The Best Ways to Rack Up Airline Miles without Flying

Forget logging flight miles—the fastest way to earn free travel isn’t in the air. While you’re scoring a modest handful of miles on your economy flights, savvy travelers are racking up rewards by the thousands without ever stepping foot on a plane.

The real secret to massive mile earnings? It’s all about strategic credit card use. Major U.S. airlines partner with banks to offer cards that turn your everyday spending into miles, and some banks even offer their own rewards cards with points you can transfer to multiple airlines. This flexibility means you’re never locked into just one way to earn.

Here’s the game-changer: Regular spending could earn you more miles than flying. That $300 economy ticket? It might get you 1,500 miles. However, using the right credit card for your monthly bills and everyday purchases can gain the same amount or more. No fancy first-class tickets or huge spending is required—just an intelligent travel rewards strategy.

Airline Miles Credit Cards

Want to maximize your miles? Start with airline credit cards. Every major U.S. carrier offers at least one, typically earning you one mile per dollar spent. But here’s where it gets interesting: Use these cards for purchases with the airline branding the card, and you’ll earn two to five times the miles. Some even boost your earnings on other travel expenses, such as checked bags or in-flight purchases. While these miles are typically valued at around 1.5 cents each by travel experts (when redeemed for flights), be smart about how you use them—cash redemptions usually cut that value by two-thirds.

But miles are just the beginning. These cards pack plenty of perks, from free checked bags and companion tickets on basic cards to premium benefits like airport lounge access, travel credits, and elite status on higher-tier options. Many cards sweeten the deal with generous sign-up bonuses—we’re talking up to 100,000 miles just for meeting initial spending requirements. Plus, you can travel abroad worry-free since most cards have ditched foreign transaction fees.

Mile-Transfer Credit Cards

AmEx, Capital One, and Chase each issue at least one credit card that earns miles or points you can transfer to some airline programs and combine with the miles you earn by flying and through the airline’s credit card:

• AmEx Green, Gold, and Platinum cards earn “Membership Rewards” at the base rate of one point per dollar charged for most purchases, with bonus points up to five per dollar on airfares charged directly through the airline or AmEx and up to four per dollar on other travel, dining, and supermarket charges. You can transfer AmEx points to Air Canada, Delta, Hawaiian, Aeromexico, Air France/KLM, Alitalia, ANA, Avianca, British  Airways, Emirates, Etihad, Iberia, Qantas, Singapore, and Virgin Atlantic at the rate of 1000 points to 1000 miles or points; to JetBlue at the rate of 1,000 points to 800 points; and to El Al at 1000 points to 20 points. The premium-level cards charge hefty annual fees–$250 for gold and $550 for Platinum—and offer lots of extras.

• Capital One Venture Rewards Visa earns two points per dollar on all charges and transfers points to Air Canada, Avianca, Etihad, and Singapore at the rate of 1000 points to 1100-1200 points/mile and to Aeromexico, Air France/KLM, Alitalia, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, EVA, Hainan, JetBlue, Qatar, and Singapore at the rate of 1000 points to 750 points/miles.

• Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve Visa cards offer two and three points per dollar charged, respectively, on many purchases, and you can transfer points to JetBlue, Southwest, United, Aer Lingus, Air France/KLM, British Airways, Singapore, and Virgin Atlantic at a rate of 1,000:1,000.

Airline Shopping Portals

Most listed airlines operate shopping portals with links to prominent—and usually nationwide—retailers that offer extra airline miles on purchases at various rates, usually at least two per dollar and sometimes as high as 10 per dollar. You do not have to use the airlines’ own cards to use these portals, although you get the airline cards’ credit along with the portals’ when you do.

Bank Travel Cards

Several large banks issue cards that earn points you can use to buy tickets. The points have a fixed cash value and you pay the equivalent cash value toward whatever fare you want to buy. The programs are simply a subset of conventional cash-back cards, but a few add a twist: If you use bank points to buy tickets or other travel services through the bank’s system, you get a higher cash value than you get on other purchases or on a cash credit.

Among the top options: Chase Sapphire cards earn two points per dollar charged on travel and dining, along with a 25 percent premium when you use points to buy travel services through Chase’s own agency. The Black Card by Mastercard values each point at 1.5 cents cash or two cents when used to buy air tickets.

Best Earning Options for Each Airline

Bank travel cards offer a different path to free flights. Instead of airline miles, you earn points with a guaranteed cash value—meaning no blackout dates or seat restrictions. While these cards work similarly to cash-back rewards, many offer a clever bonus: Book through the bank’s travel portal, and your points stretch even further. A point worth one cent in cash might jump to 1.25 or even 1.5 cents when used for travel.

Alaska: The Alaska Visa gets three miles per dollar for Alaska charges.

Allegiant: The Allegiant World Mastercard earns three points per dollar on Allegiant charges and two points per dollar on dining charges.

American: AAdvantage MileUp gets two miles per dollar on American charges and at supermarkets. Shopping portal: AAdvantage eShopping.

Delta: Delta SkyMiles AmEx gets two miles per dollar on Delta charges and dining. Delta SkyMiles Reserve AmEx gets three miles per dollar on Delta charges.

Travel Smarter! Sign up for our free newsletter.

By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Sign Up

Frontier: Frontier Mastercard gets five points per dollar on Frontier charges and three points per dollar on dining.

Hawaiian: Hawaiian Mastercard gets three miles per dollar on Hawaiian charges and two points per dollar on dining, supermarkets, and gasoline and oil.

JetBlue: JetBlue Plus Mastercard earns 6 points per dollar on JetBlue charges and two points per dollar on dining and supermarkets.

Southwest: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus gets two points per dollar on Southwest charges.

Spirit: World Mastercard gets two points per dollar on all charges.

Sun Country:  Visa Signature earns three points per dollar on Sun Country charges and two points per dollar on supermarket and gas/oil charges.

United: Explorer Visa gets two miles per dollar on United charges. Club Visa gets two miles per dollar on United charges and 1.5 miles per dollar on all other charges.

Best Earnings for Other Charges

Take a close look at your spending habits—the right rewards card depends on where your money goes. A card offering triple dining points won’t help much if most of your budget goes to groceries. These are our picks for the best credit cards by reward category:

Airfares: AmEx Platinum, five points per dollar; Chase Sapphire Reserve, three points per dollar.

Hotels: Chase Sapphire Reserve, three points per dollar, and Chase Sapphire Preferred, two points per dollar.

Rental Cars: Chase Sapphire Reserve gets three points per dollar, and Chase Sapphire Preferred gets two points per dollar charged.

Dining: AmEx Gold and Chase Sapphire Reserve, three points per dollar charged

Supermarkets/groceries: AmEx Gold, four points per dollar charged.

Gas and oil: Capital One, two points per dollar charged.