I wouldn't know best top-tier.
Best mid-tier and low-tier: I'd give it to AA hands-down. For me, the most important thing is being able to obtain a decent level of customer service when I need it. I don't call AA often on the phone, but when I'm stuck in Chicago during a snowstorm, I want access to a
human without waiting on hold. AA gives me that. United doesn't. And AA allows me to pre-select exit row and get occasional upgrades when I want them. They do good enough for me in the upgrade category, although I don't really get all that jazzed about anybody's domestic F product to care too much.
Best award redemption, IMHO, should go to AA. Anecdotally, I've gotten everything I could want from my AA awards. Hawaii, Europe, premium cabins, etc. Part of it might be due to the fact that I live in the middle of the country where connecting via ORD or DFW are about equally time-consuming for most destinations. So I can consider all of AA's possible routes when looking for an award. AA gets the nod over WN because, even if I want to redeem for a domestic trip, the only days I'd want to do it are totally blacked out by WN. No awards allowed at all. At least AA will let me burn 50k if I choose - and sometimes I've even had luck getting an F award at the PlanAAhead level during peak times. My only bone to pick with AA are some of their stupid fees...
Best customer service: WN. I say this as an infrequent traveler on WN, so I'm comparing them to non-elite service on other airlines. The beauty about WN is that nobody is elite. Therefore, they can't single you out for substandard treatment because you don't fly a lot. As long as you check-in at home, WN service is wonderful. I haven't had trouble with their kiosks, so even checking a bag is okay. The rare phone call I've had to place to them has been answered by a human.
Best web-site. Don't really know...none of them will let me check availability across all partners or all award types where availabiility
should be query-able online. WN has a nice simple site, but it has limitations: for example, it can't handle two pax on one booking for Internet check-in, and it can't handle infants. I would give this award to
nobody, because nobody deserves it.
Best CC: SPG Amex. I love DC's rental car benefit and (to a lesser extent) international service, but from a pure rewards perspective, SPG Amex has by far the bigger yield. The merchandise catalog for DC is glitzy, but if I wanted that kind of reward I'd simply carry a 1% rebate card and locate my best plasma TV deal on my own.
Originally Posted by gleff
Restricting myself to a discussion of airlines, and North America for a moment.
I think there are huge differences within elite levels, it's almost even strange to vote on
'Best Elite Level' or program.
My own view is that the best top elite level belongs to American, followed closely by United. Certainly among programs with 3 (official) tiers. If I were giving a third-place vote for best top elite level it would go to Alaska, btw.
But if I were a first or second-tieir elite I'd rather be a member of the Northwest or America West programs I think because of their unlimited complimentary upgrades and the extent to which the programs
deliver on those upgrades to all elite members and not just those at the very top.
On
Best Award Redemption (again, Americas) I'd give the nod to American, Alaska, United, and Delta in that order -- fully recognizing that American got a bit tighter this year at least anecdotally. Alaska does a really good job with award availability, and has strong partnerships, but is somewhat limited in its own route network. United has gotten far more difficult to redeem an award with -- less availability (or just greater demand for the same capacity?), reducing hold times from 14 days to 3 (down from 30 days just a few years ago), and limiting redemption on LH transatlantic flights to a specific window. Nevertheless, Star Alliance awards really should put them in the running still.
Northwest and Continental are just awful at redemption on their own metal, but their partnerships allow you to redeem on carriers that actually do make awards available. So their miles are worth something. However the gutting of the Northwest chart especially this year deserves a major
.
I wouldn't give the award to Southwest, because while they've managed to eschew capacity controls they simply don't provide for the redemption of the kind of awards I would ever
want.
Best Affinity Credit Card ought to belong to the Starwood Amex, followed by Diners Club.
I'd give
Best Website to Northwest, with honorable mention to Continental for their new award availability calendar. AA might even be up there, but there's a lack of detail on some of their award rules. UA is just downright unreliable. AS and WN deserve mention for their simplicity.
Best Newsletter just isn't important to me.
Best Customer Service? I love the folks at Alaska. Continental actually deserves some small mention for finally creating an actual elite desk. No doubt Southwest offers good customer service, but I have no direct experience here.
Thoughts on
Best Bonus? Nothing immediately springs to mind, but I think it's just the haze before New Year's Eve. I love United's DC Round-the-World promo, but it's too regional to win.