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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.
| Capital One® VentureOne(SM) 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 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
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| Capital One® Venture(SM) Rewards Credit Card |
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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
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| Purchase Intro APR |
Balance Transfer Intro APR |
Regular APR |
0%
until June 2013*
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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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| United MileagePlus® Explorer Card |
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Apply Now
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- Earn up to 40,000 bonus miles & first year free, a $95 value*
- First checked bag is free for you and a companion when you fly United flights, up to a $50 value
- Board your flight before general boarding with priority boarding privileges
- Visit the United Club with two complimentary day passes every year, up to a $100 value
- Earn 2 miles for each $1 spent on airline tickets purchased from United and 1 mile per $1 for everything else
- Your miles don`t expire and there is no limit to the number of miles you can earn
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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) |
$95, waived the first year* |
Excellent |
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Apply Now
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- 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
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| Purchase Intro APR |
Balance Transfer Intro APR |
Regular APR |
Annual Fee |
Credit Needed |
0%*
for 6 Months*
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0%*
for 6 Months*
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10.99%-16.99% (Variable)* |
None |
Good |
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| Chase Sapphire Preferred (SM) Card |
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Apply Now
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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
Apply Now!
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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* |
$95, Waived First Year |
Excellent |
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| British Airways Visa Signature Card® |
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Apply Now
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- You will get 50,000 bonus Avios after your first purchase
- 25,000 bonus Avios after you make $10,000 in purchases within the first year of account opening
- Plus an additional 25,000 bonus Avios after you make an additional $10,000 in purchases also within the first year of account opening
- That’s enough Avios for one roundtrip business class reward ticket
- New: Smart Chip Technology allows you to use your card for chip based purchases in Europe & beyond, while still giving you the ability to use your card as you do today at home.
- Pay no foreign transaction fees when you travel abroad
- In addition to the bonus, you will also get 2.5 Avios for every $1 spent on British Airways purchases and 1.25 Avios for every $1 spent on all other purchases
- Every calendar year you make $30,000 in purchases on your British Airways Visa card, you’ll earn a Travel Together Ticket good for two years
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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 |
$95 |
Excellent |
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| Delta Airlines - Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card |
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Apply Now
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- 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
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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%-19.24% Variable |
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 |
Excellent |
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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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