How Do Air Miles Credit Cards Work?

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Air mile credit cards can offer a great way for frequent travellers and holiday goers to earn a little back from their credit card spending.

Air mile credit cards reward you with miles every time you spend on the card.

The air miles you earn can then be redeemed for a range of rewards, from flights and holidays to car hire and days out - and a lot more in between too!

What can air miles be redeemed for?

A common misconception of air mile credit cards is that the rewards on offer can be restrictive and are only useful to people who travel with the specified airline.

While it may be more beneficial for a regular British Airways flyer to get a British Airways credit card, many air mile credit cards allow you to redeem your miles for travel rewards with their partner airlines and other travel companies too.

British Airways BA Miles for example, can be used with all their oneworld partner airlines, plus a number of hotel chains, car rental providers, and even wine and shopping retailers.

The rewards on offer can vary between air mile credit cards, but you can expect to find the following types of travel rewards:

Airline credit cards:

• Flights on the advertising airline.
• Flights with partner airlines.
• Travel with partnered travel companies, including hotels, car hire and more.
• Exclusive cardholder benefits, including airport lounge access, priority check-ins, upgrades and special offers.

Travel reward credit cards:

• Flights with partnered airlines.
• Hotels and holidays with partnered chains and travel operators.
• Other travel services.

How do I earn air miles on my credit card?

Air miles are rewarded every time you use your air mile credit card to pay for purchases. Purchase transactions include buying goods and services from retailers and companies.

You will earn a certain number of miles for each pound you spend; the exact number awarded will differ from card to card.

It's important to bear in mind though, that air miles, like reward points, can be deceptive if you are comparing cards by the number of miles rewarded.

Because reward schemes vary, a British Airways BA mile may be worth much more than a bmi destination mile - so even if you’re rewarded more destination miles per pound spent, you may need more miles to claim the same reward.

Don't worry though, our air mile credit card comparison page will calculate the number of miles you will earn for your individual spending and let you know how much the miles are really worth too!

- What won't I earn air miles on?

Credit card rewards are never handed out for cash advance transactions or balance transfers, and air mile credit cards are no different.

Remember, cash advances include more than just ATM withdrawals, they also cover getting 'cash back' at the supermarket, buying foreign currency or traveller's cheques and gambling transactions too.

How can I earn the most air miles?

The number of air miles you earn will depend upon the air mile credit card - how many miles they reward per pound spent - and also how much you spend on the card, the more you spend, the more miles you will earn.

You can help to increase your air mile earnings by using your air mile credit card to pay for:

• All your everyday shopping, items like food bills and petrol will quickly tot up your miles.
• Larger items like home improvements, holidays or a new computer will give a quick boast to your miles total.
• Monthly bills and direct debits - you have to pay them anyway, so if your service provider allows you to, switch them to your air miles credit card.
• Travel, especially with the advertising and partner companies - you may even be awarded extra miles when you fly with the specified airline or buy travel from partnered companies.
• Set up additional cards for family members - this can help to really up your earnings - make sure you trust them to repay their spending though!

Air mile credit cards are only worthwhile if you're never charged interest on your card spending - so make sure you always budget your income and repay your balance in full each month.

Do air mile credit cards come with any other offers or services?

It does depend on the air miles credit card, however many of the frequent flyer programs the credit cards work in association with offer more than just the ability to clock up free travel.

An air miles credit card that works with a frequent flyer program will often offer extra benefits including priority check-ins, VIP airport lounge access, upgrades, special offers and more.

Compare air mile credit cards