Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights

As you look ahead to summer and fall trips, it's important to consider what card you will use to book your flights. Every time you purchase an airline ticket with your credit card, you could earn valuable bonus points or miles toward your next award trip.

And don't forget about the perks that make your flights go smoother and protect you when things go wrong, such as airport lounge access and trip delay reimbursement.

Surprisingly, cobranded airline cards won't always get you the highest value from your flight tickets. So, before you miss the opportunity to earn additional rewards on this spending, consider opening and using one of these top cards for airfare purchases.

The top cards for airfare purchases

• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
• Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees)
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
• American Express® Gold Card
• American Express® Green Card
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees)

The information for the Ink Business Preferred and American Express Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Comparison of the best cards for booking flights

Now, let's look at each option to help decide which makes the most sense for your wallet.

The Platinum Card from American Express

Annual fee: $895 (see rates and fees)

Welcome offer: With the the Amex Platinum find out your offer and see if you are eligible to earn as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of cardmembership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

Earning rates: Earn 5 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines and through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year). Plus, you'll earn 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotel bookings through amextravel.com and Fine Hotels + Resorts and 1 point on everything else.

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Analysis: In addition to earning 5 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines and through Amex Travel, cardmembers can unlock significant discounts on airfare through the International Airline Program and will get a suite of travel protections when booking round-trip flights. Plus, your airport experience will be more comfortable because you'll get access to airport lounges in Amex's Global Lounge Collection.

You'll get value far beyond booking flights with the Amex Platinum since it offers numerous statement credits for hotels (up to $300 biannually), Equinox gym memberships (up to $300 each year, subject to auto-renewal), Clear Plus membership (up to $209 each year, subject to auto-renewal) select digital entertainment subscriptions (up to $25 each month) and incidental fees on airlines (up to $200 each year), effectively reducing the annual fee. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Plus, you can transfer your points to Amex's 17 airline and three hotel partners.

Finally, you'll receive Gold status with Hilton and Marriott and elite status with Avis, Hertz and National. (Enrollment required for select benefits.)

For more details, check out our full review of the American Express Platinum Card.

Related: Best credit cards for airport lounge access

Apply here: The Platinum Card from American Express

The Business Platinum Card from American Express

Annual fee: $895 (see rates and fees)

Welcome offer: The current welcome offer for the Amex Business Platinum is 200,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $20,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership.

Earning rates: Earn 5 points per dollar on airfare and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel, 2 points per dollar on eligible purchases in select business categories and eligible purchases of $5,000 or more (on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year) and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

Analysis: Unlike the personal Amex Platinum, the Amex Business Platinum doesn't earn 5 points per dollar on tickets purchased directly from the airline — only on airfare and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel. Still, if you can find what you need through the Amex travel portal, paying with the business card will get you the same impressive 10% return (based on TPG's valuations).

And with the Amex Business Platinum, if you pay with points for eligible flights with your selected airline booked through Amex Travel, you get a 35% airline bonus (up to 1 million points per calendar year), which effectively yields 1.54 cents per point in value. Like the personal version, the Amex Business Platinum includes access to the International Airline Program, which can give you significant savings on flights.

Cardholders get access to airport lounges in Amex's Global Lounge Collection* and other travel benefits, such as an up-to-$200 annual airline fee credit, a credit for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application ($120 for Global Entry every 4 years and up to $85 for TSA Precheck every 4.5 years), and automatic Gold status in both the Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy loyalty programs. Non-travel benefits include up to $150 in statement credits on U.S. purchases made directly at Dell and an additional up to $1,000 statement credit after spending $5,000 or more each calendar year. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

*Access is limited to eligible card members

For more details, check out our full review of the American Express Business Platinum Card.

Related: Why you should consider having both the personal and business Amex Platinum cards

Apply here: The Business Platinum Card from American Express

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Annual fee: $795

Sign-up bonus: The Chase Sapphire Reserve currently comes with 125,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

Earning rates: Earn 8 points per dollar on all Chase Travel℠ purchases, 4 points per dollar on flights and hotels booked directly, 3 points per dollar on dining and 1 point per dollar on everything else. You'll also earn 5 points per dollar on Lyft rides (through Sept. 30, 2027).

Analysis: The Chase Sapphire Reserve earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, worth 2.05 cents each according to TPG valuations, thanks to the option to transfer them to Chase's 11 airline and three hotel transfer partners. You can also redeem these points for travel and activities through the Chase Travel portal. Your points are worth up to 2 cents a piece when you go this route, depending on the specific redemption (see your rewards program agreement for full details).

With this card, you'll get additional benefits like an annual $300 travel statement credit, a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit, and access to Sapphire and Priority Pass lounges and restaurants. If anything goes wrong with your flight, this is the card you want to carry since it comes with industry-leading trip cancellation/interruption insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver, lost luggage reimbursement, trip delay reimbursement, and emergency evacuation and transportation.

For more details, check out our full review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

Related: What credit score do you need for the Chase Sapphire Reserve?

Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve

Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

Annual fee: $95

Sign-up bonus: The Ink Business Preferred Card currently has a sign-up bonus of 90,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Earning rates: Earn 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent in combined travel; shipping; internet, cable and phone services; and advertising purchases made on social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per dollar on everything else.

Analysis: Note that the enhanced earning rate on the above categories applies to the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases across those categories. This card also earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which you can transfer to any of Chase's travel partners or redeem through the Ultimate Rewards portal at a rate of up to 1.75 cents each, depending on the specific redemption (see your rewards program agreement for full details).

Although coverage isn't as comprehensive as with the Chase Sapphire Reserve, the Ink Business Preferred still offers a good array of travel protections.

For more details, check out our full review of the Chase Ink Preferred Card.

Related: Is the Ink Business Preferred worth the annual fee?

Learn more: Ink Business Preferred Card

American Express Gold Card

Annual fee: $325 (see rates and fees)

Welcome offer: With the Amex Gold - Find out your offer and see if you are eligible to earn as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

Earning rates: Earn 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide (on the first $50,000 spent each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar), 4 points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (on the first $25,000 spent each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar), 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com, 2 points per dollar on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases on amextravel.com and 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

Analysis: This card offers 3 points per dollar on airfare purchased directly from the airline or through amextravel.com. According to TPG valuations, American Express Membership Rewards points are worth 2 cents each, so you'll earn a 6% return. You also get a whopping 4 points per dollar at restaurants, up to $50,000 spent each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar and at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 spent each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar.

The card also offers up to $120 in statement credits for dining at participating restaurants each calendar year and up to $120 annually in monthly Uber Cash. It provides solid shopping protections, though its travel protections aren't as comprehensive as those other American Express cards offer. Uber Cash will only be deposited into one Uber account when you add the Amex Gold as a payment method and redeem with any Amex card. Enrollment is required.

Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

For more details, check out our full review of the American Express Gold Card.

Related: Want to switch to the Rose Gold Amex? It's easier than you might think

Apply here: American Express Gold Card

American Express Green Card

Annual fee: $150

Welcome offer: New applicants can earn 40,000 bonus Membership Rewards points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.

Earning rates: Earn 3 points per dollar on travel (including flights, hotels, vacation rentals and more), transit (including trains, buses, ferries, subway and more) and dining at restaurants, as well as 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

Analysis: The Amex Green Card is a great way to earn Membership Rewards points on all your travel purchases for a lower annual fee than its Gold and Platinum siblings. The ability to earn 3 points on broadly defined travel and transit categories means you're likely to earn an effective 6% return (according to TPG valuations) on all the major elements of your travels, and you'll be able to earn bonus points when you dine out whether you're traveling or at home.

In addition to these solid bonus categories, the Amex Green offers up to $209 in credits for a Clear Plus membership and up to $100 in Lounge Buddy credits. These aren't nearly as valuable as the Amex Platinum Card's statement credits or as easy to use as the Amex Gold's, but they can help make your travels more comfortable. You'll also get travel and shopping protections with this card.

For more details, check out our full review of the Amex Green Card.

The information for the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: Why the Amex Green Card is great for beginner travelers

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Annual fee: $95

Sign-up bonus: The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card's current sign-up bonus is to earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first the months from account opening.

Earning rates: Earn 5 points per dollar on all travel purchased through the Chase Travel portal; 2 points per dollar on all other travel (including airfare) not purchased through the Chase travel portal; 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services and online grocery purchases and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

Analysis: The Chase Sapphire Preferred is ideal for those who want to earn valuable rewards without paying a high annual fee. Five points per dollar on travel through Chase's travel portal is extremely generous for a card with this low of an annual fee. It also earns 2 points per dollar on all other travel expenses booked outside the Chase travel portal, including hotels, Airbnbs, public transit and more.

The rewards you earn with this card are fully transferable, so you can transfer your points to any of Chase's travel partners. Similar to the other Chase cards listed above, you'll get several travel protections when booking your flights with this card, including trip delay reimbursement, trip cancellation insurance and baggage delay insurance. You'll also get primary car rental coverage if you rent a car during your trip.

For more details, check out our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.

Related: How to maximize your earnings with the Chase Sapphire Preferred

Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Bottom line

Airfare is a popular bonus category among the top rewards cards. However, the Amex Platinum and Amex Business Platinum stand out. Besides offering what's effectively a 10% return on your spending, they can score you exclusive discounts on your flights and offer an array of travel protections. On top of that, they provide access to more airport lounges than any other card.

That said, if you don't want to pay a high annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred Credit Card are solid options and offer solid sign-up bonuses. Regardless of your priorities, reach for a card on this list the next time you book airfare to ensure you get a good return.

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Green Card, click here.