MoneyGeek's Take

Best Business Travel Credit Cards for Airline Miles in 2023

If you favor using any particular airline over others, you might benefit by getting a co-branded airline miles business travel credit card. If not, there are still multiple flexible point credit card options from which to choose.

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This article is part of our larger series on Best Airline Credit Cards

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The best business travel credit cards for airline miles give you the ability to bring down the cost of your air travel, and they tend to come with various travel-specific benefits. For instance, you might benefit by getting free checked bags, complimentary priority boarding and airport lounge access.

The top airline miles business travel credit cards charge annual fees that typically range from $95 to upward of $500. However, the best cards from this category come with no foreign transaction fees.

Some airline miles business credit cards offer complimentary loyalty program status upgrades, and others give you the ability to scale the chart faster. For instance, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card and the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business Card from American Express give you the ability to earn Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) that go toward elevating your Delta Medallion Status by meeting some basic spend-based requirements.

This article is part of our larger series on
Best Airline Credit Cards

MoneyGeek's Take: Top 5 Business Travel Credit Cards for Airline Miles

Quick Summary

The number of miles per dollar that you may earn depends on the card you get. It’s common for airline miles business travel credit cards to come with annual fees, although these vary significantly. We’ve selected the top five airline miles business travel credit cards after accounting for these factors as well as APRs, welcome offers, foreign transaction fees and additional benefits.


  • Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card

    A great card for frequent business travelers who want to enjoy Delta travel perks and pursue elite status


    • Good–ExcellentRecommended Credit
    • $250Annual Fee
    • 1–3 Miles per $1Rewards Rate
    • 3xRewards Rate on Air Travel
    • 3xRewards Rate at Hotels

    Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card

    Terms, rates and fees apply

  • The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

    A good business card for premium travel benefits


    • Good–ExcellentRecommended Credit
    • $295Annual Fee
    • 1–5 Points per $1*Rewards Rate
    • 5xRewards Rate on Air Travel
    • 5xRewards Rate at Hotels

    The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

    Terms, rates and fees apply

  • Capital One Spark Miles for Business

    Best flat-rate rewards card for frequent flyers


    • Good–ExcellentRecommended Credit
    • $95Annual Fee
    • 2 Miles per $1Rewards Rate
    • 2xRewards Rate at Hotels
    • 2xRewards Rate on Groceries

    Capital One Spark Miles for Business

    Terms, rates and fees apply

  • Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card

    A card that offers many rewards for business travelers who fly Delta frequently.


    • Good–ExcellentRecommended Credit
    • $550Annual Fee
    • 1–3 Miles per $1Rewards Rate
    • 3xRewards Rate on Air Travel
    • 1xRewards Rate on Dining

    Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card

    Terms, rates and fees apply

Summary of the Best Business Travel Cards for Airline Miles

Take a quick look at the other good alternatives by referring to the corresponding airline miles business travel card comparison table. Check how they measure up based on factors such as welcome offers, APRs, foreign transaction fees and rewards rates.

  • Credit Card
    Best For
    Avg. Reward Rate
    Annual Fee
    Credit Needed
  • Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
    A great card for frequent business travelers who want to enjoy Delta travel perks and pursue elite status
    1–3 Miles per $1
    $250
  • The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
    A good business card for premium travel benefits
    1–5 Points per $1*
    $295
  • Capital One Spark Miles for Business
    Best flat-rate rewards card for frequent flyers
    2 Miles per $1
    $95
  • Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
    A card that offers many rewards for business travelers who fly Delta frequently.
    1–3 Miles per $1
    $550
  • Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
    An excellent business card with Southwest and other travel benefits
    1–3 Points per $1*
    $199
  • Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
    A great miles credit card for international purchases with multiple miles-earning and redeeming opportunities
    1–2 Points per $1*
    $99
  • American Express® Business Gold Card
    A dynamic rewards card for high-spending business owners
    1–4 Points per $1
    $295
  • United℠ Business Card
    A good miles-earning credit card with exclusive rewards and no foreign transaction fees
    1–2 Miles per $1*
    $99
  • Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
    A great miles rewards card with no foreign transaction fee for frequent business travelers
    1–2 Miles per $1
    $99
  • CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®
    One of the top business travel cards for frequent American Airlines travelers
    1–2 Miles per $1*
    $99
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MONEYGEEK PRO TIP

Business travel credit cards typically extend benefits of the primary card to authorized users. Your business can save money and improve the travel experience of your employees by providing them with an employee card, while also making expense tracking easier with a unique card number for each employee. -- Lee Huffman, credit card expert at BaldThoughts.com.

How to Compare Business Travel Credit Cards & Intro Offers

Selecting the airline miles business travel credit card that works best for your company requires paying attention to multiple aspects because not all the top cards work equally well for everyone.

1

Welcome offer

You might earn a welcome bonus through a time- and spend-based promotional offer. For instance, the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business Card has a welcome offer through which you may earn 60,000 bonus miles, 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles and a $100 statement credit by spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.

2

APR

The APRs that airline miles business travel credit cards charge are typically higher than those that come with business cards with no rewards. If you plan to maintain revolving balances in your account from one billing cycle to the next, consider looking at what low-interest business credit cards have to offer.

3

Foreign transaction fee

Credit cards that come with foreign transaction fees usually charge up to 3% extra on each international transaction. If you travel internationally or if you buy from international suppliers, consider getting a card with no foreign transaction fees. The five best business travel credit cards for airline miles we’ve selected make the cut.

4

Reward rate

The miles or points you earn per dollar spent varies based on the card you get. For example, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card Business Card earns up to 3x points on category-based spending. It increases to up to 4x points with the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card.

5

Value of miles/points

The value of the miles/points you earn depends not only on the card you get and the airline loyalty program you’re part of but also on how you choose to redeem them. Redeeming your miles and points for air travel generally offers the highest value. However, the value you receive depends on the class of service, route you wish to fly and your desired travel dates.

6

Co-branded or not

If you favor using any one particular airline, getting a co-branded card might be the way to go because they offer benefits specific to that airline. Examples include the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card, the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card, the United℠ Business Card and the CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard. Flexible points programs offer flexibility but don't offer the same benefits are an airline card, such as priority boarding and free checked bags. Examples of good non-co-branded cards for airline miles include the Amex Business Platinum Card, the Amex Business Gold Card and the Capital One Spark Miles for Business Card.

7

Added perks

Depending on the card you get and the annual fee you’re prepared to pay, you may be able to take advantage of card-specific features and benefits such as priority boarding, free checked bags, companion certificates, airport lounge access, travel insurance coverage, statement credits for payments made toward specific service providers, employee cards and access to various expense management tools.

Expert Advice For Finding the Right Card

We’ve asked financial experts to go through our airline miles business travel credit card reviews and provide answers to a few important questions so you may find it easier to make the right selection.

Expert Advice For Finding the Right Card

  1. Given that most such cards offer low reward rates for spending outside of bonus categories, might it make sense to use a different card to capitalize on everyday spending?
  2. How does the transfer of miles/reward points work with cards from this category?
  3. How can a cardholder make the most of an airline miles business travel credit card?
Julia Menez
Julia Menez

Travel Hacking Coach and Founder of Geobreeze

Further Reading

About Rajiv Baniwal


Rajiv Baniwal headshot

Rajiv Baniwal is a journalist who has been covering financial topics for over 15 years. Meticulous in his research, he provides accurate and up-to-date information. His expertise includes mortgages, loans, credit cards, insurance and international money transfers.


*Rates, fees or bonuses may vary or include specific stipulations. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting/last updated date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. We recommend visiting the card issuer’s website for the most up-to-date information available.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses and recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. Learn more about our editorial policies and expert editorial team.
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