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Flat lay travel composition. Airplane figurine, bank card on color paper background. Purchase and reservation of air tickets, payment for rest. Top view

Airline credit cards

Earn points for flights and upgrades

Josh Kirby
Josh Kirby | Edited by Helen Saxon
Updated 24 August 2022

Slash the cost of flights worldwide for you and your partner, just for spending on a piece of plastic. Airline credit cards allow you to earn Avios and other airline points as you spend, not as you fly, and you can also bag big bonuses simply for signing up.
 

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Top-pick airline credit cards 

Who's this guide for? Frequent flyers who spend on credit cards. If you're a lower spender, top reward cards could be a better option. Though do note: all reward cards, including airline cards, are only good for those who repay IN FULL every month.

Not what you want? Other related guides... Tricks to boost and max Avios | Cheap flights

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How do airline credit cards work?

You earn airline points doing your normal everyday spending and when you've collected enough, they can be converted into flights (though you still need to pay taxes and charges). Availability is much more limited than when paying for flights with cash, so you'll usually need to be flexible when booking.

You can combine any points you earn from spending with those you earn from flying, or through other credit card reward schemes, such as converting Nectar points. Added together, your stash can build up much more quickly. Our Tricks to boost and max Avios points guide has full info on that scheme, though there are others.

Here's all you need to know to get the best from airline credit cards...

Airline credit card need-to-knows

  • 1. If you can't repay in full every month, DON'T get an airline credit card

    Card companies offer reward schemes to encourage you to spend on their cards so they can earn interest from you. If you don't repay a reward card IN FULL, the interest cost will dwarf any gain you get.

    Always set up a direct debit to repay the card in full each month, so you'll never pay interest.

  • 2. Airline credit cards tend to work best if you'll spend £10,000+ on them every year

    Higher spenders can take advantage of the perks that some of these cards have, such as 'companion tickets' and big intro bonuses, especially if you're willing to pay an annual fee.

    What is a companion ticket?

    A companion ticket allows you to take someone else with you when you pay with airline points, under similar or the same conditions, for no extra points.

    In other words, if you're flying premium to Miami, they come for free in the same class. However, you have to pay taxes and charges for both tickets.

    For example, the British Airways Premium Plus American Express (Amex) card below gives you a companion ticket if you spend £10,000/year on the card, but you need to pay a huge £250 annual fee. This gets you a 'free' ticket for someone travelling with you in the same class when you use points to buy a seat. Though you still pay taxes and charges. 

    The British Airways Amex is the fee-free version, though you'd need to spend £12,000/yr to get a companion ticket, and on this card the companion ticket can only be used in economy class.

    If your card offers companion tickets, it's worth waiting until you've got the companion voucher before spending your airline points as you get much better value from them. Though be aware they're usually only valid for a year or two.

  • 3. Never borrow or withdraw cash on these cards

    They're a tool to get you rewards by using them like a debit card and clearing them each month, and we rate them based on that.

    If you need to borrow as well, you're far better off focusing on getting the lowest interest rates – that'll save you much more money. See 0% credit cards for spending for more info.

    And when it comes to withdrawing cash the rule is simple – never, ever, ever use these cards for cash withdrawals as you'll generally be charged a fee and interest, even if you pay the card off in full.

  • 4. Use these cards for all day-to-day spending to max rewards – don't see them as an excuse to overspend

    These cards are designed to encourage you to spend – but never spend more than you need to. Instead, use the card for all normal day-to-day purchases then set up a direct debit to repay in full each month and you'll soon see the points adding up.

    You could max it even further by using the card for work expenses if you need to reclaim them. This can be a powerful way to earn more points at no cost to you, provided you can cope with paying the bill in full each month. Check it's fine with your employer though, and there's a chance it could be seen as a taxable benefit (though you'll still be up even if it is).

    Can I add an additional cardholder to my account to boost points?

    Yes, you can. By doing so, both your spending collects the points. This technique is particularly useful for cards that need you to hit a certain target to get a free companion flight.

    Remember: with credit cards there's no such thing as a joint card – it's your card and you're giving them permission to spend on it. Any spending is yours to pay off, not theirs.

    Can I buy extra points?

    You can with most schemes mentioned in this guide, so you can top yours up if you're short. Better still, if you're collecting airline points and also redeeming a companion flight, you'll earn points doing so, so in effect you get double the value.

    Once you've joined your scheme, you can buy extra points at the Avios website or via British Airways.

    With Avios points, you do also have the option to part-pay, so you pay with a mixture of Avios and cash. 

    From our research, we found it's generally cheaper to part-pay in Avios points on the flight-booking pages than buying extra points, especially as you can only buy points in 1,000 increments. However, Avios occasionally holds offers where it will add bonus points to any you buy, so check if one of these deals is on first.

    TABLE_CELL_STYLE BRITISH AIRWAYS AVIOS
    		 AVIOS
    		 FLYING CLUB
    Cost per point 1.7p - 3.1p 1.7p - 3.1p 0.7p - 3p
    Limit on points you can buy 35,000 100,000 100,000

  • 5. If you need other credit soon, such as a mortgage, it may not be the right time to apply for a credit card

    You need to weigh up whether getting one is going to harm other more important credit applications you may have on the horizon – multiple applications mean multiple searches on your credit file, and in a short space of time these can damage your chances of getting future credit.

    So if you think you'll need to apply for important credit soon, such as a mortgage, hold off applying as you'll need to spread out your applications.

  • 6. Free flights are a myth as you'll always pay taxes and charges – but you can still save a significant amount

    When you collect airline points, such as Avios or Virgin Flying Club points, you can redeem them for reward flights – though you still have to pay taxes and charges on top.

    When we checked from London Heathrow, an off-peak economy return flight to Paris cost 8,000 Avios plus £35 in taxes and charges, while New York cost 26,000 Avios plus £373 – see our Avios tricks guide for more.

    Under Virgin's Flying Club frequent-flyer points scheme, Heathrow to New York on an off-peak return flight in economy cost 20,000 Flying Club points plus £270 in taxes and charges, while Dubai cost 20,000 points plus £251 in charges.

    To show you what you need for each destination, and what counts as peak/off-peak dates, see the Avios 'search and book' page (you'll need to log in to your BA Executive Club account) or Virgin's Flying Club reward flights page.

  • 7. Reward flights are limited, so you'll have to be flexible around when you travel

    The availability of reward flights is much more limited than when paying for flights normally, so you'll have to go quick and be as flexible as possible.

    Tactically, the ideal time to start checking is around a year before – this is when seats start to be released (see flight release dates). Though keep checking, as sometimes there are no seats available when a flight's launched, but extra seats are released later.

    If you want to fly at peak times such as Christmas or school holidays, booking well in advance is usually essential. Use British Airways' search and book page to check for availability (you'll need to log in to your Executive Club account), or Virgin's reward flights calendar.

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Top cards for multiple airline schemes

The other cards in this guide mean making a choice between Avios from British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, yet here you earn points that can be converted into either – or even shopping vouchers and Nectar points.

Both are from American Express (Amex), so there are a couple of important points to note:

  • Amex isn't as widely accepted as Mastercard or Visa.
  • You won't get the intro bonuses below if you've had a personal (not business) Amex in the last two years.

If this applies to you, or if you need a backup card for when Amex isn't accepted, the Virgin Atlantic cards below are Mastercard or see our top non-Amex reward cards, though these don't give airline points.

Top cards with choice of airline – for new cardholders (i) 

 


Amex Preferred Rewards Gold
 

- 20,000-point bonus on £3,000 spend in first three months
- 1 point per £1 spent
- 1 point = 1 airline point
- Two free visits a year to airport lounges
- No fee in year one, then £140/yr
- Fail to repay fully and it's 61.8% rep APR interest, incl fee

 

Top if you want a big intro bonus and a choice of airline: this card gives 30,000 intro bonus Amex points, swappable for points with 13 different airline schemes. You also get two free lounge passes a year – though a hefty annual fee kicks in from year two.  

 

You'll get 23,000 points if you spend £3,000 in the first three months on this card. These can be used towards flights with British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates and Etihad, and often other rewards such as hotel stays and car hire.

 

There's also the choice to convert the 23,000 points into £100 in M&S etc vouchers or 23,000 hotel points (for example, Hilton Honors or Marriott Bonvoy).
 

Remember to cancel before the £140/yr fee kicks in in year two if you want to avoid it.
Check eligibility Apply*
The next best card for multiple schemes
Amex Rewards

- 10,000-point bonus on £2,000 spend in first three months 
- 1 point per £1 spent
- 1 point = 1 airline point
- No fee
- 26% rep APR interest
 

Top fee-free card with a choice of frequent-flyer schemes: this card earns you the same number of points per pound as the card above, though you get a much smaller intro bonus. 
 

The initial 12,000 points you'd get if you spent £2,000 in the first two months converts to 12,000 airline points. As with the Amex Gold above, points can also be converted into vouchers or hotel points. However, you don't get the lounge passes with this card.
Check eligibility Apply*

(i) You won't get the intro bonus if you've held a personal Amex card in the past two years.｜See all official APR examples.

Top cards for Avios/British Airways

Avios is one of the most popular airline loyalty schemes, giving airline points for British Airways and other airlines in the Oneworld group, such as American Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Qantas.

Again, most of these cards are from American Express (Amex), so note that you won't get the intro bonuses if you've had a personal (not business) Amex in the last two years. Amex also isn't as widely accepted as Mastercard or Visa. 

Top for Avios – for new cardholders (i) 


 

Barclaycard Avios 

 

- 5,000-point bonus on £1,000 spend in first three months

- 1 point per £1 spent

- Free cabin upgrade voucher on £20,000+ annual spend

- No fee

- Fail to repay fully and it's 23.9% rep APR interest

A no-fee Avios card with a joint-top intro bonus. 

To get the bonus points, spend £1,000 on this card within the first three months, though you can't have had a Barclaycard in the last six months.

 

You'll also get a free cabin upgrade each year you spend at least £20,000, though never use this as an excuse to overspend. 


There's a very similar card from Amex in 'next best' below, however, as this is a Mastercard and is more widely accepted, we've put this card top – though there's very little in it. 
Check eligibility
 Apply*

 

Barclaycard Avios Plus

 

- 25,000-point bonus on £3,000 spend in first three months

- 1.5 points per £1 spent

- Free cabin upgrade voucher on £10,000+ annual spend

- £20/mth fee

- Fail to repay fully and it's 72.4% rep APR interest, incl £20/mth fee

Good for big spenders and frequent flyers, though unavoidable £20/month fee. 

 

This card pays the joint-top ongoing points per pound of the Avios cards, plus the joint highest intro bonus if you spend £3,000+ in the first three months (though you can't have had a Barclaycard in the last six months).

You'll also get a free cabin upgrade each year you spend at least £10,000.

 
Check eligibility Apply*
Next best Avios cards

 

 

British Airways (BA) Amex 

 

- 5,000-point bonus on £1,000 spend in first three months
- 1 point per £1 spent

- Free companion ticket on £12,000+ annual spend
- No fee
- Fail to repay fully and it's 26% rep APR interest

Another fee-free Avios points card and that offers the same number of points as the Barclaycard intro bonus above.

 

To get the bonus points, spend £1,000 on this card within the first three months, but don't use this as an excuse to overspend.

 

In addition, you'll get a companion ticket each year you spend at least £12,000. This lets someone travel with you in economy class without using points.
Check eligibility Apply*


 

Amex Nectar 

 

- 12,500-Avios bonus on £2,000 spend in first three months
- 1.25 Avios per £1 spent

- No fee in year one, then £25/yr
- Fail to repay fully and it's 31.3% rep APR interest, incl fee

Convert Nectar points into Avios for a higher bonus and ongoing rate than other cards, though watch out for the fee from year two.  

This card's not really an 'airline card', as it doesn't give you airline points directly. It's here because there's a tie-up between Avios and Nectar which means you can convert the Nectar points you get (400 Nectar = 250 Avios). Just log in to the Nectar or British Airways Executive Club site to do the transfer.

 

If you spend £2,000 in the first three months to get the bonus, you'd have 24,000 Nectar points, which will get you 15,000 Avios once converted. However, there's no companion bonus – this card's all about the Avios.
Check eligibility
 Apply*

 

British Airways Premium Plus Amex 

- 25,000-point bonus on £3,000 spend in first three months

- 1.5 points per £1 spent

- Free companion ticket on £10,000+ annual spend

- £250/yr fee

- Fail to repay fully and it's 103.7% rep APR interest, incl £250 fee 

An alternative to the Barclaycard Avios Plus card with the same intro bonus – though a higher annual fee. 

 

Spend £3,000 on this card in the first three months and you'll have 29,500 Avios points, which should get you at least a return economy flight to Europe (you'll pay fees and taxes). 

 

You'll also receive a free companion ticket if you spend over £10,000 a year, which gives you a 'free' seat in the same cabin as you (again, you pay taxes and charges). 
Check eligibility Apply*

(i) You won't get the intro bonus if you've held a personal Amex card in the past two years.｜See all official APR examples.

Top cards for Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club is another big scheme and both its cards are powered by Mastercard, which is typically more widely accepted than the Amex cards above.

Here the cards pay points with no expiry that you can use to pay for flights, ticket upgrades or clubhouse visits – or spend via its Virgin Red scheme with retailers such as Greggs, Virgin Wines and Vue. 

Top for Virgin Atlantic – for new cardholders 




Virgin Atlantic Reward 
 

- 0.75 points per £1 spent

- Free companion ticket/upgrade on £20,000+ annual spend
- No fee

- Fail to repay fully and it's 22.9% rep APR interest

Top fee-free Virgin Atlantic card: earn ongoing Virgin points, plus a free companion ticket or upgrade for high spenders. 
 

Plus, if you'll spend over £20,000/yr on the card (don't use this as a reason to overspend) you'll get a free Flying Club tier reward. If you're at its lowest 'red' tier, you can choose a free upgrade (ie, economy to premium), a companion ticket in economy or premium – though you'll both pay taxes and charges – or a Virgin Clubhouse pass.
Check eligibility Apply*
The next best cards for Virgin Atlantic

Tesco Bank Mastercard
 

- Turn every Clubcard point into 2.5 Virgin Atlantic points

- 1 Clubcard pt per £4 spent at Tesco, 1 pt per £8 spent elsewhere (1 pt = 1p-3p at Clubcard partners)

- Up to 23mths 0% spending, then 20.9% rep APR.

Not strictly an airline card, but Tesco's partnership with Virgin Atlantic means you can exchange each Tesco Clubcard point for 2.5 Virgin points. 

 

This card gives an extra point for every £4 spent at Tesco, so five points including the standard 1pt per £1 you'd get from your Clubcard anyway. 

So if you're a frequent shopper at Tesco, it could beat the card above. However it's worth noting that Tesco could end or change its agreement with Virgin, so there is a small risk.
Check eligibility Apply*

 

Virgin Atlantic Reward+

 

- 15,000-point bonus on first spend (no min) within 90 days

- Until 6 Jun, additional 15,000-point bonus if you spend £3,000 in first 90 days

- Free companion ticket/upgrade on £10,000+ annual spend
- £160/yr fee
- Fail to repay fully and it's 63.9% rep APR interest, incl fee

Top card if you're a big spender & want to max your Virgin Atlantic points: this card gives double the number of points per pound than the fee-free version above, and has up to 30,000 intro bonus points to boot, but there's an unavoidable, hefty annual fee.

 

However, this card does have the advantage that the spending trigger for the annual companion ticket/upgrade is also lower at £10,000. 
Check eligibility  Apply*

See all official APR examples.

Cashback sites may pay you for signing up

As an extra boon, members of specialist cashback websites can be paid when they sign up to some financial products. Do check it's exactly the same deal though, as terms can be different. And bear in mind that the cashback is never 100% guaranteed until it's in your account.

For full help to take advantage of this and the pros and cons, go to our Top cashback sites guide.

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Coronavirus credit card help

If you're struggling to pay off debt on an existing credit card due to coronavirus, lenders should provide support. Yet the blanket payment holiday help that used to be available has ended.

So if you're struggling to pay your credit card debt, or you're coming off an agreed payment holiday, lenders are now supposed to provide 'tailored support'. Under this, you could be offered a (further) payment holiday or a period of reduced payments, reduced interest or a repayment plan – lenders should take into account how much you can afford and how your finances are likely to change in the near future.

Providers are expected to report any support they give you to credit reference agencies, which could affect your ability to get credit in future. But don't let that put you off from contacting your provider – missing payments or defaulting is likely to have a far worse impact.

For the latest updates and full information on the support available, see our Coronavirus Finance & Bills Help guide.

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