Airline mile / frequent flier credit cards

While certain general reward credit cards allow points to be redeemed for plane tickets among other things, there is a subset of reward cards specifically for air travel. This type of card allows consumers to earn airline mile credits whenever they make purchases. Some cards are co-branded with a specific airline, while some are generic and can be redeemed for tickets with a variety of airlines. Points can be redeemed for airline travel, much like frequent flier miles. 

Airline-specific credit cards 

These cards are associated with one airline. Typically, the cardholder accumulates points from both making purchases with the card and by flying on the specified airline. For example, with Chase's Continental MasterCard, cardholders accumulate Continental frequent flier miles (called OnePass miles) both from spending with the card and from flying with Continental. These cards come with other perks -- for example, some allow you to earn double points when you use the card to purchase plane tickets with that airline. Compare airline-specific cards.

Generic airline miles cards

Credit cards such as Miles by Discover allow you to redeem your reward points for air travel through any airline, travel agent or online travel site. This is a great option for people who aren't involved in a frequent flier program and aren't loyal to any particular airline. It allows you the flexibility of redeeming your miles for whichever airline best suits the needs of your trip. With a generic airline card, you gain points for every dollar spent on the card, but because it is not associated with a particular airline, you can't gain additional points by flying. Compare generic airline miles cards.

Each airline credit card is a bit different, so be sure to read the card's terms and conditions to find out how many miles you gain for every dollar spent. Other things to look for are how many miles you need before you qualify for a free plane ticket, if there is a cap on points that can be earned annually and whether or not unused airline miles expire. Some expire in five years while others do not expire at all. Airline mile reward programs can be costly for credit card companies, so many of these cards come with an annual fee. This type of reward program is beneficial for frequent travelers or those who want to use their card to plan vacations, but the associated fee might make them impractical for other cardholders.