Skip to content

The best airline credit cards with inflight discounts

Feb. 29, 2024
8 min read
View of the clouds and sunset from an airplane window
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.

Editor's Note

This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

Airline credit card benefits come in all shapes and sizes. Some offer huge sign-up bonuses worth tens of thousands of miles. Others include airport lounge access. A few offer companion tickets that can save travelers hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year.

Of course, some airline credit card benefits are fairly standard these days. Those include earning bonus points or miles on airfare, free checked bags and priority boarding, among other perks. Some airline credit cards also offer discounts on inflight purchases, such as food and beverages, now that many carriers charge for these amenities, as well as onboard Wi-Fi.

Here is a rundown of the airline credit cards currently available to new applicants that provide discounts on inflight purchases and how much you can expect to save with each.

The best airline credit cards with inflight discounts

Airline and cardsDiscounts
20% off food, beverages and Wi-Fi
25% off food and beverages (and Wi-Fi for Citi AAdvantage Business card only)
20% off inflight food and beverages
For the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard - $10 credit per day up to $100 per year on onboard entertainment, beverages and premium meals for Pualani Platinum and Pualani Gold elite HawaiianMiles members.

 

50% off inflight food and beverages
  • 25% back on drinks and Wi-Fi
  • Up to 365 $8 Wi-Fi credits per year (Performance Business only through Dec. 31, 2025)
25% back on food, beverages and Wi-Fi

*The information for these 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.

Here is a breakdown of the inflight discount offered across the cobranded airline credit cards. For these credits and discounts to apply, you must be flying on the airline the card is issued from. For example, if you are flying on a United flight to receive the inflight discounts, you must use a United card.

Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines only has three cobranded credit cards — two personal ones and a business one. Luckily, all three offer discounts in the air and on the ground.

CHAD SLATTERY

The Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Credit Card, Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature Credit Card and the Atmos Rewards Visa Signature Business Card offer 20% back on all food, beverages and Wi-Fi.

American Airlines

Thanks to partnerships with both Citibank and Barclays, American Airlines provides an impressive array of cobranded credit cards. All American cobranded cards offer 25% back on inflight food and drink purchases. The Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® is the only American credit card offering 25% savings on inflight Wi-Fi.

777-300 er
An American Airlines Boeing 777-300ER at London's Heathrow Airport (LHR). SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

Delta Air Lines

All the Delta SkyMiles credit cards (personal and business) offer the same 20% off inflight food and beverage purchases.

Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts
BENJI STAWSKI/ The POINTS GUY

Hawaiian Airlines

Flying to paradise? You'll need elite status with Hawaiian Airlines to enjoy its inflight savings perks. The Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard offers $10 dollar per day up to $100 per year credit on inflight entertainment, beverages and premium meals. This is only available for Pualani Platinum and Pualani Gold elite HawaiianMiles members.

Unfortunately, there are no inflight discounts on the business version of this card.

KYLE OLSEN/THE POINTS GUY

JetBlue Airways

JetBlue offers free Wi-Fi, so the discounts flyers can enjoy with their credit cards are largely for inflight meal purchases, and they're the most generous savings out there. Both personal and business JetBlue cards offer the same 50% off inflight food and beverage purchases.

JORDAN WALLER/THE POINTS GUY

Southwest Airlines

All five Southwest credit cards offer discounts on inflight purchases, including drinks and Wi-Fi. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card and Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card offer 25% back as a statement credit on drinks and Wi-Fi.

ROBERT ALEXANDER/GETTY IMAGES

The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card offers up to 365 $8 dollar inflight Wi-Fi credits per year through Dec. 31, 2025.

United Airlines

All cards in the United MileagePlus family (both consumer and business) offer 25% back as a statement credit on food, beverages and Wi-Fi purchases.

ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Other cards from different issuers

Cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express card offer up to $200 in airline statement credits for a specific airline of your choice, that can be used on inflight refreshments (enrollment required). Additionally, the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card has annual travel credits that can be used on various inflight purchases.

Bottom line

As airlines have stripped included amenities from the flight experience, cobranded credit cards have stepped into the breach to offer cardholders discounts on purchases including food, beverages and Wi-Fi. However, these benefits vary, not only from airline to airline but even from card to card within the same family of products. Before flying, review your card benefits and use the one that will earn you the deepest discount on the purchases you intend to make on board.

Updated 8/21/2025

Featured image by Getty Images
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.