Rewards credit cards can come in hand whether it comes from to travel to groceries to gas because it can help you earn cash, points or miles from simply spending on those things. With these types of credit cards, you can redeem your collection of rewards for cash, travel or shopping. We’ve sorted through all the rewards cards that are available on the market and compiled our own list of favorite credit cards of 2020. Choosing the right one can allow you to save on shopping, plan a free vacation and more.
For a more comprehensive list, see our best credit card bonuses here.
Best Airline Credit Cards Summary
Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card | Best for redemption flexibility |
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Best for beginners |
The Platinum Card® From American Express | Best for luxury travel |
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard® | Best for American Airlines |
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card | Best for Delta elite flyers |
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card | Best for Delta regular flyers |
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card | Best for Delta occasional flyers |
JetBlue Plus Card | Best for JetBlue |
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card | Best for Southwest Airlines |
United? Explorer Card | Best for United Airlines |
Airline Credit Card Features
When choosing an airline credit card, you’ll want to consider several factors, including:
- Bonus categories. There are some airline credit cards on our list that offer bonus points when you spend in certain categories, such as travel, dining or groceries. When deciding on a card, choose one that will let you earn as many rewards as possible for things you would regularly purchase.
- Airline loyalty. Do you tend to fly with one airliner or do you hop around depending on the price of the flight? Co-branded cards will only earn miles for one particular airline. Other cards will let you earn points toward award travel with multiple airlines.
- Annual fee. Credit cards can sometimes carry expensive annual fees. But these higher-priced cards usually come with plenty of valuable perks, like travel credits, free checked bags and airport lounge access. If you’re a frequent flyer who’ll take full advantage of these benefits, then you’ll easily offset the cost of the card. But if you take only one big trip a year, a low-cost card would be the better fit.
To make our best airline credit cards of 2020 list, we also took into consideration the:
- Welcome bonus
- Earning potential
- Elite status perks
- Recurring benefits
- Category bonuses
- Spend bonuses
Although we are talking about rewards credit cards in this post, you should still consider choosing a card with additional earning potential that matches your spending behavior. For our recommended credit cards by spending, check out our guides below!
The Best Airline Credit Cards of 2020
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers a one-time bonus of 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. You're able to earn: • 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. • 5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel This card does come with a $95 annual fee. Enjoy no foreign transaction fees and receive up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre?®. |
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase TravelSM. You'll earn: • 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM • 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries • 2x on all other travel purchases • 1x on all other purchases • $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase TravelSM This card carries a $95 annual fee. |
The Platinum Card® from American Express offers 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. You'll 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. • 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. This card comes with an annual fee of $695 (See Rates & Fees), but you cardholders can enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member and Additional Centurion Cards only. Terms Apply. Terms Apply. |
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card offers 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Enjoy complimentary access to the Delta Sky Club and bring up to two guests or immediate family members at a rate of $50 per person per visit when flying Delta. Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 15 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter. Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion Lounge when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card. Receive a Companion Certificate on First Class, Delta Comfort+, or Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Ticket requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights and no more than $250 for roundtrip international flights (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details. You'll earn: • Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. • Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. • $120 Rideshare Credit: You can earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers after you pay with your Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card. Enrollment Required. • $200 Delta Stays Statement Credit: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card Members can earn up to $200 back in the form of a statement credit annually on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com. • Receive four Delta Sky Club One-Time Guest Passes each year when you fly together on Delta. After that, you may bring up to two guests at a per-visit rate of $50 per person, per location. • Delta SkyMiles(R) Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees. Want even more flexibility? Take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com. Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. This card does come with a $650 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. (See Rates & Fees) Terms Apply. |
The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card offers 50,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees. You'll earn: • 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. • 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets. • 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases. • $120 Rideshare Credit: You can earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers after you pay with your Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card. Enrollment Required. Receive a Companion Certificate on Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Ticket requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights and no more than $250 for roundtrip international flights (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details. Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck(R): Receive $100 back for Global Entry or up to $85 back for TSA PreCheck after you apply through any Official Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck. $150 Delta Stays Credit: Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card Members can earn up to $150 back annually on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com. Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Receive Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding on Delta flights; board early, stow your carry-on bag and settle in sooner. Want even more flexibility? Take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com. This card comes with a $350 annual fee and no foreign transaction fee. You'll also get fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre?®. (See Rates & Fees). Terms Apply. |
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card offers 40,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees. You'll earn: • 2X Miles on Delta purchases, at U.S. Supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. • 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. • $100 Delta Stays Credit: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card Members can earn up to $100 back annually on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com. • $200 Delta Flight Credit: After you spend $10,000 in purchases in a year, you can receive a $200 Delta Flight Credit to use toward future travel. Receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit on eligible Delta in-flight purchases after using your Card. Want even more flexibility? Take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com. You can check your first bag free on Delta flights, saving up to $60 on a round-trip Delta flight per person. For a family of four that's a potential savings of up to $240 per round-trip flight. Receive Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding on Delta flights; board early, stow your carry-on bag and settle in sooner. There is a $150 annual fee ($0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150) and no foreign transaction fees. (See Rates & Fees). Now, you'll get get more savings with your first checked bag for free on Delta flights. Terms Apply. |
For those who are frequent flyers with JetBlue Airlines, JetBlue Plus Card is a consumer credit card offering cardholders 6X points per dollar spent on jetBlue purchases, 2X points per dollar spent on restaurants and grocery stores , and 1X points per dollar spent on all other purchases.
It currently has a limited time welcome offer of 40,000 points after $1,000 in spend within the first 90 days. However, it does come with a $99 annual fee that is not waived. If you’re interested in what this card has to offer, take a look at our review below.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card offers 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. In addition, you'll earn 7,500 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary each year. You'll earn: • Earn 3X points on Southwest purchases. • Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. • Earn 2X points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming. Some perks include $75 Southwest travel credit each year., receiving 4 Upgraded Boardings per year when available, savings of 25% back on in-flight drinks and WiFi, and more! This card carries a $149 annual fee and no transaction fees. |
The United Explorer Card offers 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. You'll earn: • Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, hotel stays, and United purchases • Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining including eligible delivery services Perks of this card include: • Getting up to $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS fee credit • Get your first bag checked for free (up to $140 savings per roundtrip). Terms apply. • Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United Club with 2 one-time passes each year for your anniversary • 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi on board United-operated flights and on Club premium drinks • Get one-year complimentary DashPass, a membership for both DoorDash and Caviar that provides unlimited deliveries with $0 delivery fees and lower service fees on eligible orders. After that, you are automatically enrolled in DashPass at the current monthly rate. Activate by 12/31/24. This card does come with a $95 annual fee, however, the annual fee is waived for the first year. |
The Best No-Annual-Fee Airline Credit Cards This Year
Some of the best airline credit cards on the market offer a variety of benefits that save you money, time and stress. This is because they can include perks such as free checked bags, priority boarding, lounge access, elite status and more. Keep in mind that these card tend to charge hefty annual fees.
If you’re just starting out in the rewards world, or you prefer earning miles over premium benefits, you should opt for a low-cost co-branded card instead. You won’t get as many perks, but you won’t have to pay exorbitant annual fees either.
Credit Card | Welcome Bonus | Earning Rates |
American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp? Mastercard® (no annual fee) |
10k miles + $50 statement credit when you spend $500 within 3 months. ($190 value*) | 2x miles on AA purchases 2x miles at grocery stores 1x miles on everything else |
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card (no annual fee) |
10k miles when you spend $500 within 3 months. ($120 value*) | 2x miles on Delta purchases 2x miles at restaurants 1x miles on everything else |
JetBlue Credit Card (no annual fee) |
10k points when you spend $1k within 90 days. ($130 value*) | 3x points on JetBlue purchases 2x points at restaurants 2x points at grocery stores 1x points on everything else |
Bottom Line
Although co-branded credit card don’t offer the biggest return on your airline spending, they do offer plenty of airline-specific perks to make up for that.
If you would rather maximize your spending, rather than taking advantage of these cards’ other benefits, then you might want to check out a travel rewards card that can earn more valuable transferable points instead. For more post like this, check out our list of the best credit card bonuses.
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