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Airline miles credit cards are one of the most popular types of rewards cards. In a nutshell, there are two types of airline cards: those that are tied to specific airlines and those that allow you to earn miles that can be used on any airline. Airline specific credit cards tend to carry relatively high annual fees and charge substantially higher interest rates than standard airline credit cards. In fact, only die-hard flyers on a particular airline are likely to benefit from airline specific rewards cards.
With a general miles credit card, the miles you earn can be used on any airline, at any time with no blackout dates. These cards generally carry no annual fees, low long term interest rates, and the added benefit of flexibility.
Below you can learn more about airline credit cards and apply online for approval via SSL encrypted, secure applications hosted on the websites of the issuing banks.
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| Capital One® VentureOneSM Rewards Credit Card |
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1.25 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day and no annual fee
One-time bonus of 10,000 miles once you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months, equal to $100 in travelRedeem miles for airline tickets, hotel rooms, car rentals, and moreNo 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 2014No foreign transaction fees
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| Capital One® VentureSM Rewards Credit Card |
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2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every dayAs seen in Money® Magazine's 'Best' issue three years in a row. - Money® Magazine May 2010, 2011, 2012Earn 10,000 bonus miles when you spend $1,000 on purchases 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
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Purchase
Intro APR |
Balance Transfer
Intro APR |
Regular APR |
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0%*
until June 2014*
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N/A*
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11.9% - 19.9% (V)*
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Apply Now
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Purchase
Intro APR |
Balance Transfer
Intro APR |
Regular APR |
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N/A*
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N/A*
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13.9% - 20.9% (V)* |
Apply Now
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| Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express |
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Apply Now
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Bonus Miles: Earn 30,000 bonus miles toward Award Travel after you spend $500 on the Card within the first three months of Cardmembership.Earn As You Spend: Get 2X miles on Delta purchases and 1X miles for all other eligible dollars spent.Check your first bag free on every Delta flight - that's a savings of up to $200 per round trip for a family of four.Premium Travel Perks: Settle in sooner with Priority Boarding, and enjoy the skies with 20% in-flight savings to use toward meals, beverages, and movies awarded as a statement credit.$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.Terms and Restrictions Apply.
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| Purchase Intro APR |
Balance Transfer Intro APR |
Regular APR |
Annual Fee |
Credit Needed |
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None*
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None* |
15.24% - 19.24% Variable* |
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95* |
Excellent Credit |
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| United MileagePlus® Explorer Card |
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Apply Now
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NEW! No foreign transaction fees!Start with 30,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in the first 3 monthsCheck your first bag for free - save up to $100 per roundtripEarn double miles on tickets purchased from United, and 1 mile per $1 on all other purchasesEnjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United Club with two one-time-use passes every yearUse your miles for any seat, any time, on any United flightYour miles don't expire as long as you're a Cardmember, with no limit to the number of miles you can earn$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95
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| Purchase Intro APR |
Balance Transfer Intro APR |
Regular APR |
Annual Fee |
Credit Needed |
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N/A*
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N/A* |
15.24% (Variable)* |
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95* |
Excellent Credit |
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| Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express |
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Apply Now
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Starpoints® bonus: earn up to 25,000 bonus points: 10,000 after your first purchase and another 15,000 after you spend $5,000 within the first 6 months of CardmembershipThat’s enough for a weekend getaway to a Category 4 Hotel like the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa, or six free nights at a Category 2 HotelFree Hotel Nights: redeem Starpoints at over 1,100 hotels in nearly 100 countries worldwide - with no blackout datesFree Flights: redeem Starpoints on over 350 airlines with SPG Flights - with no blackout datesGet 5,000 bonus Starpoints after you transfer 20,000 Starpoints to a frequent flyer program with more than 30 airlinesNo limits on the number of Starpoints you can earn$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $65Terms and Restrictions apply.
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| Purchase Intro APR |
Balance Transfer Intro APR |
Regular APR |
Annual Fee |
Credit Needed |
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None*
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None* |
15.24% - 19.24% variable* |
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $65* |
Excellent Credit |
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| Blue Sky from American Express® |
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Apply Now
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Welcome Bonus: earn 7,500 points after you spend $1,000 within the first 3 months of Cardmembership - redeemable for a $100 statement credit.Flexible Ways to Earn: earn 1 point for virtually every dollar you spend on eligible purchases.Unlimited Travel Options: Travel with any airline, hotel, cruise, car rental and travel package - with no blackout dates.Flexible Bill Payments: pay your bill all at once or over time. No annual membership fee and 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months, after that, your APR will be a variable rate, currently 17.24%- 22.24%.Terms and Restrictions Apply.
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| Purchase Intro APR |
Balance Transfer Intro APR |
Regular APR |
Annual Fee |
Credit Needed |
0%
for 12 months*
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None* |
17.24% - 22.24% Variable* |
$0* |
Excellent Credit |
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When choosing an airline miles credit card, the key thing to consider is whether or not to select a card that has an annual fee. Most airline credit cards that are linked to a specific airline not only carry annual fees, but also higher interest rates than general airline miles cards. On top of this, having an airline specific credit card leaves you in situations where you may end up paying more for a flight than you would if you could use your miles on any airline.
Ultimately, however, the main issue is annual fees. With an airline credit card that charges a $50 annual fee, you'll need to spend around $5,000 to break even on rewards. On the other hand, if you have an airline credit card with no annual fee, the first $5,000 you spend will earn you 5,000 miles free and clear. Thus, if you seek flexibility and want to get the most value out of your rewards miles, you may want to consider a card that lets you earn frequent flier miles that can be used on any airline and charges no annual fee. Add in the benefits of a potentially lower interest rate and no annual fees and a general airline rewards card will likely be the best option for all but the most diehard frequent flyers who swear by a single airline.
Airline Credit Card Tips and Resources
How to Earn Credit Card Rewards: While I personally prefer cash back credit cards, the strategy I use to earn close to $600 a year in rewards can be applied to a miles credit card. Learn how I maximize my credit card rewards so you can do the same.
Credit Card Rewards Calculator: Curious about how many miles you can rack up this year? Simply plug in guestimates of your monthly spending by category to find out how many free miles you could earn with the right airline credit card. |
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