The Best Airline Credit Cards for Flights Miles and Rewards in 2022
The Best Airline Credit Cards for Flights, Miles, and Rewards in 2022 Skip to content
Additional features: Get a $300 travel credit every year after your account anniversarySpend at least $4,000 in qualifying purchases within 3 months to earn 80,000 bonus Ultimate Rewards points. That’s worth up to $1,200 when redeemed for airfare, hotels, and other travel purchases through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.Transfer Ultimate Rewards points to around a dozen Chase travel partners at a 1-to-1 ratioEarn 5 points per $1 spent on air travel purchased through Chase Travel and 10 points per $1 spent on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase TravelEarn unlimited 3 Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent on most travel (after earning your travel credit) and dining purchases worldwideEarn unlimited 1 Ultimate Rewards point per $1 spent on everything elseGet up to $10,000 in eligible trip cancellation coverage and trip interruption protection
Key features and benefits include: Earn 60,000 bonus SkyMiles and 5,000 bonus MQMs as a welcome bonus after spending $3,000 in purchases on your new card in the first three monthsEarn 3 SkyMiles per $1 spent on qualifying Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotelsEarn 1 SkyMile per $1 spent on all other purchases, except 1.5 SkyMiles per $1 spent on purchases of $5,000 or more (up to 50,000 additional miles per year)Get 10,000 bonus MQMs when you cross the $25,000 annual purchase spending threshold and an identical bonus when you hit the $50,000 annual purchase spending mark (terms apply)Enjoy a complimentary domestic companion fare (less taxes and fees) for one traveling companion on your ticketed reservation (terms apply)Enjoy priority boarding on all Delta flights, 20% discounts on select in-flight purchases, and a free first checked bag with every Delta reservation (terms apply)See rates and fees
We look for value where we can. That is, when we find an airline card with an unusually low annual fee (or none at all), we bump it up in the rankings.
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Close menu Advertiser Disclosure Advertiser Disclosure: The credit card and banking offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies and banks from which MoneyCrashers.com receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site, including, for example, the order in which they appear on category pages. MoneyCrashers.com does not include all banks, credit card companies or all available credit card offers, although best efforts are made to include a comprehensive list of offers regardless of compensation. Advertiser partners include American Express, Chase, U.S. Bank, and Barclaycard, among others. Credit CardsThe Best Airline Credit Cards for Flights, Miles, and Rewards in 2022
By Brian Martucci Date October 19, 2022FEATURED PROMOTION
What’s your favorite type of travel rewards credit card? Maybe you’re a fan of hotel rewards cards, which are great for frequent travelers who want to rapidly accumulate points on hotel purchases, then redeem them for free nights or incidental expenses at their favorite hotels. Perhaps you prefer traditional cash-back cards with attractive bonuses on gasoline or restaurant purchases, both of which can get expensive for regular travelers. In addition to these useful card types, many frequent travelers prefer another option: airline rewards. Many major U.S. airlines have at least one branded credit card that you can tap for free or discounted flights and a host of value-added perks that directly reduce the cost of traveling or make the experience more comfortable. Airline rewards cards vary from issuer to issuer, but most share some common characteristics. Airfare and possibly other types of travel purchases earn points at accelerated rates. Other purchases may earn points at lower rates.Best Airline Credit Cards for Flight Miles and Rewards
These are the best airline credit cards on the market right now. Each creates value in its own way, whether that’s with an annual companion certificate worth hundreds of dollars per year or complimentary airport lounge access for the cardholder and their ticketed companions. Our top overall pick offers the most value for the greatest number of would-be users, in our opinion.Best Overall The Platinum Card from American Express
The Platinum Card from American Express is the best airline credit card on this list — and one of the best travel credit cards overall — because it excels on so many levels. Key flyer-friendly features include: Earn 5 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express TravelGet a $200 airline fee credit each year with the airline of your choosing (enrollment required)Complimentary access to more than 1,200 airport lounges worldwide (enrollment required)Up to $200 in Uber credits per year (enrollment required) — a great benefit after you land in your destination That’s not all. Although it does have a $695 annual fee (see rates and fees), the Platinum Card has some other incredibly generous benefits for travelers and nontravelers alike. Key additional features include: Earn 100,000 bonus Membership Rewards points as a welcome bonus when you spend at least $6,000 within six months of opening your accountEarn 5 points per $1 spent on prepaid hotels booked through American Express TravelGet perks valued at $550 on average per stay at properties in the Luxury Hotels and Resorts Collection (terms apply and enrollment is required)Qualify for complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status with benefits including an 80% boost to base Hilton Honors point earnings on qualifying paid stays and complimentary room upgrades where available (enrollment required)Qualify for complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and get a 25% boost to base Bonvoy point earnings on qualifying paid stays plus a welcome bonus of 500 points per stayNo foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees)Terms applyBest Welcome Offer Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card
The Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card has an excellent welcome offer for new cardmembers. It stands out because it’s relatively easy to attain despite its potential value. This bonus comes in two parts: Spend at least $3,000 in eligible purchases with your new card in the first three months to earn 60,000 bonus SkyMiles and 5,000 bonus Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs). MQMs are Delta’s elite status currency. Starting at Silver, each of the four tiers unlocks progressively more generous benefits for members. Meanwhile, the 60,000-mile bonus is enough to cover the cost of a domestic round-trip flight within the U.S. — with room left over. Additional features: Earn 3 SkyMiles per $1 spent on eligible Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotelsEarn 1 SkyMile per $1 spent on all other purchases, except 1.5 SkyMiles per $1 spent on purchases over $5,000 (up to 50,000 additional miles at the 1.5-mile rate)With Status Boost, spend at least $25,000 in qualifying purchases in a calendar year to earn 10,000 bonus Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs)Spend another $25,000 in qualifying purchases ($50,000 total qualifying spend) to earn another 10,000 bonus MQMs, for a total potential annual spending bonus of 20,000 MQMs This card has a $250 annual fee. For more information, see rates and fees.Best for Frequent Flyers Delta SkyMiles Reserve Credit Card
The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card is the best card for Delta fans chasing elite status. In fact, it’s the best airline card for anyone looking to accelerate their progress toward higher loyalty tiers while taking advantage of luxe traveler perks. Delta SkyMiles Reserve’s key frequent flyer benefits include: Free airport lounge access with a complimentary Delta Sky Club membership A complimentary companion certificate once per calendar year, entitling one companion to free airfare, less taxes and fees, when you have a fully paid fare 15,000 bonus MQMs with Status Boost after you spend $30,000 on your card, up to four times per year (terms apply)General frequent flyer benefits like priority wait list, priority check-in and boarding, and baggage fee waiversDepending on your Delta Medallion status tier, other possible benefits include complimentary first class and Comfort+ upgrades, discounted CLEAR membership, and complimentary upgrades for ticketed companions (terms apply and enrollment is required for all these benefits). Additional features: Earn 3x SkyMiles on eligible Delta purchases1x SkyMiles on all other eligible purchases$550 annual fee (see rates and fees)No foreign transaction feeBest for Discount Airfare The JetBlue Plus Card
The JetBlue Plus Card is the best credit card for people who prefer — or at least don’t mind — to fly with discount airlines. That’s in part because JetBlue is arguably the most pleasant U.S.-based discount airline to fly, and in part because the JetBlue Plus Card is a very generous product. Notably, this card earns JetBlue TrueBlue points (the airline’s loyalty currency) at an impressive clip. Key features and benefits of this card include: For a limited time, earn 50,000 bonus TrueBlue points as a sign-up bonus after making $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 daysEarn 6 TrueBlue points per $1 spent on JetBlue purchasesEarn 2 points per $1 spent at restaurants and grocery storesEarn 1 point per $1 spent on other purchasesGet a 10% bonus when you redeem TrueBlue points Get 5,000 bonus points after your account anniversary each year Get 50% in-flight savings on eligible food and drink purchasesGet a free checked bag for you and the first three ticketed companionsQualify for JetBlue Mosaic benefits after $50,000 in annual spending$99 annual feeBest for No Annual Fee American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Card
Backed by Citi, the American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Card is the only credit card on this list that doesn’t charge an annual fee after the first year. If you fly American often enough to need an airline credit card but not so often that higher-end cards clearly offer better value, this is the card for you. Additional features: For a limited time, earn 10,000 bonus AAdvantage miles plus $50 statement credit as a sign-up bonus when you spend $500 in eligible purchases within the first three monthsEarn unlimited 2 AAdvantage miles per $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases Earn unlimited 2 AAdvantage miles per $1 spent on eligible purchases made with grocery stores and grocery delivery servicesEarn unlimited 1 AAdvantage mile per $1 spent on all other eligible purchasesGet 25% savings on in-flight food and beverage purchases on American Airlines flights when you use your cardBest for Companion Airfare Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card
If you love free companion airfare but don’t want to pay a steep annual fee for the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card — or you simply prefer to fly Southwest Airlines — the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card is more your speed. In fact, the Rapid Rewards Priority card has the best companion airfare deal of any airline credit card: Companion Pass. Once earned, Companion Pass entitles the traveling companion of your choosing to receive free airfare (less mandatory taxes and fees from $5.60 per ticket) every time they fly with you. To qualify for Companion Pass, do one of the following in a calendar year: Fly 100 qualifying one-way flights with SouthwestEarn 125,000 qualifying Rapid Rewards points Once earned, Companion Pass is valid for the remainder of the calendar year, plus the following full calendar year. Additional features: Earn 1,500 tier qualifying points (TQPs) toward A-List status for every $10,000 spent in purchases each year, with no caps on how much you can earnGet a $75 Southwest annual travel credit each yearEarn 7,500 points every year after your cardmember anniversaryEarn 3 points per $1 spent on eligible Southwest purchasesEarn 2 points per $1 spent on eligible internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming purchasesEarn 2 points per $1 spent on eligible local transit and commuting purchasesGet 25% back on in-flight purchasesNo foreign transaction feeBest for Airport Lounge Access Chase Sapphire Reserve Card
The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card offers complimentary access to more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide through Priority Pass Select, a major global airport lounge network. Your traveling companions get in on the action too. If you regularly travel with your family and transit airports with Priority Pass lounges — and most major international hubs have at least one — then you can easily offset the $550 annual fee with airport lounge visits alone.Additional features: Get a $300 travel credit every year after your account anniversarySpend at least $4,000 in qualifying purchases within 3 months to earn 80,000 bonus Ultimate Rewards points. That’s worth up to $1,200 when redeemed for airfare, hotels, and other travel purchases through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.Transfer Ultimate Rewards points to around a dozen Chase travel partners at a 1-to-1 ratioEarn 5 points per $1 spent on air travel purchased through Chase Travel and 10 points per $1 spent on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase TravelEarn unlimited 3 Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent on most travel (after earning your travel credit) and dining purchases worldwideEarn unlimited 1 Ultimate Rewards point per $1 spent on everything elseGet up to $10,000 in eligible trip cancellation coverage and trip interruption protection
Best for Business Travelers American Express Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card
The American Express Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card is the business version of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card. If you regularly fly Delta for business, this card absolutely needs to be in your wallet.Key features and benefits include: Earn 60,000 bonus SkyMiles and 5,000 bonus MQMs as a welcome bonus after spending $3,000 in purchases on your new card in the first three monthsEarn 3 SkyMiles per $1 spent on qualifying Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotelsEarn 1 SkyMile per $1 spent on all other purchases, except 1.5 SkyMiles per $1 spent on purchases of $5,000 or more (up to 50,000 additional miles per year)Get 10,000 bonus MQMs when you cross the $25,000 annual purchase spending threshold and an identical bonus when you hit the $50,000 annual purchase spending mark (terms apply)Enjoy a complimentary domestic companion fare (less taxes and fees) for one traveling companion on your ticketed reservation (terms apply)Enjoy priority boarding on all Delta flights, 20% discounts on select in-flight purchases, and a free first checked bag with every Delta reservation (terms apply)See rates and fees
Best General-Purpose Travel Card Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the best general-purpose travel card for people who regularly travel by air. Key benefits for air travelers include: No blackout dates on airfare redemptions, everEarn 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel$300 annual travel credit against airfare and other travel purchasesUp to $100 application fee waiver on your TSA PreCheck or Global Entry membershipTransfer points to around 15 Capital One travel partners (including major airlines) at favorable conversion rates Additional features: Earn 75,000 bonus miles as an early spend bonus once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account openingEarn 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One TravelEarn 2x miles on all other eligible purchasesGet 10,000 bonus miles every year, starting on your first anniversary — worth $100 when redeemed for travel$395 annual feeMethodology How We Select the Best Airline Credit Cards
We use several different factors to assess airline credit cards and narrow our list of the top offerings on the market right now. Each of these factors has something to do with how these cards work, how much they cost, and how useful they are to travelers like you.Co-Branded Status
Some airline credit cards are closely associated with a particular airline. We refer to these cards as “co-branded.” Co-branded cards aren’t necessarily better or worse than general-purpose travel cards. However, they’re clearly more useful for frequent travelers who are loyal to (or just travel often with) particular airlines. They tend to earn rewards at a faster rate than general-purpose cards and often have better redemption values on airfare too. We feature a mix of co-branded and general-purpose travel cards. Where we promote co-branded cards, we look for those that offer clear value for the user.Partner Airlines
Both co-branded and general-purpose airline cards have partner airlines. For co-branded cards, the main partner airline is the co-branded airline. It’s often possible to redeem miles with other airlines in the co-branded airline’s alliance as well. Not all general-purpose cards have partner airlines. Those that do tend to have point transfer arrangements with their partners, where you can convert points earned on the card into the partner’s loyalty currency at favorable conversion rates. This maneuver often unlocks higher redemption values than you’d get with the original points or miles. All else being equal, we prefer airline cards with lots of different partners or particularly rewarding relationships with individual partners.Rewards and Redemption
The rewards program and redemption terms are both really important to your experience as a cardholder — and as a traveler. Not surprisingly, we prefer airline credit cards with high rewards-earning rates and generous redemption values.Sign-Up Bonuses New Cardholder Offers
Many airline credit cards offer generous sign-up bonus opportunities to new cardholders. You often have to jump through some hoops to earn these bonuses, but it’s usually worth it — hundreds of dollars in points, miles, or statement credits await on the other end. Not having a sign-up bonus isn’t a dealbreaker. Still, we give preference to airline cards with generous welcome offers for new applicants.Annual Fee
No one wants to pay a credit card annual fee. Unfortunately, most of the top airline credit cards charge them — and the more generous the card, the higher the annual fee.We look for value where we can. That is, when we find an airline card with an unusually low annual fee (or none at all), we bump it up in the rankings.