What are the best credit cards to buy airline tickets?

The best ways to fly for free are to get a travel rewards credit card, join a frequent flyer program, and volunteer to be bumped. Getting a new travel credit card with a large signup bonus can get you enough miles for a free flight pretty easily. And joining airlines’ frequent flyer programs is free and simple. You can’t easily plan to volunteer to get bumped, but you can get a travel voucher for a future free flight if you pull it off.… read full answer

Of the many ways to fly for free, the easiest is usually with a travel miles credit card that has an excellent signup bonus. The best travel rewards cards come with a signup bonus of 50,000-60,000 points/miles for meeting an initial spending requirement. Since the average domestic one-way flight costs a little more than 14,000 miles, you can definitely fly for free multiple times with those miles.

How to Fly for Free:

• Get a travel reward credit card. Apply for a new airline card or non-specific travel card that earns miles and signup bonuses you can redeem for free flights. The best cards will reward you for every purchase, so those miles can stack up fast.
• Earn miles through a frequent flyer program. You’ll earn miles for every flight you take, which you can then redeem for free flights and other perks in the future. Frequent flyer programs are free to join.
• Volunteer to get bumped. If your schedule is flexible, you can volunteer to be bumped off a flight and receive a travel voucher. When flights get overbooked, the airline will often ask for volunteers who are able to wait for a later flight. In exchange, you’ll receive a free travel voucher for a future trip, and also sometimes upgrades to first class.
• Use a companion ticket. Some airline credit cards, like those affiliated with Delta and Southwest, occasionally offer companion tickets to cardholders for reaching either a spending threshold or an account anniversary. The companion ticket allows the cardholder to bring another person along with them on a flight for free. They’ll still have to pay taxes and fees, though (typically around $10-$20).
• Work for an airline. If you work for an airline, you’ll receive free or reduced fares on flights. You’ll have to fly stand-by, though, and you won’t be guaranteed a seat. Plus, you’ll still have to pay the taxes and fees associated with the flight.
• Know someone who works for an airline. Most major airlines give employees “buddy passes,” good for a free flight, which employees can then pass on to whomever they want. American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, and United all have “buddy pass” policies that allow employees to receive or earn a limited number of passes each year. Buddy passholders generally receive the lowest priority boarding, and they must fly with their airline employee pal.
• Fly on military “Space A” flights. The Space Available Flight program provides free flights for members of the military and their family. If you’re eligible, you can fill unused seats on aircraft owned or controlled by the Department of Defense once all passengers and cargo have been loaded. You’ll have to be very flexible with dates and times, however. And because Space A flights use military aircraft, that’ll affect the destinations.

Getting one of the best travel reward credit cards and earning a signup bonus is the easiest way to fly for free – at least a time or two. Joining an airline’s frequent flyer program is a good option, too. There are several other ways to fly for free, as well, though you probably won’t be able to fly for free on every flight you take.

Yes, airline miles are worth it. Whether you earn airline miles through an airline’s frequent flyer program or from a credit card with miles, you’re earning something of value in return for money you would be spending anyway. The miles you earn can then be redeemed for free flights and flight upgrades, saving you money on future purchases.… read full answer

Reasons Why Airline Miles Are Worth It

• Airline mile are worth an average of 1 cent per mile. The value varies based on the airline or credit card rewards program as well as how the miles are redeemed.
• Frequent flyer programs affiliated with major airlines are free to join. Once you sign up, you just have to enter your membership number each time you book a flight to get your miles.
• Airline credit cards and general travel rewards credit cards help you earn miles much faster. You can earn miles on tons of different purchases, and many cards also have signup bonuses.
• You can redeem miles for free flights and flight upgrades. That’s true whether you’re earning miles from a frequent flyer program or a rewards credit card. Credit card miles can also be redeemed for other travel-related purchases, like hotel stays and car rentals, in most cases.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of an Airline Miles Credit Card

The best airline and travel credit cards often have annual fees, so you’ll have to weigh the value of the miles you’d earn against the cost of the card to determine if the airline miles are worth it. You can also choose a credit card with a $0 annual fee, but you may not earn as many miles.

If you’re usually loyal to one airline, it makes sense to get a credit card for that specific airline. However, if you instead bounce around and book flights on whichever airline has the best and cheapest route, you should get a general travel rewards credit card that’s not affiliated with just one airline.

The best travel rewards programs are the United MileagePlus and Delta SkyMiles frequent flyer programs as well as the Wyndham and Marriott hotel loyalty programs. If you don’t want to commit to a single travel provider, the best general travel rewards program is Capital One Venture Rewards.

United MileagePlus and Delta SkyMiles are the best travel rewards programs for frequent flyers because they offer a variety of perks ranging from free checked bags to airport lounge access. The exact benefits each program gives depends on the level of membership. Generally, though, all members will receive free checked bags and priority boarding on their respective airline’s flights. Higher-level members will also receive access to United and Delta lounges. The programs are free to join and the more you spend, the higher your level of membership. Plus, members can earn free flights faster by applying for a … read full answerUnited credit card or a Delta credit card. Some very rewarding offers are available.

Wyndham Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy are the best travel rewards programs for frequent hotel guests because their members earn the most rewards value per dollar spent and have lots of properties to choose from. For example, Marriott Bonvoy now includes all Ritz-Carlton and SPG properties as well. If you decide to join either of these free loyalty programs, you might also want to consider applying for the Wyndham Credit Card, the Wyndham Credit Card with No Annual Fee or one of the Marriott credit cards. They all require at least good credit for approval.

Sticking with credit cards, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a great option for people who want to keep their travel options open. You can easily redeem Venture miles for pretty much any travel-related expenses using Capital One’s Purchase Eraser. The Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card is another card with similarly flexible travel redemption policies.

In other words, there are plenty of different travel rewards programs to fit whichever method of travel you use most often.

Best Travel Rewards Programs:

• United MileagePlus – Best Frequent Flyer Program
• Wyndham Rewards – Best Hotel Loyalty Program
• Capital One Venture Rewards – Best General Travel Rewards Program
• Chase Freedom Unlimited® – Best Everyday Travel Rewards Program
• Delta SkyMiles – Honorable Mention
• Marriott Bonvoy – Honorable Mention

With the best frequent flyer programs, the stress of flying is lessened thanks to priority boarding, lounge access and free flights. With hotel rewards programs, you can easily earn free nights just for staying at your favorite hotels and resorts.

Travel isn’t always limited to just flights and hotel nights, though. Credit cards like the Chase Freedom Unlimited card can also help you save on other everyday purchases. And if you travel a lot but not always with the same company or using the same mode of transportation, a credit card with general-purpose travel rewards is a good choice.