If you’re someone who travels regularly for work, holidays, or you're just trying to squeeze in as many long weekends in Europe as possible this summer, the right credit card can make a big difference to saving a little and saving a lot. There are several rewards credit card providers that not only let you earn air miles or points on your everyday spending, but also unlock perks like free flights, airport lounge access, or travel insurance and no foreign exchange fees abroad.
UK providers like American Express, Virgin Money, and Barclaycard offer cards that reward spending with airline points or miles. But if you want greater flexibility, like using your points on any flight, not just with one airline, there’s a new way to travel smarter with Ï㽶´«Ã½.
In this guide, we’ll walk through some of the most popular air miles credit cards in the UK, explain how they work, and help you decide if they’re right for you or if something like Ï㽶´«Ã½ is a better fit.
What's the deal with credit cards that earn air miles?
Air miles credit cards reward you with airline points when you spend. These can be through programs like Avios (used by British Airways and Iberia), Virgin Points (used by Virgin Atlantic), Membership Rewards (from Amex, convertible into a range of travel partner points) or Ï㽶´«Ã½ points that you earn by spending on a Ï㽶´«Ã½ card.
Most cards offer:
- A welcome bonus if you meet a minimum spend in the first 3 months
- Boosted earning rates when you spend with specific partners (e.g. airlines, restaurants, travel sites)
- Access to partner airline reward schemes, which let you redeem your points for flights, seat upgrades, baggage allowances, or lounge access
- Other travel benefits like travel insurance and no FX fees
Which cards offer the best travel rewards
Ï㽶´«Ã½ Lifestyle Travel & Rewards Credit Card – Full Membership
This card earns Ï㽶´«Ã½ Rewards points redeemable on any flight with any airline. Use points for travel, shopping and on curated lifestyle experiences in cities across the UK
- Welcome bonus: 10,000 points worth up to £50 at Experiences
- Earn rate: 5x points per £1
- Fee: £15/³¾´Çnth or £160 per year
- APR: 66.3% (variable)
- Perks: No FX fees, worldwide travel insurance, use points at thousands or hotels and on any flight with any airline, fee-free emergency cash withdrawals
- â€FX fee: no fees
Ï㽶´«Ã½ Lifestyle Travel & Rewards Credit Card – Free Membership
This card earns Ï㽶´«Ã½ Rewards points redeemable on travel, shopping and curated lifestyle experiences in cities across the UK
- Earn rate: 1x point per £1
- Fee:Â No fee
- APR: 32.9% (variable)
- Perks: No FX fees, fee-free emergency cash withdrawals, trip summariesâ€
- FX fee: No fees
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card
This card earns Membership Rewards points redeemable with airline reward partners like:
- British Airways Executive Club
- Emirates Skywards
- Flying Blue
- Etihad Guest
- Iberia Plus
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Use points for travel, shopping, or book via American Express Travel.
- Welcome bonus: 38,000 points when you spend £3,000 in the first 3 months (until May 27 2025) (check website for up to date offers)
- Earn rate: 1x point per £1, 2x with airlines, 3x with Amex Travel
- Fee: £195 annually (free first year)
- APR: 87.3% (variable)
- Perks: 4 Priority Pass lounge entries per year, exclusive experiences
- FX fee: 2.99%
American Express Nectar Credit Card
Earn Nectar points on everyday spending—and convert them to Avios with British Airways (400 Nectar = 250 Avios).
- Welcome bonus: 20,000 Nectar points when you spend £2,000 in 3 months (check website for up to date offers)
- Earn rate: 2x on purchases, 3x with Nectar partners
- Fee: £30 annually (free first year)
- APR: 36.8% (variable)â€
- FX fee: 2.99%
American Express Rewards Credit Card
No annual fee, but access to the same travel partners as the Gold Card.
- Welcome bonus: 10,000 points when you spend £2,000 in 3 months
- Earn rate: 1 point per £1
- Fee: No fee
- APR: 30.0% (variable)â€
- FX fee: 2.99%
British Airways American Express Credit Card
Directly linked with the British Airways Executive Club. Earn Avios to redeem on BA and partner flights.
- Welcome bonus: 5,000 Avios when you spend £2,000 in 3 months (check website for up to date offers)
- Earn rate: 1 Avios per £1
- Fee: No fee
- APR: 30.0% (variable)
- Perk: Companion voucher or 50% off reward flights if you spend £15,000 in a yearâ€
- FX fee: 2.99%
Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card
Earn Virgin Points, redeemable on Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Holidays, and Virgin Red rewards.
- Welcome bonus: 3,000 points on first purchase within 90 days (check website for up to date offers)
- Earn rate: 0.75 points per £1, 1.5 with Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays
- Fee: No fee
- APR: 26.9% (variable)
- Perk: Flight upgrade after qualifying spend
Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card
Higher earning rates and a bigger bonus—ideal for frequent Virgin travellers.
- Welcome bonus: 18,000 points on first purchase within 90 days (check website for up to date offers)
- Earn rate: 1.5 points per £1, 3 with Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays
- Fee: £160 annually
- APR: 69.7% (variable)
- Perk: Flight upgrade after spending threshold met
Barclaycard Avios
Earn Avios with British Airways and its partners, plus a bonus for high annual spending.
- Welcome bonus: 5,000 Avios when you spend £1,000 in 3 months (check website for up to date offers)
- Earn rate: 1 Avios per £1
- Fee: No fee
- APR: 29.9% (variable)
- Perk: Spend £20,000 in a year and choose 7,000 bonus Avios or a cabin upgrade voucher
Barclaycard Avios Plus
Higher Avios earn rate and a bigger welcome bonus, with a monthly fee.
- Welcome bonus: 25,000 Avios when you spend £3,000 in 3 months (check website for up to date offers)
- Earn rate: 1.5 Avios per £1
- Fee: £20/³¾´Ç²Ô³Ù³ó
- APR: 80.1% (variable)
- Perk: Spend £10,000 in a year for a cabin upgrade voucher or 7,000 bonus Avios
Are credit cards that generate points or air miles worth it?
They can be but it depends on how you spend and how often you fly.
Here are the main pros:
- You can reduce the cost of travel
- Welcome bonuses are often generous if you like to shop around and find the best offer
- Some cards include extras like lounge access or insurance
But there are some caveats:
- Points usually only work with one airline (and its partners)
- Redemption options can be limited, especially during peak travel periods
- Higher-tier perks often require big annual spending (£10k–£20k+)
- APRs can be higher than typical credit cards, which makes carrying a balance costly
If you’re not a heavy spender or not loyal to one airline, the return on these cards may be underwhelming. Which is where Ï㽶´«Ã½ comes in.
Why Ï㽶´«Ã½ could be a smarter alternative
Ï㽶´«Ã½ offer rewards cards built specifically for modern travellers with no FX fees, trip summaries in the app, flexible point redemptions and, for our full membership, the ability to use points on any flight with any airline without restrictions.
Whether you're planning a weekend in Rome, a sabbatical in South America, or simply want a card that works globally without all the faff, Ï㽶´«Ã½ was designed for you. All Ï㽶´«Ã½ membership and card types come with points earning, no FX fees abroad, trip summaries in the app and so much more.
Here’s how the two Ï㽶´«Ã½ membership tiers compare:
Ï㽶´«Ã½ – Full Membership
- £15/³¾´Çnth or £160/year
- 5x points per £1 on all spending
- No foreign transaction fees
- Use points on any flight, with any airline, no restrictions
- Worldwide travel insurance included
- Automatic trip summaries for expense tracking
Ï㽶´«Ã½ – Free Membership
- £0 fee
- 1 point per £1 on all spending
- No FX fees worldwide
- Trip summaries included
Unlike airline-linked cards, Ï㽶´«Ã½ points don’t tie you to a single carrier, and you won’t need to hunt for limited reward seat availability or jump through hoops to redeem.
Final Thoughts
Air miles cards from Amex, Virgin, and Barclaycard offer solid rewards especially if you're a loyalist to one airline and spend heavily on your credit card. But if you care more about flexibility, simplicity, and real travel freedom, then Ï㽶´«Ã½ is worth a serious look. No blackout dates. No confusing partner programmes. Just your spending, turned into meaningful rewards on your terms.
Information accurate as of April 23 2025. Information sourced directly from select credit card product pages.
