8 best credit cards for air miles in the UK

If you’re a keen traveller and a frequent flyer, you may be able to earn air miles with a particular kind of credit card.

There are a few different types of air miles credit card in the UK, from providers such as American Express, Barclays and Virgin Money. If you already use a credit card (or are thinking of getting one), these could help you reduce the cost of flights - or perhaps even get free flights or seat upgrades if you collect enough points.

But which is the best UK credit card for air miles? Read on for the lowdown on 8 of the best options available right now, with a comparison of fees, interest rates and of course, air miles offers.

And if you’re looking to save money when spending abroad, check out the Wise card. It’s not a credit card but an international debit card linked to your Wise account. You can use it for spending in 150+ countries, automatically converting your pounds to the local currency at the great mid-market exchange rate, only adding a tiny, transparent conversion fee*.

Learn more about the Wise card 💳

Table of contents

8 of the best credit cards for air miles in the UK American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card American Express Nectar Credit Card American Express Rewards Credit Card British Airways American Express Credit Card Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card Barclaycard Avios Barclaycard Avios Plus How do air miles credit cards work Are air miles credit cards worth it? Get the Wise card for international spending and cash withdrawals

8 of the best credit cards for air miles in the UK

Now, let’s dive into your list of the best air miles credit cards in the UK right now.

Here’s a handy at-a-glance comparison of them all, and we’ll give you more info on each card below:

Credit card	Annual card fee	Representative APR	Welcome bonus	Air miles offer
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card²	£195 (free in first year)	87.8%	20,000 points when you spend £3,000 in first 3 months	- 1x points per £1 spend - 2x points for airline spending
American Express Nectar Credit Card³	£30 (free in first year)	37.1%	20,000 Nectar points when you spend £2,000 in first 3 months	- 2x points per £1 spend - 3x points for spending with Nectar partners
American Express Rewards Credit Card⁴	£0	30.4%	10,000 points when you spend £2,000 in first 3 months	- 1x points for £1 spend
British Airways American Express Credit Card⁵	£0	30.4%	5,000 Avios when you spend £2,000 in first 3 months	- 1x points for £1 spend - Extra reward when you spend £15,000 in a year
Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card⁶	£0	26.9%	3,000 Virgin Points when you make a purchase within 90 days	- 0.75 Virgin Points for every £1 spend - 1.5 points for every £1 spend with Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays - Extra reward when you spend £20,000 in a year
Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card⁶	£160	69.7%	18,000 Virgin Points when you make a purchase within 90 days	- 1.5 Virgin Points for every £1 spend - 3 points for every £1 spend with Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays - Extra reward when you spend £10,000 in a year
Barclaycard Avios⁷	£0	29.9%	5,000 Avios when you spend £1,000 in first 3 months	- 1 Avios for every £1 spend - Extra reward when you spend £20,000 in a year
Barclaycard Avios Plus⁷	£20/month	80.1%	25,000 Avios when you spend £3,000 in first 3 months	- 1.5 Avios for every £1 spend - Extra reward when you spend £10,000 in a year

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card²

The American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card offers Membership Rewards points on spending. These can be redeemed and used for spending with travel partner reward schemes such as:⁸

• British Airways Executive Club
• Emirates Skywards
• Flying Blue
• Etihad Guest
• Iberia Plus
• Qantas Frequent Flyer
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

You can also use your points on other things such as shopping, or book directly with American Express Travel.

You’ll earn a welcome bonus of 20,000 membership points when you sign up and spend £3,000 within the first three months. You’ll also get a 1 point for every £1 everyday spend, and double points when you use the card to spend directly with airlines. You’ll get triple points when you spend with American Express Travel.

There’s a £195 fee, but this is waived for the first year. The representative APR is 87.8% (variable).

Additional perks with this card include 4 Priority Pass airport lounge passes a year, along with exclusive experiences.

American Express Nectar Credit Card³

Amex has teamed up with rewards scheme Nectar for this credit card, which lets you earn Nectar points on everyday spending.

You can earn 2x points on purchases, and 3x points on purchases with Nectar partners (when using your credit card and loyalty card). And you’ll get a welcome bonus of 20,000 Nectar points when you spend £2,000 within the first three months.

You can spend your Nectar points on shopping with partners like Sainsburys and Argos. But crucially for travellers, you can also convert them to Avios with British Airways - where every 400 Nectar points converts to 250 Avios.⁹

There’s a £30 annual fee for the card, but you won’t have to pay this in the first year. The representative APR is 37.1% (variable).

American Express Rewards Credit Card⁴

If you like the air miles and travel benefits of Amex credit cards but don't want an annual fee, the American Express Rewards Credit Card could be worth a look.

It doesn’t charge an annual fee, and has a representative APR of 30.4% (variable).

You’ll earn 1 point for every £1 spent, and get 10,000 bonus points when you sign up and spend £2,000 in the first three months. Your Membership Rewards points can be used with the same airline reward schemes and partners as the Amex Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card).

British Airways American Express Credit Card⁵

The last Amex on our list is the British Airways American Express Credit Card. It’s a special partnership with British Airways Executive Club, so you’ll earn Avios when you spend rather than Amex Membership Reward points. Avios can only be redeemed towards flights with British Airways and its partners.

You’ll get 1 Avios per £1 spend, and a welcome bonus of 5,000 Avios when you spend £2,000 within the first three months. And if you spend £15,000 within the year, you can choose from either a 50% discount on your flight or a voucher to take a companion with you on the flight for free (conditions apply).

There’s no annual fee for the card, and the representative APR is 30.4% variable.

Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card⁶

The Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card lets you earn Virgin Points when you spend, which you can use for shopping, experiences and other Virgin Red rewards. But most usefully for regular travellers, you can use them at Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Holidays.

You’ll earn 0.75 Virgin Points for every £1 spent on everyday purchases, and double the points when you spend with Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays. You’ll also get a welcome bonus of 3,000 points when you make your first purchase within 90 days.

When you reach a certain spending level, you’ll benefit from flight upgrades with Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club.

The representative APR for the card is 26.9% (variable) and there’s no annual fee.

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card⁶

The bumper version of the Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card offers extra Virgin Points on spending.

You’ll get 1.5 points per £1 on everyday spending, and double this when you spend at Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays. The welcome bonus is a huge 18,000 points when you make your first purchase within 90 days - and flight upgrades are available once you earn enough points.

However, the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card does have a £160 annual fee and a representative APR is 69.7% (variable).

Barclaycard Avios⁷

Barclaycard’s Avios credit cards are linked to the British Airways Executive Club and its partners. When you spend, you can earn Avios - which are points that can be put towards flights, upgrades, car hire and more.

You’ll get 1 Avios for every £1 spent on eligible purchases, and a bonus of 5,000 Avios when you sign up and spend £1,000 in the first 3 months.

And if you spend £20,000 in a year, you’ll get an extra reward. Choose from 7,000 bonus Avios, or a British Airways cabin upgrade voucher to use on an Avios Reward Flight booking.

There’s no annual fee for the card, and a representative APR of 29.9% APR (variable).

Barclaycard Avios Plus⁷

A step up from the fee-free version, Barclaycard Avios Plus offers more perks in exchange for an annual fee.

You’ll earn 1.5 Avios for every £1 spent on eligible purchases, and a welcome bonus of 25,000 Avios when you spend £3,000 in the first three months.

Extra perks including discounted airport lounge access, and an extra reward of either a cabin upgrade voucher or 7,000 bonus Avios when you spend £10,000 on your card within a year.

However, all this comes with a monthly fee of £20, and a representative APR of 80.% (variable).

How do air miles credit cards work

Air miles credit cards work in a similar way to other kinds of rewards cards. You get a certain number of points, air miles or Avios (the name for loyalty points with British Airways) for spending on your credit card.

You’ll sometimes get boosted points for certain kinds of purchases, such as with selected retailers. And many airline credit cards give you a welcome bonus of points to get you started.

These points or air miles can be redeemed and used in airline or other travel partner reward schemes. Once you’ve collected enough, you can get (depending on the scheme):

• Free flights
• Seat upgrades
• Extra baggage
• Airport lounge access.

Are air miles credit cards worth it?

If you already spend on a credit card (and can afford to pay off your balance each month) and you’re a frequent flyer, an air miles credit card can make a lot of sense. They can reduce the cost of flying or give you other perks.

However, you should bear in mind that you’ll usually have to collect a lot of points or miles in order to redeem. So this kind of card may only be beneficial for people who typically spend quite a lot on a credit card.

And flights paid for with miles can often have limited availability, so you may need to be flexible on dates.¹

Get the Wise card for international spending and cash withdrawals

Looking for an alternative for holiday spending? Check out the Wise card. It isn’t a credit card and doesn’t offer air miles, but is a fantastic option for low-cost spending and cash withdrawals worldwide.

Open a Wise account online and you can order the Wise card for a one-time fee of £7 or get the virtual Wise card for £0. You can use this clever card in 150+ countries. It automatically converts your pounds to local currency whenever you spend using the mid-market exchange rate, only adding a tiny, transparent conversion fee* – or it’s free if you already have the local currency in your Wise account.

Need cash? You also get two free ATM withdrawals for up to 200 GBP (or currency equivalent) each month. Wise will not charge you for these withdrawals, but additional charges may occur from independent ATM networks.

And if you need to send money overseas, such as to pay expenses on a holiday home or book a hotel, you can use your Wise account to do it in just a few clicks.

Sign up with Wise for free 🚀

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Sources used:

1. MoneySavingExpert - Airline credit cards
2. American Express - American Express® Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card
3. American Express - Nectar Credit Card
4. American Express - Rewards Credit Card
5. American Express - British Airways American Express® Credit Card
6. Virgin Money - Virgin Atlantic Credit Card
7. Barclaycard - Avios
8. American Express - Travel Transfer Partners
9. Nectar - British Airways

Sources last checked on date: 11-Mar-2025