Credit cards are an important part of your financial life, whether you want to make purchases on a daily basis and pay them off each month or if you only use them occasionally and take advantage of rewards. But how do you find the best credit card for airline miles? In this article, we explore the top credit cards for airline points that come with the best reward!
Editorial Disclosure: All links on this page are to cards my family has or have had. We have no financial relationship with any of the companies listed. If we did, the post might look very different in the result section! Therefore you will find we do not bribe the person who reviews these credit cards.
These reviews make up part of our experience and knowledge with credit cards that can help you earn miles toward frequent flyer programs and overall are highly useful for those looking to build their wallets with cards just like the ones listed here. Most of all credit cards help to build credit scores and offer no foreign transaction fee. You can also see what we’ve done to save you money with the best credit card for airline miles in our guide.

- A Few Things To Consider When Choosing A Credit Card for Airline Miles
- 7 Best Credit Cards For Airline Miles
- Is It Worth Getting The Best Credit Card For Airline Miles
- Pros Of Credit Cards With Airline Miles:
- Cons Of Credit Card Programs That Offer Airline Miles:
- Why are airline miles such a valuable thing?
- Conclusion
A Few Things To Consider When Choosing A Credit Card for Airline Miles
When it comes to airfare, everyone has different preferences. For some people, paying with a credit card with no annual fee is the best option and some others prefer high limit business credit card. However, before you decide which card to use, here are a few things to consider.
1. Airline miles rewards: Some cards offer better rewards than others for airline travel. This means that you’ll receive more miles for each dollar you spend on the card.
2. Annual fees: While not all cards have annual fees, some do. If you’re concerned about spending more money in the long run, try to find a card without one.
3. APR and interest rates: Pay attention to the APR and the interest rate.
7 Best Credit Cards For Airline Miles
If you’re looking for a card that will give you points and miles for your travel expenses, then your best bet may be to look at an airline card without an annual fee. Here are three cards with no annual fees that will give you a lot of value for your spending.
1. American Express Platinum Card
The American Express Platinum Card offers 100,000 huge membership rewards when you spend $6000 in purchases in the first 6 months. You can also get a $200 airline credit and a $200 hotel credit on selected prepaid hotel bookings. American Express Platinum Card also offers huge benefits on travel, rides, and entertainment. With 1X points on regular purchases and a $695 annual fee, this credit card would be the best for airline miles.
- High reward points
- Best for airline miles.
- Lounge access
- More ways to pay
- High annual fee
- A good or excellent credit score is needed to apply
- Lack of care for new customers
2. Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card
If you’re looking for a credit card that will help you rack up airline miles faster, the Chase Sapphire Preferred might be the perfect option for you. This card offers a low annual fee, and you can earn up to 80,000 points after spending $4000 in the first three months. You can also earn 10% bonus points at every calendar year-end. Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card offers a fixed monthly fee for eligible customers with no interest. With travel and purchase protection, this credit card is the best choice for airline miles.
- Best for airline miles.
- Reword rate up to 5X
- No foreign transaction fee
- Low annual fee
- 24/7 customers service
- APR variable 16.24% to 23.24%
- A good or excellent credit score is needed to apply
- Complicated rewards
3. Citi Premier Card
If you’re looking for a credit card that offers plenty of airline miles and a low annual fee, the Citi Premier Card is a great option. Plus, it has some other great benefits, like a points bonus for spending on travel and dining. This card has only $95 per year that’s a great deal considering the many benefits it offers. Here are just a few:
Earn 20,000 bonus miles after your first purchase and additional 5,000 miles after every $5,000 spent in purchases and cash advances each year.
No foreign transaction fees when you use your card to make purchases in 49 countries and jurisdictions around the world.
Get 2x points on hotel and airfare purchases, and 1x point on all other eligible purchases.
Get 25% more value when you redeem your miles for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, if you have 10,000 Premier Miles and want to travel for $2,500 worth of travel, you would receive 40,000 points instead of the regular 30,000 points.
- Best for airline miles.
- Reword rate up to 3X
- No foreign transaction fee
- Low annual fee
- Rewards points don’t expire
- APR variable 16.74% to 24.74%
- A good or excellent credit score is needed to apply
- Complicated rewards
4. Capital One Venture
If you’re looking for a credit card that offers great airline rewards, the Capital One Venture is a great option. Not only does this card have no foreign transaction fee, but it also offers some of the best rewards rates available, including 2 miles per dollar spent on all purchases and 5 miles for every $1 spent on travel-related expenses or car rental service. Plus, there’s a bonus of 60,000 bonus miles if you spend $3,000 in the first three months. If you’re looking to quickly rack up rewards on your travels with a $95 low annual fee, the Capital One Venture is definitely the card for you.
- 24-hour travel assistance services
- Travel accident insurance
- No foreign transaction fee
- Low annual fee
- APR variable 16.24% to 24.24%
- A good or excellent credit score is needed to apply
5. Discover it® Miles
There are a few great credit cards out there that offer airline miles with no annual fee and the Discover it® Miles is one of the best options. This card offers 1.5x miles for every $1 spent, which makes it perfect for use for your everyday purchases and your bonus miles will never expire. The card also has an introductory 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months. After that, the APR is 12.24% to 23.24%.
- No annual fee
- Miles never expire
- No minimum spending requirement on your new card
- 0% Intro APR for the first 15 months
- Regualr APR variable 12.24% to 23.24%.
- A good or excellent credit score is needed to apply
6. Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card
One of the most popular cards for airline miles is the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card. The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card offers the best 5X points on flight purchases and a $300 annual travel credit. You can earn up to 10x points and increase your points worth 50% more when you redeem them for flights, hotels, car rentals, and cruise lines. With 1x points for spending $1 on regular purchases, this credit card would be best for airline miles.
- No foreign transaction fee
- High reward rate
- Points transfer facility
- Low balance transfer fee
- A $550 high annual fee
- APR variable 17.24% to 24.24%.
- An excellent credit score is needed to apply
7. Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card
Bank of America®’s Travel Rewards Credit Card is one of the best credit card for airline miles with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee. It has a sign-up bonus of 25,000 miles if you spend $1,000 within the first three months of account opening. Plus, when you can earn 1.5 points for spending $1 and your bonus points have no deadline. Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card also offers a variety of travel benefits, such as reimbursements for travel expenses and protection from theft or loss while traveling.
- No annual fee
- No foreign transaction fee
- 0% intro APR for 15 months
- 3% balance transfer fee minimum $10
- 750 or high credit score is needed to apply
Is It Worth Getting The Best Credit Card For Airline Miles
It can be a tough decision whether or not to get a credit card that offers airline miles with no annual fee. After all, who doesn’t love getting free stuff? However, if you’re not careful, a card without an annual fee could actually end up costing you more in the long run. Here’s a look at the pros and cons of getting a credit card with airline miles:
Pros Of Credit Cards With Airline Miles:
They offer immediate savings. If you’re already flying with airlines regularly, getting the best credit card for airline miles is a quick and easy way to start accruing benefits right away. Plus, cards often offer bonus points for spending on specific airline partners, so you can earn even more rewards over time.
They can be valuable travel tools. Cards that offer airline miles typically have other valuable perks as well, such as travel insurance and extended warranty protection. This means they can be useful not just for airfare expenses, but for everything from renting cars to booking hotels.
-You may earn more than you would with a traditional credit card. Many cards that offer airline miles also have sign-up bonuses and other incentives that can increase your earnings over time.
Cons Of Credit Card Programs That Offer Airline Miles:
Rewards are not always earned immediately. You might earn fewer miles or get fewer bonus points during your first year of use, while other cards may take longer to open. There’s no guarantee you’ll be able to get the lifetime rewards you deserve with each new card you sign up for. You have to keep track of your loyalty reward account numbers and credit card statements.
This can be a chore if you need to manage several accounts, don’t have access to a computer 24/7, or live in an area where finding branch locations isn’t easy. Some high-end hotels and resorts require membership in their frequent traveler programs. They may charge annual fees of multiple hundred dollars, but they
Why are airline miles such a valuable thing?
Almost anyone can earn airline miles by flying with one of the major airlines. And if you play your cards right, you can snag some sweet upgrades and rewards from the airlines.
But what’s really behind the intense loyalty that people have to their favorite airlines? That elusive secret is in the miles themselves.
Anyone can earn airline miles by flying with one of the major airlines. But what makes airline miles so valuable is that they can be exchanged for goods and services from participating airlines. For example, if you have 5,000 airline miles plus enough points to transfer to a different airline, you can redeem those points for a round-trip ticket on Southwest Airlines.
Or if you have 25,000 miles and no points left to redeem, you can sell your miles on the secondary market. Plus, airline miles are tradable, so they have value even if you don’t use them all up immediately.
Aside from their immediate value, airline miles also confer some pretty cool benefits on holders. For example, American Airlines provides Finnair passengers with a 25% discount for booked travel through American Airlines. Additionally, Southwest Airlines lets passengers fly standby for free when they have accumulated 75 qualifying points
Conclusion
Finding the best credit card for airline miles can be a daunting task, but luckily, this list has you covered. Each of the cards on this list offers bonus miles for using them in specific ways, so it’s important to read the fine print and figure out what benefits each one provides.
Of course, one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a card is your annual fee. Ultimately, the best credit card for airline miles with no annual fee depends on your individual needs and budget.