Here are North America's best airline rewards programs, according to new ranking

New airline complaint program aims to help travelers

A new partnership between the U.S. Department of Transportation and a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general aims to streamline efforts to resolve airline consumer complaints. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the program at Denver International Airport. The program comes in response to the record numbers of airline customer complaints their offices are fielding.

Airline loyalty programs and credit cards are used by tens of millions of Americans every year to book vacations and travel for the holidays, but which ones provide the most value?

Point.me, a paid service that helps travelers book trips using rewards and frequent flier miles, has ranked the top airline rewards and loyalty programs both worldwide and in North America.

The scores were based on the ease of earning miles from non-flying methods (like dining out and other purchases); the value you’ll get for those miles; the ease of booking a reward flight; the frequency of award availability; flexibility in routing rules (can you book a stopover, for example); change fees and policies; hold policies, and customer service when it comes to booking.

United Airlines was ranked as the top U.S. airline for airline rewards and frequent flier miles (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)

According to Airlines for America, there are nearly 30 million airline credit card holders in the U.S. alone, and point.me says loyalty programs are multi-billion dollar businesses.

"With major credit card programs offering dozens of airline transfer partners, it can be difficult to know which loyalty programs are best," the report’s authors wrote.

Point.me’s latest rankings come amid a U.S. Department of Transportation investigation into rewards programs at America’s four largest airlines over "potential unfair, deceptive, or anticompetitive practices."

American, Delta, Southwest and United Airlines have been asked to hand over records with detailed information about their rewards programs, practices and policies.

The DOT noted that many airlines reserve the right to change the terms of their rewards at their discretion.

"These programs bring real value to consumers, with families often counting on airline rewards to fund a vacation or to pay for a trip to visit loved ones," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. "But unlike a traditional savings account, these rewards are controlled by a company that can unilaterally change their value. Our goal is to ensure consumers are getting the value that was promised to them, which means validating that these programs are transparent and fair."

Best airline loyalty programs in North America

Two planes collide on runway at Atlanta Airport

A collision has been reported between two Delta Air Line planes at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Tuesday morning. An Atlanta Airport spokesperson told LiveNOW from FOX, "At approximately 10:07 this morning two aircrafts made contact at the intersection of taxiways E and H on the north airfield. At this time, no injuries are reported. Passengers from one of the aircraft are being bussed from the incident to the concourses. The second aircraft taxied under its own power to a concourse where passengers will deplane at their gate. There is minimal impact to airport operations." Check back for updates.

Here are point.me’s best airline rewards programs in North America: