Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; data as of September 27, 2026. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.
Ranked by value per dollar on airfare — earn rates, transfer partners, and airline perks.
Rankings are generated by our algorithm based on earn rates, point valuations, fees, and benefits — not paid placement. We don't accept compensation to rank cards higher. How we rank
Ranked by earn rate and redemption value, statement credits minus annual fees (weighted against a typical $30,000/year in total card spend), shopping portal bonuses when we recognize the merchant, matched benefits and promotional earn boosts. The ¢ per dollar column is the reward rate at Flights, after spend caps. Order can differ from that column because ranking adds the adjustments above.
Capital One
Side-by-side view of the ranked picks.
| Card | Flights Rate | Effective Value | Annual Fee | Fee Offset | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit CardCapital One | 5x Venture Miles | 9.3¢/$ | $395 | — | visa |
| The Platinum Card from American ExpressAmex | 5x Membership Rewards | 7.5¢/$ | $895 | $667.50 | amex |
| Chase Sapphire ReserveChase | 4x Ultimate Rewards | 7.2¢/$ | $795 | $360 | visa |
| Citi Strata Premier CardCiti | 3x ThankYou Points | 4.8¢/$ | $95 | — | mastercard |
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Chase
| Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Visa Credit CardWells Fargo | 4x Wells Fargo Rewards | 5.0¢/$ | $95 | — | visa |
| Chase Freedom FlexChase | 5x Ultimate Rewards | 5.4¢/$ | $0 | $30 | mastercard |
| Bilt Palladium CardCardless | 2x Bilt Rewards | 4.4¢/$ | $495 | $100 | mastercard |
| U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature CardUsbank | 4x Usbank Altitude Rewards | 4.0¢/$ | $0 | — | visa |
| BMO EscapeBmo | 4x points | 4.0¢/$ | $150 | $12.50 | mastercard |
| Citi Strata Credit CardCiti | 5x ThankYou Points | 4.8¢/$ | $0 | — | mastercard |
