In this guide
If you’re frequently travelling abroad, earning air miles can cut down the cost of tickets and allow you to take advantage of other perks. Some credit cards are designed to boost your air miles, and we list the best options below.
Chances are your favourite airline has some form of loyalty programme. British Airways, for example, rewards its passengers with bonus Avios points which can be redeemed against future flights, hotels, and other bookings.
For other similar programmes, these points are earned for every flight made with the airline – but there are other ways to boost your balance.
One of these is to take out an air miles credit card. So, below we explain and list:
- What is an air miles credit card?
- The best air miles credit cards
- Are air miles credit cards worth it?
- The best alternatives
Read more: The best cards for earning rewards and cashback
What are air miles?
Air miles are loyalty points that you can earn from selected airlines. These can later be redeemed for discounted flights, hotels, and other travel perks.
Air carriers will have different rewards systems and programmes. For example, Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club offers Virgin Points which can also be redeemed at Delta, KLM, and Air France. Avios points, meanwhile, can also be earned and spent with Aer Lingus and Iberia.
Normally, air miles are earned for flight you make with an eligible airline. So, the more you fly the more points you can earn. Most airlines will also consider the price of your ticket, with tickets in first class and business earning more points than an economy ticket to the same destination.
Air miles can only be used to cover the cost of the flight. You have to pay any associated taxes and carrier fees.
Read more: What are Avios points?
What is an air miles credit card?
Air miles credit cards are a type of reward card. But, instead of earning cashback or vouchers, you’ll earn air miles. Whether it be a small grocery shop to making a significant once-off purchase, these cards allow you to earn extra points off your everyday spending.
Like other credit cards, each month you’ll be sent a statement totalling the amount you’ve spent. You’ll need to pay this balance back in full by a set due date or you’ll be charged a rate of interest on your debt.
Read more: Best cashback apps in 2024
How do air miles credit cards work?
Air miles credit cards work differently depending on the card and its linked air miles scheme.
Most cards will be linked to a specific rewards programme, which means your points will only be valid at selected airlines.
The major exception is American Express and its cards which offers membership rewards points. These can be redeemed at a various air miles programmes such as Emirates Skywards, British Airways Executive Club, and Flying Blue among others.
The best air miles credit cards
Below we list the best options on the market in 2024:
Virgin Atlantic is more than just an airline, and it now offers a rewards credit card which could enhance your experience abroad.
For every pound you spend, Virgin Atlantic will reward you with 0.75 Virgin points. These can later be redeemed for upgrades on flights, take out one of their holiday packages, or spend it at duty free.
To get an understanding of what your points earn, 4,500 gets three cinema tickets and 42,000 gets you a return flight to New York.
Representative Example: 26.9% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 26.9% p.a. (variable).
- Monthly Fee: £0.00
- APR: 26.9%
- Introductory Offer Points: 3,000 bonus points on first card purchase made within 90 days of opening.
If you’re a frequent British Airways traveller, then perhaps this card is better suited for you. With this option your spending earns Avios points, which is used as British Airways’ rewards scheme.
Upon sign up, you’ll earn 5,000 Avios points if you spend £1,000 in the first three months of card membership. After this you’ll earn one Avios point for every pound spent – which is only a third of what the American Express’s British Airways card is offering.
Representative Example: 29.9% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 29.9% p.a. (variable).
- Monthly Fee: £0.00
- APR: 29.9%
- Introductory Offer Points: Collect 5,000 bonus Avios – the cardholder must spend £1,000 on the card in the first three months.
Another way to earn Avios points is to use American Express’s British Airways card.
When you sign up, you’ll receive 5,000 Avios points after spending at least £2,000 in the first three months of card membership. More information on Avios points can be found in our guide.
In addition to this, if you spend £10,000 on your card over the year you’ll earn a companion voucher in any cabin. This means if you book a first class trip to New York you’ll receive a second ticket for your partner or friend to join you. If you’re travelling by yourself, you can knock 50% off the Avios price paid for your flight.
Other perks include earning three Avios points for every pound spent through British Airways, one and a half Avios points on all other purchases, and 9,000 Avios points for inviting a friend to join the programme.
Representative Example: 31% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 31% p.a. (variable).
- Monthly Fee: £0.00
- APR: 31%
- Introductory Offer Points: 5,000 Bonus Avios awarded if the cardholder spends £2,000 within three months of account opening.
This is just a premium version of Barclaycard’s Avios Card, and is perhaps targeted at bigger spenders.
It has a slightly more generous offering of 1.5 Avios points per pound spent and you’ll gain access to over 1,000 airport lounges worldwide at a discounted rate. Whether you think this is worth the monthly fee, however, is up to you.
Representative example: 80.1% APR variable. Based on £20 monthly fee, assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 29.9% p.a. (variable).
- Monthly Fee: £20.00
- APR: 80.1%
- Introductory Offer Points: Collect 25,000 bonus Avios – the cardholder must spend £3,000 on the card in the first three months.
What are the benefits of an air miles credit card?
The main benefit of these cards is that it can significantly boost your air miles with essential spending.
For example, take the Barclaycard Avios card. For every pound you spend you’ll collect a single Avios point and, if you’re a new customer, you can earn 5,000 extra points when joining. Approximately 12,000 of these points will get you a return flight from London to Madrid via economy class. This means, in conjunction with the bonus offer, you can get one of these tickets for free by spending £7,000.
Read more: American Express explained
Travel advantages with American Express
While American Express (Amex) offers a card dedicated to Avios points collectors, some of its other options can offer significant travel advantages. In particular, its flagship membership rewards cards offer airport lounge access, travel insurance, and other benefits.
We’ve already explained how you can use your points at a range of airlines, but you can also use Amex’s own travel portal to book your flights, hotels and cars. The advantage of using this platform is that with some cards you can earn extra membership points.
Why an air miles credit card might not be best for you
Some premium air miles credit cards come with expensive annual fees. So, it’s best to look at your spending and see if you’ll be making more than this sum back in expected air miles.
Other terms and conditions could also make these cards less attractive. For example, you could lose your air miles if you miss your repayments.
Like with other reward cards, there may well be better options if you’re looking to get on top of your debt or build a credit score. We list some of these below.
Are air miles credit cards worth it?
Air miles credit cards can be a great option for some users, especially those who are loyal members of an existing airline rewards system.
If you’re the type of person who shops around for the cheapest air fares, and rarely flies with the same airline, then it can be difficult to use some of these perks. Instead, you may wish to consider other types of rewards cards – such as a cashback credit card.
But if you regularly fly with one airline, and because of this you’ve built up decent air miles, then these cards can provide a handy boost.
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The best way to use an air miles credit card
With any airline or rewards credit card, it’s best to avoid using the perks as an excuse to overspend.
Keep within your budget, because if you can’t pay your balance in full each month you’ll be hit with an interest charge on your balance. If you’re not careful, these charges can rack up and it could potentially cost more than any rewards you’ve earned.
How to earn more air miles
Looking for other ways to give yourself a boost? Here are some of the best ways to collect air miles:
Fly with the same airline
Airlines reward loyal customers. So, it’s worth considering using the same airline to get the most out of one air miles scheme.
Pay for your shopping using your rewards credit card
Earn points every time you pay for petrol or do your weekly food shop. These points all add up, and could be exchanged for air miles with an associated airline.
Check if you can earn air miles on other loyalty programmes
To make sure you’re making the most from your shopping trip, check if you can earn extra air miles from your supermarket’s loyalty scheme.
Tesco’s Clubcard, for example, allows you to transfer your Clubcard points to points to your Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. It could be a great deal, because currently one Clubcard point converts into two Virgin points.
Sainsbury’s Nectar card, meanwhile, allows its users to convert their balance to Avios points.
Read more: The best supermarket loyalty programmes
How to redeem credit card miles to travel
To redeem credit card miles, first check that you can book a rewards flight with a partnering airline. BA, for example, has a flight-finder tool that allows you to see where you can fly with your points, and to check availability.
The value of your points will depend on the airline. If you want free flights, it’s best to be flexible with dates and location.
Once you have chosen your flight, you will then be able to select the option to pay with points.
If you have an American Express card, you will first need to exchange your points for air miles with an associated airline or points programme. You can do this through the online portal.
Alternatives to an air miles credit card
If you’re not a frequent flyer, or if air miles don’t suit you, there may be other credit cards more suitable for your needs.
If you’re keen on a rewards card, there are other options to consider. A cashback credit card could prove useful while other credit cards will boost your loyalty points at various supermarkets. We list your options here.
If you’re looking to pay off an expensive credit card debt instead then a balance transfer credit card could be the most cost effective. We list the best options on the market here.
Otherwise, if you’re looking for a card which provides fee-free spending abroad then a travel credit card could be a good option. We list the best options here.
Important information
Some of the products promoted are from our affiliate partners from whom we receive compensation. While we aim to feature some of the best products available, we cannot review every product on the market.
