Although many airlines now offer no-fee credit cards, it can be hard to make the case for having one. These no-fee cards lack features like free checked bags and priority boarding, not to mention the most generous welcome bonuses. Nevertheless, there are some instances where a no-fee airline card can make sense.
When to Consider a No-Fee Airline CardSome credit card users simply refuse to pay an annual fee, and if you fall into this category but want to earn airline miles, opening a no-fee co-branded card could make a lot of sense.
Next are infrequent travelers, who simply can’t justify the cost of the annual fee based on the benefits that they will rarely use. For example, these may never check bags, and not value priority boarding very highly.
Then there are the most frequent travelers who already receive these perks because they earned elite status, or because they they typically travel in business and first class. If the benefits offered by premium airline cards are redundant, there’s no reason to pay an annual fee to receive them. However, a no-fee card can still be a great way to earn miles through spending.
Finally, there’s the curious fact that some airline’s no-fee cards can actually have better bonus categories than their premium versions. If your main goal is to earn miles, a no-fee card can sometimes be a better option than a premium one.
How to Find a No-Fee Airline CardThere are several no-fee airline cards offered to new applicants, but that’s not the whole story. Some card issuers also offer no-fee cards only to existing account holders. Typically, these offers are made when an existing account holder contacts the card issuer to close his or her account.
When cardholders indicate that they are closing an account to avoid paying an annual fee, they might be offered a no-fee version as a way of retaining their business. And since these no-fee versions aren’t always available to new applicants, there may not be much information available on them. For more information on how to change cards without closing your account, read my post on When a Credit Card Product Change Makes Sense.
No-Fee Airline Cards Available to New Applicants| Welcome Bonus | Earning Rate(s) | Benefits | Fees | |
| American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp Card | 10,000 bonus miles and a $50 statement credit after spending $500 in the first three months | 2x at grocery stores and on American Airlines purchases, 1x on everything else | 25% savings on in-flight food and beverage purchases | 3% foreign transaction fee |
| Blue Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express | 10,000 bonus miles after spending $500 in purchases within three months of account opening. Terms apply. | 2x at US restaurants and on Delta purchases, 1x on everything else | 20% savings on in-flight purchases, various purchase protections. | 2.7% foreign transaction fee |
| JetBlue Credit Card | 10,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days | 3x on all JetBlue purchases, 2x at restaurants and grocery stores and 1x on everything else | 50% savings on in-flight food and beverage purchases | No foreign transaction fee |
| SkyBlue SkyPass Visa Card | 5,000 bonus miles after your first qualifying purchase | 1 Korean Air SkyPass mile for every $2 spent | Car rental and travel accident insurance | 3% foreign transaction fee (2% for transactions in US dollars) |
| United TravelBank Credit Card | $150 in United TravelBank cash after spending $1,000 in the first three months | 2% of your spending back in TravelBank cash on tickets purchased from United, 1.5% in TravelBank cash on all other purchases. | 25% back as a statement credit when you use your card to purchase food and beverages on United-operated flights | No foreign transaction fee |
Welcome bonus: Earn 10,000 bonus miles and a $50 statement credit after spending $500 on new purchases within three months of account opening.
Rewards: Earn 2x AAdvantage miles not just on American purchases but also at grocery stores (including delivery services). Earn 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Benefits: 25% savings on in-flight food and beverage purchases.
Fees: There’s no annual fee, but there is a 3% foreign transaction fee.
Blue Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American ExpressWelcome bonus: Earn 10,000 bonus miles after spending $500 in purchases within three months of account opening. Plus, earn 2 miles per dollar and up to $50 in statement credits on eligible US Lyft purchases during the first six months of cardmembership.
Rewards: This card offers you double miles at US restaurants as well as on all Delta purchases including Sky Club membership or passes, Delta Vacations packages, seat upgrades and in-flight purchases of food, beverages and audio headsets. You earn 1 mile per dollar spent elsewhere.
Benefits: You receive a 20% savings on in-flight purchases of food, beverages and audio headsets in the form of a statement credit. The card also comes with (secondary) rental car insurance, extended warranty coverage, return protection and damage and theft coverage. Other benefits include American Express Entertainment Access and free 2-day shipping as part of the Shoprunner program.
Fees: There’s no annual fee, but there is a 2.7% foreign transaction fee.
JetBlue Credit CardWelcome bonus: Earn 10,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 in the first 90 days.
Rewards: Earn 3x points on all JetBlue purchases, 2x points at restaurants and grocery stores and 1 point per dollar spent elsewhere.
Benefits: 50% savings on in-flight food and beverage purchases. You can also pool you rewards between family members.
Fees: No annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.
SkyBlue SkyPass Visa CardWelcome bonus: Earn 5,000 bonus miles after your first qualifying purchase.
Rewards: Earn 1 Korean Air SkyPass mile for every $2 spent.
Benefits: None beyond car rental and travel accident insurance.
Fees: No annual fee and a 3% foreign transaction fee (2% for transactions in US dollars).
United TravelBank Credit CardWelcome bonus: $150 in United TravelBank cash after spending $1,000 on new purchases within three months of account opening.
Rewards: Earn 2% of your spending back in TravelBank cash on tickets purchased from United. You also earn 1.5% in TravelBank cash spent on all other purchases. Unlike miles, a dollar of TravelBank cash equals a dollar of credit that you can use toward the purchase of a ticket on flights operated by United, but not for flights operated by Star Alliance carriers or other partners. TravelBank cash can be used alone or combined with select forms of payment during the purchase.
Benefits: Receive 25% back as a statement credit when you use your card to purchase food and beverages on board United-operated flights.
Fees: No annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.
The information for the United TravelBank Credit 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.
This card offers you just 1 mile for every $2 spent, which isn’t good. However, it does have one great feature that makes it worth requesting if you can no longer justify the annual fee on your United Explorer Card or United MileagePlus Club Card. This card gives you access to the same increased United saver award space that you get with any other United credit card.
AAdvantage Aviator MastercardThis no-fee card offers you 1 mile per dollar spent on American Airlines purchases, and just 1 mile for every $2 spent elsewhere. It does feature a 25% discount on in-flight food and beverage purchases, but it also has a 3% foreign transaction fee.
Bottom LineMost airline credit card users will be better off paying an annual fee to enjoy far more benefits from their card, but there are some exceptions. For example, the Blue Delta SkyMiles Card from American Express is a great choice for infrequent travelers, and elite flyers who want to earn double miles at restaurants. Likewise, the AAdvantage MileUp Card lets you earn double AA miles at supermarkets and on grocery delivery services. And even the no-fee JetBlue card from Barclays offers you double points at restaurants and grocery stores, and 3x points for JetBlue purchases. Finally, nearly all of these cards give you a discount on in-flight purchases.
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