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One easy way to get airline perks without status is with a travel rewards credit card. While it might seem like the best choice for a credit card for flights is an airline credit card, that’s not necessarily the case. An airline-specific credit card may be the right choice for you if you are loyal to an airline or if you want access to an airline-specific lounge.
If that doesn’t sound like you, you will almost certainly do better with a more flexible travel rewards credit card that is going to offer you bonus rewards no matter which airline you fly and more flexible ways to redeem your rewards, too.
100,000 Membership Rewards® Points
$695
See Pay Over Time APR
Excellent/Good (700 - 749)
Up to 3X Reward Rate
Earn 3X points on travel immediately after earning your $300 travel credit; Earn 3X points on dining at restaurants; EarnRead More
60,000 bonus points
$550
16.99%-23.99% Variable
Excellent (750 - 850)
This card offers superior points earning rates if you spend frequently on travel and dining out. The $300 travel credit will offset much of the annual fee, and redeeming points for travel on Chase Ultimate Rewards or when using the Pay Yourself Back feature nets you a 50% bonus.
Up to 3X Reward Rate
Earn 3X Miles on Delta flights and Delta Vacations®; Earn 1 mile per dollar for all other purchases you makeRead More
80,000 miles + 20,000 MQMs
$550
15.74%-24.74% Variable
Excellent/Good (700 - 749)
It makes sense for Delta high-fliers to grab the top-of-the-line Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. The access to Sky Club alone helps justify the annual fee for frequent Delta flyers, then add in the annual companion certificate for eligible domestic flights, free first checked bag when you fly Delta, priority boarding, and bonus MQM miles toward Elite status. However, the mediocre miles earning rates reduce the card's overall appeal.
United's top-tier card offering ups its game with 4x miles earnings on United purchases. A suite of travel perks makes the card an even better value, with the United Club membership alone worth more than the annual fee.
Unlimited 2X Miles
Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
100,000 bonus miles
$95
17.24% - 24.49% (Variable)
Excellent, Good (700 - 749)
Casual travelers who don't plan to carry a balance will find good value in this card's 2-miles-per-$1 flat rewards rate.
Up to 2X Reward Rate
Earn 2 miles per $1 spent at restaurants, on hotel stays and on purchases from United. 1 mile per $1Read More
Up to 70,000 Bonus Miles
$0 Intro for First Year, then $95
16.49% to 23.49% Variable
Good, Excellent (700 - 749)
A top choice for casual or moderate United fliers; the perks can easily outweigh the $95 annual fee. If you're prepared to spend on restaurants and hotels in addition to United purchases, you'll earn 2x miles and come out a winner.
5X Reward Rate
Earn 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel; earn 5 Membership Rewards perRead More
100,000 Membership Rewards® Points
$695
See Pay Over Time APR
Excellent/Good (700 - 749)
The Platinum Card is destined for frequent travelers who intend to fully leverage the rich set of luxury travel benefits and Platinum Concierge service. In the right hands, the classic status card's staggering annual fee is well justified.
Up to 3X Reward Rate
Earn 3X Miles on purchases made directly with hotels; Earn 3X Miles on Delta flights and Delta Vacations; Earn 2XRead More
90,000 bonus miles
$250
15.74%-24.74% Variable
Excellent/Good (700 - 749)
If we look only at the mileage earning rates, this card doesn't stand out compared to its peers. However, for Delta frequent fliers, the abundant perks are compelling. Math-wise, the companion ticket can more than justify the expense of the annual fee, plus there's a sweet welcome bonus.
Up to 5X Reward Rate
Earn 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on American Express Travel; Earn 1.5X points on each eligible purchase ofRead More
100,000 Membership Rewards®
$595
14.24% - 22.24% Variable
Good, Excellent (700 - 749)
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is the quintessential status card for high-spending, frequent-flying business owners and their employees. If sufficiently leveraged, the card's robust benefits are well worth the high annual fee.
Up to 3X Reward Rate
Earn 3 miles per $1 spent directly on Virgin Atlantic purchases; Earn 1.5 miles per $1 spent on all otherRead More
50,000 bonus
$90
15.99% - 23.99% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
Good/Excellent (700 - 749)
The Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard® offers an above-average mileage earnings rate, $25k in annual spending gets you a companion ticket, and you'll earn tier points toward your Flying Club status. Unfortunately, the card's benefits don't include priority boarding, free checked bags, instant elite status, or in-flight discounts.
Earn up to 15,000 bonus Virgin Points every anniversary after qualifying purchases
Earn up to 5,000 bonus Virgin Points when you add additional cardholders to your account
Up to 2X Reward Rate
Earn 2X AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases; Earn 1X AAdvantage® miles on other purchases
50,000 miles
$450
15.99% - 24.99% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
Excellent, Good (700 - 749)
For the AA frequent flier who will use the complimentary Admirals Club lounge access, this alone more than offsets the annual fee. Considering that all authorized cardholders are eligible, this can be an incredible value. Extra perks such as VIP check-in, priority boarding, concierge service, and free checked bag sweeten the deal.
Forbes Advisor looked at airline cards and flexible rewards cards available to Americans. We considered the types of points earned, value of points, annual fees, additional perks such as lounge access, checked bags and more, other ongoing benefits and the welcome bonus.
Before you pick a credit card to use for flights, you should answer a few questions.
To view rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this page.
To view rates and fees of Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Credit Card, please visit this page.
To view rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this page.
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, please visit this page.
The best card to use for airline miles is the card that works best for you. If you are loyal to one airline, it might make sense for you to hold that airline’s card even if the earnings rates aren’t the strongest. If you’re not loyal to a specific airline, a card that earns flexible rewards like Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards is likely to be a better choice.
The best airline rewards card is the card that is most rewarding for you. Consider where you want to go, the level of luxury you want on your flights and how much you spend on airline tickets. Also consider whether the card offers benefits such as enhanced points earning rates on your spending, extra elite qualifying miles for qualification or special promotions for card holders.
The value of an airline mile will depend on the type of airline mile. Not all miles are created equal. Southwest Rapid Rewards and JetBlue TrueBlue points are worth about 1.5 cents per point. Other airline miles values will vary with each booking. For instance, if a flight costs 50,000 miles and the flight is $500, you’re getting 1 cent per mile in value. If the flight costs $1,000 for the same 50,000, you’re getting 2 cents per mile. The value of an airline mile will vary with each redemption.
Each program has its own rules as to when points expire. Due to COVID, most loyalty programs have extended their points expiration dates to at least the end of 2020. If you want to keep your airline miles active, all you have to do is make a reservation or have other qualifying activity such as transferring points from a flexible currency or making a purchase through the frequent flyer program shopping portal.
Rewards cards in general, including airline credit cards, typically require good to excellent credit. A score in the “good” range of 670 to 739 may be sufficient for a basic rewards card, but for the strongest rewards you can expect to need a score of 740 or higher to qualify.
No. Even a casual flyer can benefit from an airline credit card. The savings on baggage, earnings on purchases and welcome bonus are among the reasons a person who isn’t a frequent flyer could find an airline credit card useful. You do need to be a member of the airline’s frequent flyer program.
That said, you could achieve some of the same benefits by getting a travel rewards card that has flexible miles. By using flexible miles, you will have more flexibility in how you can use your rewards.
Yes. Using an airline credit card as payment does not affect your ability to earn frequent flyer miles on the same flight. You may earn bonus miles from the card you used to make your purchase, but will not earn bonus miles from the airline. The airline awards miles based on its formula, which uses a combination of ticket cost, miles flown, and elite status.
Not all types of credit card points can be transferred to airline miles. Some of the most popular transferable currencies include Chase Ultimate Rewards points, American Express Membership Rewards points and Citi ThankYou points.
Each transfer partner will have a slightly different set of instructions, but in general you can transfer credit card points to airline miles via your credit card’s awards page. Make sure you have your frequent flyer number handy in order to complete the transaction.
In general, purchasing airline miles speculatively is not a great idea. Airline miles belong to the airline, not you, even if you purchased them. They can be devalued at any time solely at the airline’s discretion. That said, if you have a specific redemption in mind and only need a few miles to top off your account, buying miles might make sense.
You can use credit card points for airline tickets in a variety of ways, depending on the card you have. Transferable points allow you to transfer your credit card points directly to an airline partner and book an award ticket. Some points allow you to book a ticket with credit card points via your credit card’s travel portal. You may also be able to redeem your points for cash back and buy your ticket directly with the proceeds. Points earned directly with a specific airline can typically only be redeemed with that airline and its partners.
The amount will vary depending on what type of card you have. In general, airline cards award extra miles for purchases made directly with the airline. Some cards also have bonus categories such as travel, dining or gas purchases.
In most cases, yes. You can redeem credit card miles in the same account and they have the same value. One exception is that some airlines calculate credit card spending differently in terms of elite status.
Additionally, some credit cards earn miles that are part of the credit card’s rewards program, like Capital One Venture Miles. These miles aren’t airline miles, but they can be redeemed for flights and even transferred to airline partners. Other types of credit cards earn points that can be transferred to airline miles.
Most credit cards do not confer airline elite status, but some of the higher end cards will award you elite qualifying miles (EQM) if you spend a certain amount on the card. You won’t be able to earn status solely with spending, though, as most airlines have a limit as to how many EQMs you can earn.
Some airline credit cards will get you free checked bags. In general, if you’re paying an annual fee on your credit card, you can expect a baggage allowance.
Only top tier cards, such as the United Club℠ Infinite Card or Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, will allow you to enter an airport lounge. Some mid tier cards such as the United℠ Explorer Card will award annual one-time passes as a perk of holding the card.
Most airline credit cards charge an annual fee around $95 for a mid-tier card and $500 for an elite card. The Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card (see rates and fees) and the American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Card* are the most commonly known no annual fee airline cards that are open to new applicants.
An airline credit card awards miles for your purchases, then deposits them directly into your frequent flyer account. Your frequent flyer account will be linked to your credit card account when you open the card. You don’t have to take any extra steps to get the miles from your credit card to your airline frequent flyer account.
