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An airline credit card can be a useful traveling companion for the frequent flyer, offering discounted flights, upgrades, companion fares and more. You might be able to earn points without even booking a flight. Compare the best airline cards available from our partners and start flying smarter on your next business or leisure trip.
The information about the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card, Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® and the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
Airline credit cards can help frequent flyers make the most of their travels. The best airline cards not only help you save money but also make your travel experience more enjoyable, convenient and maybe even a little luxurious.
From bonus miles on airline purchases to discounts while you’re in the air, a top-rated airline credit card is a must-have for the savvy traveler. You can trust Bankrate to help you choose the right one for you and figure out how to use the card to its maximum value.
| Card Name | Best for | Highlights | Bankrate Review Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card | Flexible travel miles with no annual fee | 1.25x miles on every purchase | 3.6 / 5 (Read full card review) |
| Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card | Delta Medallion members | Earn a Limited Time Offer 80,000 Bonus Miles and 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Offer expires 11/10/2021. | 4.6 / 5 (Read full card review) |
| Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card | Best welcome offer | Earn a Limited Time Offer: Earn 70,000 Bonus Miles after spending $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Offer expires 11/10/2021. | 3.7 / 5 (Read full card review) |
| American Express® Gold Card | Travel rewards on dining | 4X Membership Rewards® points at restaurants, 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com | 4.5 / 5 (Read full card review) |
| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Flexible travel rewards | 2x miles on every purchase | 4.3 / 5 (Read full card review) |
| Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® | American Airlines frequent flyers | Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles per $1 on eligible American Airlines purchases and at gas stations and restaurants | 4.2 / 5 (Read full card review) |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card | Southwest starter card | 2 points per $1 on Southwest purchases | 3.7 / 5 (Read full card review) |
| Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card | Best airline card with no annual fee | Earn 2x miles per $1 on purchases made directly with Delta Air Lines and at restaurants worldwide | 3.5 / 5 (Read full card review) |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card | Overall Southwest card | 2 points per $1 on Southwest purchases | 3.6 / 5 (Read full card review) |
| Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card | Delta Air Lines perks | Earn a Limited Time Offer: Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Offer expires 11/10/2021. | 4.5 / 5 (Read full card review) |
| Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card | Best companion discount | Earn Famous Companion Fare™ from $121 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $22) after spending $2,000 within the first 90 days | 3.7 / 5 (Read full card review) |
Read our Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card review.
Jump back to offer details.
Read our Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card review.
Jump back to offer details.
Read our Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card review.
Jump back to offer details.
Read our American Express® Gold Card review.
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Read our Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card review.
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Read our Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card review.
Jump back to offer details.
Read our Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card review.
Jump back to offer details.
Read our Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card review.
Jump back to offer details.
Read our Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card review.
Jump back to offer details.
Read our Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card review.
Read our Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® review.
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 those loyal to a specific airline. Typically, these cards earn airline miles for purchases made directly with the airline, and sometimes for other categories as well. You can then redeem those miles for award airfare with the 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.
Using an airline credit card is, in most ways, just like using a regular credit card. You have a defined credit limit and interest rate, and when you use it responsibly, you build credit.
What makes airline credit cards unique is that their rewards systems work in conjunction with travel loyalty programs, like Delta SkyMiles. You earn miles by using the airline card for eligible purchases and sometimes by spending enough to qualify for the card’s sign-up bonus. Then you redeem the miles you’ve earned, applying them to travel-related expenses.
Most airline cards have higher rewards rates for purchases made directly with the airline, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be utilized 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.
Read our complete guide to learn more about how travel rewards work.
For airline credit cardholders, taking advantage of loyalty programs and transfer partners are essential parts of the travel toolkit. Both offer the potential for more value, more flexibility and a better overall travel experience.
Here’s a list of informative resources from Bankrate:
Some airline cards are a little more limited in their rewards offerings, offering bonus rewards only on brand-specific purchases. Plus, your redemption options usually aren’t as flexible as they’d be with a general travel rewards card.
The best travel rewards cards come with a variety of redemption options — like hotel stays, dining expenses and gift cards — in addition to airfare purchases. Also, these cards often feature more ways to earn miles for non-travel purchases.
For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card allows you to enjoy new benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3X points on dining and 2X points on all other travel purchases, plus more. You aren’t limited to redeeming points within a certain list of airlines. The Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card earns 3X points on travel, at gas stations and on transit costs.
At the end of the day, choosing a credit card is about finding one that fits your lifestyle. If you’re constantly on the move and live near an airline’s main hub, an airline card is probably your best bet. Anyone interested in travel but not fully committed to one airline could find great benefit from a travel card.
Don’t apply for an airline card, or even start shopping, until you’ve considered the advantages and disadvantages.
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:
Expedited security programs such as TSA Precheck and Global Entry can greatly reduce your wait time at the airport and make the overall travel experience less of a hassle. The question is, which one works best for you? While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for each individual traveler, the general rules of thumb are:
If you can’t decide, remember that TSA Precheck is part of the Global Entry program. Both are provided by the Transportation Security Administration. If you enroll in Global Entry, you get the TSA Precheck benefits along with expedited clearance when arriving in the U.S.
It’s more expensive than TSA Precheck alone, but you might consider it a cost of convenience. Also, many travel credit cards offer statement credits to reimburse cardholders for Global Entry or TSA Precheck entry fees.
You also have the option of getting Clear membership. Unlike the other programs, Clear is a private service. Its signature feature is the use of touchless biometric scanners to verify your identity so that you can move to the next stage of the screening process more quickly. You could get Clear as a standalone or use it to complement your TSA Precheck or Global Entry membership.
Here’s some in-depth advice from Bankrate on how to choose the option that fits the way you travel:
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:
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.
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.
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.)
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.
Try keeping these questions in mind when you search for an airline credit card. To help you with your search, we have tools like Bankrate CardMatch™, which can help you find and compare credit card offers without hurting your credit!
As travel restrictions being to loosen across the country, many people are ready to use their stockpile of rewards points on travel. Many major airlines are devaluing the worth of their miles by introducing dynamic award pricing and making it harder to hit elite status. However, that doesn’t mean it’s time to give up on earning airline miles. You still have several ways to make the most of them.
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.
Pairing an airline card with a complementary rewards card is oftentimes the best way to squeeze value out of your new travel companion. The right combination of credit cards can help you avoid rewards limitations that may come along with an airline card.
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.
Airline miles can decline in value over time, and some loyalty program miles even expire after an extended period of inactivity. If you’re willing to put in the work to get the most out of your airline miles, you can save hundreds of dollars on flights and receive additional benefits that make flying more enjoyable.
Many major airlines have other airline partners, and you can transfer points between the programs. Some are also members of international airline alliances. American Airlines, for example, is a member of the oneworld® alliance partners. You can redeem your rewards earned with American Airlines for flights with any of the airlines in the alliance. Make sure to read the terms and conditions for any airline rewards credit card you’re interested in to find out about transfer policies.
So many things about travel have been uncertain since the start of the pandemic. With so much up in the air, you may be questioning if an airline credit card is a good choice right now. Thankfully, it appears that travel is finally starting to pick up. If you’re looking to plan your first post-pandemic getaway, now is a great time to start racking up rewards points.
If travel is a bit farther down your to-do list, it may still make sense to get an airline card. There are some airline cards that only offer rewards for travel-related expenses, but many reward cardholders for everyday purchases. 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?
Finding the right airline credit card can be complicated, but Bankrate’s independent research helps clear the air so that you can make an informed choice. We review cards from our partners using a 5-star system, and our analysis in the category of airline credit cards focuses on:
We evaluate each card’s rewards program on its rewards rate (mile per $1 spent and inclusion of non-airline spending categories), as well as the ease of redemption.
We factor in additional benefits, such as priority boarding or free checked bags, that enhance the travel experience and increase the card’s overall value.
We consider the annual cost of owning the card (if applicable) and determine whether the fee is justified by rewards, perks or sign-up bonuses.
Learn more about airline credit cards using educational resources from Bankrate:
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* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.
