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Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Guides
Airline and hotel dining rewards programs: Which is best for you?
Katie Genter is a digital nomad who has traveled full time since June 2017. She writes and edits stories about points and miles, and loyalty programs, often letting her personal experiences color these stories.
Ariana has been writing about points and miles for almost a decade. She previously served as editor at FlyerTalk, Frugal Travel Guy and NerdWallet while running her own travel blog, PointChaser.
also contributed to this story
March 23, 2024 • 13 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Quick summary
Dining rewards programs let you earn extra airline miles or hotel points by registering a card and paying at participating restaurants, bars or clubs.
Most programs are run by the same network and function similarly, but the value of rewards varies by program and whether you opt in to emails or dine frequently.
Airline dining programs generally offer higher value per point than hotel programs, with some also helping you earn elite status or special perks.
You cannot register the same card with multiple programs at once, so choosing the right program for your goals is important.
What to consider
Opting in to program emails and dining frequently can boost your earning rates with many programs.
Some programs offer new member bonuses requiring a qualifying dine, email opt-in and review submission within a set timeframe.
TPG's valuations as of June 2024 indicate airline miles are generally worth more than hotel points, affecting the overall return.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed comparison of specific airline and hotel dining rewards programs, including which offers the best value for different travel goals.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Most airline and hotel loyalty programs offer a dining rewards program. If you enroll in one of these programs and then use a registered card to pay for your bill at a participating restaurant, bar or club, you'll earn extra points or miles with the airline or hotel loyalty program. These points or miles are on top of the credit card rewards you'd already earn when paying for your bill with a rewards credit card.
Since so many hotel and airline loyalty programs offer dining rewards programs, you may wonder which program is best. The best dining rewards program depends on your preferences and goals, so let's look closely at each program.
How dining rewards programs work
OSCAR WONG/GETTY IMAGES
Most airline and hotel dining rewards programs are operated by Rewards Network. As such, they tend to all work similarly.
Before you can use a dining rewards program, you have to sign up for the program online and then register at least one credit or debit card with the program. Then, you'll automatically earn rewards through the dining rewards program when you use your card to pay for eligible charges at participating restaurants, bars and clubs.
The number of points or miles you'll earn per dollar depends on the specific dining rewards program. Often, you'll earn more points or miles if you've opted in to receive emails from the dining rewards program. Some dining rewards programs offer more points or miles to consumers who frequently use the program or have elite status with the associated hotel or airline loyalty program.
Dining rewards programs often include a mixture of chain restaurants and independent eateries among their participating venues. To find out which restaurants, bars and clubs near you participate in a specific dining rewards program, visit the dining program website and enter your ZIP code into the location field.
Many dining rewards programs offer a first-dine bonus to new members. The first-dine bonus often requires you to spend a certain amount at a participating venue within a specific period of joining the program, remain opted in for emails from the program and submit an online review. So, you may want to register for a new program shortly before you dine at a participating venue.
Although you can join all the dining rewards programs listed below, you can't register the same card with more than one program at a time. So, you could register different cards with each program, but you may find it better to choose the best program for you and enroll all your cards.
Airline miles are often worth more than hotel points, as indicated by TPG's valuations. So, here's a look at some of the best airline dining rewards programs.
One great thing about the AAdvantage Dining program is that it can help you earn American Airlines elite status. Every mile you earn via AAdvantage Dining — sans first-dine bonuses and other bonus miles — also counts as a Loyalty Point. This means each dine gets you closer to your desired AAdvantage status tier.
American Airlines AAdvantage miles are also valuable. TPG's valuations peg the value of American miles at 1.55 cents each, so you'll get a return of 1.55% to 7.75% from the AAdvantage Dining program when you dine at participating venues and use an enrolled card to pay.
TPG values Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles at 1.5 cents each, so you'll get a return of 0.75% to 7.5%. Keep in mind that if you want to earn Alaska miles, the Mileage Plan Dining program is one of the few ways to do so other than by flying the airline, using the MileagePlan shopping portal, transferring rewards from Marriott Bonvoy or Bilt Rewards and spending on a cobranded Alaska MileagePlan card.
TPG values Delta SkyMiles at 1.2 cents each, meaning you'll get a 0.6% to 6% return with the SkyMiles Dining program. This is lower than with the American AAdvantage or Alaska Mileage Plan dining rewards programs but may still be useful if Delta is your airline currency of choice.
TPG values JetBlue TrueBlue points at 1.35 cents each, so you'll get a 4.05% return from the TrueBlue Dining program if you opt in to emails. Unlike some dining rewards programs, you won't get higher earning rates if you frequently use the JetBlue TrueBlue Dining program.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards dining program is unique in that it offers 10 extra points for every dining review you submit. You'll also earn 300 bonus points for every 1,000 points you earn from dining and completing reviews.
Best of all, base points (but not bonus points) earned through Rapid Rewards Dining count toward the Southwest Companion Pass. If Southwest is your airline of choice or you're striving to earn a Southwest Companion Pass, you'll likely want to use the Rapid Rewards Dining program.
TPG values United MileagePlus miles at 1.4 cents each, meaning you'll get a return of 0.7% to 7% with the MileagePlus Dining program. This is a reasonable return if you want to earn United miles for an upcoming redemption.
Hotel dining rewards programs
While the earning rates are often higher with hotel dining programs, you should remember that TPG usually values hotel points lower than airline miles. As such, we wouldn't recommend earning hotel points through dining rewards programs unless you need to top off your account for a high-value redemption or keep your points from expiring.
The Choice Privileges Eat & Earn program is one of the newest additions to the dining rewards program space. TPG values Choice Privileges points at 0.6 cents each, meaning you'll get a return of 3% when you use the Eat & Earn program. Note, though, that even if you need to earn Choice points, you'll often get better value using another dining rewards program and buying Choice points during sales.
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Eat Around Town by Marriott Bonvoy
4 points per $1 if you are a Marriott Bonvoy member
You'll find many ways to earn Marriott points, and Eat Around Town by Marriott Bonvoy is one of them. This hotel dining rewards program often offers lucrative new member bonuses where you can earn an increasingly appealing amount on each of your first three meals at participating restaurants.
TPG values Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.84 cents each. This means you can expect a return of 5.04% if you have Marriott status and a return of 3.36% if you are only an entry-level Marriott member.
TPG values Hilton Honors points at 0.6 cents each, so you'll get a 1.2% to 4.8% return when you use the Hilton Honors Dining program.
You'll obviously get a higher return with select airline dining rewards programs, such as AAdvantage Dining or Alaska Mileage Plan Dining. If you use an airline dining rewards program, you can still enroll a Hilton Honors credit card — many of which offer bonus points on purchases at U.S. restaurants — to get the best of both worlds.
TPG values IHG One Rewards points at 0.5 cents each, so you'll get a return of 0.5% to 4% through the IHG One Rewards Dine & Earn program. Even if you get more value from IHG points than our valuations suggest, an airline dining rewards program may provide a higher return rate. There are many other ways to earn IHG points, including cobranded IHG credit cards and buying IHG points.
Best credit cards to use with dining rewards programs
You can register multiple cards with each dining rewards program. Ideally, you should enroll and use one of the best credit cards for dining, as these cards offer bonus points or miles when you dine at restaurants. Here are a few of our currently available favorites:
American Express® Gold Card: 4 points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card: 3% cash back on dining
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees): 3 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: 6 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants located in the U.S.
Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees): 3 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
The best card for dining rewards programs comes down to both the earning rate of your card and which type of points or miles you want to earn. It's often a good choice to use a card that earns transferable points, as then you won't be tied down to one currency and will have flexibility when redeeming your points.
The best dining rewards program for you depends on the rewards you want to earn, whether you plan to opt in to program emails and how frequently you plan on using the program. For example, if you don't want to opt in to emails, you'll want to use Eat Around Town by Marriott Bonvoy or Choice Eat & Earn since these programs don't reduce your rewards if you opt out of emails.
Likewise, American AAdvantage Dining is best for those who want to earn Loyalty Points for American Airlines elite status, and Southwest Rapid Rewards Dining is a good option if you want to earn the Southwest Companion Pass. Meanwhile, Free Spirit Dining can help you keep your points from expiring.
Dining rewards programs are a great way to earn extra points and miles with minimal effort. However, remember to use an enrolled credit card that earns bonus points on dining and time your registration so you can meet the requirements to earn the first-dine bonus. Then, you can use that program or join more dining rewards programs and earn more first-dine bonuses.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
