Best Airline Credit Cards 2024

This travel card is backed with benefits with a more than reasonable annual fee for the value provided. Enjoy anniversary bonus miles and annual travel credit miles that can be put through any trip booked through the Capital One portal.

Top Perks:

• Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
• Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
• Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
• Unlimited complimentary access for you and guests at Capital One and partnered lounges

PROS:

• Miles to can cover additional travel expenses like flights, hotels, rental cars
• Below-average annual fee
• Anniversary and annual miles help you quickly rack up a travel credit

CONS:

• Not many domestic travel partners
• Requires an excellent credit score

United Flyers will enjoy an included checked bag and lounge membership with the Infinite Card. With four miles per dollar on United Purchases, this is a great pick for frequent flyers.

Top Perks:

• Earn 4 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases including tickets, Economy Plus®, inflight food, beverages and Wi-Fi, and other United charges.
• Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel and dining including eligible delivery services
• Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Up to $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit
• Free first and second checked bags – a savings of up to $320 per roundtrip. Terms Apply.
• Earn 500 Premier qualifying points for every $12K you spend on purchases, up to 8,000 PQP in a calendar year.

PROS:

• Great choice for United Airlines travelers
• Provides unlimited lounge access
• Excellent introductory bonus offer

CONS:

• Not a great pick for those who don’t travel often
• High annual fee

If you’re looking for an all-around-balanced credit card that will help you earn miles, the Chase Freedom series is a great place to start. This is one of the only credit cards that provides extra incentives for travel purchases without an annual fee.

Top Perks:

• No annual fee
• Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
• 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in categories that rotate quarterly (requires activation), 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores and 1% on all other purchases
• 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers. Balance transfer fee applies, see pricing and terms for more details

PROS:

• 5% cashback for travel purchases
• Rotating quarterly categories earn 5% rewards
• Great all-around credit card

CONS:

• No annual fee
• Bookings need to be made through the Chase Travel portal to be eligible

Excellent all-around credit card with high-end perks. High annual fee is fairly reasonable when factoring in the travel reimbursement and potential credit-earning opportunities.

Top Perks:

• $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement
• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more
• Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel
• 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide

PROS:

• Flexible travel reimbursement
• Great welcome bonus
• Points can be transferred to eligible airlines and hotels
• Reasonable fee relative to the perks

CONS:

• High variable APR
• You need Excellent credit

If you find yourself constantly stranded during tight layovers, having access to a lounge is a godsend. The Platinum Card from American Express makes a great pick for frequent travelers, allowing comprehensive lounge access and 5x points on eligible travel purchases.

Top Perks:

• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
• $200 Hotel Credit: Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Peacock, Audible, SiriusXM, The New York Times, and other participating providers. Enrollment required.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax.
• American Express has expanded The Centurion® Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. Now there are even more places your Platinum Card® can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Card.
• $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only.
• $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back each year on an Equinox+ subscription, or any Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card. Enrollment required. Learn more.
• $189 CLEAR® Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR® Plus at 45+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per year on your membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card.

PROS:

• Offers comprehensive airport lounge access
• Elite status with Hilton and Marriott
• Elgibile rewards may help justify high annual fee

CONS:

• High annual fee makes this more of a luxury card
• Not the best rewards outside of the travel space

If you’re a frequent American Airlines flyer, this credit card may make a worthy choice for the Admirals Club membership alone. Cardholders can enjoy priority boarding and a free checked bag.

Top Perks:

• Earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $5,000 within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, receive a complimentary Admirals Club® membership (a value of up to $650)
• $450 annual fee
• Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent and 1 mile for all other purchases
• Admirals Club® Membership: Access to nearly 50 lounge locations worldwide for you and your immediate family (or up to 2 traveling guests that accompany you)

PROS:

• Provides Admirals Club® lounge access for up to 10 authorized users
• Included checked back and priority boarding
• No foreign transaction fee

CONS:

• Not great rewards outside of domestic American Airlines travel
• High annual fee

Top Perks:

• Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
• 7,500 anniversary points each year
• Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases
• Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
• Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming
• $75 Southwest® travel credit each year

PROS:

• No foreign transaction fees
• No limits on rewards
• Can help earn points towards A-list status

CONS:

• Flight points only redeemable towards Southwest
• Not a lot of rewards outside of travel

If Delta is your choice airline while traveling across the globe, this credit card may make a worthy choice with included checked bags and included round trip first class trip for a companion upon yearly renewal.

Top Perks:

• Earn 50,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months
• Complimentary access to the Delta Sky Club®
• Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card
• Earn up to 60,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) With Status Boost® per year. After you spend $30,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 15,000 MQMs up to four times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion Status and are different from the miles you earn towards flights
• Receive a domestic First Class, Delta Comfort+® or domestic Main Cabin round trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply
• With your Card receive upgrade priority over other Medallion Members within the same Medallion level and fare class
• Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights
• Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases
• Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases

PROS:

• No foreign transaction fees
• Delta Sky Club airport lounge access
• Included annual first class round trip certificate for a companion

CONS:

• Low reward earning potential
• Fee is not worth it if you don’t travel often

JetBlue Jettsetter will enjoy checked bags and unlimited points on all JetBlue purchases. With a modest annual fee, this mid-level airline credit card is a great place to start.

Top Perks:

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days
• Earn 6 points per $1 on JetBlue purchases, 2 points per $1 at restaurants and eligible grocery stores and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
• No blackout dates on JetBlue-operated flights
• Points awarded in your TrueBlue account don’t expire
• Earn 5,000 bonus points every year after your account anniversary
• 50% inflight savings on eligible food and drink purchases
• Enjoy Mosaic benefits for one year after you spend $50,000 or more on purchases each calendar year with your card
• Enjoy an annual $100 statement credit after purchasing a JetBlue Vacations package of $100 or more with your JetBlue Plus Card

PROS:

• 6X points on every JetBlue purchase
• Points never expire
• Free checked bags

CONS:

• High APR
• Balance transfer fee

If you’re a United flyer, but not quite ready to commit to the United Infinite Card, the United Explorer Card is a great choice with a $95 annual fee.

Top Perks:

• Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
• $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.
• Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, hotel stays, and United® purchases
• Up to $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit
• 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi onboard United-operated flights and on Club premium drinks when you pay with your Explorer Card
• Free first checked bag – a savings of up to $140 per roundtrip. Terms Apply.
• Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United Club℠ with 2 one-time passes each year for your anniversary

PROS:

• Priority boarding and free checked bag
• Earn unlimited miles
• Free checked bag

CONS:

• High APR
• Not very high rewards rate