How do I choose the best airline credit card?

Here's how to choose the best airline credit card:

Best Airline Credit Cards of January 2022

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Whether you're a frequent flyer or you're planning a big trip, you could save on airfare with one of the best airline credit cards. You'll earn miles on your purchases that you can use for free flights. That's not the only reason these cards are valuable, either. They usually include plenty of extra perks, which can include bonus miles for new cardholders, access to airport lounges, and free checked luggage. Get ready for your next vacation with our picks for the top airline cards.

Best Airline Credit Cards

The Picks
Card	Rating	Great For
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50 stars	Great For: Travel rewards bonus
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card	Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00 stars	Great For: Travel card with no annual fee
Chase Sapphire Reserve®	Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50 stars	Great For: Luxury air travel benefits
American Express® Gold Card Terms apply	Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50 stars	Great For: Travel and restaurants
United℠ Explorer Card	Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00 stars	Great For: United benefits
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card Terms apply	Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars. 4.00 stars	Great For: Delta benefits
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®	Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50 stars	Great For: American Airlines benefits
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card	Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars. 4.00 stars	Great For: Southwest travelers
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® Card	Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50 stars	Great For: Alaska Airlines travelers

The Ascent's best airline credit cards:

Travel rewards bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Travel card with no annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
Luxury air travel benefits: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Travel and restaurants: American Express® Gold Card
United benefits: United℠ Explorer Card
Delta benefits: Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
American Airlines benefits: Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Southwest travelers: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Alaska Airlines travelers: Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® Card

Ratings Methodology

Overview of the best airline credit cards

Below, you'll find the most important details for the airline credit cards we like the most.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Great for: Travel rewards bonus

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has a lucrative welcome bonus offer and earns bonus points on travel and dining. Points are transferable to several domestic and international airlines.

Read the full Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card review

Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Great for: No annual fee

The Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card offers travel points for no annual fee. It earns a competitive rate of 1.5 points per $1 on eligible purchases, and points are redeemable toward airfare as well as other travel purchases.

Read the full Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card review

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Great for: Luxury air travel benefits

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® provides airport lounge access and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit to get travelers through security faster. This rewards card earns bonus points on travel and dining, and points are transferable to all Chase's airline partners.

Read the full Chase Sapphire Reserve® review

American Express® Gold Card

Great for: Restaurants and travel

The American Express® Gold Card is ideal for foodies of all kinds, offering 4x Membership Rewards points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in eligible purchases), 4x points on dining purchases, and 3x points on travel booked with airlines. Users also get annual dining and Uber credits. Select enrollment required, terms apply.

Read the full American Express® Gold Card review

United℠ Explorer Card

Great for: United benefits

The United℠ Explorer Card is a great value for United flyers, as it offers a free checked bag, a big airline mile welcome bonus, and two free United Club℠ passes each card membership year.

Read the full United℠ Explorer Card review

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

Great for: Delta benefits

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is an affordable option for the airline's frequent flyers. It offers a free checked bag on Delta flights, bonus miles on Delta purchases, and the opportunity to earn a $100 Delta Flight Credit every calendar year. Terms apply.

Read the full Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card review

Related: See The Ascent's list of the best Delta credit cards.

Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®

Great for: American Airlines benefits

The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® delivers big savings for American Airlines flyers. Cardholders get a free checked bag, 25% back on American Airlines in-flight purchases, and the opportunity to earn a $125 flight discount every card membership year.

Read the full Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® review

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

Great for: Southwest benefits

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is the most feature-packed card in Southwest's lineup. It includes a a nice annual Southwest travel credit, bonus points every year, and up to four free Upgraded Boardings per year.

Read the full Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card review

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® Card

Great for: Alaska Airlines benefits

The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® Card delivers big savings with Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ every year, an introductory bonus miles offer, and a free checked bag for the cardholder and up to six guests on the same reservation.

Read the full Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® Card review

How does an airline credit card work?

An airline credit card earns miles that are redeemable for airfare. Traditional airline credit cards are tied to a specific airline and earn miles in that airline's frequent flyer program. Most of them also offer airline benefits, such as a free checked bag, companion pass, and airport lounge access. Their perks make them one of the best types of credit cards for frequent flyers.

There are also airline cards that are part of a credit card company's rewards program instead of an airline program. These cards earn airline rewards that you can use to book flights with multiple airlines.

How do credit card miles work?

Credit card miles are earned on eligible purchases made with airline cards. These miles are redeemable for air travel through the card issuer's loyalty program.

With a traditional airline credit card that's tied to a specific airline, miles are added to your frequent flyer account. You can redeem airline credit card miles through the frequent flyer program to purchase award tickets. For example, if a ticket is available for 25,000 miles and you have that many miles available, you could purchase it with your airline rewards instead of cash.

For airline cards that are part of a credit card company's rewards program, redemption options vary. Some of them offer transferable rewards you can send to any of the card issuer's airline partners. Others offer rewards you can redeem toward airfare and other travel at a fixed cash rate. There are also cards that offer both those options.

How to choose the best airline credit card

Here are the steps to follow so you can choose the best airline rewards credit card:

Decide on a type of airline credit card: If you typically fly with the same airline, then one of its credit cards is the way to go. If you fly with a variety of different airlines, check out cards with credit card rewards programs that offer more redemption options.
Pick out a few airline credit cards you like: Based on the type of card you chose, you can start looking at potential options. If you're going with a traditional airline credit card, then it makes sense to check out all the cards available with the airline you like. For more all-purpose airline cards, the most popular choices are cards in the American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou Rewards programs.
See which card is the best fit: Evaluate all the cards you liked to choose the new card you'll apply for. The Ascent's tool for comparing credit card offers can help with this, as it provides a side-by-side comparison of multiple cards. Consider each card's annual fee, rewards, and benefits to find a winner.

What is the best credit card for airline miles?

The best credit card for airline miles is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It offers a big sign-up bonus and is affordable with a $95 annual fee. This card also earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points. You can either transfer points to Chase's various airline partners or redeem them towards any type of travel at a rate of $0.0125 per point. With its combination of value and flexibility, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one that just about any traveler can use.

While that's the best airline rewards credit card overall, the best card for each specific person depends on their travel habits. If you fly all the time, you may prefer a travel credit card with more benefits for a larger annual fee. If you're a loyal customer to a certain airline, then the best airline card for you is likely one of that airline's cards.

What credit score do you need for an airline credit card?

A FICO® Score of 670 or higher is recommended before applying for an airline credit card. Airline credit cards are aimed at consumers who have good or excellent credit. The good credit range starts at a credit score of 670 under the widely used FICO scoring system.

Note that there are many factors that come into play during a credit card application. Your credit score is among the most important, but it's not the only factor. It's possible to get denied for an airline credit card even though you have good credit. You could also be approved without good credit. However, good credit greatly improves your chances of success.

Pros and cons of an airline credit card

The table below breaks down the biggest airline credit card pros and cons:

Pros

Airline benefits
Miles on purchases
Valuable sign-up bonuses
No foreign transaction fee

Cons

Benefits may be restricted to one airline
Most airline cards charge an annual fee
High interest rates
Need good credit to qualify

Here are more details on the advantages of airline cards:

Airline benefits: There are all kinds of airline benefits that these cards offer, especially with high-end cards that have bigger annual fees. Examples include free checked luggage for you and your travel companions, priority boarding, airport lounge access, and a statement credit towards air travel purchases.
Miles on purchases: It's easy to collect miles when you have an airline credit card. When you use your travel card for an eligible purchase, you'll earn miles. Most airline cards also have bonus categories, such as purchases with the airline, dining, or hotels, where you get extra miles.
Valuable sign-up bonuses: Just about every airline credit card has a sign-up bonus you get after spending enough within a set timeframe. Sign-up bonuses are often enough for one or more free flights, so they add quite a bit of value.
No foreign transaction fee: Besides the rare exception, airline cards typically don't charge a foreign transaction fee. This makes them great credit cards for international travel.

Next, we'll look at the disadvantages:

Benefits may be restricted to one airline: If you get a traditional airline card, miles are only redeemable with that airline. Other card perks will likely be with that airline as well. This could be an issue if you find yourself traveling with other airlines or if you want to use travel rewards for hotel bookings. In either case, you'd need to look for the best travel credit cards that aren't tied to one airline.
Most airline credit cards charge an annual fee: Airline cards, and travel cards in general, usually have an annual fee. If you want to avoid this, you'll need to look specifically for travel cards with no annual fee. However, many airline cards cost less than $100, and the benefits they offer can easily make up for that.
High interest rates: The interest rates on airline credit cards, and on all rewards credit cards, are typically higher than non-rewards cards. That's the tradeoff for the rewards and benefits these cards offer. It's important to pay your full statement balance with an airline card so you don't get hit with interest charges.
Need good credit to qualify: If you don't have good credit, it's difficult to get an airline credit card. For consumers in this situation, building credit is recommended first. Once you've done that, you can think about applying for the best credit cards.

Is an airline credit card right for you?

An airline credit card is right for you if you fly at least two or three times per year. In that case, you'll have plenty of opportunities to redeem credit card miles for free flights. You'll also be able to take advantage of any airline benefits your travel card offers to save money and improve your travel experience. Ready to get started? Here's how to apply for a credit card (and get approved).

FAQs

An airline credit card earns miles on purchases that are redeemable for air travel. Most of these cards also have airline benefits, which can include free checked baggage, priority boarding, access to airport lounges, and complimentary upgrades.
Credit card miles are the rewards earned by airline credit cards. They're redeemable for air travel through the credit card's loyalty program. The type of loyalty program determines the redemption options.
A traditional airline credit card is connected to an airline and earns miles in its frequent flyer program. Miles are redeemable through the frequent flyer program for award tickets.
A general airline credit card isn't connected to a single airline and is instead part of a credit card company's rewards program. Miles are redeemable through that rewards program. Redemption options may include transferring miles to the credit card company's airline partners, using miles as cash towards airfare purchases, or both.
Here's how to choose the best airline credit card:
- Decide whether you want an airline credit card with one airline or a more all-purpose card that's part of a credit card company's rewards program.
- Pick out top airline credit card options that fit the type of card you want.
- Compare the cards you chose to see which has the combination of features that fits you most.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the best credit card for airline miles. It's part of the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, which has domestic and international airline partners where you can transfer your points. Points are also redeemable for cash travel purchases through the Ultimate Rewards travel portal at a fixed rate of $0.0125 per point. With multiple redemption options, a great sign-up bonus, and a justifiable annual fee, it can work well for most travelers.
Keep in mind that there's no single airline card that's the best for every traveler. Some can get more value from other credit cards, such as a travel credit card tied to one airline.
You need a FICO® Score of 670 or higher to maximize your chances of qualifying for an airline credit card. Your credit score isn't the only factor that matters, so it doesn't guarantee an approval or a denial. That being said, airline credit cards are designed for consumers who have good credit or excellent credit.

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