United Airlines and Marriott International led two new categories focused on business travel added by U.S. News & World Report to its 2026-2027 Best Travel Rewards Programs rankings, the publication announced Wednesday.
For its inaugural Best U.S. Airlines for Business Travelers rankings, United took the top spot and stood out "for its flight availability, elite benefits and traveler experience." United was followed in order by Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
For the new Best Hotel Brands for Business Travelers rankings, Marriott was first out of nine suppliers listed and was noted for its "extensive network, business-friendly perks and strong credit card portfolio." Rounding out the top five were Hilton Worldwide, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels Corp. and Choice Hotels International, in that order.
The rankings are a "data-driven evaluation of hotel brands and U.S. airlines designed specifically for frequent business travelers," according to U.S. News & World Report. The methodology considers "key factors that impact business travel" including loyalty program benefits, network strength, reliability and overall value.
More specifically, to be considered for the airline list, a carrier had to be based in the U.S. and have at least 1,000 daily domestic flights, according to the publication. Only the five carriers ranked made the cut. The scoring then took into account flight availability (35 percent weight), ease of earning elite status and benefits (20 percent), airline quality (15 percent), airline amenities (10 percent), network coverage (5 percent), number of daily flights (5 percent) and point-redemption power (10 percent). Data related to this ranking was collected in June 2026.
To be considered for the hotel list, a hotel company must have at least 1,000 global properties, with at least 50 located in the U.S., and offer a structured loyalty program, according to the publication. The ranking used a scoring algorithm that included coverage and availability in business hubs (35 percent weight, 20 cities researched), ease of earnings elite status and benefits (20 percent), point redemption power (10 percent), network coverage (10 percent), property diversity (5 percent), hotel quality (5 percent) and credit card value (5 percent). All data related to this ranking was collected in May and June 2026.