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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 25,000 ThankYou Points (redeemable for $250 in gift cards) $125 (waived first year)
  • 25,000 bonus points after $2,000 in purchases made within 3 months of account opening plus an additional 30,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 in the first 3 months of your second year of being a cardmember.
  • No foreign transaction fees on purchases
  • Earn points for the miles you fly when you purchase a ticket with your Citi ThankYou Premier Card
  • Annual complimentary domestic companion ticket and a 15% discount on all air travel when booked through Spirit Incentives

() – 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® Visa Signature® Card 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*
Lufthansa Premier Miles & More World MasterCard Up to 35,000 bonus miles $79
  • 20,000 bonus miles with first purchase
  • Earn up to 15,000 additional award miles when you complete an initial balance transfer
  • Annual fee waived for Senator and HON Circle Members
US Airways Premier World MasterCard Up to 40,000 bonus miles $89
  • 30,000 bonus miles with first purchase
  • Earn up to 10,000 Bonus Miles when you transfer a balance within 90 days of account opening
  • 2 roundtrip companion tickets each year
  • First class check-in
  • Redeem flights for 5,000 fewer miles
Virgin America Visa® Signature Card Up to 25,000 bonus points $49
  • 20,000 bonus points with first purchase
  • Up to 5,000 Bonus Points with a balance transfer in the first 30 days
  • $150 off a companion ticket every year
  • No blackout dates on any seat, at any time for reward flights

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.

7 Responses to “Get Free Airline Tickets with your Credit Card Application”

  1. 17 Credit Cards with Free Plane Ticket Offers · Credit Card Watcher Says:
    July 28th, 2008 at 7:29 am

    [...] can find the full list of cards along with details here. Posted in Reward Cards, Signup Bonuses, Travel Cards | Trackback | del.icio.us | Top Of [...]

  2. Jarek Says:
    July 28th, 2008 at 12:18 pm

    one more card from AirTran

    http://view.ed4.net/v/5ETZVH/2VTKT/PSI67S/32D37G/MAILACTION=1&FORMAT=H

  3. ccwatcher Says:
    July 28th, 2008 at 12:57 pm

    Jarek–Thanks for the link, but AirTran (ATA) is out of business now.

  4. Jarek Says:
    July 29th, 2008 at 8:54 am

    I got that link last week. AirTran’s website looks pretty operational (www.airtran.com). Although, ATA (www.ata.com) is indeed out of business.

  5. ccwatcher Says:
    July 29th, 2008 at 1:12 pm

    Jarek–Thanks for pointing that out. For some reason I always associated ATA and AirTran together.

  6. Sue Says:
    May 31st, 2009 at 5:18 pm

    Hi Jarek, you seem to be the guy in the know. I saw an ad in the in flight magazine on Southwest Airlines re: earn 2 free tickets for signing up for a credit card. I meant to do it right away, but couldn’t find the offer again. Could you help? I want to bring my grandkids to Buffalo this summer, but can’t really afford all their tickets. I’m not even sure I can find this website again since I’m not very computer savvy. I’d appreciate any help you could give me. Thank you. Sue

  7. barbara palma Says:
    October 11th, 2012 at 1:06 pm

    How do I go about obtaining a AMX credit card so I can get 30,000points – 2 free airline tickets?
    Lately I am using Southwest and am doing it again in Nov. Thank you.

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