Get Free Airline Tickets with your Credit Card Application

Want to get away? Below, we’ve compiled a list of credit card promotions that will give you a free airline ticket when you apply, and in some cases, reach a certain spend level. The list has been broken into two parts: 1) a subset of cards that earn points that can be easily converted into miles in your favorite frequent flyer program, and 2) a list of cards that are geared towards earning airmiles with specific carriers.

Points-Earning Credit Cards

Credit Card Bonus Miles Annual Fee Notes
Citi ThankYou(SM) Premier Card Up to 50,000 ThankYou Points (redeemable for up to $500 in gift cards, or up to $625 for airfare) $125 (waived first year)
  • Earn 20,000 points after $2,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
  • Earn an additional 30,000 points after another $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of your second year of being a cardmember
  • Earn 3 ThankYou Points for every $1 spent on purchases for dining at restaurants and entertainment
  • Earn 2 ThankYou Points for every $1 spent on purchases for airfare and hotels
  • Earn 1 ThankYou Point per $1 spent on other purchases
  • Points do not expire and earn unlimited Thank You Points
  • Travel with ease and enjoy chip based technology
PenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express® Card 20,000 bonus points None
  • Earn 5 points on airfare purchases
  • Earn 1 point on all other purchases
  • 20,000 bonus points when you spend $2,500 within the first 3 months of opening the Card account
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Chip Enabled for Added Security
U.S. Bank FlexPerks® Travel Rewards Visa Signature® 20,000 bonus FlexPoints points (redeemable for up to $400 ticket value) $49, waived for first year
  • Get 20,000 bonus FlexPoints after the first $3,500 in net purchases within the first four months.
  • Award travel starts at just 20,000 FlexPoints (up to a $400 ticket value) on over 150 airlines with no blackout dates or online redemption fees
  • Earn one FlexPoint for every $1 of eligible net purchases charged to your card
  • Earn two FlexPoints for every $1 spent on gas, grocery or airline purchases — whichever you spend most on each monthly billing cycle — and on most cell phone expenses
  • Earn Triple FlexPoints for your charitable donations
  • $0 intro Annual Fee* the first year, after that $49*
  • Earn 3,500 bonus FlexPoints each year when you spend $24,000 in Net Purchases.
  • You can redeem these FlexPoints for your annual fee or combine them with other FlexPoints for travel or many other rewards

() – Recommended Card

Airline-specific Credit Cards


Credit Card Bonus Miles Annual Fee Notes
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® Card 25,000 Mileage Plan Bonus Miles $75 25,000 Bonus Miles valid for a Round Trip Coach Saver award ticket in the continental U.S, Alaska or Canada on Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air.
Citi® Platinum Select® / AAdvantage® World MasterCard® 30,000 AAdvantage® miles $95, waived for first 12 months Earn 30,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $1,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of cardmembership*
Sun Country Airlines Visa Signature Card 40,000 points redeemable for a roundtrip ticket $69, waived for the first year
  • First bag checked free on every flight when you present your card
  • 40,000 points redeemable for a roundtrip ticket when you spend $500 within the first 3 billing cycles
  • 5,000 bonus points when you spend $10,000 on your card during each 12 billing cycle period
  • 4 points per $1 spent on qualifying on-board purchases
  • 2 points per $1 spent on qualifying Sun Country Airlines products and services, including tickets and upgrades
  • 1 point per $1 spent on everything else
TD Aeroplan™ Visa® Credit Card 25,000 Aeroplan Miles $95, waived for first year
  • Earn a welcome bonus of 25,000 Aeroplan Miles when you spend $1,000 on net purchases in the first three billing cycles after account opening
  • Earn 2X Aeroplan Miles per $1 spent on Air Canada net purchases
  • Earn 1 Aeroplan Mile per $1 spent on all other net purchases
Virgin Atlantic World Elite MasterCard® Up to 90,000 Flying Club bonus miles $90
  • 20,000 Flying Club bonus miles after your first retail purchase
  • 50,000 additional Flying Club bonus miles after you spend at least $12,000 in qualifying purchases within 6 months of your account open date
  • Earn up to 15,000 additional bonus miles upon anniversary
  • Earn up to 5,000 Flying Club bonus miles when you add additional authorized users to your card
  • Earn 3 miles per $1 spent directly on Virgin Atlantic purchases and 1.5 miles per $1 spent on all other purchases

A caveat
Do keep in mind that a “free flight” isn’t always completely free. Some airlines and programs may charge a fee to issue the ticket, and you’ll still be responsible for any applicable taxes, passenger facility charges, government imposed surcharges and the September 11 security fee.


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