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Shopping around is always important, especially when it comes to credit cards. We help you compare deals from leading providers across the market so you can be confident to pick the best deal for your needs.
151% of those accepted could save this amount. Calculation based on transferring an average £2,000 balance (UK Finance August 2021) to a 0% card over 12 months, with a 2% balance transfer fee, compared to an average interest of 21% (Bank of England August 2021), minimum repayment of 5% per month. Moneysupermarket.com Limited is a credit broker, not a lender. We compare products from a number of lenders. UK only. 18 years+. Subject to status.
Air miles credit cards allow you to earn points when you spend on the card, which you can then use towards the cost of future trips - and other perks. They can often be used to reduce the cost of flights, put towards upgrades, or to get money off the price of hotels and car hire or even wine, for example.
Aimed at those who travel a lot, the more you spend on the card, the more points you’ll earn. There are many cards on the market and they’re usually tied to particular airline networks, such as the Avios loyalty scheme - where points are converted into British Airways air miles.
Air miles credit cards come with different levels of rewards and often have high annual fees, which can make it confusing to know which one to choose. MoneySuperMarket can help you compare and find the right air miles credit card for you.
When you apply for an air miles credit card, it’s not always clear what deal you’ll be offered or whether you’ll be accepted. But when you’re pre-approved, you know the deal you see is the deal you’ll get – you’ll know where you stand, with information that will help you make the right choice./p>
When you’re pre-approved, the interest rate, interest-free period and any fee are all confirmed – the only thing not guaranteed is your credit limit
You’ll see your chances of being approved for all air miles credit cards, so you can easily compare your options
This helps protect your credit score as you’re less likely to be rejected when you apply
It’s best to think of the points earned on air miles credit cards as rewards points because they do not always equate to actual miles.
When you spend money using the card you’ll accumulate points in an online account. Once you have enough points you can exchange them for free or discounted flights and other benefits when you book.
Airline credit cards often suit people who want to travel often (although they can still pay great rewards and perks to those who don’t). For those who do take many trips the possible benefits might include:
Each time you spend money, you’ll earn points which you can convert into money off flights – often in the form of air miles
You might qualify for access to airport lounges, with benefits such as complimentary food, drinks, wi-fi, newspapers and magazines
Most air miles credit cards offer a generous bonus when you sign up and spend a certain amount in the first three months
Some air miles credit cards offer free companion tickets, so you can take someone with you when you travel
With a sufficient balance of points you can usually secure priority boarding, which lets you get on the plane earlier
Some airlines grant you bonus points if you use their card to buy flights, and you may also be able to top up with your own cash
Air miles credit cards have lots of attractive features, such as cheaper flights, companion flights, lounge access and priority boarding, but they won’t be right for everyone. It will depend on several factors, including how much you spend on your card and how often you travel with the airlines where you can redeem your points.
Typically, air miles cards are most suitable for frequent flyers who spend a lot on their credit card. Air miles cards often charge an annual usage fee – so if you aren’t going to build up a big tally of points the value of any rewards could soon be outweighed by the charges – making it not worthwhile.
Like all credit cards, it’s important to pay off your card balance in full every month or high interest rates will be applied. You should also never use the air miles credit card to withdraw cash as the fees and rates for this can be high.
When comparing air miles cards there are a number of factors to consider, such as:
Be confident you’ll be able to spend on your air miles credit card in enough places to earn sufficient points. Not all retailers accept all cards
Make sure you’re happy to be flying with the network of airlines linked to your air miles card. Most cards are tied to a particular network
Consider the annual fee and decide whether you’ll earn enough air miles points each year to make the benefits worthwhile – and also that you’ll make use of the rewards
Keep an eye on your credit score. A good credit rating gives you the best chance of being accepted for the top deals on air miles credit cards
There are a number of things to think about before you get an air miles card. Are you a high spender? Air miles credit cards tend to work best for those who spend £10,000 or more on their credit card every year. Factor in any annual charges applied on the card – and be sure the points and miles you’ll earn will be more than enough to cover the fee.
Think also about whether you’ll be able to pay off your card balance in full every month. Air miles credit cards typically charge a higher APR than standard credit cards, so you should pay off your balance in full each month.
Air miles cards tend to work best if you use them for all your regular day to day spending – building up a big points balance. But if you’re concerned it might tempt you into over-spending, or there’s a risk you’ll get into debt they’re probably best avoided. You really need to be paying off the balance in full each month to be getting the maximum rewards.
There’s a credit card to suit almost everyone, so if airline rewards and frequent flier miles aren’t quite what you're after, consider one of the following:
These cards earn you store points or vouchers that you can spend with certain retailers
This type of card pays you back between about 1% and 4% of everything you spend
Instead of rewards, these cards charge 0% interest on spending for a period
These complement airline cards, and make spending cheaper while you’re overseas
These are designed to let you consolidate debt and reduce how much interest you pay
If you feel that an airline credit card could be right for you, the next step is to use the MoneySuperMarket Eligibility Checker to see what cards are available – and which are most likely to approve you:
We’ll ask you a handful of simple questions about you and your financial circumstances, and what you need from a credit card
We’ll sift through dozens of credit card offers from across the market, and then show you the cards we think will suit you best
You’ll be shown a range of credit cards, which you’ll then be able to sort according to APR, features and your chances of being approved
This will depend on your lifestyle and spending habits. If you are a frequent flyer and have a high annual spend on your credit card – over £10,000, for example – then an air miles credit card could work in your favour. But often air miles credit cards come with higher fees than cashback cards, so the latter might be a better option if you typically spend less and don’t travel as much.
Air miles are provided on specialist credit cards where you might have to pick between your chosen airline schemes, such as Avios from British Airways or Virgin Atlantic. Some air miles credit cards such as those from American Express also let you earn rewards you can use on both schemes. Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club cards are also popular and powered by Mastercard
Always check the terms and conditions of a card before signing up to see what air miles you might receive depending on how often you travel and how much you spend.
If you’re applying for a credit card, you might be able to find a better deal if you look through offers from different providers before taking one out. With MoneySuperMarket you’ll be able to search through multiple credit cards and compare them by a range of factors, including their interest rates and any benefits and rewards they come with.
All you need to do is answer a few questions about yourself and your financial situation, and our Eligibility Checker will show your chances of being accepted for different credit cards. This won’t affect your credit score, so you can run a check without any worries.
Once you know which card you want, you can normally apply by phone, online, or in person if the provider has a high street branch. However, when you do apply, the provider will usually run a hard credit check – which will show up on your credit report – to confirm whether they’ll give you the card. If you’re accepted they’ll tell you your credit limit and interest rate, and soon you’ll be ready to start using your credit card.
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But you might have other questions. Do we provide access to all the companies operating in a given market? Do we have commercial relationships or ownership ties that might make us feature one company above another?
We commit to providing you with clear and informative answers on all points such as this, so we have gathered the relevant information on this page.