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Here are all the winners of the 2026 TPG Awards

Jan. 29, 2026
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9 min read
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The TPG Awards are back. For the eighth year, we're thrilled to recognize the best of the best across the travel industry — including credit cards, loyalty programs, airlines, hotels and cruise lines.

This year, we've organized the awards into four categories covering the different stages and locales for your travel: planning ("In Your Wallet"), flying ("In the Air"), staying ("On the Ground") and cruising ("On the Water"). The list includes mainstays like the Travel Rewards Credit Card of the Year, along with new entrants such as a pair of innovation awards and a new Best Everyday Rewards Program honor.

In total, we're handing out 38 trophies this year, including six awards based on data-driven methodologies (view our full approach to selecting winners on this page).

Read on for the full list of 2026 TPG Award recipients.

In Your Wallet

It's no surprise that we love our credit cards here at TPG, so for our first category, we're going into our wallets. This includes not only the best card products but also the features, partnerships and card launches from the previous year that stood out.

Here's a full list of the award winners:

There are some familiar names on this list, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, which took home the honor as the top travel rewards card for the eighth straight year. Our team also tapped the Amex Platinum as the top premium card of the year, just edging out the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) — though you can review our full analysis in this story.

The Amex Platinum was also recognized as the best card for lounge access, one of our data-driven awards this year. The card's extensive lounge footprint, especially domestically, gave it the nod over other premium cards in the market for the second straight year.

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Read more: A guide to lounge access with the Amex Platinum and Business Platinum

Last year also saw many new developments in the cards space, including the launch of Alaska Airlines' Atmos Rewards Summit Visa and Chase's Sapphire Reserve for Business, which both earned trophies as the best new cards (and, incidentally, also earned spots in my wallet). Meanwhile, the launch of 1:1 transfers between Citi ThankYou Rewards and American Airlines AAdvantage was honored as the best new transfer partnership as Citi gears up to become the exclusive issuer of American's cobranded cards sometime this year.

We even had a first-time winner in this group, as Wells Fargo's Autograph Card won the award as the top no-annual-fee card, thanks to an array of benefits like no transfer minimums, solid bonus categories, cellphone protection and waived foreign transaction fees.

For a complete breakdown of the winners in this category, check out our full analysis here.

In the Air

Our next category goes into the best options for taking to the skies, including the top premium airport experiences, the best inflight products and the most rewarding loyalty programs. We're also recognizing two carriers for their innovations that stood out over the last year.

Here are the winners:

There's a lot to love on this list, including a pair of incredible, new lounges that opened their doors last year. Additionally, we saw Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club take the nod for the best credit card lounge network, another data-driven award. Chase's growing network of lounges, plus terrific amenities and generous guest policies, edged out the American Express Centurion Lounge by just seven hundredths of a point.

Meanwhile, American swept the two data-driven airline loyalty awards, winning honors as the top airline loyalty program and best elite status among U.S. carriers. For starters, American Airlines AAdvantage is one of the few programs that still uses published award charts for partner flights, and it consistently ranks as the most valuable domestic airline currency in our monthly valuations. Additionally, AAdvantage Executive Platinum remains a (small) step ahead of other carriers' respective top status tiers, primarily due to luxury benefits like confirmable upgrades and access to first-class lounges on Oneworld carriers.

Finally, it's worth noting the two recipients of this year's innovation awards. United Airlines has long been known for its unique route strategy, but this past year hit new heights, as the carrier launched flights to Mongolia, Nuuk, Greenland, and even Adelaide, Australia, earning it our innovation award in route strategy. And Alaska Airlines takes home the innovation award in airline loyalty with the launch of its Atmos Rewards program, which included a brand-new premium card and the ability to choose your own pathway to elite status qualification.

For more details on these winners, check out the following analyses:

On the Ground

Once you arrive at your destination, there are a variety of loyalty programs and accommodations to suit just about any traveler's needs — including some brand-new or completely renovated lodging options.

Here's the complete list of winners:

Unlike airlines, our two data-driven hotel awards were split between two different programs. Marriott Bonvoy took home honors as the top hotel loyalty program for the second straight year, with a massive global footprint, a rewarding collection of cobranded cards and a relatively easy pathway to qualifying for status. However, it was World of Hyatt Globalist that came out on top among hotel elite statuses, thanks to an industry-leading confirmed upgrade program, fantastic breakfast benefits (for up to two adults and two children) and guaranteed 4 p.m. checkout, among other benefits.

We're also recognizing another program in this category, Bilt Rewards, as the top everyday rewards program thanks to its array of partnerships for Lyft rides, neighborhood parking, Walgreens purchases and more. But this coming year could make the program even more rewarding, as it has announced three new credit cards and will soon allow members to earn points on mortgages.

For more information, check out the breakdown of these winners in this story.

On the Water

Our fourth category is devoted to the cruise industry, which continues to see significant demand and innovation, not only with new ships but also exciting new itineraries and expedition offerings.

Here are the cruise winners this year:

The launch of MSC World America made a splash in the cruise world and came out on top for our Best New Ocean Ship award. The 20-deck behemoth became the largest non-Royal Caribbean ship in the world when it hit the waters in April, and TPG was on board to experience it firsthand. With a capacity of nearly 9,000 passengers and crew members, the megaship is divided into seven distinct districts and features 19 dining venues, a Formula One simulator and even an overwater swing.

At the other end of the size spectrum is AmaMagdalena, a 60-passenger vessel from AmaWaterways that began sailing Colombia's Magdalena River in March 2025 and is our pick as the Best New River Ship.

You can check out the full breakdown of our cruise-related award winners in this story.

Bottom line

The TPG Awards are back, as we hand out 38 honors to the top travel and loyalty providers that consistently deliver outsize value and luxury to TPG's audience. The last year saw an array of new product launches and exciting developments across the travel industry, while several longtime favorites continued to shine.

Congrats to all the winners this year — and here's hoping that 2026 will be another banner year for our audience to leverage these brands (and others) to unlock unforgettable trips.

Every year, the TPG Awards honor excellence in credit cards, loyalty programs and travel. Please click here to read more about our winner-selection process and methodology for the 2026 TPG Awards.

Featured image by THE POINTS GUY
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.