In this article, we’re going to share where you can get the best credit card with air miles in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.
This article is part of our free series on how to unlock the best credit cards, including US credit cards for European residents, which you can access by clicking here.
That said, if you’re looking for the best UK credit card with air miles continue reading below. This article will help you navigate the available options and share the most important factors to consider.
Feel free to use the table of contents to jump ahead to any sections that are immediately relevant to your search.
Table of Contents
- Credit Card With Air Miles
- Features of a Credit Card With Air Miles
- How to Apply for Credit Cards With Air Miles
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Ready to Open Accounts With Banks in the USA?
Credit Card With Air Miles
Credit card with air miles refers to a card that allows you to earn travel rewards points every time you use your card. In the United Kingdom, cardholders can earn points for British Airways via Avios cards and Virgin Atlantic via Virgin Points cards. Several card issuers offer these cards, including Barclays, Tesco, and American Express.
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Cards With Miles Credit
As mentioned, several credit card issuers offer credit cards with air miles. However, not all cards are created equal. And, in most cases, a credit card will earn air miles on a designated airline. So, you must decide which airline you are most likely to travel on before choosing a card.
Additionally, unlike all of the other available cards, American Express air miles allow credit card holders to earn points that can be used across multiple airlines. This is especially valuable for anyone looking to fly outside of British Airlines or Virgin. After American Express air miles (member rewards points) are earned, they can be transferred to many major airlines around the world.
That said, there are other factors that prospective cardholders need to consider before selecting a card, especially if you’re looking for the best first credit card for young adults. We’re going to look at many of these factors in the next section of the article.
Features of a Credit Card With Air Miles
Features of a credit card with air miles that most people look for are a combination of travel benefits and cost-effectiveness. Here is a list of some of the most important features worth considering.
Important Card Features
- Earning air miles on your preferred airline
- Automotive insurance for travelling
- Personal travel insurance
- Flight cancellation insurance
- Lost baggage insurance
- No foreign transaction fees
- Low annual maintenance fees
- Low annual percentage rate (APR)
We’ll take a closer look at a few of these features in the following section.
Credit Cards With Low Annual Fees
Credit cards with low annual fees typically do not offer air miles or membership rewards. Instead, cards that earn travel points tend to have higher fees because they offer significantly more benefits. That said, it is possible to offset annual fees in some instances and many card issuers offer no fees in the first year of holding a card.
Credit Cards With Low-Interest Rates
Credit cards with low-interest rates are important for anyone that plans to carry a balance on their credit card. But another feature to consider is the ability to actually carry a balance. While most credit cards do allow cardholders to incur credit, American Express cards are typically “charge cards” that have to be paid off each month.
Other Credit Card Benefits
Other credit card benefits that are important to consider for anyone that is planning to use their card to book travel include the available travel insurance benefits. For example, many credit cards will allow the cardholder to waive rental car insurance. Likewise, certain cards will offer insurance in case a flight is cancelled or bags are lost.
These may be important features for anyone that plans to travel frequently and is looking for a credit card that can help offset some of the additional expenses.
How to Apply for Credit Cards With Air Miles
To apply for credit cards with air miles, you first need to determine the specific benefits you’re looking to obtain and then identify the cards that match your goals.
In most cases, this includes a combination of travel rewards points, cash-back offers, travel perks like insurance, and no foreign transaction fees, and low annual maintenance fees.
Not surprisingly, it can be difficult to find a card that matches all of your goals. So, instead, we suggest focusing on which cards offer points on the airlines that you are most likely to fly.
Then you can narrow down your options by deciding which of those cards offer the best combination of benefits for the least cost.
Note About Applying for Credit Cards
When it comes time to apply for a credit card, it’s important to choose cards that you are qualified for. This is because, every time you apply for a credit card, the card issuer reviews your credit history which can negatively impact your score.
For example, if you continue to apply for cards that you are not qualified for, you will end up with multiple pulls which could negatively impact your credit history and further reduce the possible cards that you can access.
Air Miles vs Rewards Points
Lastly, it’s important to note that in most cases air miles are designated for a specific airline, like British Airways or Virgin Atlantic. However, when you earn Rewards Points from American Express, you are able to earn points across a wide range of airlines. This provides you with access to many different options to spend your points and often makes Membership Rewards points more attractive to cardholders.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are three of the most common questions that we receive from people looking into applying for a credit card with air miles. If you have further questions you would like answered, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us directly.
What Is an Air Miles Credit Card?
An air miles credit card is a card that earns travel rewards points any time the card is used to make a purchase. Different countries offer a different range of air mile credit cards, often varying in the number of points earned and the airlines available. For example, most UK credit cards support British Airways and Virgin, while most US credit cards support international and domestic carriers.
Are There Any Drawbacks to Having an Air Miles Credit Card?
Yes, there are drawbacks to having an air miles credit card. The most important drawback to consider is the annual fee that is often charged for maintaining the card. Additionally, in many cases, you need to maintain the card to keep the air miles that you have earned. So, if you do not plan on traveling in the near future and you are unable to afford the annual maintenance fee, you may want to reconsider an air miles credit card.
How Many Miles Do I Earn With an Airline Credit Card?
The amount of miles you earn with an airline credit card will vary by card. More specifically, it will depend on the signup bonus that the card offers and the air miles earned for every dollar spent.
That said, many card issuers include specific incentives to use credit cards on larger purchases. For example, American Express often rewards travelers for using their AMEX card to purchase travel, which earns up to 5x the amount spent in points. Comparatively, most cards earn one point (or 1x) the amount spent on purchases.
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