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6 Excellent Airline Credit Cards of 2023
Lots of airlines offer credit cards to give you big rewards when you fly. Compare these deals, some of which are from our partners, to find the one for you.
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NerdWallet's Excellent Airline Credit Cards of 2023
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Best for Airline Miles and a Large Bonus
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Best for Flat-rate travel rewards
Discover it® Miles: Best for Flat-Rate Travel Rewards With Miles Match
Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Best for Cash-Back Pairing With Chase Sapphire Preferred®
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Best for Capital One Miles
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card: Best for Flat-Rate Travel Rewards + No Annual Fee
Excellent Airline Credit Cards From Our Partners
| Credit card | NerdWallet rating | Annual fee | Rewards rate | Intro offer | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excellent for Airline Miles and a Large Bonus | $95 | 1x-5x | 60,000 | Apply Now on Chase's website | |
| Excellent for Flat-rate travel rewards | $95 | 2x-5x | 75,000 | Apply Now on Capital One's website | |
| Excellent for Flat-Rate Travel Rewards With Miles Match | $0 | 1.5x | Discover Match® | ||
| Excellent for Cash-Back Pairing With Chase Sapphire Preferred® | $0 | 1.5%-6.5% | $300 | Apply Now on Chase's website | |
| Excellent for Capital One Miles | $395 | 2x-10x | 75,000 | Apply Now on Capital One's website | |
 Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card Apply Now on Bank of America's website,or call (800) 211-3740 | Excellent for Flat-Rate Travel Rewards + No Annual Fee | $0 | 1.5x | 25,000 | Apply Now on Bank of America's website,or call (800) 211-3740 |
Excellent for: Airline Miles and a Large Bonus
Apply Now
on Chase's website
Annual fee
$95
Rewards rate
1x-5x
PointsIntro offer
60,000
PointsRecommended Credit Score
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, and 2x on all other travel purchases, and $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
- Member FDIC
Apply Now
on Chase's website
Excellent for: Flat-rate travel rewards
Apply Now
on Capital One's website
Annual fee
$95
Rewards rate
2x-5x
MilesIntro offer
75,000
MilesRecommended Credit Score
- Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Enjoy two complimentary visits per year to Capital One Lounges or to 100+ Plaza Premium Lounges through the Partner Lounge Network
- Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
Apply Now
on Capital One's website
Excellent for: Flat-Rate Travel Rewards With Miles Match
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5x
MilesIntro offer
Discover Match®
MilesRecommended Credit Score
- UNLIMITED BONUS: Only Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. For example, if you earn 35,000 Miles, you get 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match.
- Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase - with no annual fee.
- Redeem Miles to pay any part of your monthly bill, including your minimum payment.
- Turn Miles into cash in any amount, any time. Or redeem as a statement credit for travel purchases like airfare, hotels, rideshares, gas stations, restaurants and more with no blackout dates. However you redeem, Miles keep the same value. And Miles never expire.
- 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 16.99% - 27.99% Standard Variable Purchase APR will apply.
- Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
- Discover is accepted nationwide by 99% of the places that take credit cards.
- Freeze your account in seconds with an on/off switch either on the mobile app or website to prevent new purchases, cash advances, and balance transfers.
- Get an alert if we find your Social Security number on any of thousands of Dark Web sites. Activate for free.
- Click through to Discover’s website to see terms and conditions.
- View Rates & Fees
Apply Now
on Discover's website,or call 800-347-0264
Excellent for: Cash-Back Pairing With Chase Sapphire Preferred®
Apply Now
on Chase's website
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5%-6.5%
CashbackIntro offer
$300
Recommended Credit Score
- INTRO OFFER: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
- Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
- After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards®, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.99% - 28.74%.
- No annual fee - You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, real-time alerts, and more.
Apply Now
on Chase's website
Excellent for: Capital One Miles
Apply Now
on Capital One's website
Annual fee
$395
Rewards rate
2x-10x
MilesIntro offer
75,000
MilesRecommended Credit Score
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Elevate your stay at luxury hotels and resorts from the Premier Collection with a $100 experience credit, daily breakfast for 2 and complimentary WiFi on every booking, plus other premium benefits like room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout when available
Apply Now
on Capital One's website
Excellent for: Flat-Rate Travel Rewards + No Annual Fee
Apply Now
on Bank of America's website,or call (800) 211-3740
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5x
PointsIntro offer
25,000
PointsRecommended Credit Score
- Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees and your points don't expire.
- 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases.
- Use your card to book your trip how and where you want - you're not limited to specific websites with blackout dates or restrictions.
- Redeem points for a statement credit to pay for travel or dining purchases, such as flights, hotel stays, car and vacation rentals, baggage fees, and also at restaurants including takeout.
- 0% Introductory APR for 18 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 17.99% - 27.99% Variable APR will apply. A 3% fee applies to all balance transfers.
- If you're a Preferred Rewards member, you can earn 25%-75% more points on every purchase. That means instead of earning an unlimited 1.5 points for every $1, you could earn 1.87-2.62 points for every $1 you spend on purchases.
- Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
- This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
Apply Now
on Bank of America's website,or call (800) 211-3740
