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Airline credit cards

Earn points for flights and upgrades

Gavin Shepherd
Gavin Shepherd | Edited by Chris Collier
Updated 12 March 2025

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, plus you can also bag big bonuses simply for signing up.
 

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In this guide

First, a quick overview of airline credit  cards...

Airline credit cards allow you to earn points on your everyday spending which you be used with a variety of airline reward schemes. If you're debt-free and pay off your card IN FULL each month, these cards can help you earn points worth £100s on flights, upgrades and hotels each year.

  • Don't just apply - go via an eligibility calc. Our Airline Credit Card Eligibility Checker speedily shows acceptance odds for top cards (some are 'pre-approved'), without affecting your creditworthiness.

  • Choose the right airline rewards scheme for your spending habits. Pick a card that aligns with your lifestyle and spending patterns, and rewards you accordingly.

  • Always pay off your balance IN FULL every month. To maximise rewards and avoid interest, always clear your balance on time.

Top-pick airline credit cards
New. Amex Gold
Link goes via eligibility or read full Amex Gold review

- 30,000 Amex pts on £3,000 spend in first 3mths
- £195/yr fee (free in first year)
- Four airport lounge passes a year
- Use with many schemes (eg BA, Virgin, Emirates)
- 2,500 Amex pts per £5k spent (max 12,500 pts/yr)
- One Amex point per £1 spent

Amex Nectar

Link goes via eligibility or read full Amex Nectar review

 - 12,500 Avios (via Nectar) on £2k spend in first 2mths
- £30/yr fee (free in first year)
- 400 Nectar pts converts to 250 Avios
- Two Nectar pts per £1 spent (worth 1.25 Avios)

Virgin Atlantic Reward

Link goes via eligibility or read full Virgin Atlantic Reward review

- 3,000 Virgin pts on first spend within 90 days
- NO FEE
- Spend £20k/yr for cabin upgrade or companion ticket

- 0.75 Virgin points per £1 spent
  • If you do get a card, ALWAYS follow these Airline Credit Card Golden rules: 
    a) Set up a Direct Debit to repay credit cards IN FULL each month
    b) Only use the card for all NORMAL spending to max points
    c) Don't borrow or withdraw cash on these credit cards

The full airline credit cards guide...

Now we've given you a brief overview and you understand the basics, let's take you through airline credit cards in more detail...

How do airline credit cards work?

With these air miles credit cards you earn miles on each pound of spending you put on to the card.

When you've collected enough air miles, 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 everyday 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 get bonus Avios and max your points guide has full info on that scheme, though there are others.

Are air miles credit cards worth it?

These can offer lucrative perks if used right, particularly for higher spenders who are able to take advantage of welcome bonuses and other credit card offers (and they come with the usual credit card protection). However, you are often limited in what you can spend your rewards points on depending on which airlines and retailers your credit card partners with. Plus, if you don't typically spend as much or don't repay in full each month, high interest charges and account fees can dwarf any rewards or sign up bonuses.

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What can I spend my air mile points on?

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Airline points can typically be used to pay for free or discounted flights with select airlines. There are other travel perks which they can sometimes also be exchanged for, including:

  • Upgrades to first class or business class
  • Hotel stays
  • Airport lounge access
  • Car rental
  • Priority boarding

The rewards on offer vary depending on your credit card's scheme and which airlines, hotel chains, car hire companies or other outlets it partners with. You can also often exchange your rewards points for shopping vouchers at major retailers. 

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 £15,000/year on the card, but you need to pay a huge £300 annual charge. 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 also need to spend £15,000/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.

    See Joint credit cards for what you need to watch out for.

    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 an Avios credit card, 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.

       AVIOS
    		 FLYING CLUB
    Cost per point 1.8p - 2.5p 1.5p
    Limit on points you can buy 200,000 100,000

  • 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.

    Sign up to MSE's Credit Club and use our free tools to see how the financial world views you.

  • 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 9,500 Avios plus £35 in taxes and charges, while New York cost 26,000 Avios plus £420 – 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 £279 in taxes and charges, while Dubai cost 20,000 points plus £246 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.

  • 8. Is it possible to transfer air miles?

    Unfortunately, it's usually not possible to transfer air mile points between different schemes, so once you earn points with a particular scheme you're stuck with it. 

    Most schemes will allow you to transfer points to another member, however, though this can sometimes incur a fee and there can be limits on the number of points you can transfer per year.

Try our free Credit Club

Sign up to MSE's Credit Club to boost your credit power – access our free tools to see how the financial world views you, including:
 

  • An Eligibility Rating that combines your credit score, affordability, and market trends.
  • View your full credit report – your financial CV.
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Top airline credit cards

Many of our top cards are Amex, which have the advantage of allowing you to earn points that can be converted for use with multiple airlines – or even shopping vouchers and Nectar points.

Amex isn't as widely accepted as Mastercard or Visa, so we've included our top-pick non-Amex card, the Virgin Atlantic Reward card. However, points can only be redeemed through its own rewards scheme.

For more options, check out our next-best airline credit cards further down, which are fee-free. Below this, we also feature a small selection of cards with fees for higher spenders, whose reward points can outweigh the annual cost of the card.

Top airline credit cards – what we'd go for

All of our top picks offer points on everyday spending as well as introductory bonuses, though pay them off IN FULL each month or the interest will dwarf the gain. This is our analysis to help you decide, scroll down to the table for full details of each card.
 

  • The Amex preferred rewards Gold card gives 30,000 bonus Amex points if you spend £3,000+ in the first three months, plus an ongoing one point per £1 spent. You also get 2,500 points every time you spend £5,000 (max 12,500 bonus points per year). Points can be used for multiple airline's schemes, including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates and Etihad. 

    You also get four free visits to airport lounges each year and £5 cashback on two £5+ Deliveroo orders a month. However, there's a hefty £195/year fee from year two, so it's best for bigger spenders who'll earn enough rewards to outweigh the fee.

  • The Amex Nectar card gives 20,000 Nectar points if you spend £2,000+ in the first three months, plus an ongoing two Nectar points per £1 spent. Every 400 Nectar points is worth 250 Avios – so spend £2,000 and you'll have 22,000 Nectar points worth 13,750 Avios. Log in to the Nectar site or British Airways Executive Club and link your accounts to convert points.

    This card also has an annual fee which kicks in from year two, though it's much lower at £30/year – so this card could work for smaller spenders, or those who want flexibility with how they'll use their rewards (for example, spending at Sainsbury's).

  • The Virgin Atlantic Reward card provides an ongoing 0.75 Virgin points per £1 spent, plus 3,000 bonus points on your first spend (no min) in the first 90 days. You also get a free Flying Club reward if you spend £20,000+ per year. The reward depends on the tier you qualify for – its lowest 'red' tier offers a free cabin upgrade, a free companion ticket (you'll both pay taxes and charges) or a Virgin Clubhouse pass.

Our top three airline credit cards

 

KEY FEATURES

Amex Preferred Rewards Gold

 Amex Nectar Virgin Atlantic Reward
Intro rewards? New. 30,000 Amex points (usually 20,000) 20,000 Nectar points (worth 12,500 Avios)

3,000 Virgin points

on first spend within 90 days
Minimum spend for intro rewards? £3,000+ in first 3mths £2,000+ in first 3mths No
Ongoing rewards?

One Amex point per £1 spent, 2,500 Amex points per £5,000 spend (max 12,500/year)


See what you can use points for

Two Nectar points per £1 spent

(worth 1.25 Avios)

 0.75 Virgin points per £1 spent
Minimum spend for ongoing rewards? No No No
Other perks? £5 cashback on two £5+ Deliveroo orders a month, four free visits to airport lounges each year Three points per £1 spent at Nectar partners such as Sainsbury's and Argos Free Flying Club reward for spending £20,000+ a year (eg cabin upgrade or companion ticket)
Fees? £195/year fee
(free in first year)

£30/year fee

(free in first year)

 No
Interest charges if not REPAID IN FULL each month? 87.8% rep APR 37.1% rep APR 26.9% rep APR
How to get the card?

CHECK ELIGIBILITY (i)

 CHECK ELIGIBILITY (i) CHECK ELIGIBILITY (i)

(i) All providers have asked us to link only to our eligibility calculator. | See all official APR examples.

Next-best fee-free airline credit cards

We've more choice below if none of the above suit – both are decent picks and have no fees...

Fee-free airline credit cards - best of the rest

 

Amex Rewards

 Get 10,000 Amex points if you spend £2,000+ in the first three months. Amex points can be used for multiple airline's schemes, including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates and Etihad. This card gives one point per £1 spent, and points can also be converted into vouchers or hotel points.

- 10,000 bonus pts on £2,000+ spend

- 1 point per £1 spent
- 30.4% rep APR

 CHECK ELIGIBILITY (i)


 

Barclaycard Avios

 Get 5,000 Avios points if you spend £1,000+ in the first three months. This card gives one point per £1 spent, plus you get a free cabin upgrade if you spend £20,000+ per year. You can't get this card if you've had a Barclaycard in the last six months.

- 5,000 bonus pts on £1,000+ spend

- 1 point per £1 spent

- 29.9% rep APR

 Apply
(not in our eligibility calc)

(i) Amex has asked us to link only to our eligibility calculator. | See all official APR examples.

Next-best airline credit cards with ongoing fees

These cards aren't fee-free – so only get them if you're sure the rewards you'll get with them beat all the fee-free cards after accounting for the fee. They're best for bigger spenders.

Airline credit cards with ongoing fees - best of the rest

 

Virgin Atlantic Reward+

 Get 18,000 Virgin points on your first spend (no min) in the first 90 days, though there's a hefty £160 annual fee. This card gives double the amount of points per pound than the fee-free Virgin card above, and you get the free Flying Club reward on a lower £10,000+ per year spend.

- 18,000pts on first spend in first 90 days (no min)

- £160/year fee
- 1.5 points per £1 spent
- 69.7% rep APR

 CHECK ELIGIBILITY (i)

 

Barclaycard Avios Plus 

 Get 25,000 Avios if you spend £3,000+ in the first three months – though there's a £20/month fee. This card gives 1.5 points per £1 spent, plus you get a free cabin upgrade if you spend £10,000+ per year. You can't get this card if you've had a Barclaycard in the last six months.

- 25,000 bonus pts on £3,000+ spend

- £20/month fee

- 1.5 points per £1 spent

- 80.1% rep APR

 CHECK ELIGIBILITY (i)

(i) Both providers have asked us to only link to our eligibility calculator. 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.

Who's this guide for? Frequent flyers who want to collect air miles. If you're a lower spender, top reward cards could be a better option.

Related guides... Tricks to boost and max Avios | Cheap flights

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