Get the details on earning and redeeming airline miles and the benefits of top frequent flyer programs. Calculate how many miles you can earn with co-branded airline credit cards based on spend, the transfer of rewards from partner programs to frequent flyer programs, the cash value of miles based on redemption, and much more.
Best Airline Credit Cards
Listed below are a handful of the best airline credit cards on the market. You can check out the full list and calculate which cards earn you the best return by jumping over to our list of best airline credit cards.
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
See Rates & Fees
Terms Apply.
Intro Bonus
Limited Time Offer: Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after spending $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months and a $200 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months. Offer expires 7/28/2021.
Rewards Rate
3X
Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
2X
Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery and at U.S. supermarkets.
1X
Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
Main Card Highlights
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after spending $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months and a $200 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months. Offer expires 7/28/2021.
- Limited Time Offer: Plus, get a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable 15.74%-24.74%. Offer expires 7/28/2021.
- Accelerate your path to Medallion Status, with Status Boost®. Plus, in 2021 you can earn even more bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) to help you reach Medallion Status.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. *Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $75 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®.
- Enjoy an exclusive rate of $39 per person per visit to enter the Delta Sky Club® for you and up to two guests when traveling on a Delta flight.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
Annual Fee
$250
Authorized User Fee
$0
Foreign Transaction Fee
0%
Unitedâ„ Explorer Card
Intro Bonus
Up to 70,000 Bonus Miles. Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Plus, an additional 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $6,000 in the first 6 months.
Rewards Rate
2X
Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on hotel stays and United purchases
2X
Earn 2 miles per $1 spent at restaurants and eligible delivery services
1X
Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
Main Card Highlights
- Up to $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® fee Credit
- 25% back on United inflight purchases
- Check your first bag for free (a savings of up to $140 per roundtrip) when you use your card to purchase your ticket
- Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United Clubâ„ with 2 one-time passes each year for your anniversary
Annual Fee
$0 the first year, then $95
Authorized User Fee
$0
Foreign Transaction Fee
0%
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Intro Bonus
Earn 40,000 points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
Rewards Rate
3X
Earn 3 points per $1 spent on dining, including takeout and eligible delivery services, for the first year.
2X
Earn 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases.
1X
Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Main Card Highlights
- Earn 40,000 points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months..
- 7,500 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary each year.
- $75 Southwest® travel credit each year.
- 4 Upgraded Boardings per year when available.
- 20% back on in-flight drinks and WiFi.
Annual Fee
$149
Authorized User Fee
$0
Foreign Transaction Fee
0%
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
See Rates & Fees
Terms Apply.
Intro Bonus
Welcome Offer: Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Platinum Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
Rewards Rate
5X
Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com.
1.5X
Get 50% more Membership Rewards® points. That's an extra half point per dollar, on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more. You can get up to 1 million additional points per year.
1X
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point on all other purchases
Main Card Highlights
- Welcome Offer: Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Platinum Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com.
- Get 50% more Membership Rewards® points. That's an extra half point per dollar, on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more. You can get up to 1 million additional points per year.
- 35% Airline Bonus: Use Membership Rewards® Pay with Points for all or part of a flight with your selected qualifying airline, and you can get 35% of the points back, up to 500,000 bonus points per calendar year when you book on amextravel.com.
- Breeze through security with CLEAR® where available and get up to $179 back per year on your membership when you use your Card.
- Enroll to get up to $200 in statement credits annually by getting up to $100 semi-annually for U.S. purchases with Dell. Terms apply.
- Pay Over Time Option: A flexible payment option to help manage cash flow on purchases of $100 or more.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Annual Fee
$595
Authorized User Fee
$300 for each additional Business Platinum Card
Foreign Transaction Fee
0%
Airport Services
If you frequently find yourself at the airport, you may want to consider several of the airport services listed below. Review the benefits of each service and find out which credit cards offer discounts or complimentary access to these airport services.
Global Entry offers expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States offered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
TSA Preâś“, read as TSA PreCheck, offers expedited traveler screening through TSA security checkpoints at select airports. With TSA Preâś“, you will not have to remove shoes, laptops, belts, and other articles of clothing.
CLEAR gives you expedited airport security through participating airports, stadiums, and other select venues by using biometrics. It's not an alternative to TSA Preâś“ or Global Entry and its usefulness will depend on if you frequent places that use CLEAR.
Priority Pass is a network of over 1,300 lounges around the world. Access to Priority Pass can be gained through select credit cards that offers membership, credit cards that offer complimentary passes, or you can pay for membership through prioritypass.com. Sign up through The Point Calculator and get a discount on your membership.
U.S. Frequent Flyer Programs
All of the major U.S. Frequent Flyer programs offer at least one credit card for you to earn miles on everyday spend.
Several programs are also direct transfer partners of various travel rewards programs meaning that you can earn rewards and transfer them directly to your frequent flyer account.
Use the links below to calculate credit card earnings and the cash value of credit cards based on spend, the value of miles based on redemption, the transfer of points to airline programs, and much more.
Alaska Airlines Miles Calculators
Two credit cards. Part of the oneworld Alliance.
Allegiant Air Points
One credit card. Points with the airline can only be earned with the Allegiant Mastercard.
American Airlines AAdvantage Miles Calculators
Six credit cards. Part of the oneworld Alliance.
Delta SkyMiles Calculators
Seven credit cards. Part of the SkyTeam Alliance. Direct transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards.
Frontier Miles Calculators
One credit card. No alliance.
Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles Calculators
Two credit cards. No alliance. Direct transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards.
JetBlue Points Calculators
Three credit cards. No alliance. Direct transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Capital One Venture & Spark Rewards which makes it very easy to earn JetBlue Points on credit card spend.
Southwest Points Calculators
Five credit cards. No alliance. Direct transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Spirit Miles Calculators
Two credit cards. No alliance.
United Miles Calculators
Six credit cards. Part of the Star Alliance. Direct transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards.
International Frequent Flyer Programs
A handful of international airlines offer credit cards to it's U.S.-based members. While these cards may be worth picking up for the benefits, you'll typically earn more miles spending on credit cards offered by transfer partners.
This allows you to easily build up rewards on everyday spending and transfer your earned rewards to your frequent flyer program when you need to do so.
Use the links below to calculate credit card earnings and the cash value of credit cards based on spend, the value of miles based on redemption, the transfer of points to airline programs, and much more.
Aeromexico Miles Calculators
No credit cards, but direct transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy. Part of the SkyTeam Alliance.
Air Canada Aeroplan Points Calculators
No credit cards, but direct transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy. Part of the Star Alliance.
Air France-KLM Flying Blue Miles Calculators
One credit card. Part of the SkyTeam Alliance. Direct transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Capital One Venture & Spark Rewards which makes it easy to earn Flying Blue Miles on credit card spend.
Asiana Airlines Miles Calculators
No credit cards, but direct transfer partner of Marriott Bonvoy. Part of the Star Alliance.
Avios Points Calculators (British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling)
Three credit cards. Program consists of 4 airlines with each airline operating a different variation of the same program. British Airways and Iberia are part of oneworld Alliance and are both direct transfer partners of American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards. Aer Lingus and Vueling are not part of an alliance. Aer Lingus is a direct transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards.
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Calculators
One credit card. Part of the oneworld Alliance. Direct transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Capital One Venture & Spark Miles.
Emirates Skywards Miles Calculators
Two credit cards. No alliance. Program features Emirates and flydubai. Emirates is a direct transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Capital One Venture & Spark Rewards which makes it easy to earn Skywards Miles.
Etihad Guest Miles Calculators
No credit cards, but direct transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Capital One Venture & Spark Rewards. No alliance.
Korean Air SKYPASS Miles Calculators
Three credit cards. Part of the SkyTeam Alliance.
Lufthansa Miles & More Calculators
One credit card. Part of the Star Alliance.
Qantas Points Calculators
No credit cards, but a direct transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Capital One Venture & Spark Rewards. Part of the oneworld Alliance.
Qatar Qmiles Calculators
No credit cards, but a direct transfer partner of Citi ThankYou Rewards. Part of the oneworld Alliance.
Singapore KrisFlyer Miles Calculators
No credit cards, but a direct transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Capital One Venture & Spark Rewards which makes it easy to earn KrisFlyer Miles on credit card spend. Part of the Star Alliance.
Virgin Atlantic Miles Calculators
One credit card. No alliance, but closely tied to Delta Airlines. Direct transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou Rewards.
Best Credit Cards For Airlines Calculator
Use the Best Credit Cards For Airlines Calculator to get an idea of which credit cards will offer you the most rewards and best return based on your spend.
Results will consist of top-rated airline credit cards and travel rewards credit cards from our partners. These results will be sorted by net return which is the average value of the rewards earned, plus annual credits, and minus annual fees.
When deciding on a card, be sure to also consider the benefits that a card offers and not just the overall return. If you're loyal to an airline, it may be worth picking up both travel rewards credit cards and a co-branded airline card.
Results
Note: Results may take a few seconds to generate after doing a search. The results and values listed are estimates to help guide you towards making the best decision. They are for illustrative purposes only.
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