Best Airlines To Travel In And How To Book With Your Credit Card Rewards (2024)

While there are several airlines that will proverbially take you across the pond—whichever pond that is—there are two standouts from both an onboard quality standpoint as well as the ease of earning rewards within the respective loyalty programs.

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines operates several flights from the United States to its hub in Istanbul and continuing on to various destinations. In its premium-class cabins, you can expect an upgraded service including catering from Turkish signature Flying Chefs, some of the most comfortable seats in the air and Ferragamo amenity kits.

Not only is Turkish Airlines enjoyable when up in the air, but it’s a breeze to book award flights since the is a transfer partner of Bilt Rewards, Capital One rewards and Citi ThankYou® Points.

There’s plenty of credit card options that can help you beef up your Miles&Smiles balances, as well.

• Bilt World Elite Mastercard® (rates & fees)
• Venture X Business*
• Citi Premier® Card*

If you’re flush with United MileagePlus miles from either being an avid United flyer or holding one of the many co-branded credit cards, you can use those miles to book flights on Turkish Airlines as both are part of the Star Alliance airline partnership.

Qatar Airways

Qatar is another top-notch airline to fly with in style, where you can enjoy truly luxurious business-class cabins. For example, its Qsuite configuration—dubbed “first class in business” offers much of what you’d see in first class, like a la carte dining and enclosed pods for added privacy.

Qatar Airways is rather versatile when it comes to booking flights, thanks to its partnership with Alaska Airlines. You can leverage your Mileage Plan miles to book award flights. And, since Qatar Airways Privilege Club uses the same Avios as British Airways, Aer Lingus and Iberia, you can take advantage of transfers between those programs.

Moreover, each of the following cards offer a generous welcome bonus:

• British Airways Visa Signature® Card
• Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card
• Iberia Visa Signature® Card

You can combine those Avios earned from your card with British Airways and then transfer them to Qatar Airways Privilege Club to book your flights.

Qatar Airways is also a transfer partner of Citi ThankYou Points and American Express Membership Rewards®. So holding cards like the Citi Premier® Card* or The Platinum Card® from American Express (terms apply, see rates & fees) allows you to top off your Avios balances.

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The Platinum Card® from American Express

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Rates & Fees/ Terms Apply

4.8

Forbes Advisor created additional star ratings so that you can see the best card for specific needs. This card shines for this use, but overall the star ratings may differ when compared to other cards.

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5X Reward Rate

Earn 5 Membership Rewards Points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel and on flights booked directlyRead More

Welcome Bonus

Earn 80,000 points

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Annual Fee

$695

Regular APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Score

Good,Excellent(700 - 749)

Editorial Review

The Platinum Card is destined for frequent travelers who intend to fully leverage the rich set of luxury travel benefits and Platinum Concierge service. In the right hands, the classic status card’s staggering annual fee is well justified.

Pros & Cons

• High reward potential on flights and hotels booked through American Express Travel
• Multiple credits can help justify the fee
• Comprehensive airport lounge access
• Luxury travel benefits and elite status with Hilton and Marriott with enrollment

• Very high annual fee
• Maximizing the statement credits takes some work and could be impractical for many
• Reward rate outside of travel is sub-par for a premium card

Card Details

• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
• $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peaco*ck, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market. As of 03/2023.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
• $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
• $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
• Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 year period for TSA PreCheck® application fee for a 5-year plan only (through a TSA PreCheck® official enrollment provider), when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
• $695 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

Delta Air Lines

If punctuality takes precedence for you over luxury, check out Delta—the most on-time U.S. airline according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Delta offers a slew of co-branded credit cards but some options stand out more than others. Take the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (terms apply, see rates & fees), for example. It offers a mix of benefits and features in exchange for its $650 annual fee. Every year the card grants a companion pass valid for a round-trip ticket to select locations in First Class, Comfort+ or Main Cabin, access to the Delta Sky Clubs and a 15% discount on all award flights booked using your SkyMiles. Effective 2/1/25, cardholders will receive 15 Delta Sky Club visits per year; unlimited visits can be earned when total purchases exceed $75,000 in 2024 and each calendar year thereafter.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines’ ticket change policy is the most generous of any domestic airline. It allows you to change your mind up to 10 minutes before your scheduled departure without incurring any fees.

One of the best ways to supercharge your mileage with Southwest is via a Southwest co-branded credit card, all of which come with a welcome bonus. Plus, you’ll be earning Rapid Rewards points through everyday spend. You can choose from the several options:

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card*

Air Canada offers one of the widest networks of partners to book award travel with. In fact, Air Canada’s Aeroplan loyalty program has more than 50 partners, allowing you to redeem your miles to get pretty much anywhere you’d ever want to go.

Air Canada offers its own Aeroplan® Credit Card to earn those coveted points, including a substantial welcome bonus to get you jump started. You’ll earn 70,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening.

If you do not fly Air Canada often, there are plenty of other cards that can help you reach the same goal. Membership Rewards-earning Amex cards like the following allow you to transfer your points into the Aeroplan program.

• American Express® Gold Card (terms apply, see rates & fees)
• American Express® Green Card*

As will eligible Ultimate Rewards-earning Chase-issued cards, like:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Since Bilt Rewards is also a transfer partner of Aeroplan, the Bilt Mastercard lets you earn rewards that transfer at a sometimes better than 1:1 ratio, thanks to Bilt promos. If you are a renter, you can use this card to pay your monthly rent without any transaction fees and get rewards for doing so, up to 100,000 points in a calendar year. You must use the card five times each statement period to earn points (rewards & benefits).

All information about American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Forbes Advisor

Frontier Airlines is a low-cost carrier with flights that span the U.S. from coast to coast. And if you’re looking to minimize your expenses for Point A to Point B travel, Frontier may have one of the best deals in the industry.

Frontier Airlines offers an annual pass for only $599 where you can fly an unlimited number of flights from May 1, 2024 until April 30, 2025. Technically, the airline can’t offer you the flights for free but instead will sell you the flight for $0.01 plus government taxes and fees. You’ll be able to confirm your seat the day before you fly for flights within the U.S. and ten days before departure for international flights. This gives you the chance to hop on a flight to nearly anywhere in the route network with last minute availability. As you can imagine, there are a lot of terms and conditions that apply to the Go Wild Pass, so make sure to understand and read the fine print before diving in.

If the flight you want isn’t available for the Go Wild pass, then consider using some of the points that you’ll earn from signing up for Frontier Airlines World Mastercard®*. You’ll earn miles on every purchase which can help you work toward elite status with the airline, enjoy priority boarding and more.

It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for over-the-top opulence in first class, the fastest route, the cheapest tickets or simply an airline that can get you to your destination on time every time, choosing from these airlines will set your next trip off on the right foot.

To view rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for American Express® Gold Card please visit this page.