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U.S. News Announces the 2024-2025 Best Travel Rewards Programs

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Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan crowned No. 1 for 10th consecutive year in Best Airline Rewards Programs.

WASHINGTON, July 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — U.S. News & World Report, publisher of Best Hotels, Best Cruise Lines and Best Vacations, today unveiled the 2024-2025 Best Travel Rewards Programs to help everyday travelers find the best loyalty programs.

The 2024-2025 rankings highlight 10 airline and 14 hotel loyalty programs that offer travelers the best perks, as well as easy ways to earn and redeem points and miles:

Wyndham Rewards holds on to the No. 1 spot on the Best Hotel Rewards Programs ranking for 2024-2025. The program remains a leader in offering members easy access to free nights. Wyndham boasts a vast network of 9,000-plus eligible properties, catering to a wide range of budgets, from value-conscious to luxury. Ranking No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, are Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt. These programs – which are both up one spot from last year’s ranking – have strong network coverage and offer benefits that allow members to enhance their stay and save money, including late checkout and complimentary nights.Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan remains in the No. 1 spot for the 10th consecutive year on the Best Airline Rewards Programs ranking. In this rewards program, members earn points based on the miles they fly, so they can attain elite status regardless of how much they spend. The first tier of elite status grants perks like upgrades, free checked bags and same-day confirmed flight changes. In addition, the airline’s extensive partnerships allow members to use miles to book flights to a wide range of destinations. Next in the ranking are American Airlines AAdvantage at No. 2 and Southwest Rapid Rewards at No. 3. For these airlines, point requirements for rewards flights were below the average across all programs. Both programs also offer plenty of flight options that members can book with points, allowing for flexibility in flight costs and schedules.

“With the pandemic slump behind us, we’re seeing record-setting travel days in the U.S. Since travelers can feel lost in the shuffle, airline and hotel programs that offer extra luxuries are all the more attractive,” says Elizabeth Von Tersch, U.S. News’ senior travel editor. “Travelers continue to be focused on saving money. Top loyalty programs make it easy to earn and redeem points for free nights and flights, and offer a range of choices.” 

U.S. News analyzed travel rewards programs in two categories, airline frequent flyer programs and hotel loyalty programs, using a comprehensive and transparent methodology that factors in membership benefits, network coverage, the ease of earning and redeeming points or miles, hotel property diversity and airline quality, with expert and editor analysis.

This year, the airline quality methodology was adjusted to measure reliability based on on-time arrival scores. The score is calculated using the Bureau of Transportation’s on-time arrival percentage for each airline.

2024-2025 Best Travel Rewards Programs Rankings
See the full rankings.

Hotel Rewards Programs

Wyndham RewardsMarriott BonvoyWorld of HyattChoice PrivilegesInterContinental (IHG) One Rewards

Airline Rewards Programs

Alaska Airlines Mileage PlanAmerican Airlines AAdvantageSouthwest Rapid RewardsUnited Mileage PlusHawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles

For more information on the Best Travel Rewards Programs, explore Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #BestRewards.

About U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives and communities. A multifaceted digital media company with Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News, Real Estate, Careers and 360 Reviews platforms, U.S. News provides rankings, independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice and U.S. News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

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SOURCE U.S. News & World Report, L.P.

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SOFTSWISS Presents Three Innovative Products in South Africa

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GZIRA, Malta, Sept. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — SOFTSWISS, a global tech expert with over 15 years of experience in iGaming, has presented three new products made in collaboration with Turfsport, a leading South African software provider, recently acquired by the company.

Lotto Software
The online lottery market is projected to generate over $16.9 billion in revenue in 2024 and reach over $22.0 billion by 2029. The new Lotto Software enables operators to offer a wide range of lottery draw betting options independent of traditional lottery organisers.

The solution handles up to 80 bets and processes 3,333 bet results per second covering over 300 lottery draws worldwide. It provides an intuitive betting experience, offering numbers, sum, count, positions, colours, even/odd, and jackpot-type draws. The platform seamlessly integrates with external wallet connections without additional software. In-house lottery feed ensures fraud prevention through dual-source validation and advanced web scraping technologies.

Retail Betting Solution
The global sports betting and lotteries market is rebounding post-pandemic, with industry revenue estimated at $243.7 billion in 2024. The Retail Betting Solution, supporting betting on sports, horse racing, lottery draws, and casino games, empowers operators to establish offline gambling businesses swiftly and legally.

The solution allows players to manage their accounts across channels by connecting retail and online platforms. Operators can set up various shop configurations and track profits with a comprehensive cash management tool. The Retail Betting Solution offers pre-match and live event feeds and casino games from multiple providers at dedicated kiosks.

Horse Racing Module
The global horse betting market is expected to reach $91.2 billion by 2032, registering a CAGR of 7.6% from 2023 to 2032. The new Horse Racing Module integrated into the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook, enriches the betting portfolio by allowing players to place fixed-odds bets on multiple markets.

The Horse Racing Module provides operators with additional business opportunities, covering over 2,400 international and local races monthly. The solution engages players with race cards, silks, and multiple bet types and offers operators unique skins and configurations to align with various brand identities.

Max Trafimovich, CCO at SOFTSWISS, shares: “We present a product portfolio that not only meets the growing demand for diverse and engaging betting options but also equips our clients with an effective tool to grow their businesses. With these new solutions, operators can now offer their players a unique, reliable, and enjoyable experience.”

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2517803/SOFTSWISS_Three_Innovative_Products.jpg

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SOURCE SOFTSWISS

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Viet Nam Inaugurates Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution during Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum

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HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Sept. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Ho Chi Minh City, a leading center for economic, technological, and scientific development and international gateway of Viet Nam, recently hosted the 5th Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum (HEF 2024) from September 24-27. The Forum focused on “Industrial Transformation: A New Growth Driver for Sustainable Development in Ho Chi Minh City” and culminated with the inauguration of the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) in Ho Chi Minh City.

The event welcomed nearly 1,500 delegates, including Viet Nam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, government representatives, local leaders, international organizations, experts, and businesses from countries, such as the United States, China, Japan, South Korea and across Europe.

During the Policy Dialogue, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized “The industrial transformation in Ho Chi Minh City must be comprehensive, tied closely to the ambition of building a smart city with smart governance. Thus, The City will need to have special independent policies to accelerate industrial transformation.”

Ho Chi Minh City has already implemented strategies focused on the green economy, digital transformation for businesses, and favorable policies for startups and innovation. City leaders announced their commitment to further accelerate efforts in twin transformation (green hand in hand with digital) and expanding cooperation with international organizations, such as the World Bank and the Fourth Industrial Revolution Center Network of the World Economic Forum. A key focus will be establishing a modern civil service system with incentives to enhance policy implementation.

The inauguration of C4IR marks a significant milestone in the cooperation between the Vietnamese government and the World Economic Forum period 2023-2026. As the second C4IR in Southeast Asia and the 19th globally, C4IR Ho Chi Minh City will serve as a key hub for the WEF, connecting Viet Nam with global experts to drive industrial transformation.

After five editions of the Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum, The City is ready to shape the Forum into an independent organization that will support the City’s socio-economic development goals. HEF 2024 followed the 2nd Ho Chi Minh City Friendship Dialogue (September 23-24), themed “Industrial Transformation: Experiences and Priorities in Development Cooperation,” aimed to strengthen cooperative relationships between Ho Chi Minh City and its sister cities worldwide, while promoting Vietnamese culture and people.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2517455/Caption_Vietnamese_Prime_Minister_Pham_Minh_Chinh_engages_dialogue_ministries.jpg 

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UST to Expand India Presence with State-of-the-art Kochi Campus and Create Over 3,000 New Jobs in the Next 5 Years

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Laid Foundation Stone for Own Campus at Kochi Infopark, Kochi Phase 2; To be the second owned campus in India for UST after Thiruvananthapuram.

KOCHI, India, Sept. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — UST, a leading digital transformation solutions company, announced plans to expand its presence in India by adding over 3000 new jobs at its upcoming Kochi campus in the next five years, as it gets ready to inaugurate its own campus in Kochi, Kerala, by December 2027. The company, which has set itself a target of 6,000 employees in the next five years, currently employs more than 2,800 people in its existing facility at Infopark Kochi.

The foundation stone for its new Kochi campus that will come up in a sprawling 9-acre land at Infopark Kochi Phase 2, was laid, by Krishna Sudheendra, Chief Executive Officer, UST. Susanth Kurunthil, CEO, Infopark Kochi; Alexander Varghese, Chief Operating Officer, UST; Sunil Balakrishnan, Chief Values Officer & Kochi Center Head, UST; Anil Pillai, Vice President, Campus Development Team, UST, Shilpa Menon, UST Thiruvananthapuram Center Head; Sheffi Anwar, General Manager – Business Operations & Workforce Management, UST; and other leaders and employees, were present.              

The new UST campus in Kochi, which will be completed in three years, will be a 10-floor building and 4400 seats, with an area of over 6,00,000 sq. ft.  The new building will also have a modern gym for employees, and an auditorium with a seating capacity of 1400 seats. The new UST campus building will be built incorporating the latest technology, and energy efficient measures generating green energy. When the Kochi campus goes on stream, it will become the second owned campus in India for UST after Thiruvananthapuram.

UST, which already has a facility operating out of Infopark Kochi, currently caters to US, UK and APAC clients from almost all domains such as healthcare, retail, telecom, financial services/asset management, and hi-tech. Speaking after laying the foundation stone for the new campus building, Krishna Sudheendra, CEO, UST, said that the new campus will not only strengthen UST’s presence in the region but also attract more clients and create new work opportunities, positioning Kochi as a dynamic hub for innovation and growth.

“I congratulate and wish the best to UST in building its own campus at Infopark. The company has shown high levels of commitment and determination in setting this goal of having its own state-of-the-art space in the industrial hub of Kerala, and the results will soon show off,” said Susanth Kurunthil, Chief Executive Officer, Infopark Kochi.

Alexander Varghese, Chief Operating Officer, UST, spoke high of the state-of-the-art infrastructure planned for the campus and appreciated the architecture company’s role in shaping its vision. “Ever since UST began its Kochi operations in 2007, we have been able to post steady growth. The strategic location of Kochi aids companies to easily connect and reach out to other IT locations in South India. This aspect, along with Kochi’s development in social and physical infrastructure arenas, has helped UST attract talent from other locations. With UST’s own campus coming up in Kochi, we will be able to add jobs and customers in a big way,” Alexander Varghese added.

Kochi has built a name as the industrial capital of Kerala. Kochi boasts of advanced infrastructure, a large and highly skilled workforce, and a supportive business environment. With the aim of having its own campus in the city, UST had started the pre-construction work before Covid-19 pandemic.

Sunil Balakrishnan, Chief Values Officer & Kochi Center Head, UST, who expressed pride in the project’s progress, also spoke about the challenges that had arisen, and how the company had overcome all hassles to stay firmly in track. Anil Pillai, Vice President, Campus Development Team, UST, unveiled the new campus design for Kochi Center at the event.

Founded in 1999, UST, which began its India operations with its headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, has expanded its presence across India with offices in Hyderabad, Kochi, Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi NCR, Ahmedabad, and Hosur.

About UST

Since 1999, UST has worked side by side with the world’s best companies to make a powerful impact through transformation. Powered by technology, inspired by people, and led by our purpose, we partner with our clients from design to operation. Our digital solutions, proprietary platforms, engineering expertise, and innovation ecosystem turn core challenges into impactful, disruptive solutions. With deep industry knowledge and a future-ready mindset, we infuse innovation and agility into our clients’ organizations—delivering measurable value and positive lasting change for them, their customers, and communities around the world. Together, with 30,000+ employees in 30+ countries, we build for boundless impact—touching billions of lives in the process. Visit us at www.UST.com

Media Contacts, UST:

Tinu Cherian Abraham
+1 (949) 415-9857 (US)
+91-7899045194 (India)

Merrick Laravea
+1 (949) 416-6212

Neha Misri
+44-7341787926

Roshini Das K
+91-7736795557
media.relations@ust.com

Media Contacts, India:

Adfactors PR
ust@adfactorspr.com

Media Contacts, U.S.:

S&C PR
+1-646.941.9139
media@scprgroup.com

Makovsky
ust@makovsky.com

Media Contacts, U.K.:

FTI Consulting
UST@fticonsulting.com

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