Updated: 1 day ago
Airline-specific cards can be great for the perks, and the best airline credit card will give you benefits like free checked bags, priority boarding, and in-flight discounts. However, you can often earn more miles by using a flexible points card and transferring the points to your airline program as needed. We’ll cover both, so you can find the top airline credit card for your situation.
The Best Airline Credit Card Offers of September 2019
We’re pretty passionate about airline miles, having earned and redeemed millions of them ourselves, and helping clients redeem more than half a billion points over the past decade. And during that time, we’ve learned which credit cards give you the best bang for your buck, whether that’s earning airline miles directly, or taking advantage of rewarding cards that let you convert points to miles.
In general, it makes sense to get the credit card for your primary airline, the carriers that serve your local airport, or really any airline that you fly more than once or twice a year. The benefits of the cards easily outweigh any annual fees, plus you can typically earn tens of thousands of airline miles just for applying for the card and meeting a minimum spend. Here are the best airline reward credit cards available today:
The companion fare offer alone makes this card a no-brainer, not to mention the bonus 40,000 Alaska miles which are very valuable due to their current award chart. Current Offer This card allows you to earn 40,000 Alaska miles after qualifying purchases, which are very valuable due to their current award chart. Great for Alaska Airlines and past Virgin America frequent fliers as the card allows you to earn 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases and you will receive a companion fare offer which can be useful. Current Offer Current Offer Enter the promotional code SB4060 when completing your application in order to receive the additional 20,000 welcome bonus miles with your Avianca LifeMiles credit card after your qualifying purchases. The promotion applies when the cardholder enters the promotional code in the application by September 30, 2019. Card Details British Airways has a distance-based award chart which is extremely lucrative for short-haul travel, as awards outside North America start at just 4,500 Avios one-way. Given that short flights are often disproportionately expensive when paying cash, I’ve found Avios to be invaluable. Current Offer This card gives you a full Admirals Club Membership for you and access for guests traveling with you*, in addition to complimentary Admirals Club® Lounge access for authorized users. Current Offer This card allows you to earn 80,000 Rapid Rewards® points which is almost 75% of what you need to earn within a calendar year for Southwest's Companion Pass. Current Offer Current Offer Card Details The MQD requirement for the qualification year will be waived if you make at least $25,000 in Eligible Purchases in that year with your Delta SkyMiles Credit Card. Current Offer The American Express Membership Rewards cards are generally a better option for accruing Delta SkyMiles, but if you need the MQMs this card is worth considering. The MQD requirement for the qualification year will be waived if you make at least $25,000 in Eligible Purchases in that year with your Delta SkyMiles Credit Card. Card Details This card is great for road warriors as you earn 2 United miles per $1 spend on categories that you tend to have the most expenses on, plus priority boarding for you and companions on the same reservation on United-operated flights, a free checked bag, and two one-time United Club℠ passes each year. Current Offer Card Details This card comes with some worthwhile benefits for United flyers, especially the PQD waiver for $25k in annual spend. Current Offer Card Details
Alaska Airlines Visa® Business credit card
• 40,000 Bonus Miles + Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ Offer: Get 40,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare from $121 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from just $22) with this offer. To qualify, make purchases of $2,000 or more within the first 90 days of opening your account.
• Get Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ from $121 ($99 plus taxes and fees from $22) every year! That’s right, EACH YEAR on your account anniversary get a companion fare from $121 ($99 plus taxes and fees from $22). Valid on all Alaska flights booked on alaskaair.com with no blackout dates.
• Save with a free checked bag on Alaska flights for you and up to six other guests on the same reservation.
• Earn 3 miles for every $1 spent directly on Alaska Airlines purchases and 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
• NEW! 50% off Alaska Lounge day passes and 20% back on inflight food, beverage and Wi-Fi purchases when you pay with your card.
• Get exclusive access to discounted redemption levels when you redeem miles for hotel stays at over 400,000 properties using Alaska Airline Hotels.
• Earn unlimited miles and travel with no blackout dates and no international transaction fees.
• Enjoy many money saving benefits, 800+ destinations, more than a dozen global airline partners and a low annual fee of $50 for the company and $25 per card.
• NOW - 40,000 Bonus Mile + Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ Offer.
• Get 40,000 bonus miles and Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ from $121 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $22) with this offer. To qualify, make purchases of $2,000 or more within the first 90 days of opening your account.
• Save with a free checked bag on Alaska flights for you and up to six other guests on the same reservation.
• Get Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ every year! EACH YEAR on your account anniversary get a companion fare from $121 ($99 plus taxes and fees from $22). Valid on all Alaska flights booked on alaskaair.com with no blackout dates.
• Earn unlimited 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases and 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases. And, your miles don't expire on active accounts.
• NEW! Enjoy 50% off day passes at the Alaska Lounge and 20% back on all Alaska Airlines inflight purchases when you pay with your new card.
• Redeem miles with no blackout dates on any of Alaska's 1,200 daily flights or choose from over 900+ destinations with more than a dozen global airline partners. Plus, get exclusive access to discounted redemption levels when you redeem miles for hotel stays at over 400,000 properties using Alaska Airlines Hotels.
• Plus, no foreign transaction fees and a low $75 annual fee.
Avianca Vuela Visa® Card
Earn 40,000 Bonus LifeMiles after first card use, plus 20,000 bonus miles after at least $1,000 spend on purchases within the first 90 days of account opening (total of 60,000).
• Limited time welcome bonus offer
• Apply for the Avianca Vida Visa® credit card and earn 20,000 welcome bonus LifeMiles after your first purchase, PLUS earn an additional 20,000 bonus LifeMiles after you spend at least $1,000 in the first 90 days from account opening. That’s a total of 40,000 LifeMiles!
• Enter the promotional code SB4060 when completing your application in order to receive the additional 20,000 welcome bonus miles with your Avianca LifeMiles credit card after your qualifying purchases.
• Disclosure:
• Offer valid for new accounts only. To qualify and receive this special promotional welcome bonus offer, the promotional code: SB4060 must be entered when completing the credit application and you must make Purchases totaling $1,000 or more within 90 days of your Account opening date. (“Purchases” do not include use of Convenience Checks, Balance Transfers, Cash Advances, unauthorized or fraudulent charges or fees of any kind including Annual Fees or Balance Transfer Fees, Purchase of casino chips, other methods of gambling, or any other Transaction that we determine at our sole discretion constitutes or is equivalent to a Cash Advance.) After qualifying, please allow 6 to 8 weeks for bonus miles to post to your LifeMiles Account. To be eligible for this bonus offer, account must be open and not in default at the time of fulfillment. . If the promotional code is not entered and an Avianca Vuela Visa credit card is issued, you will receive 40,000 welcome miles after making the first purchase according to the regular conditions of the welcome bonus. This promotion cannot be combined with any other offers.
• Earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
• Admirals Club® membership for you and access for guests traveling with you
• Complimentary Admirals Club® lounge access for authorized users
• Earn 10,000 AAdvantage® Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) after you spend $40,000 in purchases within the year
• No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases*
• Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 AAdvantage® mile for every $1 spent on other purchases
• First checked bag is free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to 8 companions traveling with you on the same reservation
New! Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
Earn up to 60,000 points. Earn 40,000 points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Plus, earn 20,000 points after you spend $12,000 on purchases in the first 12 months your account is open.
2 points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases and Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partner purchases. 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card
Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card within your first 3 months and a $100 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months.
Limited-time offer for small business owners: Earn up to 100,000 bonus miles after qualifying purchases.
Earn 2 miles per $1 at restaurants, gas stations, office supply stores and on United purchases. Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.
United℠ Explorer Card
40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open
Earn 2 miles per $1 spent at restaurants, on hotel stays and on purchases from United. 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
See more credit card offers from these airlines:
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What Is The Best Airline Credit Card For Miles?
We are constantly asked about the best credit card for airline miles, and the answer may surprise you. I’ve flown well over 100 different airlines, and personally fly an average of 400,000 miles a year in international first and business class — and most of that has been made possible by leveraging airline miles.
So you can believe me when I say I know the best airline credit cards for miles, and that it usually isn’t actually an airline card — instead, you’ll earn more points more quickly with a flexible points currency issued by one of the major bank credit cards. Depending on the card you choose, you can maximize your mileage earning with cards offering big category bonuses. We try and earn at least two miles for every dollar we spend, which is pretty easy these days. With a combination of various cards, we’re maximizing our miles by earning:
- 5x points on flights, restaurants, and certain hotels
- 4x points on dining worldwide, and U.S. supermarkets
- 3x points on travel, restaurants, shipping, Internet, cable & phone, advertising, and gas stations
- 2x points on everyday purchases
The specific categories vary by card, so if you tend to cook at home you’ll want to consider a card that offers bonuses on groceries or supermarkets, while someone who eats out will do better with a card offering a bonus on restaurants. As you’re doing your research, think about what purchases you make most frequently, whether your budget will allow you to meet the minimum spend to earn the welcome bonus in time, and what your travel goals are.
In addition to the airline credit cards, you’ll want to consider our top picks for other rewards cards that let you earn the most airline miles:
Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred at a 1:1 ratio to United, Hyatt, and many other programs. The card is also great for everyday spend given that it offers double points on dining and travel. This is probably the most-used card in my wallet. Current Offer The Ink Preferred has a fantastic, practical rewards structure. Triple points on travel, telecommunications, shipping and advertising on social-media and search engines, covers a lot of categories that are actually useful to businesses. Current Offer Card Details Capital One miles have historically been most useful for domestic economy flights, particularly if you have to travel over peak dates, but the new mileage transfer option is a game-changer, and makes these points much more valuable. Current Offer Card Details The updates to this card (including the introduction of airline transfers) make this an incredibly well-rounded card. Current Offer Card Details While the annual fee is high the card comes with lots of benefits that help negate the annual fee, including a $200 Airline Fee Credit, which gives you up to $200 a year in baggage fees and more at one airline. Current Offer Card Details Membership Rewards has many transfer partners, including Aeroplan, British Airways, Delta, and Singapore, and this card lets you earn great bonuses in the categories that many of us use most often. Current Offer Card Details Certain versions of ThankYou points, including the ones offered with this card, can be transferred to airline partners at a 1:1 ratio, which gives you more options for aspirational travel. Current Offer Card Details While the annual fee is high the card comes with lots of benefits that help negate the annual fee, and this is a great welcome bonus on this card. Current Offer Earning 4X Membership Rewards® for small business expenses is an awesome return, and we especially like that it automatically applies to the categories you use most in a billing cycle, rather than having to choose just one or two each year. Current Offer Card Details
Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases-with no limit to the amount you can earn.
Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business
50,000 Miles once you spend $4,500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card
50,000 Miles once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases in your first 3 months.
5X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel. 5X Membership Rewards® points on eligible hotels booked on amextravel.com. Enjoy Uber VIP status and free rides in the U.S. up to $15 each month, plus a bonus $20 in December. That can be up to $200 in annual Uber savings. As a Platinum Card Member, you can enjoy access to the Global Lounge Collection, the only credit card airport lounge access program that includes proprietary lounge locations around the world.Receive complimentary benefits with an average total value of $550 with Fine Hotels & Resorts. Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
Earn 35,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $2,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 3 months.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points when you dine at restaurants worldwide. Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
Citi Premier℠ Card
Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
• Earn 3 points per $1 spent on travel including gas stations
• Earn 2 points per $1 spent at restaurants and on entertainment
• Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Earn up to $500 back in the form of statement credits by purchasing qualifying services with FedEx using your American Express® Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card membership. Limited time Offer ends 11/06/2019.*
MORE REWARDS: Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month.** **4X points apply to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year.*
The Best Airline Credit Card With No Annual Fee
For the most part, in order to take advantage of all the potential perks and rewards that come with using an airline credit card, you’ll be paying at least a moderate annual fee. After all, these benefits have to be paid for somehow! That being said, if you don’t fly quite enough to justify the cost of an annual fee, but still want to earn miles, there’s a tie for the best airline credit card with no annual fee available today:
Current Offer Card Details While it might not be the best option for the savvy traveler, it’s nice to see an airline introducing a no annual fee credit card. People often want to have a card from a brand they like, and lots of people like Delta. For a no annual fee card, the card is more generous than I was expecting. Current Offer Card Details
Earn 10,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles and receive a $50 statement credit after making $500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening*
• Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for each $1 spent at grocery stores, including grocery delivery services*
• Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases*
• Earn 1 AAdvantage® mile for every $1 spent on other purchases*
• Save 25% on inflight food and beverage purchases when you use your card on American Airlines flights*
Blue Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express
Earn 10,000 bonus miles after spending $500 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 2 miles per dollar at US restaurants.
• Earn 2 Miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta. Earn 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on other purchases.
• Receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit after you use your Card on eligible Delta in-flight purchases of food, beverages, and audio headsets.
Most people, however, can do a bit better by choosing a non-airline card. If you aren’t flying enough to where the annual fee would be offset by free checked bags, in-flight discounts, etc., you’d probably be better served by a flexible points card. You’ll usually earn more points for every dollar you spend, and those points can be used towards paid tickets (so you can earn more miles!), or transferred directly to your airline miles account when you’re ready to use them:
This card offers strong rewards for small businesses. No other card matches it for base earning on up to the first $50,000 per year. Card Details Capital One points are most useful for domestic economy flights, particularly if you have to travel over peak dates, but the new airline transfer option means these miles can be great for international travel as well. Current Offer Card Details If you make frequent transactions in a month the Amex EveryDay cards are a great option. In addition to accruing points in bonus categories, these cards offer an additional incentive based on how many times the card is used in a month. This can be quite lucrative, especially as these cards accrue Membership Rewards points. Membership Rewards points can be transferred to airline partners for the best value, or used to pay for all or part of your flight, prepaid hotel, vacation or cruise through amextravel.com. Current Offer Card Details Capital One points are most useful for domestic economy flights, particularly if you have to travel over peak dates. Current Offer Card Details
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
20,000 Miles once you spend $1,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
Amex EveryDay® Credit Card
Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you use your new Card to make $1,000 in purchases in your first 3 months.
2x points at US supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1x); 1x points on other purchases. Use your Card 20 or more times on purchases in a billing period and earn 20% more points on those purchases less returns and credits.
Earn 1.5 miles per $1 on every purchase. Plus, a one-time bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.
Miles won't expire for the life of the account, and there are no categories to limit where or what you buy; Pay no annual fee or foreign transaction fees; Get online Quarterly and Year-End Summaries; There's no limit to the amount of miles you can earn; Fly on any airline, anytime, with no blackout dates or seat restrictions
If you’re serious about finding the best airline credit card for miles, most individuals will actually want to look beyond the airline they fly most often. Airline credit cards offer some fantastic perks, and you should definitely take advantage of the in-flight benefits and the great welcome bonuses on the cards. For long-term spending, however, you can earn even greater rewards by choosing a card that earns flexible points on the purchases you make most often.
I have an AA Executive Elite MASTERCARD FROM CitiBank. The travel protection benefits are completely misleading. I recently had a travel delay of approximately 2 hours from Zurich to Philadelphia. As a result, I missed my connection. As a result of destination change 3 months prior to departure, American did not automatically put me on the next available flight from PHL to BDL (Hartford, CT). I was on standby for the last flight of the night, for which I did not clear. American offered me a hotel voucher for a particular hotel, but the hotel was sold out, and the voucher was not honored. There were no available flights for another 24 hours, so I booked Amtrak from Philadelphia to my final destination of Springfield, MA. I submitted a reimbursement request with the credit card insurance carrier. The claim was denied because the originating flight delay was a delay of less than 6 hours. This is a completely useless benefit with regard to any flight delay that causes a missed connection. So any flight delay later in the day that causes a missed connection will never result in a reimbursement benefit. A one hour delay later in the evening can result in being stranded and an overnight stay in the connection city. Have you done any analysis of the various travel insurance benefits being offered by different credit cards. I’m discouraged, as this is a $450 annual fee card. I believed that I had travel protection; turns out I did not.