If you’re ready to start earning points and miles to use on award travel, you’ve probably noticed that there are several airline loyalty programs to choose from. You may even be stuck trying to decide which program — or programs — is right for you.

And while airline loyalty programs are generally free to join (and no one is stopping you from signing up for multiple memberships), it can be useful to focus your energy on just a few, rather than many. Especially for those new to the points and miles universe, targeting one or two airline loyalty programs will give you the best chance of earning enough miles for an award flight. It will also help you feel less overwhelmed, as there is plenty to know and understand about this travel hacking hobby.

Here’s a quick introduction to airline loyalty programs, plus six considerations to take into account before making a decision about which one(s) to join.

An overview of airline loyalty programs

How they work

Beyond selling airfare that gets travelers to and from destinations, many airlines run individual loyalty programs to encourage customer satisfaction and retention. These programs generally look a lot like other loyalty or rewards programs you might be used to, such as Starbucks Rewards, Sephora’s Beauty Insider or Marriott Bonvoy.

Typically, these programs:

Are free to join.

Offer ways for customers to collect or “earn” a currency, like points or miles.

Extend ways for customers to redeem their points or miles for discounts, free products, flight awards or insider perks.

Require a name and email address.

Include options for co-branded consumer credit cards.

Provide various benefits, like free in-flight Wi-Fi or priority boarding.

Inspire further customer loyalty with elite status tiers that come with additional perks.

Popular airline loyalty programs

Every major U.S.-based airline carrier has an accompanying loyalty program. The programs are named as follows:

Alaska Airlines: Mileage Plan.

American Airlines: AAdvantage.

Delta Air Lines: SkyMiles.

Frontier Airlines: Frontier Miles.

JetBlue Airways: TrueBlue.

Southwest Airlines: Rapid Rewards.

Spirit Airlines: Free Spirit.

United Airlines: MileagePlus.

What to think about ahead of joining

1. Flight access

Before joining an airline loyalty program, consider first whether the airline services your closest point of departure. You wouldn’t want to pledge your loyalty to United Airlines just to learn that it rarely flies out of (or into) your home airport.

Next, take your investigation a step further to get a broader sense of where else the airline flies. For instance, if you travel frequently to North Dakota or Georgia to visit family, you will likely want to stick with an airline that offers frequent flights to those destinations.

If one of your travel goals is to plan ahead for a dream vacation, like Spain or Hawaii, consider optimizing your program loyalty for an airline that offers award flights to that specific destination.