Whether you’re flying economy or first, we’ve got the best airline credit cards for frequent flyers out there! Business travelers and bag-checkers, loyalty flyers and bargain hunters will find a credit card that gets them airborne. A branded airline credit card has its perks – priority boarding, waived bag fees, and so on – while a more general travel credit card offers higher earning potential and greater flexibility. The nerds will break down the pros and cons of various airline cards, and help you find one that suits your needs.
Best overall airline card: the Capital One® Venture℠ Rewards Credit Card
Use miles on: Any airline or hotel, and more besides – redeem as a statement credit against any travel expense
One of our favorite cards out there, the Capital One® Venture℠ Rewards Credit Card has a lot to offer any traveler. It earns a flat 2 miles per $1 spent, substantially more lucrative than most airline cards, where the standard is 2 miles only on airline spending and 1 the rest of the time. Plus, it has no foreign transaction fee, which’ll save you a pretty penny if you travel abroad. Finally, there is a $59 annual fee, waived the first year and offset by a 10,000 Capital One No Hassle Miles℠ signup bonus.
More, the card pays out in No Hassle Miles rather than airline-specific miles. No Hassle Miles are redeemed as a statement credit against any travel expense – gas, airfare, baggage fees, hotel stays, you name it. This means you won’t be hit by blackout dates, your miles’ value won’t be diluted by taxes and fees, and you can book on any airline through any service. Unlike airline mile programs, you can also redeem in odd increments, cashing in 19,582 miles for a $195.82 statement credit rather than having to wait to rack up 25,000 each time. No Hassle Miles allow you to book through discount sites like Kayak and to fly on the airline of your choice, rather than grounding you (get it?) to just one carrier. If you fly on a number of different airlines or prefer bargain-hunting, there’s no better airline card.
| Capital One® VentureSM Rewards Credit Card | |||||||
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| Annual Fee | Signup Bonus | APR , Variable* | APR Promotions |
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| $0 intro for first year; $59 after that | Earn 10,000 bonus miles when you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months, equal to $100 in travel | 13.9% - 20.9% (V) | Purchase: None Transfer: None |
Best no-fee airline miles card: the BankAmericard Travel Rewards® Credit Card
Use rewards against any travel expense
Liking the flexibility of the Venture, but not liking the $59 annual fee? Thankfully, there’s a no-fee card that has stellar rewards, versatility, and ease of international travel. The BankAmericard Travel Rewards® Credit Card comes with a 10,000 BankAmericard Travel Rewards Points signup bonus and a full 1.5 points on every dollar that you spend. Key for anyone flying overseas, it has no foreign transaction fee; and miles can be redeemed against any travel expense, from airline flights to hotel minibars. It’s worth noting that the Capital One Venture has a no-fee version – the VentureOne – but this offer only gives 1.25 miles on every dollar you spend, so you’re far better off earning 1.5 miles per $1. No fees? No problem.
| BankAmericard Travel Rewards® Credit Card | |||
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| Annual Fee | Signup Bonus | APR , Variable* | APR Promotions |
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| $0 | Earn 10,000 bonus points when you spend $500 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening, which can be $100 towards travel purchases | Min APR: 14.99% on purchases and balance transfers Max APR: 22.99% on purchases and balance transfers |
Purchase: 0% for 12 billing cycles Transfer: None |
Best bang for your buck: the Chase Sapphire Preferred
Transfer points to: United MileagePlus, Southwest, British Airways, Korean Air; points worth 25% more when redeemed for travel booked through Chase
This isn’t your standard travel credit card: if you use your points for airline travel, you’ll find your rewards stretching even further. First off comes the impressive signup bonus: The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a signup bonus of 40,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months.. Then, the ongoing rewards rate: 2 points per $1 spent on travel and dining, and 1 per $1 spent elsewhere. Like the Venture, this puts it ahead of most airline credit cards in that you earn bonus points on more than just one airline. But here’s the kicker: If you redeem your points for travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel tool, your points are worth 25% more. And on top of that, you get a 7% points dividend at the end of the year, so your rewards rate ends up being as high as 1.34% base and 2.68% bonus. The Preferred has no foreign transaction fee, essential for overseas travel, and its $95 annual fee is waived the first year. With a hard-hitting signup bonus and opportunities for greater earning, the Sapphire cements itself as the best short-term airline card.
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® | |||||||
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| Annual Fee | Signup Bonus | APR , Variable* | APR Promotions |
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| $0 1st year, then $95 | Earn 40,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months | 15.24% (Variable) | Purchase: None Transfer: None |
Branded airline credit cards and their perks
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Name |
Signup Bonus |
Annual Fee |
Rewards Rate |
Major Perks |
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General travel cards |
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10,000 BankAmericard Travel Rewards Points |
$0 |
1.5 miles per $1 |
No foreign transaction fee |
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10,000 Capital One No Hassle Miles℠ |
$59* |
2 miles per $1 |
No foreign transaction fee |
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10,000 Capital One No Hassle Miles℠ |
$0 |
1.25 miles per $1 |
No foreign transaction fee |
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40,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards |
$95* |
Up to 2.68% on travel and dining, 1.34% elsewhere |
No foreign transaction fee |
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Airline-branded credit cards |
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5,000 AerLingus Miles |
$0 |
2 miles per $1 on Aer Lingus, 1 mile per $1 elsewhere |
None |
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30,000 Delta Miles |
$95* |
2 miles per $1 on Delta, 1 mile per $1 elsewhere |
First checked bag free for up to 9 people, priority boarding, 20% off in-flight purchases |
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10,000 JetBlue Miles |
$40 |
Up to 8 points per $1 on JetBlue, 1 mile per $1 elsewhere |
None |
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5,000 Asiana Airlines Miles |
$80 |
1 mile per $1 |
$100 annual rebate on Asian Airline purchases |
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10,000 Hawaiian Airlines Miles |
$50 |
2 miles per $1 on Hawaiian, 1 mile per $1 elsewhere |
One-time $25 discount on two published full coach round-trip fares (must be used within 13 months) |
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35,000 Hawaiian Airlines Miles |
$79 |
2 miles per $1 on Hawaiian, 1 mile per $1 elsewhere |
One-time $25 discount on two published full coach round-trip fares (must be used within 13 months) |
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7,500 China Air Miles |
$59 |
1 mile per $1 on China Air, 0.5 miles per $1 elsewhere |
None |
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2,500 China Air Miles |
$0 |
1 mile per $1 on China Air, 0.5 miles per $1 elsewhere |
None |
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40,000 American Airlines Miles |
$95* |
1 mile per $1 |
First checked bag free, priority boarding, 25% savings on eligible in-flight purchases, $100 American Airlines flight discount annually with $30k in purchases |
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35,000 Frontier Miles |
$59 |
2 miles per $1 on Frontier, 1 mile per $1 elsewhere |
None |
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5,000 Frontier Miles |
$0 |
1 mile per $1 on Frontier, 0.5 miles per $1 elsewhere |
None |
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10,000 Hawaiian Airlines Miles |
$50 |
2 miles per $1 on Hawaiian, 1 mile per $1 elsewhere |
25% discount on Mainland to Hawaii flights |
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5,000 Holland America Points |
$0 |
2 miles per $1 on Holland America, 1 mile per $1 elsewhere |
None |
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10,000 Icelandair Miles |
$39 |
2 miles per $1 on Icelandair, 1 mile per $1 elsewhere |
None |
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5,000 Icelandair Miles |
$0 |
1 mile per $1 on Icelandair, 0.5 miles per $1 elsewhere |
None |
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15,000 Lufthansa Miles |
$59 |
1 mile per $1 |
None |
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50,000 Lufthansa Miles |
$79 |
2 miles per $1 on Lufthansa, 1 mile per $1 elsewhere |
None |
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3,000 Korean Air Miles |
$0 |
0.5 miles per $1 |
None |
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10,000 Korean Air Miles |
$80 |
1 mile per $1 |
2,000 bonus miles at renewal, $100 discount on Korean Air annually, 2 lounge coupons per year |
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15,000 US Airways Miles |
$49 |
1 mile per $1 |
5,000 mile discount on reward ticket redemptions, $149 companion ticket annually |
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40,000 US Airways Miles |
$89 |
2 miles per $1 on US Airways, 1 mile per $1 elsewhere |
5,000 mile discount on reward ticket redemptions, 2 $99 companion tickets annually, first class check-in, one Club day annually |
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15,000 AeroMexico Miles |
$45* |
2 miles per $1 on AeroMexico, 1 mile per $1 elsewhere |
10% discount on AeroMexico purchases |
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20,000 AeroMexico Miles |
$80* |
2 miles per $1 on AeroMexico, 1 mile per $1 elsewhere |
15% discount on AeroMexico purchases |
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15,000 LANPASS Miles |
$45* |
1 mile per $1 |
2,000 bonus miles at renewal, 10% discount on one LAN purchase per year (up to $500), 10% flight miles bonus |
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20,000 LANPASS Miles |
$75* |
1 mile per $1 |
4,000 bonus miles at renewal, 20% discount on one LAN purchase per year (up to $1,000), 25% flight miles bonus, 3 one-way upgrade coupons per year |
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15,000 LifeMiles |
$45* |
1 mile per $1 |
3,000 bonus miles at renewal, 25% excess baggage discount |
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20,000 LifeMiles |
$75* |
2 miles per $1 on TACA, 1 mile per $1 elsewhere |
6,000 bonus miles at renewal, 50% excess baggage discount |
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15,000 Virgin Atlantic Miles |
$49 |
3 miles per $1 on Virgin America, 1 mile per $1 elsewhere |
Up to 25,000 bonus points on qualifying transactions (limited time), $150 discount on one companion ticket annually, no blackout dates |
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20,000 Virgin Atlantic Miles |
$90 |
3 miles per $1 on Virgin Atlantic, 1.5 miles per $1 elsewhere |
None |
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General business credit cards |
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$100 |
$59* |
2 miles per $1 |
None |
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none |
$0 |
1.25 miles per $1 spent |
None |
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Airline-branded business credit cards |
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10,000 Delta Miles |
$450 |
2 miles per $1 on Delta and Northwest, 1 miler per $1 elsewhere |
30,000 MQMs (including 30,000 bonus miles) each year your eligible spend on the card is $60,000, access to Delta Sky Club airport lounges, conceirge staff personal assistance, free annual domestic First Class Companion Certificate, check first bag free for up to 9 people |
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20,000 Delta Miles |
$150 |
2 miles per $1 on Delta, 1 mile per $1 elsewhere |
20,000 MQMs (including 20,000 bonus miles) each year your eligible spend on the card is $50,000; complimentary upgrades, mileage bonuses, priority boarding |
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30,000 Delta Miles |
$95* |
2 miles per $1 on Delta, 1 mile per $1 elsewhere |
First checked bag free for up to 9 people, priority boarding, 20% off in-flight purchases |
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10,000 JetBlue Miles |
$40 |
Up to 8 points per $1 on JetBlue, 1 mile per $1 elsewhere |
None |
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20,000 Alaska Airlines Miles |
$75 |
3 miles per $1 on Alaska/Horizon, 1 mile per $1 elsewhere |
Up to 1,000,000 miles annually, $99 companion ticket annually |
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10,000 Asiana Airlines Miles |
$80 |
2 miles per $1 on Asiana and at participating grocery stores, 1 mile per $1 elsewhere |
None |
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10,000 Hawaiian Airlines Miles |
$75 |
2 miles per $1 on Hawaiian, 1 mile per $1 elsewhere |
One-time 25% travel discount on two full coach round-trip fares between Hawaii and the Mainland, 2,000 bonus anniversary Hawaiian miles annually upon renewal |
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5,000 Korean Air Miles |
$75 |
2 miles per $1 on Korean Air, 1 mile per $1 elsewhere |
2,000 bonus miles at renewal, $100 discount on Korean Air annually, two lounge coupons annually |
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25,000 US Airways Miles |
$79 |
2 miles per $1 on US Airways, 1 mile per $1 elsewhere |
One Club pass annually |
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5,000 US Airways Miles |
$0 |
1 mile per $1 on US Airways, 0.5 miles per $1 elsewhere |
None |
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*annual fee waived first year
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