Starter travel rewards cards come in all shapes and sizes. If you’re looking for a way to earn frequent flyer miles with your favorite airline, numerous options are available.
No-annual-fee airline credit cards are also fantastic options for experienced award travelers who already own multiple cards in their wallets. These cards can help you top off your mileage balance for your next trip without breaking the bank.
Related: The best airline credit cards
The best choice for you will depend on your favorite airline, but we like the United Gateway Card out of the bunch for its inclusive earning rates and sign-up bonus.
The best no-annual-fee airline credit cards
The information for the American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp and JetBlue cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Comparing the best no-annual-fee airline credit cards
| Card | Rewards rate | Sign-up bonus/welcome offer |
|---|---|---|
| American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp | 2 miles per dollar on eligible American Airlines purchases and at grocery stores (including delivery), 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases | Earn 10,000 AAdvantage miles and a $50 statement credit after you spend $500 in purchases within the first three months of account opening |
| Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card | 2 miles per dollar on eligible Delta purchases and dining at restaurants, 1 mile per dollar on other purchases | Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases within the first six months of account opening |
| JetBlue Card | 3 miles per dollar on JetBlue purchases, 2 miles per dollar at restaurants and grocery stores and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases | Earn 10,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening |
| United Gateway Card | 2 miles per dollar on United purchases, gas stations and local transit and commuting, and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases | Earn 20,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open |
| Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card | 1.25 miles per dollar on all purchases | Earn 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $500 within the first three months from account opening |
Full details on the best no-annual-fee airline credit cards
American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp: Best card for American Airlines
Current sign-up bonus: Earn 10,000 AAdvantage miles and a $50 statement credit after you spend $500 in purchases within the first three months of account opening.
Rewards rate: Earn 2 miles per dollar on American Airlines purchases and at grocery stores (including delivery), 1 mile per dollar on other purchases.
Other benefits: Besides the ability to earn bonus miles, the only additional benefit you’ll get with this card is a 25% discount on inflight purchases. If you want to add an authorized user to this card, you can do so without tacking on an additional fee. Keep in mind that this card does charge a 3% foreign transaction fee, so you’ll want to avoid using it abroad.
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Analysis: The MileUp card currently offers a sign-up bonus of $227 in value, including the $50 statement credit offer (based on TPG’s valuations). In 2022, American Airlines revamped its loyalty program by replacing all earning metrics with Loyalty Points. You earn Loyalty Points when you spend on a cobranded credit card, so spending $1,000 on a cobranded credit card would earn 1,000 Loyalty Points.
Learn more: AAdvantage MileUp review
Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card: Best card for Delta Air Lines
Current welcome offer: Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases within the first six months of account opening.
Rewards rate: Earn 2 miles per dollar on eligible Delta purchases and dining at restaurants, 1 mile per dollar on other purchases.
Other benefits: The Delta Blue Amex is the best way to earn SkyMiles without incurring an annual fee. You’ll also enjoy benefits such as 20% savings on inflight purchases (in the form of a statement credit), no foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees) and a number of shopping and travel protections.
Analysis: According to TPG valuations, Delta SkyMiles are worth 1.41 cents each — making this welcome offer worth $141. This card offers a unique incentive when you pay for flights using your SkyMiles, giving you a $50 discount off the flight cost for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Delta’s Pay with Miles feature.
Learn more: Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card review
Apply here: Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card
JetBlue Card: Best card for JetBlue Airways
Current sign-up bonus: Earn 10,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
Rewards rate: Earn 3 miles per dollar on JetBlue purchases, 2 miles per dollar at restaurants and grocery stores and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.
Other benefits: The JetBlue Card’s earning rate is better than most cards on this list, as you’ll not only earn 3 points per dollar on JetBlue purchases but 2 points per dollar on both restaurants and groceries. Plus, you’ll get a nice 50% discount on inflight purchases and enjoy no foreign transaction fees.
Analysis: This sign-up bonus is worth $130, based on TPG’s valuations. While not necessarily unique to the card, JetBlue allows for points pooling, which means you can combine your reward balances with up to seven friends and family members. If you and several friends and family open this no-annual-fee card, you can collect a decent amount of TrueBlue points.
Learn more: JetBlue Card review
Related: Best credit cards for JetBlue flyers
United Gateway Card: Best card for United Airlines
Current sign-up bonus: Earn 20,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open.
Rewards rate: Earn 2 miles per dollar on United purchases, gas stations and local transit and commuting, and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.
Other benefits: The United Gateway offers double miles on an impressive number of categories beyond United purchases, catering to those constantly on the go. You’ll also earn 25% back on your inflight purchases and forgo foreign transaction fees. This card is issued by Chase, who, by far, offers the most shopping and travel coverages, including secondary car rental coverage, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, purchase protection and extended warranty protection.
Analysis: Since United MileagePlus miles are worth 1.1 cents each according to TPG’s valuations, you’re looking at $220 in value from the sign-up bonus alone. As a United cardmember, you’ll have access to United-exclusive events through the airline and Chase, as well as the ability to book hotels through Chase’s Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection for elitelike perks.
Learn more: United Gateway review
Apply here: United Gateway Card
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card: Best card for airline transfer partners
Current sign-up bonus: Earn 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $500 within the first three months from account opening.
Rewards rate: Earn 1.25 miles per dollar on all purchases.
Other benefits: The ability to earn an unlimited 1.25 miles per dollar on all purchases may be compelling for beginners who don’t want to keep track of bonus categories. In that case, you may want to opt for this travel card instead of an airline card to gain the most reward flexibility.
With your Capital One miles, you can redeem at a fixed rate of 1 cent each for any airline, hotel or travel booking. Or, you can transfer your miles to Capital One’s 18 airline and hotel partners for potentially even greater value.
The card also comes with no foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees), car rental coverage, and extended warranty protection.
Analysis: This sign-up bonus is worth $370 when transferring your miles to airline and hotel loyalty programs (based on TPG’s monthly calculations).
Learn more: Capital One VentureOne review
Apply here: Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Bottom line
Nothing feels better than redeeming your airline miles for a free flight, and this is entirely possible by applying for any of the no-annual-fee cards on this list. These airline cards are all excellent introductions into the world of points and miles, as you’ll only have to worry about redeeming through a loyalty program you’re already comfortable with.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card, click here.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply
Additional reporting by Danyal Ahmed.
