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- Best Airline Credit Cards
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Whether you want to go on a trip across Europe or escape to a weekend getaway, an airline credit card can help get you there. Explore our top picks for airline credit cards, some of which are from our partners. These cards offer truly incredible perks, points, or miles on every swipe, and new cardholder bonuses that can get you on the fast-track toward your next vacation.
The Ascent's best airline credit cards:
- Airline booking flexibility: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Travel card with no annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
- Airline booking flexibility: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Travel card with no annual fee: Discover it® Miles
- United flyers: United℠ Explorer Card
- Delta frequent flyers: Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
- American Airlines frequent flyers: Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Great for: Airline booking flexibility
Rating image, 5.0 out of 5 stars.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor.
Bottom Line
With a leading sign-up bonus, the sky’s the limit for this top-rated travel rewards card. Plus, the premium points program for travel and dining make it a no brainer for travel enthusiasts everywhere. Read Full Review
Rewards
2x points on travel and dining, 1x points on all other purchases. 25% more points for travel booked through Chase's portal.
Annual Fee
$95
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A, N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A, N/A
Ongoing APR
15.99% - 22.99% Variable
Welcome Bonus
60,000 points after spending $4,000 within 3 months
Highlights
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Plus earn up to $50 in statement credits towards grocery store purchases.
- 2X points on dining at restaurants including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out and travel & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
- With Pay Yourself BackSM, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories.
- Get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on eligible orders over $12 for a minimum of one year with DashPass, DoorDash's subscription service. Activate by 12/31/21.
- Earn 2x total points on up to $1,000 in grocery store purchases per month from November 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021. Includes eligible pick-up and delivery services.
Great for: Travel card with no annual fee
Rating image, 5.0 out of 5 stars.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor.
Bottom Line
No-annual-fee travel cards typically skimp on the sign-up bonus, but this card delivers with its market-leading intro bonus offer, unlimited rewards on purchases, and other wallet-friendly perks. Read Full Review
Rewards
Unlimited 1.5 points per $1 on purchases, 25%-75% more points for Bank of America Preferred Rewards members
Annual Fee
$0
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 12 billing cycles
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
14.99% - 22.99% Variable
Welcome Bonus
25,000 points after making at least $1,000 in purchases within 90 days of account opening
Highlights
- Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees and your points don't expire
- 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases
- Use your card to book your trip how and where you want - you're not limited to specific websites with blackout dates or restrictions
- Redeem points for a statement credit to pay for travel or dining purchases, such as flights, hotel stays, car and vacation rentals, baggage fees, and also at restaurants including takeout
- 0% Introductory APR for 12 billing cycles for purchases. After the intro APR ends, 14.99% - 22.99% Variable APR will apply
- If you're a Preferred Rewards member, you can earn 25% - 75% more points on every purchase
- Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap
Great for: Airline booking flexibility
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor.
Bottom Line
The sign-up bonus, premium rewards for travel & dining, and wide array of valuable travel credits make this a compelling offer that will offset the cost of the annual fee for many. The array of limited time offers make it even more compelling. Read Full Review
Rewards
3X points on travel immediately after earning your $300 travel credit. 3X points on dining at restaurants & 1 point on all other purchases.
Annual Fee
$550
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
16.99%-23.99% Variable
Welcome Bonus
50,000 points after spending $4,000 within 3 months
Highlights
- Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year. From 6/1/20 through 6/30/21, gas station & grocery store purchases will also count towards earning your Travel Credit
- 3X points on travel immediately after earning your $300 travel credit. 3X points on dining at restaurants including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, 50,000 points are worth $750 toward travel
- With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 50% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Access to 1,000+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®
- Earn 3x total points on up to $1,000 in grocery store purchases per month from November 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021. Includes eligible pick-up and delivery services
Great for: Travel card with no annual fee
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor.
Bottom Line
A no-nonsense, no-annual-fee travel rewards card built for occasional travelers. The unlimited 1.5 Miles takes the hassle out of tracking categories and all of your miles get matched in the first year. Read Full Review
Rewards
1.5 Miles per dollar on all purchases
Annual Fee
$0
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 14 months
Balance Transfers: 10.99%, 14 months
Ongoing APR
11.99% - 22.99% Variable APR
Welcome Bonus
Mile-for-Mile match of all Miles earned the first year
Highlights
- UNLIMITED BONUS: Only Discover will automatically match all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. For example, if you earn 35,000 Miles, you get 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match.
- Earn unlimited 1.5x Miles for every dollar spent on all purchases - with no annual fee.
- Turn Miles into cash in any amount, any time. Or redeem as a statement credit for travel purchases like airfare, hotels, rideshares, gas stations, restaurants and more with no blackout dates. However you redeem, Miles keep the same value. And Miles never expire.
- New! Redeem Miles for cash in any amount to pay your bill, including your minimum payment.
- No Blackout Dates. Simply pay for travel purchases like airlines, hotels, rental cars, and more with your Discover it® Miles card.
- Discover is accepted nationwide by 99% of the places that take credit cards.
- Freeze your account in seconds with an on/off switch either on the mobile app or website to prevent new purchases, cash advances, and balance transfers.
- Get your free Credit Scorecard with your FICO® Credit Score, number of recent inquiries and more.
- Get an alert if we find your Social Security number on any of thousands of Dark Web sites.* Activate for free.
Great for: United flyers
United℠ Explorer Card
Rating image, 5.0 out of 5 stars.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor.
What We Like About The Card
With a big sign up bonus and 2 miles per $1 on restaurants and hotel stays, the miles will accumulate quickly if you're a frequent traveler. Read Full Review
Rewards
2 miles per $1 at restaurants and on hotel stays, eligible food delivery services, and United purchases, 1 mile per $1 on all else
Annual Fee
$0 for the first year, $95 after that
Intro APR
Purchases: NA
Balance Transfers: NA
Ongoing APR
16.49% to 23.49%, variable
Welcome Bonus
60,000 miles after spending $3,000 within 3 months, additional 25,000 miles after spending $10,000 within 6 months
Highlights
- 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- Earn 2 miles per $1 spent at restaurants and on hotel stays.
- Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on eligible delivery services such as GrubHub, Caviar, Seamless and DoorDash
- Up to $100 Global Entry or TSA Pre✓® Fee Credit.
- 25% back on United inflight purchases.
- Check your first bag for free (a savings of up to $100 per roundtrip) when you use your Card to purchase your ticket.
- Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United Club℠ with 2 one-time passes each year for your anniversary.
- Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on purchases from United, and 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.
The information related to United℠ Explorer Card has been collected by The Ascent and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.
Great for: Delta frequent flyers
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor.
Bottom Line
May be the best card for most Delta travelers, given the balance of a premium rewards program and low annual fee. Read Full Review
Rewards
2X Miles on Delta purchases, restaurants and U.S. supermarkets, 1X Mile on all else, 20% statement credit on eligible Delta in-flight purchases
Annual Fee
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99.
Foreign Transaction Fee
None
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
15.74%-24.74% Variable
Welcome Bonus
35,000 miles after spending $1,000 within 3 months
Highlights
- Earn 35,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months.
- Earn 2X Miles on Delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn now. Travel when you're ready. After you spend $10,000 in purchases in a calendar year, you will receive a $100 Delta Flight Credit to inspire your next travel.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a $0 introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $99.
- Terms Apply.
Great for: American Airlines frequent flyers
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor.
Bottom Line
The rewards program makes this a compelling card to carry with OK earning opportunities beyond just American Airlines purchases. Read Full Review
Rewards
2 miles per $1 for restaurants, gas, and eligible American Airlines purchases
Annual Fee
$99, waived for first 12 months
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
15.99% - 24.99%, variable
Welcome Bonus
50,000 miles after spending $2,500 within 3 months
Highlights
- Earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $2,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants
- Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
- Earn a $125 American Airlines Flight Discount after you spend $20,000 or more in purchases during your cardmembership year and renew your card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- First checked bag is free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to four companions traveling with you on the same reservation
- Enjoy preferred boarding on American Airlines flights
- The standard variable APR for Citi Flex Plan is 15.99% - 24.99%, based on your creditworthiness. Citi Flex Plan offers are made available at Citi's discretion.
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® is unavailable on The Ascent. All information was collected independently from the issuer. Some items may be out of date.
One of the best ways to travel more cheaply, and sometimes more luxuriously, is by taking advantage of airline miles credit cards. In addition to the miles you’ll earn by putting purchases on the card, these airline miles credit cards also offer generous sign-up bonuses and travel perks like free checked bags, priority boarding, and premium airport lounge access. Airline miles can offer high value if you know where to pledge your loyalty, allowing you to book everything from one-way tickets to long-haul flights, business class tickets, and even round-the-world trips for next to nothing. We’ve researched the best airline miles credit cards and come up with this guide to help you maximize your airline perks and win some stellar deals.
What are typical airline credit card benefits?
Rewards cards are a dime a dozen, and card users can always opt for a simple and easy cash back card instead. So why are airline cards so popular? It really comes down to some big advantages that make airline cards a better choice for those who are frequently on the road.
- Big sign-up bonuses: These offers stand out for their massive sign-up bonuses to new qualifying cardholders. Some sign-up bonuses currently offer upwards of $750 in travel value. Even no-annual-fee cards offer as much as $200 in travel value. These bonuses are higher than you’d find with cash-back credit cards.
- No foreign transaction fees: Many credit cards charge a foreign transaction fee (usually 3% of the purchase amount) when you use the card overseas, or to pay a merchant who processes cards through a foreign bank. None of our best travel card selections charge a foreign transaction fee, in contrast to many other credit cards on the market.
- Avoid travel costs: Depending on the card, you may be able to dodge some travel expenses when you use it. Some airline cards and other travel cards allow you to bring a checked bag for free. A select few give cardholders Global Entry and TSA Pre✓ credits, which cover the application fee for security clearances that help you get through airport security faster.
- Airline and hotel status: Some cards give you immediate status with hotels and airlines just for having the card, which makes you eligible for enhanced loyalty points on every stay, late checkouts, and other perks when you book a stay or flight with a particular hotel or airline.
- Comfort at the airport: Some high-end travel cards offer cardholders access to thousands of airport lounges all around the world, where you can enjoy complimentary food or drinks while waiting for your flight.
- Travel insurances: Even some travel credit cards with no annual fee offer valuable travel insurance options from trip cancellation protection to lost and delayed baggage insurance. Premium travel credit cards up the ante with deeper coverage that could relieve the burden of almost any travel mishap. Note, qualifying for travel insurance will generally require you to place the entire purchase on your credit card.
- Free checked bags: Wipe out nuisance checked bag fees by carrying an airline-branded card. Most branded offers include this perk.
- Priority boarding: Airline-branded cards also tend to offer priority boarding for cardholders. Most branded offers include this perk as well.
When an airline credit card may not be the best bet
You’ll notice that both airline-branded miles credit cards and general travel credit cards made our list. The biggest reason airline-branded cards are included is that they can be very valuable for people who use one airline and can benefit from the various VIP perks, such as priority boarding, free checked bags, and travel credits. This is why airline-branded credit cards tend to work best for business travelers or frequent flyers. The downfall is these cards are notorious for devaluing miles, meaning that miles that were once worth $0.01 each have been devalued to $0.007 each, or even less.
General travel credit cards have more established redemption values and tend to be less complicated, making them a fit for people who value an array of redemption options in one card.
Is an airline credit card right for you?
While we have many good things to say about airline cards, we recognize they aren’t for everyone. Used wisely, an airline credit card can help you earn rewards that can be used to pay for your next trip to Asia, or your next Uber ride to a ballgame.
There are two things you need to do to make sure that a travel card works for you, rather than against you.
- Don’t carry a balance -- It doesn’t make sense to spend and carry balances just to earn a small amount of travel rewards. Because credit cards carry interest rates in the double digits, paying just one month of interest can cost you more than you earn in travel from using a rewards card. Building up a balance in the pursuit of travel rewards is a losing strategy.
- Redeem rewards for travel -- Airline cards offer the best value when the points or miles you earn are redeemed for travel. Avoid redeeming for cash back, since virtually all travel cards give you less value per point or mile when you redeem for cash. If you don’t know that you will have a need for travel redemptions, a cash back card is probably better for you than an airline card.
FAQs
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Airline cards typically earn “miles” or “points” based on how much you spend. Some offer a simple rewards program where you earn 1 or 2 points or miles on every $1 you spend, whereas others offer bonuses that give you more points or miles when you spend in certain categories. (Not surprisingly, airline cards often pay bonuses on spending with the associated airline.)
Airline cards can be broken down into categories based on how points or miles you earn are redeemed:
- Statement credits -- Many cards allow you to redeem points or miles for statement credits, which erase travel purchases from your card. For example, if you have 100,000 miles worth $0.01 each, you’d be able to make a $1,000 travel purchase on the card, and then redeem your miles to have the $1,000 purchase erased from your statement. The big advantage with statement credits is that you can book travel how you want to, whether it’s through an online travel agency, or directly with the hotel or airline. You aren’t limited to the card issuer’s travel portal.
- Travel portals and points transfers -- Many card issuers operate their own online travel portals where you redeem points directly for airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, and more. Think of this as something like Expedia, where prices are denominated in points or miles rather than cash. Travel portals can be convenient, and they also eliminate the risk that a travel purchase you make isn’t treated as travel for the purposes of a statement credit. Many of these same cards offer the flexibility of transferring points to an airline or hotel loyalty program. If you’re savvy, this is an easy strategy to stretch the value of each point.
- Airline loyalty -- These cards offer premium miles for purchases made directly with a carrier. The miles programs vary in redemption value, but you can consistently count on receiving premium perks such as free checked bags, priority boarding, and lounge access. As “loyalty” implies, these offers are shoe-ins for cardholders sticking to one carrier.
- Statement credits -- Many cards allow you to redeem points or miles for statement credits, which erase travel purchases from your card. For example, if you have 100,000 miles worth $0.01 each, you’d be able to make a $1,000 travel purchase on the card, and then redeem your miles to have the $1,000 purchase erased from your statement. The big advantage with statement credits is that you can book travel how you want to, whether it’s through an online travel agency, or directly with the hotel or airline. You aren’t limited to the card issuer’s travel portal.
-
Cards with annual fees typically offer more perks and rewards for every $1 you spend, so whether or not it makes sense to pay an annual fee typically comes down to how much you spend each year.
For example, take a no annual fee card that offers 1.5 miles for every $1 spent, thus rewarding you with $0.015 of travel value per $1 and a card that carries a $95 annual fee, but it rewards cardholders with 2 miles per $1 spent, for a rewards yield of $0.02 in travel value per $1.
We can determine which card is the better choice by dividing the difference in the annual fees by the differences in rewards yields. In this case, we find that the cards break even at $19,000 in annual spending ($95 fee divided by $0.005 = $19,000). If you spend more than $19,000, the annual fee card may net out more positively for you.
| Card | Rating | Great For |
|---|---|---|
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Rating image, 5.0 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Airline booking flexibility |
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Rating image, 5.0 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Travel card with no annual fee |
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Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Airline booking flexibility |
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Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Travel card with no annual fee |
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Rating image, 5.0 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: United flyers |
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Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Delta frequent flyers |
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Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: American Airlines frequent flyers |
About the Author
Jordan Wathen is a Motley Fool contributor covering the financial sector and investing strategies. He believes stock investors can benefit by analyzing a company with a credit investors' mentality -- rule out the downside, and the upside takes care of itself. You can tweet him @jwthn.
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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team. The Motley Fool has a Disclosure Policy. The Author and/or The Motley Fool may have an interest in companies mentioned.
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