The Ultimate Guide to Air Miles Credit Cards (Plus Our 7 Favorites)

You’ve probably heard about people “traveling on points.” Somehow these friends, bloggers, and Instagrammers bounce around the world — and don’t pay for it?

If you’re wondering how air miles credit cards work — and which ones to choose — you’ve come to the right place.

Here’s a quick glance at our picks for the best credit cards for air miles.

Want to skip straight to our picks for the best cards? Go right ahead.

What Are Credit Card Miles?

Each airline has its own rewards system, often known as a “frequent flyer” program, that’s designed to instill airline loyalty among passengers.

Cardholders can earn “miles” with the airline’s rewards program by:

• Taking flights
• Spending money on a co-branded credit card
• Making purchases with an airline partner, such as a car rental agency or online retailer

Once you’ve earned miles, you can then use them to book airfare with that airline. The number of miles required depends greatly on distance, demand, and fare class.

Just to give you a ballpark estimate, however, you might fork over 25,000 miles for a roundtrip domestic economy flight, and 50,000 for a roundtrip economy flight to Europe.

Though you can’t transfer miles between airlines, you can use one airline’s miles to fly with one of its partners. If you earn American Airlines miles, for example, you could use them to fly on British Airways, since the airlines are in the same “alliance.”

You’ll sometimes see “blackout dates” mentioned; these occur when you can’t use miles, and can only buy tickets with cash. They’re most common around holidays.

How Much Is a Credit Card Mile Worth?

Every travel rewards program values its frequent flyer miles/points a little bit differently, and even within a single rewards program, you’ll often get a different per-mile value depending on how you redeem. So there’s no simple answer here.

“Around 1 cent per mile” is a good starting point. Certain rewards programs, like Chase Ultimate Rewards, will give you a cent per point (or more) when you redeem through their respective portals.

But even then, if you transfer your points to a partner loyalty program, you might be able to squeeze more than a penny in value out of each mile. In fact, with many airline rewards programs (including popular picks like Delta SkyMiles, Southwest Rapid Rewards, and United MileagePlus) you may be able to score a value of 1.5–2 cents per mile or more.

Still, everything circles back to one important fact: Your redemption value will often vary depending on how you redeem. Different programs treat miles differently, and everything about a flight — from your preferred class to the route itself — can impact redemption value even further.

Are Air Miles Credit Cards Right for You?

There are two basic types of air miles credit cards: co-branded airline cards and general travel cards.

Most major airlines partner with credit card issuers to offer co-branded cards to their customers. American Express issues Delta’s cards, for example, and Chase issues Southwest’s. When you use these cards to make purchases with their associated airlines, you’ll earn extra miles on every dollar you spend.

These co-branded credit cards also often offer travel perks like free checked bags, priority boarding, airport lounge access, and discounts on in-flight purchases.

Other cards aren’t affiliated with a particular airline, and instead earn points from the credit card issuer. Though they don’t have the airline-specific perks of co-branded cards, you can use their travel rewards points on a variety of airlines, rather than just one.

Most travel rewards cards — whether airline-specific or general — come with high annual fees and interest rates (APRs).

That’s why we only recommend rewards credit cards for people who plan to pay off their cards each month. By paying your statement balance in full, you’ll avoid paying any interest on your purchases.

All in all, air miles credit cards might be good if you:

• Fly frequently: If you find yourself flying one airline several times a year, it’s worth looking into a co-branded card. But if you fly a range of airlines, a general travel rewards or cash back card might be a better fit.
• Have good credit scores: Rewards cards have stricter requirements than more basic cards. Check your credit scores, and only apply if they’re in the suggested range.
• Will pay off your balance in full each month: Since travel rewards credit cards often come with high APRs, we strongly advise against carrying a balance on them. Paying interest can quickly negate any rewards you earn.

How Can Air Miles Credit Cards Help You Get “Free” Flights?

Remember those travel hackers we mentioned? Well, we can pretty much guarantee they’re using credit card signup bonuses to cover their flights and hotels.

You can earn signup bonuses by opening a card and spending a certain amount on it within three or four months. These bonuses can be quote large, often providing hundreds of dollars in value.

Then, in addition to the intro bonus, you’ll earn miles for spending money on the card. Most cards earn at least one mile per dollar (commonly written as 1X mile/dollar) on all purchases, plus extra miles in particular categories — such as 2X miles/dollar when making purchases with that specific airline.

Just to be clear how this works, imagine a card that offers 60,000 bonus miles for spending $2,000 in the first three months.

1. You apply for the card. A few weeks later, it arrives in the mail, and you activate it on March 1.
2. The next few months, you put all your purchases — groceries, gas, gifts — on the card, earning 1X mile per dollar. Each month, you pay your bill in full.
3. By June 1, you’ve put $3,000 in purchases on the card, earning you 60,000 bonus miles. You also earned 1X mile per dollar, for a total of 63,000 miles.
4. You can now redeem those miles for a “free” Delta flight. When I looked, I found a great deal: a roundtrip from New York to Paris for 36,000 miles, plus $84 in fees.

Since the Delta card’s annual fee is waived for the first year (Rates & Fees), you just got a $500+ ticket for nothing more than fees. And don’t forget the card’s other perks, like a free checked bag and priority boarding.

When the card’s annual fee rolls around, you can decide to keep it — and pay the fee — or close the account, and pay nothing. Because you earned the miles with an airline (rather than points with a credit card company), you’ll be able to keep them either way, as long as your account remains active.

Now you see how it can be addictive?

How Air Miles Credit Cards Affect Your Credit Scores

Though it might surprise you, the truth is your credit scores won’t suffer too much when you apply for a new airline card (if they’re already in good shape). Applying for new credit dings your credit slightly due to the hard inquiry, but opening new cards can actually decrease your credit utilization (which is a good thing for your credit scores).

However, every time you open a new account you’ll shorten your average age of accounts and reset the time since your most recent account was opened. The only thing that can improve these credit score factors is time, so avoid opening several new cards in a short period if you want to improve your scores. Thankfully, these factors play a relatively small role in your credit scores compared to utilization and payment history.

If you’re considering an airline card, or any new card, make sure you understand credit scores inside and out — and keep careful track of your cards, statement due dates, and renewal dates. If you’re not getting enough value from an annual fee, consider closing the card.

And avoid applying for new credit if you want to get a large loan, such as a mortgage, in the next two years. In that case, every extra point on your credit scores could save you money.

What Are the 7 Best Air Miles Cards?

When choosing an air miles credit card, the most important step is determining which airline you fly the most. If your home airport is a hub for a particular airline, that’s a good place to start.

If you don’t fly one airline often, then consider a general travel rewards card.

Or consider getting both: Many people hold an airline card for its perks, plus a travel rewards card for its broad earning potential.

When deciding which card to get, you should analyze its annual fee, introductory bonus, perks, and potential to earn rewards. Most airline cards come in several versions, with annual fees that range from low to high.

You should also try to avoid cards with foreign transaction fees, which you’d pay when making purchases in another currency. (Unless otherwise noted, the cards below don’t charge foreign transaction fees.)

When you’re ready to apply for an air miles credit card and start earning rewards, here are seven of our favorites.

• Best for General Travel: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Review)
• Best for Airlines and Hotels: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (Review)
• Best for Delta Air Lines: Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card (Review)
• Best for American Airlines: Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Platinum Select^® World Elite^™ Mastercard^® (Review)
• Best for United Airlines: United℠ Explorer Card (Review)
• Best for Southwest Airlines: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Review)
• Best for Alaska Airlines: Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® Credit Card

Best for General Travel

• Annual fee: $95
• Introductory bonus: 80,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
• Rewards: 5X Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on Lyft rides; 2X points per dollar on travel and dining; 1X on everything else
• Perks: Premium travel and purchase protections, such as car rental and trip delay coverage
• Purchase APR: 15.99% - 22.99% Variable

This metal card is one of the most popular general travel credit cards — and for good reason.

Instead of being limited to one airline, you can transfer its points at a 1:1 ratio to a variety of frequent flyer programs, including Aer Lingus AerClub, British Airways Executive Club, Flying Blue AIR FRANCE KLM, Iberia Plus, JetBlue TrueBlue, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards®, United MileagePlus®, and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, as well as IHG Rewards Club, Marriott Bonvoy, and World of Hyatt.

Best for Airlines and Hotels

• Annual fee: $95
• Introductory bonus: 100,000 bonus miles for spending $20,000 in the first 12 months from account opening, or still earn 50,000 miles for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
• Rewards: 2X miles per dollar on all purchases
• Perks: $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓
• Purchase APR: 17.24% - 24.49% (Variable)

With the ability to earn 2X miles per dollar on everything, this card is a solid contender. You can redeem your miles through Capital One’s travel booking portal, where you’ll receive $0.01 of travel for every mile.

Best for Delta Air Lines

• Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99. (Rates & Fees)
• Introductory bonus: 35,000 bonus miles for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
  
• Rewards: 2X SkyMiles per eligible dollar spent for purchases made directly with Delta Air Lines, restaurants, and U.S. supermarkets; 1X on everything else
• Perks: Free first checked bags, priority boarding, 20% discount on in-flight purchases, $100 Delta flight credit for spending $10,000 in a calendar year
• Purchase APR: 15.74% - 24.74% Variable

For frequent Delta flyers, this credit card offers excellent perks, including a free checked bag and priority boarding. Its hearty introductory bonus could also take you (literally) pretty far.

Best for American Airlines

• Annual fee: $99, waived for first 12 months
• Introductory bonus: 50,000 AAdvantage bonus miles for spending $2,500 in the first 3 months
• Rewards: 2X miles/dollar at American Airlines, gas stations, and restaurants; 1X on everything else
• Perks: Free first checked bags, Preferred boarding, 25% discount on in-flight purchases, reduced mileage awards, $125 American Airlines flight credit when you spend $20,000 in a calendar year
• Purchase APR: 15.99% - 24.99% (Variable)

If you live near an American Airlines hub, this card is certainly worth a look. Unlike many other airline credit cards, it offers bonus miles on gas stations and restaurants, plus a slew of AA perks.

Best for United Airlines

• Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95
• Introductory bonus: 60,000 bonus miles for spending $2,000 in the first 3 months; 10,000 bonus miles for spending a total of $6,000 in the first 6 months
• Rewards: 2X miles/dollar at United, hotels, and restaurants; 1X on everything else
• Perks: Free first checked bags, priority boarding, 25% discount on in-flight purchases, two United Club anniversary passes per year, $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓
• Purchase APR: 16.49% to 23.49% Variable

For United fans, this card offers a generous 2X airline miles per dollar at hotels booked directly through hotel websites (not through Expedia or Booking, for example), as well as at restaurants. On long layovers, the two annual United Club passes also come in handy. You’ll also get a host of additional travel benefits that help this card earn a spot as one of the best for United enthusiasts.

Best for Southwest Airlines

• Annual fee: $149
• Introductory bonus: 40,000 bonus points for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
• Rewards: 2X points/dollar on Southwest and hotel and car rental partners; 1X on everything else
• Perks: $75 Southwest credit, 7,500 bonus points, and four upgraded boarding passes annually; 20% discount on in-flight purchases; 1,500 tier qualifying points (TQPs) for each $10,000 in purchases (up to $100,000)
• Purchase APR: 15.99% - 22.99% Variable

Southwest is one of the country’s most beloved airlines, and with this card, you’ll get even more out of your ticket purchases. Note that because basic luggage is already free for all Southwest customers, this card doesn’t advertise free checked bags.

Read about other Southwest credit cards here.

Best for Alaska Airlines

• Annual fee: $75
• Introductory bonus: Spend $1,000 in the first 3 months to earn 30,000 bonus miles and a Companion Fare
• Rewards: 3X miles/dollar on Alaska Air purchases; 5X miles at select restaurants; 1X on everything else
• Perks: Annual Companion Fare and free first checked bags
• Purchase APR: 17.24%–25.24% Variable

If you live on the west coast, you’ve probably flown — and loved — Alaska Airlines. It’s most famous for its annual Companion Fare, which lets you take a friend for free on a roundtrip economy ticket. All you pay is the taxes and fees (up to $121 for the annual Fare), which, if used strategically, more than wipes out the card’s annual fee. But even aside from the Companion Fare, there are plenty of reasons why the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature is a worthy addition to your wallet.

Enjoy the Journey

Once you start traveling, you’ll probably never want to stop — and air miles credit cards can help you get there. But due to the addictive nature of the miles and points game, you should only dive in if you’ll use your cards responsibly. Treat your credit cards well, and they’ll reward you with plenty of exciting experiences and “free” travel opportunities.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, please click here.