If you tend to fly with a particular airline, you should consider applying for one of the carrier’s co-branded credit cards. Not only will you earn miles quickly and easily, you’ll also unlock valuable benefits designed to make your travel a lot more convenient and enjoyable.
See our list of the best credit card bonuses here.
Keep reading for our favorite airline credit cards below, both co-branded and for general travel.
| Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card | Best for redemption flexibility |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Best for beginners |
| The Platinum Card® from American Express | Best for luxury travel |
| Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® | Best for American Airlines |
| Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card | Best for Delta elite flyers |
| Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card | Best for Delta regular flyers |
| Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card | Best for Delta occasional flyers |
| JetBlue Plus Card | Best for JetBlue |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card | Best for Southwest Airlines |
| United℠ Explorer Card | Best for United Airlines |
Airline Credit Card Features
When choosing an airline credit card, you’ll want to consider several factors, including:
- Airline loyalty. Is there one airline you only fly with? Or do you use a variety of carriers? Co-branded cards will only earn miles for one particular airline. Other cards will let you earn points toward award travel with multiple airlines.
- Bonus categories. Some credit cards offer bonus points when you spend in certain categories, like travel, dining or groceries. Pick a card that will let you earn as many rewards as possible for things you would normally purchase.
- Annual fee. Credit cards can sometimes carry expensive annual fees. But these higher-priced cards usually come with plenty of valuable perks, like travel credits, free checked bags and airport lounge access. If you’re a frequent flyer who’ll take full advantage of these benefits, then you’ll easily offset the cost of the card. But if you take only one big trip a year, a low-cost card would be the better fit.
To make our best airline credit cards of 2020 list, we also took into consideration the:
- Welcome bonus
- Earning potential
- Elite status perks
- Recurring benefits
- Category bonuses
- Spend bonuses
The Best Airline Credit Cards This Year
The Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card is the best card for redemption flexibility. You can use your miles to “erase” your travel purchases at a fixed rate of $0.01 per mile. You also have the option to transfer your miles to one of Capital One’s 15 transfer partners.
CAPITAL ONE® VENTURE® REWARDS CREDIT CARD
The Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card currently earns 100,000 bonus miles when you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months from account opening. Or if are unable to meet the $20k spending requirement, you can still earn 50,000 bonus miles for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. These bonus miles are equal to $1000 or $500, respectively, in travel and are easy to redeem as a statement credit towards the cost of your travel purchases. Take advantage of Capital One’s travel partners and these up to 100k miles can be worth around $1400 in value.
This card will earn an ongoing 2 miles for every dollar you spend on all purchases. 100 miles is equal to $1 in travel rewards. If you don’t redeem towards travel purchases, your miles will have less value.
The annual fee is $95.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the best card for beginners. It lets you earn valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points that are transferable and has big bonus categories as well as a reasonable annual fee.
CHASE SAPPHIRE PREFERRED® CARD
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card currently has an offer for 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Redeeming the 60,000 bonus points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, which is praised by users, will get you $750 in value towards travel. The 60K bonus points are worth $750 because you get 25% more value whenever you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Even better, strategize with Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer partners to potentially get even more value. Each point can be worth up to 2 cents apiece (60k points = ~$1,200). Read more on this here.
The Platinum Card® From American Express is the best card for luxury travel. It comes with plenty of annual credits and VIP perks, but be forewarned, the card’s annual fee reflects this.
THE PLATINUM CARD® FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The Platinum Card® from American Express has a special offer for 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in purchases within your first 6 months.
Membership Rewards® points are some of the most valuable in the market. Redeeming these points by booking travel through American Express or by redeeming for gift cards will give you a standard 1 cent per point value. The 100k bonus points are worth $1,000 going this route.
You can potentially get more value by transferring your points to Membership Rewards travel partners. Using this strategy can get you up to an average value of 2 cents per point. Get around $2,000 in value with 100,000 points this way. Read more on this here.
With this card, earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
The biggest drawback to this card is the $695 annual fee (see Rates & Fees, Terms Apply), which puts it in the premium class of credit cards. The card has a market because it offers premium travel benefits, such as 5X points for flights (up to $500,000 on these purchases) and eligible hotels, access to 40+ Centurion Loung and Studio locations worldwide, up to $200 airline fee credit annually, and an annual Walmart+ membership. These benefits are given as statement credits.
For frequent travelers, the added benefits make sense in terms of value and added luxury.
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is the best American Airlines rewards card. It offers bonuses on dining and gas spending and a handful of travel perks. And the key reason American Airlines travelers use this card: complimentary Admirals Club lounge access and 10K EQMs!
CITI® / AADVANTAGE® EXECUTIVE WORLD ELITE MASTERCARD®
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® has a 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles offer. Make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening to earn this bonus. See our valuation of AAdvantage miles are worth. You’ll easily receive at least $500 in value from these bonus miles.
The card earns 2 AAdvantage miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 mile for every $1 spent on other purchases.
You’ll receive expected perks like no foreign transaction fees and your first checked bag for free on domestic American Airlines flights. Up to 8 companions traveling with you on the same reservation will also receive this free checked bag perk.
The main reasons travelers choose this $450 annual fee card are:
- Complimentary Admirals Club lounge access
- 10,000 AAdvantage Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) after you spend $40,000 in purchases within the year
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is the best Delta Air Lines rewards card for elite flyers. You’ll get an annual companion certificate, access to Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs, fast-track to elite status and plenty of other travel benefits.
DELTA SKYMILES RESERVE AMERICAN EXPRESS CARD
The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card has an offer for 50,000 bonus miles and 10,000 MQMs after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
This card earns 3X Miles on Delta purchases and 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
Upon the annual renewal of your Card, receive a Domestic First Class, Delta Comfort+® or Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate. *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.
You and up to 8 travel companions get your first checked bag free on Delta Flights. You’ll also receive Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding on Delta flights.
This card gets a Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®.
Another great benefit is the complimentary Delta Sky Club access. You’ll also get complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge or Escape Lounge – The Centurion® Studio Partner when you book your Delta flight with your Reserve Card.
There are no foreign transaction fees and the annual fee is $550.
The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card is the best Delta Air Lines card for regular flyers.
DELTA SKYMILES PLATINUM AMERICAN EXPRESS CARD
The Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card has an introductory offer for 50,000 bonus miles and 5,000 MQMs after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
This card earns 3 miles per $1 on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. It also earns 2 miles per $1 at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets. You’ll earn 1 mile per $1 on all other eligible purchases.
Upon renewal of your card each year, you will receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. The cost of government imposed taxes and fees will be no more than $75 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
You and up to 8 travel companions get your first checked bag free on Delta flights. You’ll also receive Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding on Delta flights.
You’ll also get an application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓. There are no foreign transaction fees and the annual fee is $250.
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is the best Delta Air Lines card for occasional flyers.
DELTA SKYMILES® GOLD AMERICAN EXPRESS CARD
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card has an offer for 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
Ongoing rewards are 2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases, and purchases at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets. You’ll earn 1 mile per dollar for all other eligible purchases.
Spend $10,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year and receive a $100 Delta Flight Credit.
You’ll also get Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and your first bag checked for free on Delta flights.
Enjoy a $0 introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $99. See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.
The JetBlue Plus Card is the best rewards card for JetBlue frequent flyers. It offers bonuses on restaurant and grocery store spending, fast track to Mosaic elite status and a few other travel benefits.
JETBLUE PLUS CARD
The JetBlue Plus Credit Card has an offer for 40,000 TrueBlue bonus points when you spend $1,000 within the first 90 days. We value these points to be worth around $520.
This is a card designed for the JetBlue loyalist. With the 40K welcome bonus, you can begin earning and redeeming points for award flights, seat upgrades, and more. Read our guide to the TrueBlue program for more information on how to use these points. One of the great features of the TrueBlue program is that its points never expire. You can earn and redeem at your own leisurely pace.
The JetBlue Plus card rewards members with 6x points on JetBlue spending, 2x points on dining and grocery purchases and 1x points on everything else. It also offers a variety of value-added benefits, like 5,000 anniversary bonus points, one free checked bag for you and up to 3 companions, and a 50% discount on eligible inflight purchases.
Other card benefits include a $100 statement credit after purchasing a JetBlue Vacation package of $100 or more, Mosaic elite status after you spent at least $50,000 on purchases, and the ability to pool your points with other members at no extra cost.
There are no foreign transaction fees and the annual fee is $99 for this card.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is the best Southwest Airlines rewards card. It gives cardmembers bonus points on partner hotel and car rental spending, fast-track to elite status, $75 in Southwest travel credit every year and more.
SOUTHWEST RAPID REWARDS® PRIORITY CREDIT CARD
Earn 75,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. We value each Southwest point at an average 1.5 cents a piece, or $750 for the 50,000 points. The best value will be redemption for flights. As with most other airline rewards cards, point value can vary a lot depending on flight time, destination, etc.
You’ll also get 7,500 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary, fast-track to elite status, and a $75 annual Southwest travel credit.
Earn 3 points for every $1 spent on Southwest Airline purchases. Also, earn 2 points for every $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare, and on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming. You’ll get 1 point for every $1 on all other purchases.
There are no foreign transaction fees with this card. Unfortunately, the $99 annual fee isn’t waived for the first year.
The United℠ Explorer Card is the best United Airlines rewards card. It offers bonuses on hotel and restaurant spending and plenty of travel perks.
CHASE UNITED℠ EXPLORER CARD
The Chase United℠ Explorer Card from Chase has an offer for up to 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 total in the first 3 months. We value these 50k miles at around $700.
The card earns 2X miles on dining and eligible delivery services, hotel stays and United® purchases. United purchases include:
- Tickets
- Economy Plus
- Inflight food, beverages, Wi-Fi
- Other United charges
You’ll earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Other benefits include up to $100 as a statement credit for the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck™ application fee every 4 years. You and a traveling companion on the same reservation will each receive the first standard checked bag free. This card provides priority boarding privileges and 2 one-time passes each year to United Clubs.
The Chase United Explorer Card has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95 thereafter.
The Best No-Annual-Fee Airline Credit Cards This Year
The best airline credit cards offer a plethora of benefits that save you money, time and stress, including free checked bags, priority boarding, lounge access, elite status and more. However, these cards also charge hefty annual fees.
If you’re just starting out in the rewards world, or you prefer earning miles over premium benefits, you should opt for a low-cost co-branded card instead. You won’t get as many perks, but you won’t have to pay exorbitant annual fees either.
| CREDIT CARD |
| American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp℠ Mastercard® (no annual fee) |
| Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card (no annual fee) |
| JetBlue Credit Card (no annual fee) |
*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by MoneysMyLife and not the card issuer. Read our card review for more details.
View our latest valuations here.
Additional Guides
While we focused on airline credit cards in this post, you’ll want to choose a card with additional earning potential that matches your spending behavior. For our guide on the best credit cards in other categories, check out these other posts:
Bottom Line
While co-branded credit cards often don’t offer the biggest return for your airline spending, they do dole out plenty of airline-specific perks to make up for it.
If you prefer to maximize your spending, rather than taking advantage of other benefits, then you’ll want to opt for a travel rewards card that earns valuable transferable points instead.
READ MORE: SEE THE BEST BANK BONUSES HERE AND THE BEST INVESTING BONUSES HERE.
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