Best Airline Credit Cards

The best American Airlines credit card is the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® because it offers very good rewards at a relatively low price, especially the first year. The AAdvantage Platinum Card starts new cardholders off with an initial bonus of 50,000 miles (worth around $645 in American Airlines airfare) in return for spending $2,500 within three months of opening an account. Plus, the card’s $99 annual fee is waived the first year.

There are also plenty of ongoing perks to make the card worthwhile after the first year. The American Airlines Platinum Card’s regular rewards rate is 1 - 2 miles / $1: 2 miles per $1 spent on American Airlines flights as well as at gas stations and restaurants, along with 1 mile per $1 spent on everything else. In addition, cardholders receive priority boarding on American Airlines flights, 25% off in-flight food and beverage purchases, and a free checked bag for themselves and up to four travel companions when flying American. The card does not charge a foreign transaction fee, either.

For more info, read our full review of the best American Airlines Credit Cards.

Why it’s one of the best airline credit cards: The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is the best Delta credit card available right now, and its first-year perks have a lot to do with that. For starters, new cardholders can earn an initial bonus of 70,000 miles (worth roughly $959 in Delta airfare) for spending $2,000 in 3 months of opening an account. Plus, you can also earn a $200 statement credit after using your card to make a Delta purchase in the first 3 months. This is a limited time offer ending on 7/28/2021. The Gold Delta SkyMiles Card’s other big initial benefit is no annual fee the first year.

From the second year on, the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card charges a $99 annual fee. But frequent Delta flyers can easily earn more than that in rewards. The card offers 2 miles per $1 spent directly with Delta, at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets, along with 1 mile per $1 on everything else. You can’t ignore the value of free checked bags, either. With the Gold Delta SkyMiles Card, the primary cardholder and up to eight travel companions (on the same reservation) get their first checked bag free on Delta-operated flights.

For more info on your options, check out our in-depth review of the best Delta credit cards.

Why it’s one of the best airline credit cards: The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is the best Southwest Airlines credit card available right now. It claimed that crown despite having the highest annual fee among Southwest credit card offers for personal use, at $149. Its rewards and frequent flyer benefits are good enough to make up for it. The savings train starts with an initial bonus of 65,000 points for new cardholders who spend $2,000 within 3 months of opening an account. The Southwest Priority Card also provides 7,500 points as an anniversary bonus and an annual $75 Southwest credit.

In addition, all cardholders also get 20% back on inflight drinks and Wi-Fi, along with up to four seat upgrades per year.

You can check out the other options available to Rapid Rewards members in our complete comparison of the latest Southwest credit cards.

Why it’s one of the best airline credit cards: The American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Card is the best airline credit card with no annual fee, beating out an unfortunately thin field of contenders. The card offers a modest initial bonus of 10,000 miles + $50 statement credit for spending $500 within 3 months of opening an account. That’s worth an average of $179 in American Airlines airfare.

Additionally, cardholders earn 2 points per $1 spent on American Airlines purchases and at grocery stores, including grocery delivery services. That’s equal to roughly 2.7% back. AAdvantage MileUp gives 1 point per $1 on all other purchases. It also gives 25% back in the form of a statement credit for in-flight purchases.

Why it’s one of the best airline credit cards: The JetBlue Plus Card is the best airline credit card overall because it has a reasonable annual fee ($99) and offers a lot of bonus rewards. The card’s initial bonus is 60,000 points for spending $1,000 in the first 90 days. You will also get 5,000 more bonus points after each account anniversary.

The JetBlue Plus Card’s ongoing rewards are pretty impressive, too: 6 points per $1 spent with JetBlue, 2 points per $1 at restaurants and grocery stores, and 1 point per $1 everywhere else. On top of all that, cardholders get free checked backs on JetBlue flights as well as 50% off in-flight purchases. So, it shouldn’t really be a surprise that this card requires excellent credit for approval.

Why it’s one of the best airline credit cards: The American Airlines AAdvantage® Aviator™ Red Credit Card is the best American Airlines credit card for light spenders because all you have to do to get its initial bonus of 60,000 miles is pay the card’s $99 annual fee within 90 days of opening an account. Plus, cardholders earn 2 miles per $1 spent with American Airlines and 1 mile per $1 on everything else, and they enjoy perks such as free checked bags, priority boarding and in-flight discounts.

Why it’s one of the best airline credit cards: The United Explorer Credit Card is the best United credit card, which makes it one of the best credit cards overall given the size and popularity of United Airlines. The card’s rewards live up to the label, too. The average person can earn roughly $2,447 in rewards value in just the first two years with this card, even considering the $95 annual fee that kicks in starting the second year. It starts with a generous initial bonus for new cardholders who spend at least $2,000 within 3 months of opening an account: 40,000 miles. Plus, the card offers an additional 25,000 bonus miles for spending $10,000 total on purchases in the first 6 months. This bonus is worth a total of roughly $1,027 in United airfare on average. 

There’s plenty to like on an ongoing basis, too. Cardholders get a free checked bag on United flights, as do up to one travel companion on the same reservation. The card gives 1 - 2 miles / $1 in rewards on purchases, with United purchases and dining at restaurants highlighting the double-mile categories. And cardholders enjoy 25% back on in-flight refreshments, priority boarding, two United Club passes each year and more.

Why it’s one of the best airline credit cards: The Alaska Airlines Credit Card is the best Alaska Airlines credit card, offering lots of value at a very reasonable price point, especially for frequent flyers. The card’s initial bonus sets the tone for the entire offer, giving 40,000 miles and a $121 companion ticket to cardholders who charge at least $2,000 within 90 days of opening an account. That companion fare allows a guest to fly with you for the cost of a $99 base fare, plus at least $22 in taxes and fees. Cardholders get another companion fare after each account anniversary, too, more than canceling out the cost of the $75 annual fee. 

The Alaska Airline Credit Card offers solid ongoing rewards as well, giving 3 miles per $1 spent with Alaska Airlines and 1 mile per $1 on everything else. And its other perks include 20% back on in-flight purchases and a free checked bag for you and up to six companions on the same reservation. It’s also worth noting that Alaska Airlines has a fairly long list of airline partners, with which you can redeem for flights. Some of the most prominent names include American Airlines and British Airways.

Why it’s one of the best airline credit cards: The United Quest℠ Card is the best option for an initial bonus. The card offers 80,000 bonus miles for spending $5,000 within 3 months of opening an account. Plus, spending $10,000 in the first 6 months will yield another 20,000 bonus miles. That’s worth an average of $1,580 in United airfare altogether.

Cardholders also get 1 - 3 miles per $1 on purchases, up to $125 in statement credits annually, 25% back as a statement credit on United inflight purchases, free checked bags, and many other perks.

Why it’s one of the best airline credit cards: The JetBlue Business Credit Card is the best airline credit card for business right now, thanks to a very rewarding initial bonus, solid ongoing earning rates, and a variety of special cardholder perks. To start, new cardholders get 50,000 points in return for spending $1,000 in the first 90 days, plus another 10,000 points when a purchase is made on an employee card in the first 90 days. The other highlights are 6 points per $1 spent on JetBlue flights, 2 points per $1 spent at restaurants and office supply stores, 50% back on in-flight refreshments, and 10% of your rewards back when booking award flights.

Just be aware that the JetBlue Business Card does charge a $99 annual fee. Also, there are several business credit cards with miles that aren’t tied to a particular airline but could save your business a bundle on airfare.

Why it’s one of the best credit cards for flights: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers very lucrative travel rewards that allow you to quickly earn free flights on any airline. For starters, Chase Sapphire Preferred has an initial bonus of 100,000 points for spending at least $4,000 within 3 months of opening an account. That’s worth up to $1,250 in travel booked through Chase. 

The card’s standard rewards are very attractive, too: 2 points / $1 spent on travel and dining, and 1 point / $1 spent on everything else. 

And with all of that, the card’s $95 annual fee starts to seem like no big deal.

Why it’s one of the best credit cards for flights: The Chase Freedom Unlimited® card offers an initial bonus of $200 for spending at least $500 within 3 months of opening an account, plus very good ongoing rewards – especially for travel and dining purchases. Specifically, cardholders can earn 5% cash back on travel through Chase, 3% cash back at restaurants and drugstores, and 1.5% back on all other purchases.

Chase Freedom Unlimited has a $0 annual fee.

Why it’s one of the best credit cards for flights: The Upgrade Visa® Card with Cash Rewards is not affiliated with a specific airline, but it is the best rewards credit card available to people with fair credit overall. The Upgrade Credit Card has a $0 annual fee and gives unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases (after you pay the bill).

In addition, the Upgrade Credit Card has a 0% foreign transaction fee, which means it can help you save wherever you decide to fly. Earning cash back will also give you more flexibility when it comes to redeeming your rewards.

Why it’s one of the best credit cards for flights: The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card is the best credit card for travel rewards with bad credit because it offers the potential for a solid rewards-earning rate on airfare and other travel expenses. It does not have much competition, either. Rewards credit cards for bad credit are pretty rare, and airline credit cards for bad credit are nonexistent right now.

Specifically, the Bank of America Custom Cash Secured Card offers 3% cash back in a category of your choice, 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 spent quarterly in the 3% and 2% categories combined), and 1% back on all other purchases. It also comes with a $0 annual fee. There is a 3% foreign transaction fee, however, and the card requires a refundable security deposit of at least $300.