Best airline credit cards of 2024: Editorial reviews
The Chase Sapphire Preferred? Card is our favorite general travel rewards credit card. It’s the perfect combination of having a reasonable annual fee while still offering generous rewards on travel (including flights) booked through the Chase travel portal. It offers rewards on non-travel purchases, and it has extra perks like Chase Sapphire travel insurance benefits to top it off. It also has a huge welcome offer, which is never a bad thing, if you ask us.
The Delta SkyMiles? Platinum American Express Card has a higher annual fee than the Delta Gold card but it also has a few more valuable benefits. The most rewarding perk is the annual companion certificate, valid for a main cabin ticket on a domestic Delta flight. That alone can make up for the modest $350 annual fee.
If you’re in the market for a flexible travel reward card with premium airline benefits, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a solid option. This card has a slightly lower annual fee ($395) than some other premium travel cards but doesn’t skimp on perks. Cardholders get an annual $300 flexible travel credit, complimentary Capital One airport lounge access, a Priority Pass Select membership, and more, making this card a great deal for the frequent flyer.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card wins, hands down, for simple travel rewards. It may not have the highest rewards earning rate on flights but it offers 2X miles on all purchases, making it easy to earn on everyday purchases. The miles you earn can also be redeemed in a variety of ways, rather than just on flights. It also has a reasonable $95 annual fee so it won’t break the bank if you don’t travel a lot.
The United? Explorer Card offers tremendous value for a low annual fee ($0 the first year, then $95/year), making it a must if you casually fly with United. It comes with a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck? application credit, two one-time United Club passes, free checked bags, priority boarding, and more. Especially for a starter card, it’s packed with benefits.?
If you tend to fly with Southwest, the Southwest Rapid Rewards? Priority Credit Card is for you. Yes, it has a higher annual fee than other Southwest-branded cards but it also has a multitude of added perks to make it worth your while. Its annual $75 travel credit alone easily helps to offset the $149 annual fee, but its perks certainly don’t end there. This card also allows you to earn points toward the coveted Southwest Companion Pass (135,000 points), which allows you to bring a guest with you every time you fly in the calendar year you earned the pass.?
If premium airport lounges are your goal, the United Club? Infinite Card may be just what you’re looking for. It does boast a hefty $525 annual fee but it also comes with a United Club? membership, which is up to a $650 value each year by itself. Additionally, your first and second checked bags are free, you get a statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, 25% off in-flight purchases, and more. If you’re a dedicated United Airlines traveler, this card is incredibly valuable.
If you fly casually with Delta Air Lines (at least a couple of times per year), the Delta SkyMiles? Gold American Express Card may be a good option. It has a decent reward rate on Delta purchases and everyday purchases, and it comes with a tremendous benefit of free checked bags for you and up to 8 traveling companions. But if you don’t fly with Delta at least a couple of times every year, it may be difficult to find enough value to offset the $150 annual fee ($0 intro fee the first year).
For the Delta loyalist, it doesn’t get better than the Delta SkyMiles? Reserve American Express Card. It has a hefty annual fee of $650 but has a multitude of valuable benefits that may make it worth it for the frequent traveler. Like the Platinum Delta card, the Reserve gives you a free annual companion certificate, but even better, this one can be used toward business class or first class (depending on what class your ticket is). On top of that, this card gets you into Delta Sky Clubs (worth $545 annually) and access to Amex Centurion lounges when flying Delta. If you’re able to take advantage of these benefits, this card can be well worth it.
The Aeroplan? Credit Card is ideal for the Air Canada loyalist, but it’s great for United flyers too, since points earned on this card can be used toward Air Canada, United, and Star Alliance flights. It also offers a free checked bag for you and up to 8 companion travelers, automatic Aeroplan 25K elite status for the first year and change, TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credits, travel insurance benefits, and more. It’s also nice that this card only has a $95 annual fee, a generous welcome offer, and it earns points on everyday purchases in addition to flights.
When it comes to travel credit cards, The Platinum Card? from American Express is one of the most well-recognized options out there. This card comes loaded with airline and non-airline benefits, like almost $2,000 worth of statement credits, airport lounge access, travel insurance benefits, and more. Some of the statement credits are weirdly specific though, but if you can utilize them, this card has plenty of value to offset the almost $700 annual fee.
Don’t let the $550 price tag catch you too off guard with the Chase Sapphire Reserve? card, as it has plenty of value to justify it. This card comes with a $300 annual travel credit, a high rewards earning potential on travel purchases, airport lounge access, and travel insurance perks. If you travel frequently enough to take advantage of the benefits this card offers, it can be a worthwhile investment.
What is an airline credit card?
An airline card is a credit card that lets you earn and redeem rewards toward flights and other airline-specific perks. Sometimes these cards are general travel credit cards and sometimes they are co-branded with a certain airline, like Southwest, United Airlines, or Delta Air Lines. Typically when talking about an “airline credit card,” co-branded cards are being referred to.
Airline cards vs general travel credit cards
Airline cards
These international travel cards are co-branded with specific airlines, meaning it’s affiliated with that airline to earn miles and perks with their frequent flyer loyalty program. These cards are great for people who remain loyal to a particular carrier. Many of these cards come with benefits such as airport lounge access, upgraded seating on flights, free companion tickets, discounted in-flight purchases, and more.
These cards offer more flexibility for travelers who fly with different airlines. Cardholders can earn points for making travel purchases and then redeem those points with hotels or airlines of their choice. These cards can offer high-value benefits like airport lounge access or annual statement credits.
What are airline miles?
Airline miles, also known as frequent flyer miles, are a type of reward that can be earned by making purchases with an airline or by using a co-branded airline card. These miles can then be redeemed for free or discounted flights, upgraded seating, and more, depending on the loyalty program.
Redeeming airline miles
The process for redeeming your airline miles can vary between loyalty programs and different rewards. Generally speaking, airline miles can be redeemed via the program’s website, often using third-party portals. You also may be able to call the airline directly to redeem miles over the phone or may be able to redeem them at an airport ticket counter.
Although it varies by airline loyalty program, miles can often be redeemed for:
- Free or discounted flights, hotels, or car rentals
- Seating or flight class upgrades
- Airline merchandise purchases
- In-flight food or beverage purchases
- Airport lounge access
- Charitable donations
How much are airline miles worth?
The majority of airline miles are now worth between 1.3 and 1.5 cents. It is important to keep in mind that the actual value of your airline miles will depend on how the airline miles are used.
The chart below shows the estimated value of miles, when redeeming toward economy fare, with a few popular airlines.
| Loyalty program |
Estimated value of 1 mile |
Approximate value of 20K miles |
| Air Canada Aeroplan |
1.4 cents |
$280 |
| Delta Air Lines SkyMiles |
1.2 cents |
$240 |
| Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards |
1.5 cents |
$300 |
| United Airlines MileagePlus |
1.2 cents |
$240 |
Do airline miles expire?
Airline miles can expire with certain loyalty programs, but many won’t if you keep your account active with semi-frequent purchases or redemptions.
These are the expiration policies of the same loyalty programs listed above:
| Loyalty program |
Expiration policy |
| Air Canada Aeroplan |
Miles expire after 18 months of no activity |
| Delta Air Lines SkyMiles |
No expiration |
| Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards |
No expiration |
| United Airlines MileagePlus |
No expiration |
Pros and cons of airline credit cards
Although airline credit cards can make a valuable addition to some wallets, they also come with drawbacks.
How to choose an airline credit card
Picking the best credit card for airline miles can be difficult since there are so many to choose from.
However, you can narrow down your options by thinking through the following issues.
How we selected our top airline credit cards
To find the best airline credit cards available today, we looked for options that offer tremendous value in exchange for their annual fees. Benefits we looked for include excellent earning rates, generous limited-time offers, frequent flyer benefits, the potential to earn miles toward elite airline status, and travel insurance.
Are airline cards worth it?
An airline credit card can be worth it if you use its benefits enough to outweigh the annual fee. For travelers who frequently fly with the same carrier, a co-branded card can be tremendously valuable. On the other hand, for travelers who don’t fly very often or aren’t loyal to a particular brand, a general travel credit card with flexible rewards may fit better into their lifestyle.
Other credit card options
If you decide that an airline credit card isn’t the best option to fit into your lifestyle, these are some alternatives:
- General travel reward cards provide flexible rewards on travel purchases and are not typically associated with a particular airline or hotel chain.
- Co-branded hotel credit cards can provide generous rewards on hotel purchases made with a specific chain.
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Cash back credit cards offer flexible cash back on everyday purchases, some with elevated bonus categories to earn even more, and some with flat-rate cash back on all purchases.
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Reward credit cards earn points through an issuer’s reward program but have flexible redemption options, often including travel.
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For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles? Platinum American Express Card, please visit this page.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles? Gold American Express Card, please visit this page.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles? Reserve American Express Card, please visit this page.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card? from American Express, please visit this page.
