The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice; instead, it is for general informational purposes only. Information on this website may not be current. This website may contain links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader, user or browser; we do not recommend or endorse the contents of any third-party sites. Readers of this website should contact their attorney, accountant or credit counselor to obtain advice with respect to their particular situation. No reader, user, or browser of this site should act or not act on the basis of information on this site. Always seek personal legal, financial or credit advice for your relevant jurisdiction. Only your individual attorney or advisor can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation. Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client or fiduciary relationship between the reader, user, or browser and website owner, authors, contributors, contributing firms, or their respective employers.
Credit.com receives compensation for the financial products and services advertised on this site if our users apply for and sign up for any of them. Compensation is not a factor in the substantive evaluation of any product.
[Update: Some offers mentioned below have expired. For current terms and conditions, please see card agreements.]
Credit cards that offer airline miles are some of the oldest and most popular types of reward cards, and people are lured into these products by the tantalizing prospect of a free flight. But how do cardholders pick the right reward credit card? Here are a few of the most important questions to answer when considering one of these cards.
The obvious choice is the airline that you fly the most often so that you can combine miles earned in the air with those gained as credit card rewards. In addition, most airline mileage cards now offer valuable perks such as priority boarding, discounts on in-flight purchases and free checked bags.
Most airlines offer several different credit cards. Those with the lower fees return the fewest perks and benefits while the higher fee cards tend to offer elite qualifying miles and even lounge club memberships. Occasional travelers will find the lower fee cards to be adequate while only the most frequent travelers will be able to exploit all of the benefits of the premium credit cards.
For many years, the standard sign-up bonus has been 25,000 miles, enough for a domestic round-trip award flight. But today, most cards offer even more miles than that.
Travelers who are not loyal to a particular airline will want to consider a credit card that offers flexible reward points that can be transferred to miles. The Ultimate Rewards program from Chase, the Membership Rewards program from American Express, and the Starwood Hotels Preferred guest program all feature co-branded credit cards, which earn points that can easily be converted to miles with various airlines. These programs allow savvy award travelers to locate scarce award seats first, and then transfer points to miles.
This card offers new applicants 30,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 within the first three months of opening an account. Cardholders then earn one mile per dollar spent on all purchases, and double miles for spending on United. Perks include priority boarding, free checked bag fee waiver and two day passes to United Club lounges every year. There is a $95 annual fee that is waived the first year.
For each dollar spent, cardholders receive one point in American Express’s Membership Rewards program. Points can be transferred to miles with more than a dozen different airlines. Cardmembers also receive several travel insurance and purchase protection policies. There is a $125 annual fee for this card that is waived the first year.
American Airlines and Citi offer this card with a 30,000 mile sign-up bonus to new applicants who spend $1,000 within three months of opening a new account. Cardholders receive one mile per dollar spent on all purchases, and double miles on transactions with American Airlines. Other benefits include a priority boarding, traveler’s first bag checked free, and a $100 flight discount each year. There is a $95 annual fee that is waived the first year.
Image: Ron Chapple Studios
April 9, 2024
Credit Cards
October 21, 2020
Credit Cards
August 3, 2020
Credit Cards