Best credit cards for flights
Ranked by what each card returns on flights alone, using Miles' default point valuations. The right card for you depends on the rest of your wallet: a high flights rate is worth less than it looks if you would never use the rest of the card.
Tied best:Airlines
Amex Platinum
5X American Express Membership Rewards7.5% return
$895 annual fee
capped at $500,000/year, then 1X
Tied best:Airlines
Platinum Card for Morgan Stanley
5X American Express Membership Rewards7.5% return
$895 annual fee
capped at $500,000/year, then 1X · Up to $500K/yr
Tied best:Airlines
Platinum Card for Schwab
5X American Express Membership Rewards7.5% return
$895 annual fee
capped at $500,000/year, then 1X · Up to $500K/yr
The rest
| Card | Return | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Sapphire Reserve4X Chase Ultimate Rewards | 6% | $795 |
| Sapphire Reserve for BusinessBusiness4X Chase Ultimate Rewards | 6% | $795 |
| Autograph Journey4X Wells Fargo Rewards | 5.6% | $95 |
| Premier Autograph Visa Infinite4X Wells Fargo Rewards | 5.6% | $95 |
| Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard2X Amtrak Guest Rewards | 5.12% | $99 |
| Amex Gold3X American Express Membership Rewards | 4.5% | $325 |
| Ink Business PreferredBusiness3X Chase Ultimate Rewards capped at $150,000/year, then 1X · Up to $150K/yr | 4.5% | $95 |
| Strata Premier3X Citi ThankYou Rewards | 4.5% | $95 |
| Aeroplan Card3X Air Canada Aeroplan | 4.2% | $195 |
| Autograph3X Wells Fargo Rewards | 4.2% | $0 |
| IHG One Rewards Premier Select6X IHG One Rewards | 3.54% | $350 |
| Altitude Connect Visa Signature4X US Bank Altitude Points | 3.2% | $0 |
Showing the top 15 of 91 cards that return above 1.5% on flights. 42 of them earn a flights bonus. Browse them all →