Find Airline Miles Credit Cards That Provide the Most Frequent Flyer Miles

February 08 2008
By MoneyBlueBook

Updated List Of The Best Airline Miles Credit Card Offers (Free Miles For Free Flights)

One of the simplest ways to save money on airline tickets is to take advantage of free frequent flyer mile offers - namely the credit card bonus rewards and free miles that many airline miles credit card issuers promote to attract new customers. Most of the time, the instant bonus miles are enough for a free domestic roundtrip flight or at least enough to tip you over the mileage limit if you are just short. For those interested in earning free frequent flier miles with each card purchase, please view my list of the best airline miles credit cards.

Over the years, I've taken advantage of free frequent flyer mile bonuses and airline credit cards to earn free flights and air travel tickets. A while back I needed to book a flight but was just shy of the free flight limit. Rather than going ahead and paying the $200-$300 for the ticket, I decided to apply for the airline's own branded credit card to take advantage of the free mileage offers. While some of these airline credit cards have an annual fee, their introductory sign-up terms usually waive the fee for the first year. If you aren't looking to get a free domestic ticket but instead are trying to save up for an expensive international flight, be sure to keep track of your frequent flyer miles expiration dates.

Here, I've gathered a list of all the airline mile credit card offers available out there, along with their current free airline mileage promotions. I've also included the miles needed to redeem an economy class domestic ticket for each particular airline program.

Special Travel Card Offers:

We scour. You save

Every day, we search the web to find the very
best deals and money-saving tips. Then we
send them right to you.

Earn Free Frequent Flyer Miles Upon Sign Up - Travel Rewards Earned Are Good For Any Airline

1. Chase Sapphire - 25,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months as a cardmember. You also earn 1 point for every dollar you spend and 2x points on all airfare booked through Ultimate Rewards. No annual fee. Points never expire and there are no limits on how many points you can earn. You can also purchase flights with both point and dollar values so you can choose how many points you want to use and pay for the rest in cash.
2. American Express Starwood Preferred - Earn up to 25,000 Starpoints(R) - 10K bonus Starpoints after first purchase & 15K bonus Starpoints when you spend $5,000 in the first 6 months. Earn up to 5 Starpoints for every dollar you spend at participating Starwood Preferred Guest Hotels and Resorts. The $65 annual fee is waived for the first year. I personally think it's the most versatile and best travel credit card available.
3. Discover Card Miles Card - Earn Miles on all purchases. Earn up to $120 in travel rewards--1,000 Bonus miles every month you make a purchase for the first year. In addition, earn 1 Mile for each dollar you spend on all other purchases. Great rewards with no annual fee, no rewards redemption fee, and no additional card fee.

Earn Free Miles For Specific Airline Frequent Flyer Reward Programs Upon Sign Up (Sorted By Airline)

1. Alaska Airlines - Visa Signature Card - 25,000 free Bonus Miles. Free award travel begins at just 25,000 miles. There is a $75 annual fee.
2. American Airlines - Citi Platinum Select AAdvantage World MasterCard - 30,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after you make $750 in purchases within 4 months. The $85 annual is waived the first year.
3. American Airlines - CitiBusiness AAdvantage - 40,000 AAdvantage  free bonus miles earned as follows: 30,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after you make $750 in purchases within 4 months and an additional 10,000 bonus miles after $5,000 in purchases in the first 6 months of card memebership. With this Citi Business card offer designed for those who travel regularly on American Airlines and would like to earn free travel for business-related expenses, cardholders can earn 1 mile rewards for every $1 spent, and enjoy mileage points that never expire.
4. Gold Delta SkyMiles Card from American Express - Earn 30,000 bonus miles when you spend $500 on the Card in the first three months from account opening redeem miles for a flight. Check your first bag free on every Delta flight. The $95 annual fee is waived the first year.
5. Platinum Delta SkyMiles from American Express - Get 20,000 bonus miles upon your first purchase with the Card (5,000 of which are Medallion Qualification Miles). Get 2,500 bonus miles when you sign up for one Additional Card. Check your first bag for free on every Delta flight. The annual fee is $150.
6. Delta Reserve Credit Card - Get 20,000 bonus miles of which 10,000 are Medallion Qualification Miles (MQM) upon your first purchase with the Card. With the card, travelers enjoy complimentary access to concierge services that cater to your needs while you travel.
7. Hawaiian Airlines - Visa Platinum - 10,000 Bonus miles. There is a $50 annual fee.
8. JetBlue Card from American Express - 10,000 TrueBlue points with your first purchase. Roundtrip Awards Flights start at 10,000 points. There is a $40 annual fee.
9. Northwest Airlines - WorldPerks Visa Signature Card - Earn double miles on NWA purchases. No cap on miles you can earn.
10. Northwest Airlines - WorldPerks Visa Platinum Card - No Preset spending limit. No cap on miles you can earn.
11. All New Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card - Get 25,000 Points toward FREE FLIGHTS after your first purchase. No Blackout Dates, Unlimited Reward Seats, and Points Don't Expire. Now you can redeem for International Travel. Earn 2 Points per $1 spent on Southwest Airlines purchases. Earn 2 Points per $1 spent on Southwest Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases. There is a $69 annual fee.
12. United Airlines - Mileage Plus Explorer Signature Visa Card - Earn up to 40,000 bonus miles, more than enough miles for a roundtrip Saver Award. Earn 1 mile for every eligible $1 spent in purchases with no limit to the number of miles you can earn with your card. There is no annual fee the first year and a $95 annual fee thereafter.

Special Travel Card Offers: