Airline Credit Cards Earn miles for free flights worldwide

Earn flights worldwide for you and your partner, just for spending on a different piece of plastic. Frequent flyer credit cards are an easy way to travel the world in luxury at a reduced cost.

This is full guide to the top paying airline credit cards, how to use them, boost your miles and do it all safely.

Who should get one?

Airline credit cards are an extension of frequent flyer programmes. You earn miles or points as you spend, not as you fly, plus you can get bonus ones for signing up.

Miles earned from spending can be combined with those you've earned from flying � or through other credit card reward schemes, such as converting Tesco Clubcard points. Added together, you can build up your stash much more quickly. See Boost Avios Points for full info.

When you've collected enough miles they can be converted into flights (taxes and charges must still be paid). Availability is much more limited than when paying for flights, so ensure you're flexible when booking.

One thing to bear in mind...

The more you spend, the more often you fly, and the further you go, the better these cards are for you.

For that reason, we've focused this guide on higher spenders. If that's not you, read the Top Cashback Credit Card and Cheap Flights guides.

If you think frequent flyer miles cards are for you...

And always remember...

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

Card companies offer reward schemes because they want to encourage you to spend on the card so they can earn interest from it. If you don't repay IN FULL by direct debit, the interest cost on all reward cards will dwarf any gain you get.

Pre-apply to check eligibility with NO credit file mark

The cards in this guide have two links - one is directly to the card, the other is to a tool we've designed to help you check if you might be eligible for the card.

We do a 'soft' credit search which YOU can see, but lenders CAN'T, so it has no impact on your future creditworthiness.

We map the details you give us against lenders' criteria, and show your chances both for the specific card that you've followed the link from, and for the other top picks on this page.

The top frequent flyer credit cards

We've crunched the numbers on the big frequent flyer credit cards to narrow down the best way to earn miles while you spend.

All the top cards are American Express - which isn't as widely-accepted as Visa or Mastercard in smaller stores. We can't find any decent non-Amex options but some cards offer a Mastercard/Visa on the same account, although the miles here aren't as good.

Don't compare miles or points per pound spent across different schemes as they vary. It's all about how far you can fly on different spending.

Top Avios cards

It's also possible to earn Avios points with the Tesco credit card, but this never comes top - the main advantage here is spreading the cost of a big purchase (see 0% Spending Cards).

Fee-free cards:

No minimum income, but decent rewards*Lloyds Duo - Taxes not included

• Intro Avios
• 15,000
• Get it*

• Standard miles: 1 for every �1
• Rep variable APR: 17.9% Official APR example
• Annual fee: N/A
• Min income: N/A
• Miles expire: 3 years after you collect your last. Can I buy extra miles?

Good if... you're a lower earner and not interested in the companion flight

London to...	Paris	New York	Cape Town
Class	Econ	Econ	Biz
Passengers	1	2�	2
Spend �	�9,000	�80,000	�200,000
Approx taxes	�95	�660	�1,120

The Lloyds Duo Avios* (you can use our�pre-application eligibility checker�for this card) gives one Avios point for every �1 spent. It comes with both an Amex and a Mastercard, though only spend on the Amex as it gives the most points.

Introductory offer: 15,000 Avios POINTS

Apply before 13 September 2013 and you'll get a 15,000 Avios points voucher if you spend �500/mth in the first three months on the Amex. See below for examples and more details.

For additional ways to earn with Avios, including converting Tesco Clubcard points, see Boost Avios Points. Ensure you repay in full to avoid the 17.9% representative APR. If you want to boost miles further, there's also the Lloyds Premier Duo card below.

Discuss the Lloyds Duo credit cards in the forum discussion

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• What can the voucher be used for? For 15,000 Avios points you can get a 9,000 point return ticket on Eurostar and pay no taxes, with points to spare. Alternatively you can get a return flight to Barcelona or Rome, although you'll be charged �30 for taxes.
  
  Existing points can also be combined with the points, allowing you to go even further (see the Avios site for where you can go). Read more info on how to spend points in the Avios Boosting guide.
• Are there any restrictions? No, the points will be credited to your Avios account so you can put the points towards a flight or use them all, it's up to you.
• What airlines can miles be redeemed against? Avios can be redeemed on BA and other Oneworld carriers, including American Airlines, Quantas and Cathay Pacific.
• Additional cardholder: If you're in a trusting relationship, you can boost Avios further by adding a partner to your account. The points accumulated when they spend will also be added to your account, making your points grow quicker.

Companion ticket on �20k spend* BA Amex - Taxes not included.

• Intro Avios
• 9,000
• Get it*

• Standard miles: 1 for every �1
• Rep variable APR: 15.9% Official APR example
• Annual fee: N/A
• Min income: �30,000 household
• Miles expire 3 years after you collect your last. Can I buy extra miles?

Good if... you're a higher earner but want a fee-free card, with the opportunity to get a companion ticket

On the BA Amex* (you can use our�pre-application eligibility checker�for this card) you accrue one Avios point for every �1 spent. In addition, spend �20,000 on your card in a year and you'll get a free companion ticket to use when you redeem your miles.

So it's good for bigger-spending couples, wanting long-haul flights - though you must pay taxes and charges.

London to...	Paris	New York	Cape Town
Class	Econ	Econ	Biz
Passengers	1	2	2
Spend �	�9,000	�40,000	�100,000
Approx taxes	�95	�660	�1,120

Introductory offer: 9,000 Avios

Apply now and you'll get an extra 9,000 Avios if you spend �500 within the first three months.

For additional ways to earn with Avios, including converting Tesco Clubcard points, see Boost Your Avios Points. Be sure you repay in full, otherwise the gain will be eroded by the 15.9% representative APR.

If you want to boost your Avios quicker, and will make paying an annual fee worthwhile, see the BA Premier Plus card below.

Discuss the British Airways credit cards in the forum discussion

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• What airlines can miles be redeemed against? Avios can be redeemed on BA and other Oneworld airlines, including American Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Qantas. See the Avios site for where you can go.
• Companion ticket: The companion flight can be used to get the same ticket type as the cardholder (if you go first class, so do they), though only on BA. It's valid for 12 months. You'll also need to pay taxes and charges. You can continue to collect points after it has been issued, but ensure you leave enough time as seat numbers can be limited when redeeming miles.
• Additional cardholder: If you're in a trusting relationship, you can boost Avios further by adding a partner to your account. The points accumulated when they spend will also be added to your account, making your points grow quicker.

Big annual fee - but worth it for huge spenders:

BA Premium Plus Amex* �150 annual fee. Companion ticket with �10k+ spend.

• Intro Avios
• 25,000
• Get it*

• Standard miles: 1.5 for every �1
• Rep variable APR: 56.4% Official APR example
• Annual fee: �150
• Min income: �30,000 household
• Miles expire 3 years after you collect your last. Can I buy extra miles?

Good if... you'll spend enough to make the fee worthwhile, and will use the companion ticket

The BA Premium Plus Amex* (you can use our�pre-application eligibility checker�for this card) gives 1.5 Avios points for every �1 spent. With this card, the threshold to get the companion ticket is �10,000. See Boost Your Avios for additional ways to earn Avios.

London to...	Paris	New York	Cape Town
Class	Econ	Econ	Biz
Passengers	1	2	2
Spend �	�6,000	�26,666	�66,666
Approx taxes	�95	�660	�1,120

The annual fee on this card is a huge �150 and will show on your first statement. Be sure you'll use the points, otherwise you're just wasting cash. The APR on purchases is 19.9% (or 56.4% representative including the annual fee).

Introductory offer: 25,000 Avios

Apply now and you'll get an extra 25,000 Avios points, if you spend �3,000 within the first three months. That's enough for a flight to Istanbul, though you'll need to pay taxes on top.

Discuss the British Airways credit cards in the forum discussion

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• What airlines can miles be redeemed against? Avios can be redeemed on BA and other Oneworld airlines, including American Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Qantas. See the Avios site for where you can go.
• Companion ticket: The companion flight can be used to get the same ticket type as the card holder, though only on BA. It's valid for 24 months. You'll also need to pay taxes and charges. You can continue to collect points after it has been issued, but ensure you leave enough time as seat numbers can be limited when redeeming points.
• Additional cardholder: If you're in a trusting relationship, you can boost Avios further by adding a partner to your account. The points accumulated when they spend will also be added to your account, making your points grow quicker.

Lloyds Premier Duo Avios Amex* �50 annual fee. Companion ticket with �15k+ spend.

• Intro Avios
• 20,000
• Get it*

• Standard miles: 1.25 for every �1
• Rep variable APR: 23.7% Official APR example
• Annual fee: �50
• Min income: N/A
• Miles expire 3 years after you collect your last. Can I buy extra miles?

Good if... you're a bigger spender but want a lower fee

On the Lloyds Premier Duo Avios Amex* (you can use our�pre-application eligibility checker�for this card) you earn a big 1.25 Avios per �1 spent. However, there is a �50 annual fee.

If you reach �15,000 spend in a year, you'll get a worldwide companion ticket (you'll still need to pay taxes), which can be used when redeeming your Avios points. However, unlike other companion tickets this can only be used on BA economy.

If you don't think you'll spend that much or don't need the extra flight, it's not worth paying the fee - you might want to consider the fee-free version above.

London to...	Paris	New York	Cape Town
Class	Econ	Econ	Biz
Passengers	1	2	2
Spend �	�7,200	�32,000	�160,000
Approx Taxes	�95	�660	�1,120

The APR on purchases is 13.95% (or 23.7% representative APR including the annual fee). For additional ways to earn Avios, including converting Tesco Clubcard points, see Boost Your Avios.

Introductory offer: 20,000 Avios

Apply before 13 September 2013 and you'll get a 20,000 Avios voucher, if you spend �500/mth in the first three months on the Amex. You must use all 20,000 points in one booking and you must book at least two nights in a hotel via the Avios site. It can be used for more than one passenger and is valid for 12 months.

Discuss the Lloyds Duo credit cards in the forum discussion

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• What can the points be used for? You can get two flights to any zone one destination which includes Paris, Nice or Copenhagen or one flight to Marrakech or Istanbul plus �30 in taxes.
  
  Existing Avios can also be combined with the points, allowing you to go even further (see the Avios site for where you can go). Read more info on how to spend miles in the Avios Boosting guide.
• What airlines can miles be redeemed against? Avios can be redeemed on BA and other Oneworld airlines, including American Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Qantas. See the Avios site for where you can go.
• Companion ticket: The companion ticket here (valid for 12 months from issue) is more restrictive than on the BA cards; you can only get it for British Airways economy flights. You'll still have to pay taxes and charges on top.
• Additional cardholder: If you're in a trusting relationship, you can boost Avios further by adding a partner to your account. The points accumulated when they spend will also be added to your account, making your points grow quicker.

Confusingly, both the BA Executive Club and Iberia Plus points are called Avios too. Avios points are worth the same, regardless of scheme.

Avios says the main Avios scheme's better for irregular travellers and the BA Executive Club's best for frequent flyers, offering benefits such as free airport lounge access. However, you can move or pool Avios and BA Executive Club points at any time, so if you change your mind later, it doesn't matter.

Top Virgin Airlines card:

Flying Club miles plus companion ticket on �15k spend* Virgin Atlantic White - Taxes not included.

• Intro miles
• 3,000
• Get it*

• Standard miles: 1 mile for every �1
• Rep variable APR: 17.9% Official APR example
• Annual fee: N/A
• Min income: N/A
• Miles expire: 3 years after you collect your last. Can I buy extra miles?

Good if... you're looking for an alternative to the Avios scheme

The Virgin Atlantic White* card (you can use our pre-application eligibility checker for this card) gives one Flying Club mile for every �1 spent. It comes with both an Amex and a Visa, though only spend on the Amex as it gives the most miles. In addition, spend �15,000 on your card in a year and you'll get a free companion ticket to use when you redeem your miles.

London to...	E'burgh	New York	Cape Town
Class	Econ	Econ	Upper
Passengers	1	2	2
Spend	�7,500	�35,000	�120,000
Approx taxes	�100	�700	�1,300

You can boost miles by converting Tesco Clubcard points. You'll get 625 miles for every �2.50 of vouchers. See the Tesco site for full details.

Be sure you repay in full, otherwise the gain will be eroded by the 17.9% representative APR.

Introductory offer: 3,000 FLYING CLUB MILES

Apply now and you'll get an extra 3,000 Flying Club miles when you make your first purchase within 90 days. The bonus won't get you very far, as Virgin tends to fly further afield, although it now offers flights from London to Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Manchester (7,500 miles needed).

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• What airlines can miles be redeemed against? Flying Club miles can be redeemed on Virgin Atlantic and partner airlines including ANA, Jet, Singapore Airlines and US Airways. See the Virgin site for where you can go.
• Companion ticket: The companion flight can be used to get the same ticket type as the cardholder (if you go first class, so do they), though only on Virgin Atlantic. It's valid for 12 months. You'll also need to pay taxes and charges. You can continue to collect points after it has been issued, but ensure you leave enough time as seat numbers can be limited when redeeming miles.
• Additional cardholder: If you're in a trusting relationship, you can boost your Flying Club miles further by adding a partner to your account. The miles accumulated when they spend will also be added to your account, making your points grow quicker.

Can I buy extra points or miles?

All the above schemes allow you to buy extra points or miles, so if you're just short, you can top them up. Better still, if you're collecting miles and also redeeming a companion flight, you effectively get double the value.

Once you have joined your scheme, extra points or miles can be bought online at Avios, British Airways or Virgin Atlantic. Watch for promotions - sometimes you can get up to 30% extra free.

Think before adding the 'insurance'

Payment protection insurance is commonly sold with credit cards - the idea is it'll make some payments for you, usually for a year, if you are unable to (eg, if you lose your job).

There have been hundreds of thousands of cases where it has been mis-sold where borrowers didn't realise they were signing up for it, or it was totally unsuitable for them, and some big lenders have been fined.

The protection isn't always bad, though policies sold with cards are often overpriced (you pay a monthly amount depending on the size of your balance). If you want it, compare the lender's cover with standalone providers such as Paymentcare or Best Insurance.

Always be vigilant to check you aren't getting more than you bargained for when you fill in the application, then check your statement each month to check you aren't inadvertently paying for extras if you didn't ask for them.

How to get the best out of these cards

For some, it's possible to use nifty tricks to really rack up the miles...

• Long-haul and business class provide best value
  Using your miles for long-haul business class flights gives you a substantially better cash equivalent return - on some cards with companion tickets, you can get up to 5% back on your spending on the card. All the schemes require you to pay taxes, which defeats much of the gain on short-haul trips.
  
  This is, of course, at business class flights' list value, and you pay a huge amount more for that extra comfort - many days' worth of five-star hotels. So it depends on how much you value flying business, as you get more flights using your miles for economy trips and don't have to wait as long to earn enough.
• Use it for ALL spending
  These cards are designed to encourage you to spend. Obviously we'd never want you to spend more than you need. Instead, use the card for all normal day-to-day purchases, instead of debit cards, or cash, cheques or other credit cards. Then set up a direct debit to repay in full each month and you'll soon see the miles adding up.
  
  Beware of setting up regular payments from it, or any other credit card, though. These are technically called recurring payments and unfortunately, unlike standing orders or direct debits, once set up you can't cancel them, only the company you're paying can. If you're in dispute, this can be a nightmare (see the Recurring Payments guide for more).
• Plus you get extra protection too, click here to find out more
  There's another big bonus to using any credit card. You actually have far more consumer protection. This all comes about due to what's called Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, which says...
  
  75. � (1) If the debtor under a debtor-creditor-supplier agreement falling within section 12(b) or (c) has, in relation to a transaction financed by the agreement, any claim against the supplier in respect of a misrepresentation or breach of contract, he shall have a like claim against the creditor, who, with the supplier, shall accordingly be jointly and severally liable to the debtor.
  
  

  Which of course, reads like gobbledegook... yet in a nutshell means:

  Buy something costing over �100, here or abroad, and pay on a credit card, and the card issuer's equally liable if something goes wrong.

  Now this protection only applies to credit cards, not debit cards or any other plastic, but it's hugely important, especially in the current credit crunch climate. If you order something and the retailer went kaput, you'd still be able to claim your money back from the card company. Read a full guide to Section 75 refunds.

• Make your partner a cardholder too
  Assuming you are in a trusting relationship, arrange for a second card on the same account for your partner, so both your spending collects the miles. 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.
  
• Use companion tickets wisely
  Some frequent flyer programmes give you a companion ticket over a certain amount of spending. This means you get to take someone else with you under exactly the same conditions for no extra miles.
  
  In other words if you're going business to Miami, they come for free (though most cards require you to pay taxes for both as well).
  
  If your card does that, it's worth waiting until you've got the companion voucher before spending your miles as you get much better value from them. Remember, they usually only last a year.
• If you can use it for expenses
  For those who have work expenses they need to reclaim, this can be a powerful way to earn more miles 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 (you'll still be up even if it is though).
• Keep your eye open for miles sales
  In recent years, frequent flyer schemes have done miles sales, which temporarily reduce the number of miles or points needed to fly somewhere. Be ready to pounce if they happen.
• Ensure you claim miles when you fly too
  These cards are just one part of frequent flyer schemes.
  
  You also earn miles when you fly, so make sure that whenever you go on a qualifying airline, you claim the miles to maximise the gain. With Avios, you can also earn points for spending in various places - see the Boost Your Avios guide.
  

Beware of transfers or cash withdrawals

It's important to understand you normally only earn the miles when you spend on the card. Other transactions don't apply. Worse still, there can actually be nasty consquences for doing anything other than spending on a frequent flyer card.

• Never use frequent flyer cards for withdrawing cash
  Withdraw cash and you'll often be charged a fee. Even if you pay the card off in full, you'll usually be charged some interest. The rule's simple: never, ever, ever use these cards for cash withdrawals.
• Avoid balance transfers on a frequent flyer card
  It's no coincidence that some frequent flyer cards offer miles when you transfer a balance � they want to tempt you to both spend on the card and shift debts to them. As you'll be unlikely to repay the balance in full every month, you'll end up paying the interest which will eat away any gain.
  
  However, if the card is offering 0% on balance transfers, you can use it to your advantage. Card providers must allocate repayments to the most expensive debt first, so as long as you fully repay the spending amount each month, you won't be charged interest. You must ensure you repay in full before the 0% ends.
  
  This can get complicated, so usually the best option is to use separate cards for earning miles and balance transfers (see the Balance Transfers article).