Airline Credit Cards
Below is a list of the best airline credit card offers. With every dollar you spend, an airline miles credit card will reward your purchases with credits or points redeemable for travel vouchers to anywhere in the world.
- Compare general travel points credit cards versus individual airline
- Sort offers by Individual Airline
- Expert and Independent ratings & consumer reviews of the best airline credit card offers
- Secure and immediate online application process
Capital One® VentureOneSM Rewards Credit Card
Editor’s:
- Intro APR 0% until June 2013*
- Intro BT APR N/A*
Highlights:
- 1.25 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day
- One-time bonus of 10,000 miles once you spend $1,000 dollars in the first 3 months, equal to $100 on travel.
- Redeem miles for airline tickets, hotel rooms, car rentals and more
- No limit on the miles you can earn and miles don't expire
- Fly on any airline, any time with no blackout dates
- 0% intro APR on purchases until June 2013
- No foreign transaction fees
| Intro APR: | Balance Transfer: | Regular APR: | Annual Fee: | Credit Needed: |
| 0% until June 2013* | N/A* | 11.90-19.90% (Variable)* | None | Excellent |
Capital One® VentureSM Rewards Credit Card
Editor’s:
- Intro APR N/A*
- Intro BT APR N/A*
Highlights:
- With Venture, earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day
- Money® Magazine's "Most Rewarding Card if you crave free airline flights" - Money Magazine, May 2011
- Earn 10,000 bonus miles when you spend $1,000 within the first 3 months, equal to $100 in travel.
- Redeem your miles for any travel expense
- No limit on the miles you can earn and miles don't expire
- Fly on any airline, any time with no blackout dates
- No foreign transaction fees
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year; $59 after that
| Intro APR: | Balance Transfer: | Regular APR: | Annual Fee: | Credit Needed: |
| N/A* | N/A* | 13.90-20.90% (Variable)* | $0.00 1 year, then $59.00* | Excellent |
Citi ThankYou Card
Editor’s:
- Intro APR 0% for 15 Months
- Intro BT APR 0% for 15 Months
Highlights:
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers and Purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR will be 12.99% - 22.99% based upon your creditworthiness*
- Earn 1 ThankYou Point for every $1 you spend on purchases.
- Earn an anniversary bonus on points earned from purchases every year*
- Enjoy no limit on the number of points you can earn
- Redeem ThankYou Points for merchandise, travel rewards, gift cards, cash and more
- No annual fee*
| Intro APR: | Balance Transfer: | Regular APR: | Annual Fee: | Credit Needed: |
| 0% for 15 Months | 0% for 15 Months | 12.99%-22.99%* (Variable) | None | Excellent |
Highlights:
- Earn 10,000 bonus points after you spend $500 in the first 3 months - that's $100 toward travel or any other reward!
- 2 points per dollar spent at restaurants & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
- Points never expire and there are no limits on how many points you can earn
- Redeem points for travel, gift cards, merchandise, cash back and more
- Direct access to expert service advisors anytime
- No annual fee!
| Intro APR: | Balance Transfer: | Regular APR: | Annual Fee: | Credit Needed: |
| N/A* | 0% | 15.24% (Variable)* | None | Excellent |
Chase Sapphire Preferred(SM) Card
Editor’s:
- Intro APR N/A*
- Intro BT APR 0%
Highlights:
- Earn 40,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months - that's $500 toward travel rewards!
- 2 points per dollar spent on travel and at restaurants & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
- Get 20% off airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises when you book through Ultimate RewardsSM
- No foreign transaction fees
- Receive a 7% annual dividend on all new points earned - even on points already redeemed
- 1:1 point transfer to participating frequent travel programs
- Direct access to expert service advisors anytime
- No Annual Fee for your first year - A $95 value
| Intro APR: | Balance Transfer: | Regular APR: | Annual Fee: | Credit Needed: |
| N/A* | 0% | 15.24% (Variable)* | $0.00 1 year, then $95.00* | Excellent |
Miles by Discover® Card
Editor’s:
- Intro APR N/A*
- Intro BT APR 0% for 12 Months*
Highlights:
- Earn 10,000 Bonus Miles with every $2,000 in purchases within the first 6 months - up to 20,000 Bonus Miles
- 1 Mile on every $1 you spend - Plus flexible redemption options like travel credits, merchandise, gift cards or cash
- 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 12 months, then the variable standard purchase APR of 10.99% - 15.99%*
- No restrictions on travel--fly on any airline, book any hotel or car, with no blackout dates
- Travel benefits include secondary collision damage insurance when you rent a car with your Miles by Discover card
- Discover is ranked #1 in customer loyalty--16 years in a row! (2012 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index report)
- Great rewards with no annual fee, no rewards redemption fee, and no additional card fee
- *Click apply to view rates, fees, rewards, limitations and other important information
| Intro APR: | Balance Transfer: | Regular APR: | Annual Fee: | Credit Needed: |
| N/A* | 0% for 12 Months* | 10.99-15.99% (Variable)* | None | Excellent |
Citi ThankYouSM Preferred Rewards Card
Editor’s:
- Intro APR N/A*
- Intro BT APR N/A*
Highlights:
- $150 in gift cards - When you redeem the 15,000 bonus ThankYou® Points received after $1,000 in purchases within 3 months of account opening
- 5 ThankYou Points for every $1 you spend on purchases at gas stations, supermarkets and drugstores for 12 months and 1 point for every $1 you spend thereafter**
- Enjoy no limit on the number of points you can earn
- Redeem ThankYou Points for merchandise, travel rewards, gift cards, cash and more
- No annual fee*
| Intro APR: | Balance Transfer: | Regular APR: | Annual Fee: | Credit Needed: |
| N/A* | N/A* | 12.99-22.99% (Variable)* | None | Excellent |
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card from Chase
Editor’s:
- Intro APR N/A*
- Intro BT APR N/A*
Highlights:
- Now! Earn a Free Flight after your first purchase
- Get 3,000 Points every year on your Card member Anniversary - that can be redeemed for a $50 Wanna Get Away® Fare
- Now you can redeem for International Travel, Hotels, Gift Cards and more.
- Earn unlimited free flights - 2 Points per $1 Spent on Southwest Purchases and 1 Point per $1 Spent on everything else
- Your Bags Fly Free! No Blackout Dates, Points Don't Expire, and Unlimited Reward Seats!
- No Change fees - if you need to change your flight, you won't be charged a fee.
- September 11th Security Fee Applies
| Intro APR: | Balance Transfer: | Regular APR: | Annual Fee: | Credit Needed: |
| N/A* | N/A* | 15.24% (Variable)* | $69.00* | Excellent |
Citi® Platinum Select® / AAdvantage® Visa Signature® Card
Editor’s:
- Intro APR N/A*
- Intro BT APR N/A*
Highlights:
- Earn 30,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $1,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of cardmembership*
- Your first eligible checked bag is free*
- Priority Boarding* and 25% savings on eligible in-flight purchases*
- Earn a $100 American Airlines Flight Discount every cardmembership year with qualifying purchases and cardmembership renewal*
- Double AAdvantage® miles on eligible American Airlines purchases*
- Earn 10% of your redeemed AAdvantage® miles back – up to 10,000 AAdvantage(R) miles each calendar year*
- No mileage cap* and your miles may never expire*
| Intro APR: | Balance Transfer: | Regular APR: | Annual Fee: | Credit Needed: |
| N/A* | N/A* | 15.24% (Variable)* | None in 1 year, then $95.00* | Excellent |
British Airways Visa Signature® Card - Limited Time Offer
Editor’s:
- Intro APR N/A*
- Intro BT APR N/A*
Highlights:
- Pay no foreign transaction fees when you travel abroad
- Earn 100,000 BA miles - 50,000 bonus BA Miles after your first purchase plus earn an additional 50,000 BA Miles after you spend $2,500 in the first 3 months of account opening
- That’s enough miles for 2 transatlantic reward flights
- Earn 2.5 BA Miles for every $1 spent on British Airways purchases
- Earn 1.25 BA Miles for every $1 spent on all other purchases
- Every year you spend $30,000 on your British Airways Visa card, you’ll earn a Travel Together Ticket good for two years.
| Intro APR: | Balance Transfer: | Regular APR: | Annual Fee: | Credit Needed: |
| N/A* | N/A* | 14.24% Variable* | $95 | Excellent |
Escape by Discover® Card
Editor’s:
- Intro APR 0% for 6 Months*
- Intro BT APR 0% for 6 Months*
Highlights:
- Earn up to $250 in travel rewards--1,000 Bonus miles every month you make a purchase for the first 25 months
- Double Miles on every $1 you spend
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 6 months, then the variable standard purchase APR of 10.99% - 16.99%*
- No restrictions on travel--fly on any airline, book any hotel or car, with no blackout dates
- Flexible redemption options like travel credits, merchandise, gift cards or cash
- Travel Insurance benefits, including primary car rental, lost or damaged luggage, travel delay, and trip cancellation when you book with your Escape by Discover card
- Discover is ranked #1 in customer loyalty--16 years in a row! (2012 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index report)
- *Click apply to view rates, fees, rewards, limitations and other important information
| Intro APR: | Balance Transfer: | Regular APR: | Annual Fee: | Credit Needed: |
| 0% for 6 Months* | 0% for 6 Months* | 10.99-16.99% (Variable)* | $60.00* | Excellent |
Delta Airlines - Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card
Editor’s:
- Intro APR Intro Purchase N/A*
-
Intro BT APR
Intro Balance Transfer N/A*
Highlights:
- Earn 30,000 bonus miles toward Award Travel when you spend $500 on the Card in the first three months from account opening
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95
- Check your first bag Free - for up to 9 people on your reservation - on every Delta flight
- Receive double miles on Delta purchases and 1 mile for all other eligible dollars spent
- Priority Boarding and 20% In-Flight Savings
| Intro APR: | Balance Transfer: | Regular APR: | Annual Fee: | Credit Needed: |
| Intro Purchase N/A* | Intro Balance Transfer N/A* |
15.24%-19.24% (Variable)* | $0.00 1 year, then $95.00* | Excellent |
Updated by Chris Mettler on
Airline Credit Cards
Those who travel by air – plus anyone who would like to be able to fly by getting free or discounted airfares by using their credit cards – are perfect candidates for airline credit cards. These are essentially awards or reward credit cards that let the cardholder rack up miles, points, or similar value which can then be converted into a free ticket to fly to a favorite destination. Airline credit cards will often also provide special features and amenities that are especially tailored to the needs and preferences of air travelers.
Air mile credit cards may include rewards such as free tickets for a fellow passenger, preferential rates on hotels and rental cards, double rewards points for dining, entertaining, or travel, and coupons that provide access to airline VIP lounges inside airports.
Most airline credit cards have interest rates comparable to other credit cards, but many charge an annual fee that might range anywhere from $49-$125. You should examine the pros and cons of each airline credit card, comparing their benefits and features against their fees to calculate which one is the best fit and offers the most flexibility at the best price. Be sure to keep in mind that while some airline credit cards let you transfer your points or accumulated rewards to any airline, others restrict you to one or two specific air carriers. So choose a flexible card that lets you apply your awards to any air carrier or one that will help you earn tickets and perks on the airline that you use most of the time for personal travel or for business rewards.
