By need · 10 cards ranked

Best Airline Credit Cards 2026

Co-branded miles cards ranked by earn rate, free bags and lounge access.

See the ranking
an airport lobby with a view of the tarmac
Market All USAUKAustraliaUAEGermany

Advertiser disclosure: we may earn a commission when you apply through links on this page. Rankings are editorial and not influenced by compensation. How we make money · How we rank

Ranked 1–10 at a glance

RankCardAnnual feeRewardsWelcome offerForeign feeWho qualifiesScore
1
American Express Qantas Ultimate CardFrequent Qantas flyers maximising points and perks
 A$450/yr Up to 1.25 Qantas Points per AUD1 on eligible spend Large Qantas Points bonus after qualifying spend 3% on foreign currency pur… Good to excellent credit history 4.4
2
British Airways American Express Credit CardBA flyers who can hit the spend for a Companion Voucher
 None 1 Avios per GBP1 spent Bonus Avios after meeting an initial spend target 2.99% on foreign currency… Good credit history 4.4
3
Emirates NBD Skywards Signature Credit CardEmirates frequent flyers based in the UAE
 AED 1,573.95/yr Up to 1.5 Skywards Miles per USD1 equivalent spent Welcome Skywards Miles after card activation and spend Foreign currency markup ap… Stable income, UAE residency 4.4
4
Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite MastercardAmerican Airlines flyers who want a free checked bag
 $99/yr 2x miles on American Airlines, gas & restaurants, 1x on everything else 50,000+ AAdvantage bonus miles after meeting the minimum spe… None Good to Excellent (700+) 4.3
5
NAB Qantas Rewards Signature CardQantas frequent flyers wanting premium perks
 A$295/yr Earn Qantas Points per AUD1 on eligible spend Large Qantas Points bonus after qualifying spend 3% on foreign currency pur… Good to excellent credit history 4.3
6
ANZ Frequent Flyer Black Credit CardHigh-spending Qantas flyers wanting premium perks
 A$425/yr Earn Qantas Points per AUD1 on eligible spend Large Qantas Points bonus after qualifying spend 3% on foreign currency pur… Good to excellent credit history 4.2
7
JetBlue Plus CardJetBlue flyers who check bags
 $99/yr 6x points on JetBlue purchases, 2x at restaurants and grocery stores, 1x on ever… Large TrueBlue points bonus after meeting the minimum spend None Good to Excellent (700+) 4.2
8
AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite MastercardAmerican Airlines flyers wanting an easy welcome bonus
 $99/yr 2x AAdvantage miles on eligible American Airlines purchases, 1x on everything el… AAdvantage miles bonus after making a single purchase and pa… None Good to Excellent (700+) 4.1
9
Miles & More Gold Credit CardLufthansa, SWISS and Austrian frequent flyers
 €110/yr Up to 1 mile per euro spent Generous sign-up mileage bonus after first spend Varies; check current term… Positive SCHUFA, regular income 4.1
10
FAB Etihad Guest Platinum Credit CardEtihad flyers who want to earn Etihad Guest Miles on everyday spend
 AED 525/yr 2 Etihad Guest Miles per AED 10 on domestic spend, 3.5 on non-AED international… See issuer for the current offer Up to 2.61% plus VAT and c… Minimum monthly salary AED 8,000 3.9