Frequent-flier or "loyalty programs" started in the early 1980s as a way for airlines to reward corporate travelers and discourage any migrations to lower-priced budget airlines. Many business travelers love the convenience of special airport lounges and free travel awards, remaining loyal to the carrier offering those perks. For the most part, it has been a successful strategy for airlines, and many budget carriers also now use loyalty programs (especially those based in North America). Airlines advanced a reward concept that now can be found in many other travel-related industries and beyond.
The following five frequent-flier programs were nominated by About.com Budget Travel readers from January 18 - February 15; they were voted upon between February 22 - March 21, 2012. In alphabetical order, you'll see a brief description of each nominated program and its features.
