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Airline credit cards are used judiciously by savvy frequent fliers to earn miles and get free air tickets. Depending on where someone lives, where they fly and which airlines are available at their city airports. For most frequent fliers getting an airline credit card is a matter of choosing the card of the airline that he or she flies most frequently.
However, airline credit cards faces more competition from regular credit cards that offer reward programs that are not affiliated to any particular airline. This study attempts to look at all the available airline credit cards and reward programs in the market and do a comparison study. We also hope to suggest some of the better cards available.
This study is presented as follows :
1. Airline Reward Card Features
2. Airline Credit Card Features
3. Airline Credit Card Comparison Table
Before we begin, here are a couple of articles on getting a better deal from airline cards.
Tips on choosing your card
Which Continental Airlines credit card should you get?
While OnePass members can certainly get the Chase continental airlines to earn faster miles, there is another reward card from Chase with no annual fee that offers a great alternative. Find out more.
Which American Airlines credit card should you get?
Citibank has got three versions (including a no annual fee version) of the American Airlines AAdvantage cards. Which is the best one? We compare them side by side. Find out what we think.
While the true die hard frequent flier is probably best served by a frequent flier credit card, there are many credit card reward programs that allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for airline tickets. But within this category of cards, there are also different types of cards and rewards. There is no one better card, but rather they will suit different people. Here is the various types of cards:
Cards with Multiple Frequent Flier Programs - While a specific airline credit card is best if you only fly one airline (most of the time), those who are members of multiple airline frequent flier programs would want to consider cards that are affiliate with many frequent flier programs. Examples of such programs include the Membership Rewards Program from American Express. It has partnership with 17 airlines and you can transfer points into the respective airmiles program. It is perhaps the best all-round reward program available today. Cards to consider include the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card.
The Starwood Preferred Guest Program has partnership with 30 airlines. You can exchange Starwood Points into airline miles (most for a one to one exchange ratio). Starwood also gives you 5,000 bonus miles if you exchange 20,000 points for miles (which is enough to get a round trip domestic airline ticket on most carriers). The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card is one of the best affinity cards to get if you are a frequent flier member of multiple programs.
Credit Reward Programs - Most major credit card issuers have reward programs and cards that allow you to earn reward points on your card spending and use them to redeem for airline tickets. Increasingly, many of the programs claim that you do not face blackout dates (unlike many frequent flier programs. Most programs have almost identical point requires for ticket redemption. The issue for consumers mainly revolve around how many points does the card allow you to earn. The standard industry practice is that you can earn one point for every dollar you spend on the card. Some cards have gone out of their way to let you earn more than that. For example, the Citi® PremierPass(SM) Card not only allows you to earn one mile for every dollar that you spend, you can also earn miles on the flights you fly (or your friends fly) if you use the card to pay for your tickets.
Cards that Give You Rebates For Travel Expenses - A new breed of card has appeared recently that actually gives you rebates for any travel items that you charge to your card. The advantages of having such cards is that you do not have to book through the airline or travel agent that is affiliated with the credit card company. This frees you up hunt for the best deals offline or online. Cards like that include the Miles Card from Discover.
Airline Credit Cards Features
Then there is specific frequent flier credit cards that airlines (in partnership with a bank) issues. These cards allow you to earn miles from spending from their cards. Below are some key features to watch out for.
Double Miles - Many frequent flier credit cards allow airlines to earn double miles when you use their credit cards to buy airline tickets directly from them. Some even allow you to earn double miles if you spend on other items as well.
Bonus Miles - All frequent flier cards to a certain extent give new cardholders bonus miles when they sign up (to entice them to apply for the card). Some give really generous bonus (25,000 miles which is enough for a round trip ticket on most programs). This should not really be a big factor in your decision.
Companion Tickets - Some cards give companion tickets either as a signing bonus or as an anniversary bonus. It typically works in 2 ways. You either buy a ticket that is worth more than a certain amount and you get one free companion ticket. Or you can get a companion ticket certificate worth a certain amount.
Anniversary Bonuses - Some cards give anniversary bonuses. This may take the form of bonus miles, companion ticket, club lounge pass, or discounts on mileage usage.
Annual Fee - Unlike most credit cards, airline credit cards have an annual fee (which is why they are among the most profitable types of cards for issuers). The fees vary from $40 to over $400. Only you can decide (based on the miles and benefits you earn), if the fees are justified. For many frequent fliers, they are.
Airline Credit Card Comparison Table
| Card |
Miles Formula |
Caps on Miles |
Anniversary Bonus |
Bonus |
Companion Ticket |
Annual Fee |
| Citi® Bronze® / AAdvantage® MasterCard® |
1 miles/$2 |
25,000 |
n.a. |
5,000 |
n.a. |
$0 |
| Citi® Gold / AAdvantage® World Mastercard® |
1 miles/$1 |
60,000 - Executive, Platinum and Gold members earn unlimited miles |
5,000 reduce mileage |
15,000 |
n.a. |
$50 |
| Citi® Platinum Select® / AAdvantage® World Mastercard® |
1 miles/$1 |
100,000 - Executive, Platinum and Gold members earn unlimited miles |
5,000 reduce mileage |
15,000 |
n.a. |
$50 |
| CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage MasterCard® |
1 miles/$1 |
150,000 - Executive, Platinum and Gold members earn unlimited miles |
7,500 reduce mileage |
20,000 after first $250 spending on card |
n.a. |
$75 |
| Alaska Airlines Visa® Signature |
3 miles/$1 |
Earn Unlimited Miles |
$50 companion ticket annually |
20,000 Miles plus 1 companion ticket within the first year after your first qualifying purchase |
$99 companion coupon annually after the first year |
$50 |
| Asiana American Express® Card |
2 miles/$1 on every purchase
Earn 3 miles/$1 at participating Grocery Stores |
Earn Unlimited Miles |
Automatic $100 annual rebate on Asiana Airlines ticket purchases |
5,000 Miles |
n.a. |
$99 |
| Continental Airlines® World MasterCard® |
2 miles/$1 |
Earn unlimited miles |
Two V.I.P. Presidents Club®. You will also be given two Travel Discount Certificates (up to $200 in savings) every year after your card member anniversary.
|
15,000 |
n.a. |
$85 |
| Continental Airlines Business credit card |
2 miles/$1 |
Earn unlimited miles |
Two V.I.P. Presidents Club®. You will also be given two Travel Discount Certificates (up to $200 in savings) every year after your card member anniversary.
|
15,000 and 5% ticket discount during first year |
n.a. |
$75 |
| Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card |
2 miles/$1 |
100,000 - after that you earn miles at a rate of 1 mile/$2 |
Complimentary $99 Companion Certificate upon renewal |
20,000 plus additional 2,500 if you add another card member (up to 2) |
Complimentary $99 Companion Certificate upon renewal |
$90 |
| Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card |
2 mile/$1 |
100,000 - after that you earn miles at a rate of 1 mile/$2 |
Complimentary companion Coach Class ticket each year upon renewal. 10,000 Medallion Miles if you spend $25,000 on card and another $10,000 when you spend $50,000 |
Earn 20,000 bonus miles with your first purchase, 5,000 of which are Medallion® Qualification Miles. |
Complimentary companion Coach Class ticket each year upon renewal |
$150 |
| Delta Reserve Card |
1 mile/$1 |
Earn Unlimited Miles |
Spend $30,000 in a calendar year and you can earn a Miles BoostSM of 15,000 MQMs. Spend $60,000 in that same year and you can earn an additional 15,000 MQMs. |
Earn up to 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) with your first purchase |
Free* domestic companion certificate, which can be used for a First-Class or Coach-Class ticket. |
$450 |
| Hawaiian Airlines® Platinum Visa |
2 mile/$1 |
100,000 Miles |
2,000 anniversary miles on your anniversary date |
10,000 Miles |
50% discount companion offer. |
$50 |
| Mexicana® Airlines Platinum Plus Visa® |
2 mile/$1 |
Earn Unlimited Miles |
2,000 Miles |
4,000 Miles plus 1 companion ticket within the first year after your first qualifying purchase |
$99 companion coupon annually after the first year |
$40 |
| United Mileage Plus Visa® |
1 mile/$1 |
Earn Unlimited Miles |
n.a |
30,000 Miles after first $250 in purchases |
n.a. |
$60 |
| United Mileage Plus Gold Class Visa® |
2 mile/$1 |
Earn Unlimited Miles |
2,500 Miles
Up to 10,000 Miles for (1 Mile/$2) balance transfers and convenience checks |
20,000 Miles after first purchases |
n.a. |
$85 |
| United Mileage Plus Platinum Class Visa® |
2 mile/$1 |
Earn Unlimited Miles |
Free Roundtrip Companion Ticket on theanniversary of your account |
20,000 Miles after first purchases |
free Roundtrip Companion Ticket on theanniversary of your account |
$85 |
| US Airways Premier World MasterCard® |
2 miles/$1 |
Earn Unlimited Miles |
Up to two $99 companion tickets annually
One complimentary US Airways Club day pass annually |
25,000 Miles
Earn Up to 10,000 Bonus Miles for Balance Transfers within 30 days (1 Mile/$1) |
Up to two $99 companion tickets annually |
$79 |
| US Airways Dividend Miles Business Card |
2 miles/$1 |
Earn Unlimited Miles |
n.a. |
25,000 Miles
Earn Up to 10,000 Bonus Miles for Balance Transfers within 30 days (1 Mile/$1) |
n.a. |
$79 |
| Virgin Atlantic American Express® Card |
3 miles/$1 and 1.5 Miles/$1 for other retail purchases |
Earn Unlimited Miles |
Up to 15,000 Miles |
20,000 Miles |
$99 companion coupon annually after the first year |
$90 |
| WorldPerks Visa® Platinum |
1 mile/$1 |
Earn Unlimited Miles |
4,000 discount for 2 redemptions a year |
15,000 Miles |
n.a. |
$0 |
| WorldPerks Visa® Signature |
2 miles/$1 |
Earn Unlimited Miles |
6,000 discount for 2 redemptions a year
Redeem 10,000 miles for $100 off a Northwest Airlines ticket — up to six times a year |
15,000 Miles |
n.a. |
$0 |
Q&A : I am a member of a foreign carrier frequent flyer program which does not have a US credit card. Is there any way I can still earn miles from a credit card?
What if your frequent flyer program does not have a credit card. This will most likely to the case for many foreign airlines. Expatriates who move to the US may want to continue earning miles for their airlines. What should they do?
There are actually two cards you can consider.
The other card to consider is the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express . The reason is because the Starwood Preferred Guest program allows you to transfer points to miles on a one-for-one ratio on 30 airlines. If you transfer 20,000 points to your frequent flyer program, Starwood will give you an additional 5,000 miles!. The Starwood Preferred Guest credit card allows you to earn one point for every dollar you spend on "non-Starwood purchases". Hence, you do not need to be a Starwood frequent guest to get this card. You need to spend $20,000 on the card to get 20,000 points. Transfer them to your frequent flyer program and get 5,000 extra miles. In essense, you spend $20,000 to get 25,000 miles (enough for a roundtrip ticket around continental USA).
Starwood's airline partners include Aeroplan Air Canada, Air China Companion, Air New Zealand and Air Points, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, Alitalia Mille Miglia, All Nippon Airways (ANA) Mileage Club, American Airlines AAdvantage, Asiana Airlines, British Airways Executive Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Continental Airlines OnePass, Delta Airlines Skymiles, Emirates and Sri Lankan Airlines Skywards, Flying Blue, Hawaiian Airlines, Japan Airlines (JAL) Mileage Bank, KLM Air France Flying Blue, LAN LANPASS, Lufthansa Miles and More, Mexicana Frecuenta, Northwest Airlines Worldperks, Qantas Airways Frequent Flyer, Qatar Airways, Saudi Arabian Airlines Alfursan, Siangapore Airlines Krisflyer, Swiss Travel Club, Thai Airways International Royal Orchid Plus, US Airways Dividend Miles, United Airlines Mileage Plus, VARIG Smiles, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.
All of the above airline partners allow one starwood point to be converted into one miles with the exception of United Airlines Mileage Plus (2:1), Varig Smiles (2:1), LAN LANPASS (1:2), Japan Airlines Mileage Bank (3:2) and Air New Zealand and Air Points (65:1).
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