Best Airline Credit Cards in 2023

Airline rewards credit cards help you earn points through an airline’s frequent flyer or loyalty program. The top priority in selecting an airline rewards card is narrowing down on an airline that works best for you based on where you live and the routes you travel. When you're part of a frequent flyer program, you might benefit through its partnerships with other airlines as well.

Some regular rewards credit cards give you the ability to use your points to pay for air travel, and some let you transfer your reward points to partner airline frequent flyer programs. As a result, they warrant your attention too.

Some of the links on this page and the links in the table above will take you to one of our partner's sites, where you can compare and apply for a selected credit card.

• Best Credit Card for Airline Miles/Points
• Best Co-Branded Airline Credit Cards
• Business Credit Cards with Airline Perks
• Quick Tips for Comparing Airline Credit Cards
• Quick Guide to Understanding Airline Rewards Credit Cards
• How Do Airline Credit Cards Work?

General miles credit cards are not linked to any specific airline. Some let you use your points to pay for air travel directly, and you may also find alternatives that let you transfer your points to different airline frequent flyer programs. Some travel rewards credit cards offer high reward rates on categories other than air travel.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - Best for frequent flyers who need airport lounge access
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card comes with a $395 annual fee but offers several features and perks in return. For starters, you can earn an early spend bonus of 75,000 miles by spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months. Starting from the first account anniversary, you receive 10,000 bonus miles every year. You may receive up to $300 back in the form of statement credits toward bookings made through Capital One Travel. You also receive a credit toward Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fees once every four years of up to $100.

• Using Capital One Travel to make hotel and car rental bookings earns 10X miles per dollar.
• Using the platform to book flights comes with 5X miles per dollar.
• All other purchases earn 2X miles per dollar.

Cardholders get unlimited access to Capital One Lounges and can bring up to two guests each visit. You also get unlimited access to the partner lounge network. Using your miles to make travel bookings through Capital One Travel comes with no blackout dates. Transferring your miles to various airline and hotel loyalty programs is simple. Added benefits include no foreign transaction fees, Hertz President’s Circle status and cell phone protection.

Citi Premier® Card - Ideal for earning rewards on travel, dining, gas and grocery purchases
The Citi Premier® Card comes with a $95 annual fee. You can earn 80,000 bonus points by spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months. It offers 3X points per dollar on air travel, hotel, restaurant, gas station and supermarket purchases. All other purchases earn 1X points per dollar. Transferring your points to participating airline loyalty programs is easy. A $100 annual hotel savings benefit is there for the taking each year. This card does not charge foreign transaction fees.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card - Ideal for people who use Chase Ultimate Rewards
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card charges a $95 annual fee. You can earn a sizable welcome bonus by meeting a spend-based requirement. And you can receive up to $50 in statement credits for hotel bookings made through Chase Ultimate Rewards every account anniversary year.

• Travel purchases made through Ultimate Rewards earn 5X points per dollar, and all other travel purchases earn 2X points per dollar.
• You get 3X points per dollar on dining (including eligible takeout and delivery services), online grocery purchases (exclusions apply) and select streaming services.
• All other purchases earn 1X points per dollar.

You get 25% more value for your points when you redeem them for travel through Ultimate Rewards. And if you prefer to transfer your points to participating airline and hotel loyalty programs, doing so is relatively simple. Other benefits include no foreign transaction fees, purchase protection, extended warranty protection, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver, baggage delay insurance and trip delay reimbursement.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card - Ideal for earning rewards on everyday purchases
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card charges a $95 annual fee. An early spend bonus of 75,000 miles is there for the taking if you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months. This card keeps its award-earning potential simple by offering 2X miles per dollar on all purchases. However, using this card to book hotels or rental cars through Capital One Travel earns you 5X miles per dollar. You get two free visits to Capital One Lounges each year. All cardholders get complimentary Hertz Five Star status. You may receive a credit of up to $100 to cover Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fees once every four years. Transferring your miles to various airline loyalty programs is possible. Other benefits include no foreign transaction fees, extended warranty, travel accident insurance and auto rental collision damage waiver.

American Express Platinum Card - Ideal for high-spending frequent flyers
The Platinum Card from American Express comes with a steep $695 annual fee, although it offers various benefits to help offset the cost. New cardholders may earn a welcome bonus of 100,000 Membership Rewards points by spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months. You can receive statement credits for various purchases each year:

• up to $200 for hotel purchases,
• up to $240 for digital entertainment,
• up to $155 for Walmart+ membership fees,
• up to $200 for airline fees,
• up to $200 in Uber Cash and more.

This card offers 5X points per dollar on flights booked through Amex Travel or directly through airlines (on up to $500,000 per year) and on prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel. All other purchases earn 1X points per dollar. You may use your points to pay for travel via Amex Travel. You may also transfer your points to different frequent flyer programs. Access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection is free. All cardholders get complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, Hilton Honors Gold status and premium car rental status. Other benefits include no foreign transaction fees, return protection, purchase protection, extended warranty, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay insurance and car rental loss and damage insurance.

Co-branded airline credit cards are linked with particular airlines. With an airline card, you stand to earn higher rewards on travel and in-flight purchases. Some airline cards let you earn and use points/miles with partner airlines. Getting one makes sense if you are loyal to a specific airline and travel frequently.

United Explorer Card - Ideal for frequent United Airlines flyers
The United Explorer Card comes with a $95 annual fee, but it is waived for the first year. It also has an introductory spend-based welcome offer that enables you to earn a significant number of bonus miles within the first few months of owning the card.

• On an ongoing basis, United Airlines purchases earn you 2X miles per dollar, as do dining purchases and hotel stays booked directly through hotels.
• All other purchases earn 1X miles per dollar.

The primary cardholder and one companion traveler on the same reservation get their first standard bags checked for free. Cardholders and companions on the same reservation get priority boarding on United-operated flights. Other benefits include purchase protection, extended warranty, auto rental collision damage waiver, baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance and no blackout dates or foreign transaction fees.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card - Perfect for frequent Delta flyers looking at added benefits
You need to pay a $250 annual fee for the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card, but in return, you can take advantage of several perks. A limited-time offer lets you earn a welcome bonus by meeting a spend-based requirement.

• You earn 3X miles per dollar on purchases made directly through Delta and on hotel purchases made directly with hotels.
• Dining at U.S. restaurants (including takeout and delivery) and grocery purchases at U.S. supermarkets earn 2X miles per dollar.
• All other purchases come with 1X miles per dollar.

You may use your miles to book air travel via Delta and for seat upgrades. You get a domestic round-trip companion certificate every year upon your card’s renewal. Your first bag is checked for free on Delta flights, as are those of up to eight other flyers on your reservation. Other benefits include exclusive Sky Club per-visit rates, priority boarding on Delta flights, fee credit for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck, 20% back on in-flight Delta purchases, no foreign transaction fees, trip delay insurance, car rental loss and damage insurance, baggage insurance plan, purchase protection and extended warranty.

The best airline credit cards for business offer high reward earn rates when you book flight tickets. If you have a business credit card with airline perks, transferring your points to different frequent flyer programs might be an option. Other perks can come in the form of access to airport lounges, priority boarding and complimentary travel insurance. If you get additional cards for your employees, they may also earn rewards and enjoy the same perks.

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card - Ideal for business owners who use Chase Ultimate Rewards
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card charges a $95 annual fee. New cardholders stand to earn a significant number of bonus points by meeting a spend-based requirement.

• You also earn 3X points per dollar on combined spending of up to $150,000 each year across travel purchases, shipping purchases, advertising purchases made with search engines or social media platforms, and payments made toward internet, cable and phone services.
• All other purchases earn 1X points per dollar.

You get 25% more value for your points when you redeem them through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Transferring your points to various airline and hotel loyalty programs is possible. Employee cards come at no extra cost. Other benefits include cell phone protection, purchase protection, extended warranty, roadside dispatch, auto rental collision damage waiver, trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance and no foreign transaction fees.

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card - Perfect who business owners who are frequent Southwest flyers
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card from Chase charges a $199 annual fee. It comes with a sizable spend-based welcome bonus, and you also stand to earn bonus points on your account anniversary.

• You earn 4X points per dollar on Southwest Airlines purchases and 3X points per dollar on hotel and car rental partner purchases through Rapid Rewards.
• Spending on search engine and social media ads, local transit and commuting, and phone, internet and cable services will earn 2X points per dollar.
• All other purchases earn 1X points per dollar.

You might benefit through up to four availability-based seat upgrades on Southwest Airlines each year. You may use up to 365 in-flight Wi-Fi credits each year. This card offers a statement credit of up to $100 every four years to cover Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS fees. You pay no annual fees for employee cards. Added benefits include purchase protection, extended warranty, baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement and no blackout dates or foreign transaction fees.

Business Platinum Card® from American Express - Ideal for high-spending business travelers
The Business Platinum Card from American Express charges a steep $695 annual fee but offers several ways to offset the cost. For starters, there is a sizable spend-based welcome bonus for the taking.

• This card offers 5X points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotel bookings through Amex Travel.
• You get 1.5X points per dollar on various business categories and eligible purchases exceeding $5,000.
• All other purchases earn 1X points per dollar.

When you use your points to pay for all or part of an eligible airfare, you get 35% of those points back (up to 1,000,000 points back per year). While you may use your points to book air travel via Amex Travel, you can also transfer them to eligible frequent flyer programs. You may receive up to $200 in airline fee credits and up to a $189 credit for your CLEAR membership each year. You may also get up to a $100 credit for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fees once every four years. Other benefits include access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite and Hilton Honors Gold status, no foreign transaction fees, discounts on Wheels Up Connect and Core memberships, premium car rental privileges, trip delay insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, car rental loss and damage insurance, baggage insurance plan and access to the business platinum travel service.

Various aspects require your attention when selecting an airline card that works well for you. These include:

• Free flights: Using the points/miles you earn to book flight tickets is typically easy. Many airline credit cards let you earn enough bonus miles to pay for a flight ticket as a new cardholder if you meet predetermined spending criteria. For example, you may earn 50,000 to 75,000 bonus miles by spending $3,000 to $4,000 in the first three months.
• Upgrades: Some airline credit cards offer complimentary upgrades. For example, Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card offers up to four availability-based upgraded boardings each year. And other cards let you use your miles/points for seat upgrades, as is the case with the Platinum Card from American Express. But keep in mind that rules surrounding upgrading tickets purchased through airline miles tend to differ from carrier to carrier.
• Partner airlines: Some frequent flyer programs have partnered with other airlines, giving you the ability to earn and redeem miles when you fly outside your conventional routes. For instance, Alaska Airlines's Mileage Plan reward program has partnerships with Aer Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Emirates and Singapore Airlines. Some of the airlines that are part of American Airlines’ AAdvantage reward program include British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas and Qatar Airways.
• Annual fees: You will be hard-pressed to find a no-annual-fee airline credit card. Exceptions include the Citi AAdvantage MileUp Card and the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card. Depending on the features and benefits of the card you get, you might need to pay an annual fee of around $90 to more than $500. Some airline cards offer annual fee waivers for the first year. How well you manage to use your card has a bearing on whether or not you can justify paying its annual fee.
• Foreign transaction fees: Airline credit cards that charge foreign transaction fees require that you pay an added 2% or 3% of each international transaction. The best airline credit cards for international travel are ones that charge no foreign transaction fees, with examples being the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card, the JetBlue Card by Barclays and the Bank of America Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card.
• APR: If you plan to carry forward balances from one billing cycle to the next, you’ll want to pay attention to the annual percentage rate (APR). The cash advance APR is typically higher than the purchase APR. Like travel cards, it is uncommon for airline cards to come with introductory APR offers. If you’re looking for an intro 0% APR offer on purchases, you might benefit by looking at what the travel-oriented Chase Freedom Unlimited Card has to offer.
• Sign-up bonus: Sign-up bonuses remain a big draw for people who are looking for airline credit cards. If you use a popular airline such as American Airlines, Delta or United for most of your travels, you can expect to find an airline card that offers bonus miles for the corresponding frequent flyer program. This is usually the case with popular international frequent flyer programs as well.
• Reward earn rates: The number of points/miles you earn per dollar varies from one airline credit card to another. Earn rates with such cards are typically the best when you spend on airline purchases and tend to drop for other categories. For example, the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card offers 3x miles on Delta purchases and 1x miles on all other purchases. If you wish to maximize your ability to earn rewards across all categories, you might benefit by getting a travel rewards card instead.
• Value of miles: While you stand to earn a different number of points/miles per dollar through different airline credit cards, their value varies based on other factors too. For instance, NerdWallet has found that American Airlines offers better value for your points when you redeem them for business class instead of economy. Depending on the route you wish to travel, your points may provide lesser value during weekends. You also need to remember that you cannot use your miles to pay for taxes when traveling overseas. Typically, the value of one airline mile varies from just under one cent to two cents.
• Membership status level: Getting an airline credit card can give your frequent flyer program’s membership status a boost. With the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card, you may reach the Medallion Status faster. If you spend more than $25,000 in a year, you stand to get a Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD) waiver. In addition, you may earn 15,000 Medallion Qualification Miles by spending $30,000 in a year, up to four times each year. The** Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard** offers 25 tier points toward status for every $2,500 you spend (with a maximum of 50 points per month). In several cases, the benefits you receive through higher tiers of memberships are typically the ones you already get through your airline credit card.
• Additional benefits: Flight-specific benefits may come in the form of discounts on in-flight purchases, airline credits, free/discounted companion fares, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credits, free checked bags, airport lounge access, priority boarding, travel insurance and purchase protection.

Airline rewards credit cards are usually affiliated with specific carriers. When you use an airline card with the airline in question or with its partner airlines, you stand to earn higher rewards. Airline credit cards typically offer other travel-related perks such as airport lounge access and priority boarding. Depending on the card you get, you may use your points to book flights or get seat upgrades.

Getting an airline credit card might work well for you if:

• You have a favored airline. If you prefer using any particular airline, you might benefit by getting a linked credit card. This way, you stand to earn high rewards and enjoy airline-specific perks as well.
• You fly frequently. If you fly frequently, you might consider capitalizing on your spending by getting an airline credit card. If you use two or more airlines, find out if they’re connected through a common frequent flyer program.
• Your business takes you overseas. If you or your employees need to travel outside of the country frequently, you may want to consider getting an airline credit card or a business card with travel perks. While you and your employees get to earn rewards, you may also benefit by making use of other travel perks. For instance, some airline credit cards come with no foreign transaction fees.
• You are looking for travel perks. If you’re looking for travel-related perks, such as TSA PreCheck/Global Entry credit, airport lounge access, priority boarding, flight credit and complimentary travel insurance, and feel that you would use them often enough, an airline credit card may serve the purpose.

Airline credit cards are generally associated with a specific airline. Most popular airlines such as American Airlines, United, Delta, Virgin Atlantic, Alaska Airlines, Southwest, Emirates, Aer Lingus, Lufthansa and British Airways have their own frequent flyer/loyalty programs.

What you also need to account for is that frequent flyer programs tend to have multiple partners, which gives you the ability to earn and redeem points across different carriers. For example, United Club members may earn and use their miles across any airline that is part of the Star Alliance (examples include Air Canada, Air China, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways). Similarly, if you sign up for an AAdvantage credit card, you may earn and redeem points through partner airlines such as Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways and Japan Airlines.

The top credit card rewards programs that let you transfer your reward points to popular airline frequent flyer programs include American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Rewards and Citi ThankYou Rewards.

Unlike general travel rewards cards, airline credit cards tend to offer lower rewards when you use them to make non-airline-specific purchases. For instance, while a travel rewards card might offer a high reward rate on all travel spending, you stand to earn high rewards with your airline card only when you spend through the airline in question or its partner airlines.

Getting an airline credit card makes sense if you are a frequent flyer. If you fly occasionally, you might be better off getting a regular rewards card. As a frequent flyer, you build your points balance each time you travel. This, in turn, leads to discounted or free flights in the future. If you don’t fly often enough, the annual fee you pay toward an airline card might outweigh the points you earn through the course of a year.

To offset the annual fee of an airline card, you should be able to make use of its other benefits often enough. These include in-flight discounts, airport lounge access, priority check-in, free checked bags and seat upgrades.

A number of credit cards are linked to airline frequent flyer programs. When you use any such card to make purchases, the points you earn go directly into your frequent flyer program account. This way, even the points you earn for your everyday spending make it to your airline loyalty program. Cardholders may even achieve membership status upgrades faster through their day-to-day spending.

>> More: Best Way to Earn Airline Miles

An airline credit card may be worth it if the rewards you earn and the benefits you receive offset the annual fee you need to pay. Before getting one, it is important that you take into account the airline(s) you favor, and looking at partner airlines will hold you in good stead. You might benefit by getting an airline credit card if you:

• Favor one airline and its partner airlines over others
• You check your bags on all flights
• You use airport lounges regularly
• You’re a frequent traveler and will make use of an airline credit card’s perks
• You want to add miles to your frequent flyer program through your everyday spending
• You prefer flying business class on international flights

Benefits you may expect from the best airline credit cards include:

Our lists of the best credit cards are based on publicly available data from card issuers and other reputable sources like the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau. We review each card's fees, interest rates, rewards, benefits and more to assign a rating for each feature. These ratings are stack ranked and weighted for each card category to determine our top selections for each type of user. Because card details change regularly, we revisit our data each month to update our ratings, recommendations and other card information as needed. Learn more about our data collection and ranking process.

Here are answers to other commonly asked questions about airline reward credit cards.

Now that you understand how airline credit cards work and how they compare with travel rewards cards, determine which of the two might work better for you. If you feel you may use an airline card to good effect, make a selection based on the rewards you stand to earn, partner airlines and added perks.