Protect Your Points Act of 2026
The Protect Your Points Act of 2026 would add a new section to federal aviation law to regulate airline frequent flyer programs and airline co-branded credit cards. It requires covered air carriers to disclose the dollar value of points or miles on websites and mobile apps, update that information in real time, and show any differences in value across credit card products or loyalty tiers. The bill also prohibits expiration dates on points, bars fees for accessing, using, redeeming, or redepositing points, and requires airlines to allow consumers to transfer points within the same program without fees or value loss, subject to limited anti-fraud restrictions.
The bill further requires airlines to display airfare and ancillary fees in both cash and points terms on booking pages, show redemption-rate information, and allow consumers to pay for airfare and add-on services using any combination of dollars and points. It also imposes account-security requirements, including multi-factor authentication, and restricts airlines from changing terms of service or devaluing accrued points without at least one year of consumer notice. The Secretary of Transportation would be authorized to issue implementing regulations and would coordinate with the CFPB and FTC as needed.
Its impact would be to create new federal consumer-protection standards for airline loyalty programs, affecting air carriers that operate under part 121 and offer frequent flyer programs, along with their program partners and foreign-airline partnerships. It would likely limit airline discretion over loyalty-program rules, redemption policies, and devaluation practices, while increasing transparency for consumers who use points, miles, and co-branded credit cards. The bill also amends the chapter 423 table of contents in title 49 to add the new section.
Because there are no recorded votes or committee transcripts provided, the available context shows no formal debate history or recorded sentiment beyond the bill’s introduction and referral. Based on the bill text, the measure appears consumer-protection oriented and aimed at addressing concerns about hidden devaluations, opaque pricing, and restrictive loyalty-program terms. Potential contention would likely come from airlines and credit-card partners over compliance costs, operational constraints, and limits on their ability to manage loyalty-program economics, while consumer advocates would likely support the added transparency and protections.
The bill would amend chapter 423 of title 49, United States Code, by adding a new section governing frequent flyer programs and co-branded credit cards. It would impose disclosure, transferability, fee, redemption, security, and notice requirements on covered air carriers, and authorize the Secretary of Transportation to implement the section through regulation. The measure would also update the chapter analysis to reflect the new section.
No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no documented legislative debate or recorded sentiment to summarize. On its face, the bill is framed as a consumer-protection measure and appears designed to respond to complaints about airline loyalty-program opacity and point devaluation. The likely overall sentiment among supporters would be favorable, especially from consumers and advocates for transparency, while airlines and affiliated credit-card issuers may view it more cautiously because it limits flexibility in managing loyalty programs.
The main points of contention would likely involve how much control airlines retain over frequent flyer program terms, including whether points can expire, whether transfer limits and fees are allowed, and how much notice is required before changing program rules or devaluing rewards. Airlines and co-branded credit-card partners may object to the operational burden of real-time disclosures, mandatory redemption displays, and payment flexibility across dollars and points. Consumer advocates would likely support these provisions as necessary to prevent hidden devaluations and confusing pricing practices.