its Moments catalog.
2026 outlook: Younger travelers increasingly expect loyalty programs to reflect personal and environmental values.
9. Retail Loyalty Starts Mirroring Travel Loyalty Mechanics
Retailers adopted more travel-like tier structures, experiential rewards, and personalization.
Recent examples:
Target Circle relaunched with tiered status levels.
Starbucks Odyssey shifted away from NFT mechanics into a restructured rewards experience.
Sephora Beauty Insider expanded experiential and early-access perks.
Nike Membership grew personalized drops and local event-based engagement.
Why it matters: Retail participation is now feeding into travel ecosystems — creating broader, more habit-driven loyalty behavior.
10. Loyalty UX Becomes Simpler — and a True Competitive Advantage
Programs across industries made meaningful UX improvements in 2024 – 2025.
Notable shifts:
Airlines simplified fare-class earning charts.
Hotels added real-time room upgrade visibility.
OTAs now display “What you’ll earn” directly alongside search results.
Co-branded issuers improved point calculators and redemption flows.
Travel apps increasingly integrate multi-program wallets.
Why this matters: Clarity drives conversion. Loyalty programs that make value easy to understand outperform those with opaque rules or inconsistent benefits.
Final Thoughts
The past year marked a turning point for loyalty. Programs are shifting from rigid, transactional models to more fluid, ecosystem-driven experiences that reflect how people actually live, spend, and travel. We are seeing a clear direction: unified wallets, everyday earn, experience-led rewards, simplified UX, and AI-enhanced personalization that adapts to each traveler.
Heading into 2026, the brands that succeed likely will not be the ones with the biggest points balances. Insead, they’ll be the ones that make loyalty feel intuitive, valuable, and seamlessly connected to daily life. The future belongs to programs that help members not just earn and burn, but belong, participate, and grow with the brand in meaningful ways.
