Airline And Hotel Dining Rewards Programs Guide | Travel

All of the dining rewards programs are part of the Rewards Network. That means that while you’re free to join as many of them as you want, you can’t register the same credit card with multiple programs.

While the rewards from these dining programs don’t seem like much, they can add up when stacked with other points-earning methods.

Every major U.S. airline has a dining rewards program where members can earn a welcome bonus of up to 3,000 bonus miles. Outside of this bonus, members earn 0.5 to 5 miles per dollar spent. You can join as many of these programs as you want, but there is a good reason for focusing on one specific program: The possibility of elite status.

American Airlines, for example, has switched to a new Loyalty Point metric whereby every dollar you spend counts towards status. This includes AAdvantage dining activity, which can help you fast-track your way to the next elite status tier. The qualification period runs from March 1 through March 31 of the following year.

But American Airlines isn’t the only program offering an additional incentive. Southwest Rapid Rewards issues a Companion Pass after earning 125,000 Rapid Rewards points in a calendar year. You can use this pass to book a seat for a companion free of charge. The points earned through Rapid Rewards Dining can help you get there faster.

Here are the other airlines currently offering bonuses when you sign up for dining rewards:

• 3,500 SkyMiles after you spend $90 over three visits
• 0.5 to 1 SkyMile per $1 at participating restaurants

United MileagePlus Dining

• 1,500 MileagePlus miles after you spend $25 within 30 days of joining and writing a review
• 0.5 to 5 miles per $1 at participating restaurants

American AAdvantage Dining

• 1,000 AAdvantage miles after you spend $25 within 30 days of registering and writing a review
• 1 to 5 miles per $1 at participating restaurants

• 1,000 Free Spirit bonus points after you spend $30 within 30 days of joining and writing a review
• 1 to 5 miles per $1 at participating restaurants

Alaska Mileage Plan Dining

• 1,000 Mileage Plan miles after you spend $30 and write a review within 30 days
• 0.5 to 5 miles per $1 at participating restaurants

Southwest Rapid Rewards Dining

• 1,000 Rapid Rewards points after you spend $25 within 30 days and writing a review
• 0.5 to 3 miles per $1 at participating restaurants

Three of the largest hotel loyalty programs offer their dining rewards programs that let you translate meals into free hotel nights. Marriott is the most generous with a welcome offer of 3,000 points and its standard earn rate.

However, Hilton has a lower spending requirement for earning the initial bonus and higher earning potential per dollar spent. You can sign up for all three programs if you can’t make up your mind or want to diversify your points portfolio.

• Get up to 3,000 Bonvoy points after you spend $90 over three visits within 60 days of joining
• 4 to 6 points per $1 at participating restaurants

• 1,000 Hilton points after you spend $25 within 30 days of joining and writing a review
• 2 to 8 points per $1 at participating restaurants

• 1,000 IHG One Rewards points after you spend $30 within 30 days of joining and writing a review
• 1 to 8 points per $1 at participating restaurants

To earn points with an airline or hotel dining rewards program, you must register your credit card and then use it at participating restaurants. You can register as many cards with each program as you want. However, you can’t register the same card with more than one program.

The best credit cards to use are ones that earn bonus points on dining. You can earn up to 4 points or 5% cash back from these cards. That’s in addition to the program’s 0.5 to 8 points per $1. Here’s a look at Forbes’ picks for the best credit cards for dining at restaurants:

The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card is the ideal choice if dining is one of your top spending categories each month. You’ll earn and have a $0 annual fee. The American Express® Gold Card and Citi Premier® Card are solid options if you’d rather earn points.

The American Express® Gold Card earns 4 Membership Rewards points at restaurants, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. The card has a $250 annual fee, which can be steep for some, but it does earn valuable Membership Rewards points. It also comes with $120 in annual Uber Cash that you can apply to Uber Eats orders. Plus, you’ll get $120 in dining credits valid at Grubhub, Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Milk Bar, Shake Shack and Wine.com.

The Citi Premier® Card is an affordable alternative to the Amex Gold. The card earns less than the Amex Gold—you’ll get 3 ThankYou Points per dollar on dining but it also carries a much lower $95 annual fee. Citi ThankYou points are also incredibly valuable, featuring many of the same transfer partners as American Express.

You can join multiple airline and hotel dining rewards programs. However, you can’t register the same credit card with multiple programs. For example, let’s say you register your Citi Premier® Card with AAdvantage dining and then add it to your IHG dining profile. AAdvantage dining will automatically remove the card from your profile and notify you via email.

Suppose you have multiple credit cards that earn bonus points on dining. In that case, you should consider adding each to a different dining rewards program. That way, you’ll never miss out on bonus points no matter which card you use.

With every dining rewards program offering a welcome bonus, it makes total sense to join each one at some point. Just keep in mind that you have a limited time in which to meet each spending requirement. So don’t sign up for all of them at once unless you can earn each new member bonus in time.

Whether you dine out often or occasionally, joining a dining rewards program is worth it. These programs are free to join and you can earn extra points without much effort. You’ll sometimes even earn elite status-qualifying points, providing even more incentive to participate. Considering the low effort required to earn points this way, it’s a no-brainer.