Best Airline Credit Cards

The best 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. 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 40,000 points for new cardholders who spend $1,000 within 3 months of opening an account. The Southwest Priority Card also provides 7,500 points as an anniversary bonus, an annual $75 Southwest credit and 3 points per $1 spent on dining (including takeout and delivery services) for the first year.

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 2.6% 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 40,000 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 Lufthansa Credit Card is among the best airline credit cards because it would net a frequent flyer more than $1,790 in rewards value over the first two years of use, according to our calculations. In addition to an initial rewards bonus of 50,000 miles for spending $3,000 within 90 days of opening an account, cardholders earn the miles-equivalent of 6% cash back on Lufthansa airfare. That same rate also applies to Lufthansa’s Miles & More airline partners, which include United Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Swiss International Air Lines and the rest of the Star Alliance. Plus, cardholders can redeem Lufthansa miles for flights with any of those airline partners.

With those rewards as context, the Lufthansa Card’s $89 annual fee seems like a bargain. In fact, even considering the annual fee, the average person would earn more with the Lufthansa Card over two years of use than most other airline credit cards available right now. As you might expect, the Lufthansa Card does not charge a foreign transaction fee, so it’s a good choice for international travelers.

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 60,000 points (worth about $864 in JetBlue airfare) in return for spending $1,000 in the first three months. 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 Citi Premier® Card offers very lucrative travel rewards that allow you to quickly earn free flights on any airline. For starters, Citi Premier has an initial bonus of 60,000 points for spending at least $4,000 within 3 months of opening an account. That’s worth up to $750 in airfare. The card’s standard rewards are very attractive, too: 3 points per $1 spent on travel (airfare, hotels and travel agencies), gas stations, at restaurants and supermarkets, and 1 point per $1 spent on everything else.

Plus, you can transfer the points you earn with the Citi Premier Card to a number of popular frequent flyer programs, including JetBlue’s TrueBlue and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. 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 U.S. Bank FlexPerks® Gold American Express® Card offers an initial rewards bonus worth up to $450 in airfare (or cash back), plus very good ongoing rewards – especially for travel and dining purchases. Specifically, new cardholders can grab 30,000 points by spending at least $2,000 within 4 months of opening an account. Cardholders also earn 5 points per $1 spent on car rentals and prepaid hotel bookings purchased directly through U.S. Bank, along with 3 points per $1 spent at restaurants, 2 points per $1 spent at gas stations and with airlines, and 1 point per $1 spent on everything else.

The FlexPerks Gold Card gives you a statement credit to cover the cost of applying for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, too. It has a $85 annual fee.

Why it’s one of the best credit cards for flights: The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card  is not affiliated with a specific airline, but it is the best rewards credit card available to people with limited or fair credit overall. The QuicksilverOne Card gives 1.5% cash back on all purchases in return for cardholders paying a $39 annual fee. That means it should save you money as long as you spend at least $2,600 per year and pay your bill in full every month, thus avoiding interest.

The Capital One QuicksilverOne Card does not charge a 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 earnings for airfare.

Why it’s one of the best airline credit cards: The SKYPASS Secured Credit Card is the best airline credit card for bad credit because it offers solid rewards and does not have much competition. Rewards credit cards for bad credit are pretty rare, and the SKYPASS Secured Credit Card offers 5,000 miles just for making your first purchase. It also gives 1 mile per $1 spent on all purchases.

This card has a 3% foreign transaction fee, however, and requires a refundable security deposit of at least $300. The SKYPASS Secured Card also charges an annual fee of $50.