TPG Awards 2026 methodology

This year marks the eighth annual TPG Awards, when The Points Guy recognizes the people, places and companies that are innovating in the fields of credit cards, loyalty programs, airlines, hotels, cruises and travel.

We are handing out a total of 38 awards this year, ranging from the Travel Rewards Credit Card of the Year to the Best Hotel Loyalty Program, Best Innovation in Airline Loyalty and Best Every Day Rewards Program — among others.

Here is an inside look at how the TPG team chose the award categories, the process through which recipients were nominated and then selected and how we used data to help determine some of our winners.

The TPG Awards 2026 selection process

Our list of TPG Awards winners is organized a little differently this year than in the past, as we took inspiration from the different locales of planning and taking a trip, including in your wallet, in the air, on the ground and on the water.

With those themes as our guide, we split our editorial team of travel and loyalty experts into smaller panels based on their areas of authority and asked them to create lists of awards that exemplify our core mission of helping people maximize their travel and reflect the major trends in the travel and credit cards industries (which were recently released in our annual trends report).

Once each preliminary list of awards and nominees was created, those panels spent months thoroughly analyzing and reviewing the companies and programs under consideration, conducting rigorous internal debates and finally coming up with a list of winners.

Each award was unique in terms of the factors that went into the decision-making process. For certain credit card awards, the winner came out on top based on a unique mix of affordability and a dynamic yet easy-to-use loyalty program. For certain cruise lines, it was the blend of appealing to certain types of travelers and the types of ships and itineraries on offer. Still others, such as the Best New or Renovated Points Hotel, were based on our firsthand assessment from a year of extensive team travels.

Through all our discussions, however, ran the unifying thread of pinpointing the programs and other entities that provide the best value and usefulness to our own loyal audience.

For a specific subset of awards, we went a step further, though.

Data-driven TPG Awards

Like last year, the 2026 TPG Awards used data to determine the winners of certain awards (six in total). Each finalist was given a score of zero to 10 based on the criteria for that honor, and while the full methodology is proprietary, here's a summary of each one.

Best Credit Card for Lounge Access

To determine the credit card with the best lounge access, we analyzed the entire network of lounges open to cardholders, which made up 75% of the final score. This included the number of domestic lounges, as well as the number of unique domestic airports with an accessible lounge. We then analyzed access policies for these lounges, which made up 25% of the final score. This included guest and authorized user privileges along with the cost associated with those individuals.

Best Credit Card Lounge Network

To determine the top credit card lounge network, we analyzed the domestic footprint of each finalist — which made up 50% of the final score. This included the number of unique domestic airports with an accessible lounge and the number of confirmed, upcoming lounges. We then analyzed the amenities and access policies for these lounges, each of which made up 25% of the final score. This included guest and authorized user privileges along with the cost associated with those individuals, plus the guest experience once inside the lounge — including food & beverage selections and unique amenities like spa treatments, nap rooms and other luxury perks..

Best US Airline Loyalty Program

To determine the best airline loyalty program in the U.S., we numerically analyzed four key areas, each of which was weighted equally. This included the worldwide reach of an airline and its partners (25% of the final score); the ability to earn points via flying, credit card spending and other activities (25%); the value of redeeming points (25%); and the attainability and value of the program's elite status offerings (25%).

Best US Airline Elite Status

To determine the best U.S. airline elite status, we analyzed the major airlines' policies for elite travelers and numerically assigned a comparative value to each. These areas included the ease of earning status, benefits when traveling (including upgrade instruments, boarding and baggage privileges, lounge access, and fee waivers), and threshold bonuses for reaching certain levels of activity, among others..

Best Hotel Loyalty Program

To determine the top hotel loyalty program, we numerically analyzed four key areas, each of which was weighted equally. This included a program's worldwide footprint (25% of the final score), the ability to earn points via stays and other activities (25%), the value of redeeming points (25%) and the attainability and value of the program's elite status offerings (25%).

Best Hotel Elite Status

To determine the best hotel elite status, we analyzed two important areas of a program's offerings for frequent travelers. The first was the return on spending at properties within a given portfolio, calculated by the number of points you earn times the value of those points per TPG's valuations (30% of the final score). The second was a detailed numerical analysis of benefits you unlock after qualification, including breakfast/food & beverage credits, upgrades, milestone rewards, and waived fees (70%).