The best airline miles credit cards enable you to earn frequent flyer miles with every purchase. And many of the credit card offers listed below come with bonus points that allow you to earn a free plane ticket very quickly. The offers are organized into two categories.
First, we list those all-purpose travel cards that offer excellent rewards. With these cards, you can use points or miles on any airline. Then will list airline specific cards. These are ideal if you frequently fly on the same airline.
Best All-Purpose Miles Cards
Editor’s Pick: The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns top honors for an all-purpose travel rewards card. Its 2x points for every $1 spent on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide and 60,000 bonus points for new cardmembers lead the pack in the travel category.
- Earn 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases with the card in the first months. These points are worth $750 in travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
- 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants
- 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
- Get 25% point bonus when you redeem points for travel through Chase
- $0 foreign transaction fees
- 1:1 point transfer to leading frequent travel programs at full value
- $95 Annual Fee
- One-time Bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 within your first 3 months
- Earn 2X miles on every purchase
- Receive up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre?®
- Miles aren’t specific to any airline or hotel, so they can be used anywhere
- Travel when you want with no blackout dates
- Miles won’t expire for the life of the account
- No foreign transaction fees
- $95 annual fee
- Welcome Offer: Earn 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 within your first 3 months.That’s $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- $300 Annual Travel Credit
- 3X points on travel immediately after earning your $300 travel credit.
- 3X points on dining at restaurants & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- $0 foreign transaction fees.
- Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Access to 1,000+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™
- Select Up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre?®
Best Airline Specific Miles Cards
Editor’s Pick: My favorite airline card is the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card . It gets my vote for three reasons. It offers an excellent signup bonus of 50,000 after you spend $2,000 in 3 months. And it’s a great airline to fly.
- Welcome Offer: Earn 15,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Offer expires 4/1/2020.
- 2 Miles Rewards: Earn 2 miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide and on purchases made directly with Delta.
- 1 Mile Rewards: Earn 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
- Receive a 20% In-Flight Savings in the form of a statement credit after you use your Card on eligible Delta in-flight purchases of food, beverages, and audio headsets.
- No foreign transaction fees
- No Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply
- Welcome Bonus #1: Earn 35,000 Bonus Miles after you make $1,000 in purchases on your new card within your first 3 months.
- Earn a $100 Delta Flight Credit after you spend $10,000 in purchases on the card in a calendar year.
- Earn 2 miles for every dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta.
- Earn 1 mile for every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
- Check your first bag free on Delta flights
- Priority Boarding.
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99.
- Terms Apply
- Signup Bonus: Earn 50,000 statement credit after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.50,000 statement credit after you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months from account opening..
- Welcome Offer #2: Earn an additional 50,000 bonus Avios after spending $20,000 within your first year of account opening.
- Each year you make $30,000 in purchases on your British Airways Visa card, you’ll earn a Travel Together Ticket good for two years.
- Earn 1 Avios for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Pay no foreign transaction fees when you travel abroad.
- Earn up to 80,000 bonus points
- Earn 50,000 points after spending $2,000 within the first 3 months.
- Earn another 30,000 points after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 9 months.
- 6,000 bonus points after you’ve had the card for one year
- 5 points on Southwest purchases from 12/1/2020 through 3/31/2020 (limit of $2,000 spent per month)
- 2 points per $1 spent on all other Southwest purchases
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Earn unlimited points
- No foreign transaction fees
- No blackout dates or seat restrictions
- Bags fly free
- Welcome Offer: Earn up to 80,000 bonus points.
- Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months.
- Earn an additional 30,000 points after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 9 months.
- Earn 7,500 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary.
- $75 Southwest® travel credit each year.
- Four Upgraded Boardings per year when available.
- 20% back on inflight drinks, WiFi, messaging, and movies.
- Earn 5 points for every $1 spent on Southwest purchases between 12/1/2020 and 3/31/2021 (limit of $2,000 spent per month)
- Earn 2 points per $1 spent on all other Southwest purchases.
- Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Welcome Offer: Earn up to 80,000 bonus points.
- Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months.
- Earn an additional 30,000 points after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 9 months.
- Anniversary Bonus: 3,000 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary
- Earn 5 points for every $1 spent on Southwest purchases between 12/1/2020 and 3/31/2021 (limit of $2,000 spent per month)
- 2 points per $1 spent on all other Southwest® purchases
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- No blackout dates or seat restrictions
- Bags fly free and no change fees
- Redeem your points for flights, hotel stays, gift cards, access to events and more
- Signup Offer: Earn 40,000 Bonus miles after you spend $2,000 on purchases with the card in the first 3 months.
- Second Bonus: Get an additional 10,000 miles when you spend $6k on the card in the first 6 months.
- Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on United purchases and at restaurants and on hotel stays purchased directly with the hotel
- Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Up to $100 Global Entry or TSA Pre?® Fee Credit
- 25% back on United inflight purchases
- Check your first bag for free when you use your card to purchase your ticket
- Priority boarding privileges and visit the United Club? with 2 one-time passes each year for your anniversary
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95
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