And the winner is … 🏆

Also: Japan announces cherry blossom forecast for 2026

January 31, 2026 View in browser

2026 TPG Award winners by Brian Kelly Every year, we get to celebrate the brands, experiences, cards and loyalty programs that make travel even more exciting and rewarding. And this year, we handed out 38 awards to the top contenders in air, hotel, credit card and cruise categories. Here are a few of the highlights: No. 1: Travel Rewards Credit Card of the Year  The $95-a-year Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a great starter card, and its points are extra valuable because the program has great transfer partners. Not to mention, you earn 2 points per dollar spent on travel and 3 points per dollar on dining — two categories we all spend a lot in. No. 2: Business Credit Card of the Year This year's winner is the Capital One Venture X Business. I am a cardholder and put a lot of my day-to-day business expenses on it, as it rewards 2 miles per dollar spent on everything and gives me access to Capital One’s beautiful, new lounges. Also, Capital One saved the day recently when my family and I had a delay at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) until 4 a.m. Being able to access the 24-hour Capital One Lounge at off-hours helped make a stressful situation less of a headache. No. 3: Best U.S. Airline Loyalty Program  This year, the data-backed award for best domestic frequent flyer program goes to American Airlines AAdvantage. We analyzed four key areas: each airline’s worldwide reach, how easy it is to earn points or miles from flying and other partners, redemption rates and opportunities, and, finally, the value of each carrier’s elite status program. No. 4: Best Hotel Elite Status For this award, there was a clear winner: World of Hyatt Globalist. This program, particularly its top-tier Globalist status, is super generous and a perennial favorite of TPG readers. It offers an array of perks like confirmable suite upgrades, waived resort fees and free parking. You can even gift your status to friends through Hyatt’s Guest of Honor award. Overall, Hyatt Globalist offers a ton of value to frequent travelers. Explore the full list of winners and start mapping out your 2026 adventures. Here are the winners of the 2026 TPG Awards The 13 credit cards that earned a spot ‘In Your Wallet’ for the 2026 TPG Awards These are the airlines and frequent flyer programs that won TPG Awards this year The best airport lounges from the 2026 TPG Awards — and the top card for gaining access Have a great weekend, BK Posts in this newsletter contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products, and this may impact how or where they appear. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page. Photo Credit: THE POINTS GUY.

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