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Best air mile credit cards 2026
Find out which deals can help you earn American Express Membership Rewards, Avios and Virgin Points
Holly covers personal finance topics from credit cards to wills. She enjoys turning complex money matters into clear, practical advice.
Anna covers personal finance, helping readers make sense of savings, credit cards and insurance. Her insights are informed by experience in the financial services industry.
In this article
- What is an air mile credit card?
- Best Avios air mile credit cards
- Best Virgin Points air mile credit cards
- Air mile credit card provider reviews
- How to use an air mile credit card effectively
- How to boost airline loyalty points
- Air mile credit cards: what you need to know
- How we analyse credit cards
Why you can trust our credit card reviews
Real customers
We asked 4,995 customers about the service they receive from their credit card provider.
Expert analysis
We compared the fees and interest rates of 137 cards to bring you the best deals on the market.
What is an air mile credit card?
An air mile credit card is a type of reward credit card that allows you to collect points on your everyday spending and exchange them for holiday-related savings on flights (taxes apply), flight upgrades and hotel stays.
Here, Which? reveals the top cards for boosting Avios and Virgin Points.
Best Avios air mile credit cards
These deals can help you boost your Avios points balance. Avios can be used with a variety of airlines, including Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia and Qatar Airways. Nectar points can be converted into Avios points.
The table is ordered by the amount of points you can earn per £1 spent. You can click on our 'points accumulated' table to see how many points you would earn when spending £500 and £1,000 a month.
Please note that this article is for information purposes only and does not constitute advice. Please refer to the particular T&Ss of a credit card provider before committing to any financial products.
General information
RECOMMENDED PROVIDER Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard | 77% | 1.5 Avios points per £1 | 25,000 Avios points if you spend £3,000 in the first 3 months. | £240 (a) | Spend £10,000 on your card in the first year and choose between 7,000 bonus Avios points, or a British Airways cabin upgrade (by one cabin class only, excludes First Class). | 80.1% Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 29.9% (variable), representative 80.1% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
RECOMMENDED PROVIDER British Airways American Express Premium Plus Credit Card | 80% | 1.5 Avios points per £1 (b) | 30,000 Avios points if you spend £6,000 in the first 3 months. | £300 | Get a companion voucher when you spend £15,000 each membership year, which you can use to either take a companion with you in the same flight and cabin or, if travelling solo, a 50% discount on your ticket | 136.4% Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 29.4% (variable), representative 136.4% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
RECOMMENDED PROVIDER American Express Nectar Credit Card | 80% | 2 Nectar points (worth 1.25 Avios points) per £1 (c) | 20,000 Nectar points (worth 12,500 Avios) if you spend £2,000 in the first 3 months. | £30 (d) | n/a | 36.1% Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 29.4% (variable), representative 36.1% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
best buy RECOMMENDED PROVIDER American Express Rewards Credit Card | 80% | 1 American Express Membership Rewards point per £1 | 10,000 American Express Membership Rewards points when you spend £2,000 in the first 3 months. | £0 | n/a | 29.4% Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 29.4% (variable), representative 29.4% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
RECOMMENDED PROVIDER British Airways American Express Credit Card | 80% | 1 Avios point per £1 | 5,000 Avios points if you spend £2,000 in the first 3 months. | £0 | Get a companion voucher when you spend £15,000 each membership year, which allows you to get a second seat for a friend or loved one travelling on the same flight and cabin as you, providing you are sat in economy class. If travelling solo, you can get a 50% discount on your ticket instead | 29.4% Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 29.4% (variable), representative 29.4% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
RECOMMENDED PROVIDER Barclaycard Avios Mastercard | 77% | 1 Avios point per £1 | 5,000 Avios points if you spend £1,000 in the first 3 months. | £0 | Spend £20,000 on your card in the first year and choose between 7,000 bonus Avios points, or a British Airways cabin upgrade (by one cabin class only, excludes First Class). | 29.9% Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 29.9% (variable), representative 29.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
Table notes: table updated 2 February 2026. The average provider customer score is 75%. Find out how we analyse credit cards to award Best Buys and Recommended Providers. Credit card providers sometimes offer personalised introductory offers based on cookie preferences, which are not included in our analysis. n/a = not applicable (a) Charged at £20 a month (b) Earn three Avios points per £1 on purchases made with British Airways or BA Holidays (c) Earn three Nectar points per £1 when shopping with Nectar partners and scanning your Nectar card (d) No fee for the first year
Our analysis of Avios air mile credit cards
Two premium cards have the highest point-earning potential per £1 spent, but both have high fees to factor in.
The Barclaycard Avios Plus Credit Card is £60 cheaper a year than the British Airways American Premium Plus. However, as you pay £20 a month for the Barclaycard Avios Plus Credit Card (rather than a one-off annual fee), you could downgrade your card to the free version once you've earned the welcome bonus and cabin upgrade voucher.
In this category, we've named the American Express Rewards Credit Card a Best Buy. It has no annual fee, and we like the flexibility it offers: you earn one American Express point per £1 spent, which can be converted into Avios or Virgin Points at a ratio of 1:1.
If you're keen to get a companion voucher or a flight upgrade but don't fancy paying an annual fee, the free versions of the Barclaycard Avios and British Airways cards are a good bet.
If you spend more than £15,000 in a year using the British Airways American Express credit card, you can get a companion voucher, which allows you to get a second seat for a friend or loved one travelling on the same flight and cabin as you, as long as you're sitting in economy class.
The Barclaycard requires you to spend £20,000 in a year to get an upgrade voucher, or 7,000 Avios points.
If you're a savvy Nectar collector and regularly shop at Sainsbury's, you may be better off using an American Express Nectar Credit Card and converting your points. You can exchange 400 Nectar points for 250 Avios.
Barclaycard, American Express and British Airways American Express are all Which? Recommended Providers in our 2026 survey.
Check our guide to the best airlines to see how they stack up against one another for everything from customer service to cabin cleanliness
Best Virgin Points air mile credit cards
Virgin Points can be used with Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club. It's not only Virgin Atlantic cards that offer deals to earn points – Tesco Clubcard points can be converted into Virgin Points, too.
The table is ordered by the amount of points you can earn per £1 spent. You can click on the 'points accumulated' tab to see how many points you would earn spending £500 and £1,000 per month.
Please note that this article is for information purposes only and does not constitute advice. Please refer to the particular T&Cs of a credit card provider before committing to any financial products.
General information
Virgin Atlantic Reward Plus Credit Card | 72% | 1.5 Virgin Points per £1 (a) | Earn 18,000 welcome bonus points with your first card purchase, made within 90 days of taking out the card. | £160 | Spend £10,000 in a year to access benefits, such as companion flights or upgrades. | 69.7% Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 26.9% (variable), representative 69.7% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
RECOMMENDED PROVIDER American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card | 80% | 1 American Express Membership Rewards points for every £1 (b) | Earn 20,000 bonus Membership Rewards points when you spend £3,000 in the first three months. | £195 (c) | Four airport lounge passes a year. | 86.3% Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 29.4% (variable), representative 86.3% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
best buy RECOMMENDED PROVIDER American Express Rewards Credit Card | 80% | 1 American Express Membership Rewards point per £1 | 10,000 American Express Membership Rewards points when you spend £2,000 in the first 3 months. | £0 | n/a | 29.4% Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 29.4% (variable), representative 29.4% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card | 72% | 0.75 Virgin Points per £1 (d) | Earn 3,000 welcome bonus points with your first card purchase, made within 90 days of taking out the card. | £0 | Spend £20,000 in a year to access benefits, such as companion flights or upgrades. | 26.9% Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 26.9% (variable), representative 26.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
RECOMMENDED PROVIDER Tesco Low APR Credit Card | 79% | 1 Clubcard point (worth 2 Virgin Points) per £8 (e) | n/a | £0 | Get 5,000 Virgin Points if you have at least 250 Clubcard points in your account by 25 January 2026 and set up auto-exchange to Virgin Points. | 12.9% Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 12.9% (variable), representative 12.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
Table notes: table updated 2 February 2026. The average provider customer score is 75%. Find out how we analyse credit cards to award Best Buys and Recommended Providers. Credit card providers sometimes offer personalised introductory offers based on cookie preferences, which are not included in our analysis. n/a = not applicable (a) 3 Virgin Points per £1 spent with Virgin Direct or Virgin Holidays (b) 3 American Express Membership Rewards points for every £1 spent on Amex Travel, 2 American Express Membership Rewards points for every £1 spent on purchases made directly with airlines (c) £0 in the first year, charged annually thereafter (d) 1.5 Virgin Points per £1 spent with Virgin Atlantic of Virgin Holidays (e) Earn five Clubcard points per £4 when shopping at Tesco.
Our analysis of Virgin Points credit cards
The Virgin Atlantic Reward Plus Credit Card offers the most competitive point-earning potential, but comes with a £160 annual fee. However, new customers only have to use the card once within 90 days to get 18,000 points. If you spend £10,000 in a year, you unlock a companion voucher or flight upgrade.
The American Express Rewards Credit Card is a Best Buy. It has no annual fee and earns one American Express point per £1 spent. Amex points can be converted into Virgin Points at a ratio of 1:1.
We prefer it to the fee-free Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card, which only offers 0.75 points per £1 spent (unless you shop with Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays, when you can get a better rate of 1.5 points per £1).
If you regularly shop at Tesco, you'll earn significantly more Clubcard points with any Tesco Credit Card (5 Clubcard points per £4 spent), which can then be converted into Virgin Points at a rate of 1:2.
American Express and Tesco Bank are Which? Recommended Providers for 2026.
To find out how Virgin Atlantic stacks up for long-haul flights against other airlines, see our survey of the best airlines
Air mile credit card provider reviews
As well as finding an air mile credit card that's the most useful to you based on your preferred flight provider, you should also consider the quality of a credit card provider’s customer service. But that's pretty hard to do unless you've been a customer before.
Which? has rated 30 of the most popular credit card providers based on real-life customer experiences to help you find out how they measure up for service, mobile banking and more before you sign up.
You can take a look at our full analysis in our guide to the best credit card providers.
Search for deals to cut your bills
Use our advice, ratings and customer scores to help you choose with confidence
Compare and chooseHow to use an air mile credit card effectively
With an air mile credit card, there are a few things to bear in mind to make sure you use it effectively. We've set out the golden rules below.
1. Avoid borrowing
These credit cards are a rewarding tool if you only use them to spend money you have, like you would with a debit card. They're generally not very good for borrowing, with few cards offering competitive 0% deals.
If you're already paying interest on credit card debt, it's worth considering a 0% balance transfer credit card, or if you want to spread the cost of a new purchase, try an interest-free purchase credit card.
- Find out more: best credit card deals.
2. Pay off the balance in full every month
It's important to pay off the balance of your air mile credit card in full every month, otherwise the interest could outweigh the rewards.
We recommend you set up a direct debit to clear your balance each month so you don't forget.
3. Maximise your rewards with everyday spending
To get the most out of your credit card, you should try to use it as much as possible.
The best deals reward you every time you make a purchase, so it makes sense to use them instead of cash or debit cards whenever you can.
- Find out more: best cashback and reward credit cards.
4. Get your partner involved
You can effectively multiply your rewards by ensuring you and your partner use the same brand of reward card.
This is particularly useful for air miles, which can usually be transferred between members.
How to boost airline loyalty points
Using a specific air mile credit card isn’t the only way you can earn reward points towards your holidays. Here are other ways you can boost your points:
Check for retail partners
As well as collecting points when you fly with the airline specifically, both Avios and Virgin have retail partners where you can earn points through your shopping.
Use free loyalty schemes
You can earn both Nectar and Tesco Clubcard points by using their own loyalty schemes for free. These points can be spent on holiday-related purchases or converted into airline scheme points.
Tesco Clubcard points can only be converted into Virgin Points. This can be done on your Tesco Grocery and Clubcard app or online. You can turn every Clubcard point into two Virgin Points, so £1.50 in Clubcard vouchers will get you 300 Virgin Points.
Nectar points can only be converted into Avios points, and this can be done on your Nectar app or online. Every 400 Nectar points can be converted to 250 Avios points. This means 1.6 Nectar points are worth one Avios point.
You can also earn Virgin Points by using its free loyalty scheme, Virgin Red. You can earn points by using the Virgin Red Train Ticketing app, or spending with partner retailers such as eBay, John Lewis and Just Eat.
To redeem your points for Virgin Atlantic flights, you’ll need to link your Virgin Red account to your Virgin Atlantic Flying Club account.
- Find out more: loyalty schemes compared.
Refer a friend
You might be able to earn a referral bonus once you have an air mile credit card.
For example, you can earn Amex Membership Rewards points for each person you refer who gets approved for an Amex card once you become a customer. The number of points you earn depends on the card you hold.
- Find out more: best airlines.
Air mile credit cards: what you need to know
Have an air mile credit card query? See if you can find the answer in our Q&A below.
How we analyse credit cards
Anna McClean, Which? credit card market analyst, says: 'At Which?, we put credit card products and providers under the microscope to help you save time when shopping around for a new deal.
'We run a survey each year to gather the experiences of customers to help us find the best providers and keep a close eye on the credit card market to determine which deals are the best in their category.'
Here's some more information about our research and the terms we use in this guide.
Customer score
Our provider customer scores for credit card companies are based on an online survey of 4,995 members of the public, conducted in November 2025.
Provider customer scores are calculated from a combination of overall satisfaction and the likelihood of recommending the provider to a friend.
We also ask these credit card customers to rate brands on six categories, including customer service, mobile banking and more, so you can get an idea of the quality of service you might receive before you sign up.
Sample sizes for customer score: Barclays/Barclaycard (801), American Express (379), Lloyds (364), Tesco Bank (350), NatWest (302), Halifax (292), Capital One (288), HSBC (281), Santander (229), Nationwide (205), M&S Bank (147), MBNA (135), Monzo (110), Amazon (by Barclaycard) (89), Virgin Money (including Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank) (83), Aqua (83), Royal Bank of Scotland (76), Vanquis Bank (73), John Lewis/Waitrose (71), Virgin Atlantic by Virgin Money (59), First Direct (58), Chase (56), Zopa (56), British Airways American Express (53), Bank of Scotland (53), TSB (51), The Co-operative Bank (Co-op) (49), Asda Money (47), 118 118 Money (44), Klarna credit card (43).
Which? Recommended Providers
To be a Which? Recommended Provider for credit cards, a credit card company must:
- Have a provider customer score of at least 71% and achieve at least four stars in all categories in our latest customer satisfaction survey
- Have at least one top-10 card in one of the seven main categories available on the market
- Have an above-average product score
- Accept applications from everyone – not just existing customers
- Not have a representative APR of more than 35.7% on any of its mainstream cards at the time of the analysis.
We only make a lender a Which? Recommended Providers if it meets our benchmarks on customer service and product offering.
Which? Best Buys
A Best Buy credit card must have been one of the top five cards in its category for the past three months. They also need to satisfy specific criteria for the type of card, such as the size of the balance transfer fee or the length of 0% period.
A provider must have also achieved a provider customer score of more than 71% in our latest credit card satisfaction survey. Each year, we ask thousands of customers to rate their providers and calculate a provider customer score based on their responses to find the best credit card providers.
We also review our analysis regularly, which means we will withdraw Best Buys if providers make adverse changes to APRs, 0% periods or fees.
- Find out more: Which? symbols, logos and ratings explained.
Why should you trust Which? research?
We’re not influenced by third parties. We work entirely on behalf of you, the consumer – nobody else. See our statement of editorial independence for more.