Otherwise known as a “frequent flyer” credit card, an air miles credit card rewards you with points for your spending. While it’s aimed at frequent travellers, the card is worth considering even if you travel only a couple of times a year and the points can be used for a wide range of travel and non-travel-related perks and discounts. Use the table headings to sort by what’s important to you.
Air miles credit card rewards you with points on your everyday spending. While it’s aimed at frequent travellers, the card is worth considering even if you travel only a couple of times a year and the points can be used for a wide range of travel and non-travel-related perks and discounts.
Simply put, air miles credit cards allow you to earn frequent flyer points such as Avios as you charge purchases to your card. You can typically earn 0.5 to 3 frequent flyer points, or “air miles” for each £1 spent on eligible purchases. The number of points you earn per pound differs among credit cards, and sometimes differs among transaction types too. For example, a credit card could let you earn two points per £1 on purchases through the connected airline (by paying for flights or stays with partner hotels, for example), but only one point per £1 spent on other everyday purchases.
As well as frequent flyer credit cards that allow you to earn points with one programme, some rewards cards also allow you to use your points with multiple airlines (sometimes known as “indirect earn” cards). If you belong to several frequent flyer programmes, this might be one way you can get more flexibility from your card.
When comparing air miles credit cards, be sure to factor in the costs to make sure they don’t outweigh the value of any possible rewards and benefits. Air miles credit cards can be great tools for frequent flyers who pay off their account balances in full each month, but are probably not suitable if you wish to carry an outstanding balance on the account.
Once you’ve used your card for a while, you can exchange any accumulated points for rewards via your frequent flyer program. These days it’s as easy as logging in and shopping online. Otherwise, you can also redeem your points over the phone by contacting your frequent flyer program customer service team. You don’t need to have the full amount of points required either, because most frequent flyer programs now allow you to pay for rewards with a combination of points and cash.
If you’re interested in getting one, consider these factors when shopping for your new air miles credit card:
As a general rule, always make sure your air miles credit card gives you more value than it costs. A simple way to calculate this is by adding up the value of rewards you’d expect to receive in a year and comparing that with the amount of fees you’d pay each year. While air miles credit cards may be a great idea for some people, they’re not for everyone. When making your decision about which credit card type to choose, make sure you consider your personal needs, lifestyle and spending habits.
Approval for any credit card depends on your status. The representative APRs shown represent the interest rate offered to most successful applicants. Depending on your personal circumstances, the APR you're offered may be higher, or you may not be offered credit at all. Fees and rates are subject to change without notice. It's always wise to check the terms of any deal before you borrow. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables is provided by Moneyfacts.
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