Best Airline Credit Cards: Soar Smarter in 2025

For the frequent flyer and the occasional traveler alike, the right airline credit card can transform your travel experience from a mere commute to a journey filled with perks and potential savings. In 2025, the landscape of airline credit cards is more diverse than ever, offering a plethora of benefits designed to cater to a wide spectrum of travel habits and brand loyalties. Choosing the ideal one requires careful consideration of your preferred airlines, typical spending, and the value you place on various travel benefits.

Best for Flexible redemption + big bonus
With this card, you can earn rewards — known as Ultimate Rewards® points — in a variety of ways and redeem them strategically for travel. Options include using your points to book travel directly through Chase, or transferring them to more than a dozen loyalty programs, including heavy hitters such as United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Marriott and Hyatt. And it works hand-in-hand with other Chase cards that also earn Ultimate Rewards® points.

Best for Delta Air Lines
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card's distinctive feature lies in its valuable Delta-specific perks such as priority boarding on Delta flights, a free first checked bag for the cardholder and up to eight companions traveling on the same reservation, and earning Medallion® Qualification Dollars (MQDs) to help achieve Delta elite status, directly enhancing the travel experience for Delta loyalists.

Best for Southwest Airlines
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card includes four upgraded boardings per year (when available) and an annual $75 Southwest travel credit, directly providing tangible benefits that enhance the Southwest Airlines flying experience and offer direct cost savings for frequent Southwest customers.

Best for International airline card
This card provides cardholders with benefits within the expansive Air Canada Aeroplan loyalty program, including Air Canada elite status qualification boosts, free first checked bag on Air Canada flights, and potential for better award flight availability within the Star Alliance network, catering specifically to international travelers and those within the Aeroplan ecosystem.

Best for JetBlue Airways
The uniquely valuable feature of this card is the annual statement credit it provides after spending a certain amount each year, combined with a free checked bag and discount on in-flight purchases, directly enhancing the travel experience and providing cost savings for frequent JetBlue flyers.