Best airline credit cards of February 2022

Compare Bankrate’s top-ranked airline credit cards

A closer look at our best airline credit cards

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Best for flexible travel rewards

• This card is best for: Travelers who want the freedom to transfer miles to different travel partners (Capital One has well over 15) rather than being tied to a single airline or hotel chain.
• This card is not a great choice for: People who insist on elite-level perks and benefits and special spending categories that offer elevated rates on certain purchases.
• What makes this card unique? The generous rewards rate (2X miles on all eligible purchases, not just those directly related to travel) and decent ancillary benefits (which include up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee) provide a lot of value relative to the card’s $95 annual fee.
• Is the Venture Rewards card worth it? The flat-rate rewards on general purchases and flexible redemption options make this card a solid pick if you’re in the market for a travel card, but only vacation semi-frequently.

Read our Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card review.
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Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

Best for flexible travel miles with no annual fee

• This card is best for: Travelers who say yes to transferring miles to travel partners and no to paying annual fees.
• This card is not a great choice for: People who put a premium on earning super-sized rewards rates in multiple categories. The VentureOne earns a flat 1.25X miles on all eligible purchases.
• What makes this card unique? Cardholders have access to the Capital One Lounge at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, with Dulles International Airport following in 2022, a nice perk for a no-annual-fee card.
• Is the VentureOne card worth it? Probably, yes. Although the VentureOne is a step down from options like Capital One’s flagship Venture card, the access to transfer partners provides value through versatility.

Read our Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card review.
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American Express Gold Card

Best for travel rewards on dining

• This card is best for: People who want to leverage their enthusiasm for travel and food into generous card rewards, on trips and at home.
• This card is not a great choice for: Travelers who also have a taste for perks such as complimentary airport lounge access and elite hotel status.
• What makes this card unique? The high-rewards spending categories and benefits focus on the specific areas of dining, food and travel. When it comes to air travel, you earn 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
• Is the Amex Gold worth it? If you look beyond the $250 annual fee, you’ll see plenty of opportunities to offset that cost through the rewards rates, benefits and opportunities to earn credits (including up to $120 annually in dining credits, enrollment required).

Read our American Express Gold Card review.
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Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Best Capital One travel card

• This card is best for: People who are looking for a slightly more affordable luxury travel experience than those provided by other luxury travel cards.
• This card is not a great choice for: Anyone who may find it tedious to make travel purchases through the issuer’s travel portal. You’ll need to book through Capital One Travel to get the most out of your rewards rates.
• What makes this card unique? This card offers many luxury travel benefits, such as lounge access, up to a $100 credit on Global Entry or TSA PreCheck and more for a $395 annual fee. Other popular travel cards on the market boast similar travel rewards structures for over $500 annually.
• Is the Venture X worth it? If you don’t mind booking all of your travel-related costs through Capital One Travel, this card will offer you some lucrative benefits. Flat-rate earnings of 2X miles on all other purchases in addition to these boosted rewards make this card one of the best on the market.

Read our Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card review.
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Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card

Best overall Southwest card

• This card is best for: Southwest flyers looking to load up on perks, including 25 percent back on in-flight drinks and Wi-Fi and a yearly cardmember anniversary bonus of 7,500 points.
• This card is not a great choice for: People who don’t fly Southwest often enough to take full advantage of the perks. For example: You get 4 Upgraded Boardings per year when available, so anything less than four flights a year means an opportunity squandered.
• What makes this card unique? All points earned count toward Companion Pass®, a valuable addition to the rewards.
• Is the Rapid Rewards Priority card worth it? Despite the card’s relatively modest rewards rate on Southwest purchases, frequent Southwest flyers who make full use of the perks should have little trouble offsetting the $149 annual fee.

Read our Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card review.
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Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card

Best for Delta Air Lines perks

• This card is best for: Travelers who revel in generous perks, which include priority boarding on Delta flights, preferred seating and discounted Delta Sky Club access for you and two companions when traveling on a Delta flight,
• This card is not a great choice for: Fee-averse Delta flyers who would recoil at the card’s $250 annual fee. If you’re not eager to calculate the value of the perks vs. the annual fee, the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card might be more your speed.
• What makes this card unique? You get an annual companion certificate that lets you bring a friend or family member along on an eligible round-trip domestic flight upon renewal of your card (Taxes and fees apply. See terms and conditions for details).
• Is the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card worth it? For frequent travelers who fully leverage the perks and the rewards rates (which include 3X miles on airfare purchased directly through Delta and 3X miles on purchases made directly with hotels), the $250 annual fee should seem less daunting.

Read our Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card review.
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Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card

Best welcome offer

• This card is best for: Loyal Delta flyers looking to make a big bonus-mile entrance as a new cardholder with a low spending requirement.
• This card is not a great choice for: Travelers who want the fastest possible route to the upper levels of the Delta SkyMiles Medallion program. You don’t get the same Status Boost feature offered by premier Delta cards.
• What makes this card unique? The spend requirement for the welcome bonus is a low hurdle to clear for a generous reward, especially among airline cards.
• Is the Delta SkyMiles Gold card worth it? The welcome offer, and the $0 introductory annual fee for the first year ($99 annual fee), help make this card an intriguing choice for budget-conscious Delta flyers. The rewards rates and perks are also a step up from basic card benefits.

Read our Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card review.
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Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card

Best Southwest starter card

• This card is best for: Loyal Southwest flyers looking for the best first airline credit card to add to their wallet.
• This card is not a great choice for: Experienced travelers accustomed to richer perks and bigger cardholder anniversary bonuses.
• What makes this card unique? The $69 annual fee is the lowest of any Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card.
• Is the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card worth it? It earns the same rate on Southwest purchases (2 points per dollar) as the pricier Rapid Rewards cards. Although the trade-offs include fewer high-level perks and a 3 percent foreign transaction fee, the Rapid Rewards Plus could be a good choice for the first leg of your journey into the world of travel rewards.

Read our Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card review.
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Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card

Best airline card with no annual fee

• This card is best for: Loyal Delta flyers who want a no-annual-fee option to help them earn SkyMiles
• This card is not a great choice for: Travelers who want the same level of perks that come with higher-tier Delta cards.
• What makes this card unique? If you’re in the mood for audio headsets, food or an adult (or non-adult) beverage, you get a 20 percent discount on qualifying in-flight Delta purchases. These purchases also earn 2X miles.
• Is the Delta SkyMiles Blue card worth it? If you want your Delta rewards experience to fly but not necessarily soar, the no-annual fee Delta SkyMiles Blue is worth it.

Read our Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card review.
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Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card

Best companion discount

• This card is best for: Loyal Alaska Airlines flyers who frequently travel with friends or family members. They could easily save hundreds of dollars with the Famous Companion Fare from $121 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $22).
• This card is not a great choice for: For people who tend to fly solo, the companion fare loses its luster.
• What makes this card unique? The companion fare, of course. It’s essential to the airline’s brand and, by extension, essential to this card.
• Is the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature card worth it? If you like to travel with friends and family, this card is definitely worth it, as the companion fare plus free checked baggage for you and up to six guests on one reservation can recoup the annual fee.

Read our Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card review.
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Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card

Best for Delta Medallion members

• This card is best for: Loyal Delta flyers who want to get on the fast track to elite Medallion Status.
• This card is not a great choice for: People who don’t want to do the mental math of calculating the value of Medallion benefits and rewards rates versus the $550 annual fee.
• What makes this card unique? The SkyMiles Reserve card comes with a bevy of perks and benefits, plus boosted earning rates on miles that make reaching the next Medallion Status tier worthwhile.
• Is the SkyMiles Reserve card worth it? As long as you leverage the Medallion benefits and luxury perks effectively, the SkyMiles Reserve can be an enriching way to reward yourself for flying Delta.

Read our Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card review.
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What is an airline credit card?

An airline credit card is a type of rewards card, often co-branded with a major issuer like American Express or Citi, that offers rewards and perks for people loyal to a specific airline. Typically, these cards earn airline miles for purchases made directly with the airline but can sometimes earn miles in other categories. Then, those miles are redeemed for award airfare with that specific airline.

You can use airline credit cards just like a more general rewards credit card, but that may not be the best strategy for maximizing rewards. Airline cards provide the most value when used strategically with other cards and are especially useful for the travel-specific perks they offer, such as priority boarding, seating upgrades and companion fares. Owning an airline credit card while being a member of the airline’s frequent flyer program can also help you get maximum value.

How do airline credit cards work?

Airline credit cards work just like regular credit cards—there are defined credit limits and interest rates that apply to your purchases. However, with airline credit cards, you earn travel rewards specific to an airline and can participate in that airline’s rewards program.

For example, Delta SkyMiles cards earn miles redeemable only for Delta flights, while Southwest Priority Rewards card rewards are used for Southwest airfare.

Most airline cards have higher rewards rates for purchases made directly with the airline, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be used elsewhere. Many cards earn miles on everyday purchases, including groceries, gas, dining and other categories.

You might even think of an airline credit card as sort of a VIP airport pass. The best airline rewards cards routinely include perks such as access to airport lounges, priority boarding, free checked bags and more.

Airline loyalty programs and transfer partners

Some credit card issuers offer general travel rewards cards that aren’t tied to a specific airline. Instead, they partner with airlines for more flexibility in redeeming points for airfare. While airline loyalty programs let you earn miles only with that airline, issuers will let you exchange points for miles with their transfer partners. Here are major airline loyalty programs and issuers with airline transfer partners:

Loyalty program guides

• Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
• American Airlines AAdvantage
• Delta SkyMiles
• Frontier Airlines
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Southwest Rapid Rewards
• United MileagePlus

Airline transfer partner guides

• American Express
• Capital One
• Chase
• Citi
• Delta Airlines
• United Airlines

Airline credit cards vs. travel credit cards

Airline credit cards and travel credit cards are extremely similar, but there are a few key differences. First, airline credit cards earn miles and are tied to a specific airline like American Airlines, Delta, Southwest or United. In contrast, travel credit cards are not tied to specific airlines and earn points that may be transferred to specific airlines, if necessary.

Furthermore, redemption options usually aren’t as flexible with airline credit cards as they’d be with a general travel rewards card. You can usually redeem travel credit card points for cash, gift cards, merchandise and travel. With airline credit cards, you can typically only redeem them for plane tickets with that airline.

Pros and cons of airline credit cards

Before applying for a new airline credit card, it’s important to consider the advantages and disadvantages.

Who should get an airline credit card?

Cash back cards benefit shoppers and business credit cards are designed for small business owners, but who should get an airline card? The answer might be you if you fit any of these categories:

Airline loyalists

If you’re already a diehard fan of a particular airline, it makes sense to get a co-branded card that earns miles redeemable with it. Not only do you boost the amount of miles you earn on your spending, but most airlines offer valuable perks and benefits with their cards that make flying easier.




Frequent flyers

Frequent air travel costs a lot, but that cost also creates opportunities. By rewarding every dollar spent on tickets and other eligible purchases, an airline credit card can help your travel dollar go further.




Business travelers

Some of the top airline and travel cards are designed with business travel in mind. They have features and perks similar to those of consumer cards, but the rewards categories are more tailored to business-related expenses.




Luxury travelers

Top-tier airline credit cards help travelers upgrade their travel experience by offering airport lounge access, elite hotel status and other perks. While these cards typically carry higher annual fees, travelers with a taste for luxury might find the expense worthwhile.




Travel beginners

If you’re new to the travel rewards game, an airline credit card could be a valuable teaching tool. You can use it to learn the ins and outs of rewards programs, redemption policies, transferring to travel partners and more.

How to choose the right airline credit card

An airline credit card can be a great way to make travel more affordable. The best card for you will fit your travel habits and your budget. Getting an airline credit card can be an exciting thing, but asking yourself the right questions about a card is important.

To be sure an airline credit card is right for you, ask yourself these questions:

Do I have a preferred airline?

If you’re already a member of an airline loyalty program or you have a preferred airline, choosing a co-branded card is a good move. You can earn free or discounted flights with your preferred airline when you choose a co-branded airline credit card.

Do I care about perks?

Many airline credit cards offer great perks,like free lounge access or discounted in-flight purchases. These perks typically come at a cost though. Airline credit cards tend to come with higher annual fees. An elevated travel experience might be worth it if you travel often or just prefer it. Be sure you’re willing to spend the extra money for the benefits.

What’s my credit like?

Any type of travel card typically requires a good-to-excellent credit score (670-850). If your credit score isn’t quite there yet start working on building it up before you begin your search for an airline credit card. (Here are some ways to improve your credit score.)

Does this card match my spending habits?

If you’re not a frequent traveler, but still looking to save money on the occasions that you do travel, look for an airline credit card that allows you to earn points on everyday purchases, like gas and groceries, not just travel-related expenses. This makes it possible to earn points and free-or-discounted airfare, even if you’re not spending on flights or hotels. Conversely, if you do spend a lot on travel, you might be best served by a card that offers a lucrative return on travel-related expenses, including airfare.

Keep these questions in mind when searching for the best airline credit card to add to your financial arsenal. You can also use comparison tools like CardMatch™ to shop for cards that you may qualify for and review issuer offers to find one that works for you.

3 ways to maximize your airline miles’ value

Once you’ve accumulated thousands of airline miles, it’s time to redeem them for your next vacation or trip. When earning and using airline miles, here are some things to keep in mind to reap maximum value:

1. Pair airline cards and travel cards. Let’s say you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card. Because Southwest is a Chase travel partner, you can transfer your Ultimate Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio. This way, you can rack up points to use for Southwest flights between both cards, but you aren’t stuck redeeming with Southwest if you find a better award price for your Ultimate Rewards points elsewhere.
2. Take full advantage of sign-up bonuses. A sign-up bonus or welcome offer from a new airline card could be worth several hundred dollars, or more, in travel costs. Keep track of your progress toward the spending requirement and start thinking about how you might use those bonus miles once you’ve earned them.
3. Track blackout dates and off-peak times. Some airlines restrict when you can use miles to book flights during busy traveling periods. On the other hand, they also may heavily discount award flight costs during off-peak travel periods. Keep track of these fluctuations in cost to maximize the value of your miles.

Should I get an airline credit card in 2022?

So many things about travel have been uncertain since the start of the pandemic, especially with new variants emerging. With so much up in the air, you may be questioning if an airline credit card is a good choice right now. Travel in 2022 may be increasing—especially from the U.S. to Europe, but Covid-related trip cancellations and interruptions are still a distinct possibility.

If travel is a bit farther down your to-do list, it may still make sense to get an airline card. If you have an airline card that rewards a variety of spending, you can get rewarded for purchases like your daily coffee or gas and use those points to fund travel at a later time.

Read more: Will I need a vaccine passport to book a flight?

More information on airline credit cards

Learn more about airline credit cards using educational resources from Bankrate:

• Canceled your flight? Here’s how to get a refund amid coronavirus outbreak
• A guide to earning frequent flyer miles
• The best credit cards for airport lounge access
• A guide to airline companion passes
• Travel credit card reviews

Have more questions for our credit cards editors? Feel free to send us an email, find us on Facebook, or Tweet us @Bankrate.