Zero legroom. Cramped seats. Rotten food. It’s no wonder that air travel can be a miserable experience nowadays. But what if there was a better way?
If you have a travel rewards card, you can save up the miles or points you earn and redeem them for trips you otherwise couldn’t afford. Even better, you can use those miles to make your experience more comfortable and luxurious by upgrading to first-class travel.
Why first-class travel can be worth the splurge
If comfort is key, it’s hard to beat flying first class. While each airline is different, in general, you can expect amenities like:
- Substantially larger seats with more legroom
- Personal service with a dedicated flight attendant
- Access to power outlets to charge your devices
- Complimentary pillows, blankets, and headphones
- Free premium entertainment like movies and television shows
- Chef-curated meals
- Expedited check-in and security service
- Priority boarding
With these benefits, you’re more likely to relax and enjoy the flight. You’ll arrive at your destination refreshed and relaxed, rather than stressed and hungry. First-class airfare can make the flight an enjoyable part of your vacation instead of a chore you have to endure.
Best cards to earn first-class travel
While flying first class is an experience worth having, it often comes with a hefty price tag. First-class tickets typically cost hundreds more than seats in the standard cabin.
For example, a flight on American Airlines from Orlando to Philadelphia costs $188 if you opt for basic economy. If you upgrade to first class, that price jumps to a whopping $649. Getting the additional perks and comfort of first class would cost you an additional $461. Keep in mind that’s for a relatively short flight — longer journeys would likely be even more expensive.
Luckily, you don’t have to shell out that much money out of your own pocket to enjoy first-class luxury for less. With a travel card, you can earn valuable rewards to redeem for first-class tickets.
Here are our top picks for some of the best travel credit cards to score first-class fare:
Category | Card |
Best for generous bonus offer | Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card |
Best for premium travel perks | Chase Sapphire Reserve® |
Best for luxury benefits | The Platinum Card® from American Express |
Best for flexible rewards redemption | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card |
Best for business travelers | Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card |
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred can help you earn first-class tickets sooner. Not only are your points worth 25% more when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards, you’ll also earn extra points on dining and travel each time you make a purchase on your card in those categories. It also offers flexible redemption methods, which comes in handy for finding first-class seats for less.
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards; 3X points on dining; 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points per $1 on all other eligible purchases
$50 annual credit on hotel stays purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
Points bonus equal to 10% of the total purchases you made in the previous year each card anniversary
- No foreign transaction fees
- 1:1 point transfer available with Chase airline and hotel travel partners
- There are no blackout dates — as long as a flight is available in the travel portal, you can book it
- Other perks like primary rental car insurance, trip delay reimbursement, purchase protection, free DoorDash DashPass benefits, and more
Learn more about this card with our Chase Sapphire Preferred review.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
If you enjoy high-end travel, the Chase Sapphire Reserve can help you book luxury flights for less. Despite its hefty annual fee, it offers exceptional value and a slew of premium perks. You’ll get significant travel credits worth hundreds of dollars every year. And if you redeem your points through Chase Ultimate Rewards, they’re worth 50% more, helping you score first-class seats much sooner.
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- 5X points on flights and 10X points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually; 3X points on other travel and dining & 1X points per dollar on all other purchases
- Receive a $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each year
- Get reimbursed for Global Entry ($100) or TSA PreCheck ($85) application fees
- Complimentary airport lounge access with a Priority Pass Select membership
- Complimentary year of Lyft Pink (a value of $19.99 per month)
- $60 in annual DoorDash statement credits in 2020 and 2021
- No foreign transaction fees
- Other perks like trip cancellation insurance, primary rental car insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, trip delay reimbursement, free DoorDash DashPass benefits, and more
Learn more about this card with our Chase Sapphire Reserve review.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
For travelers looking to make their experience more luxurious, the Platinum Card from American Express really goes the extra mile. Offering high levels of rewards and travel perks, jet-setters will find its benefits justify its $695 annual fee.
- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months
- 5X points per dollar spent on eligible airfare (on up to $500,000 per calendar year, after that 1X) and eligible hotel purchases, and 1X points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
- Complimentary access to Centurion and Priority Pass Select airport lounges
- Get reimbursed for Global Entry ($100) or TSA PreCheck ($85) application fees
- Get $200 in Uber credits every year
- Other perks like secondary car rental insurance, premium roadside assistance, travel accident insurance, baggage insurance, and more
- Note that certain benefits require enrollment
Learn more about this card with our Amex Platinum review.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Voted as “The Best Travel Card” by CNBC in 2018, it’s easy to see why the Capital One Venture Rewards Card is so valuable. You’ll earn a higher rate of return on every purchase you make, helping you achieve first-class status without worrying about spending categories.
- Earn a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
- Earn 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, every day and 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- No foreign transaction fees
- Get reimbursed for Global Entry ($100) or TSA PreCheck ($85) application fees once every four years
- Other perks like rental car insurance, travel accident insurance, extended warranty, and more
Learn more about this card with our Capital One Venture Rewards Card review.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
If you own a business, traveling for work can be exhausting. Upgrading to first class can make business travel more enjoyable, and the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card can help you earn enough miles to do so quickly. Plus, you can earn impressive rewards in spending categories that commonly rack up business expenses.
- Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- 3X points on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year; and 1X points per $1 on all other purchases
- Redeem your points through Chase Ultimate Rewards and they’re worth 25% more
- No foreign transaction fees
- Get up to $600 in cell phone protection against covered theft or damage
- Other perks like trip cancellation insurance, primary car rental insurance, extended warranty protection, and more
Learn more about this card with our Ink Business Preferred review.
Bottom line
First-class travel is an indulgent experience that’s often well worth the splurge (at least once!). To help you enjoy the perks without the expense, use one of the credit cards listed above to earn rewards you can redeem for future trips and vacations.
Methodology
To choose the best credit cards to earn first-class travel with, we identified cards with travel benefits and compared features like welcome offers, premium travel perks, rewards redemption options, and business traveler benefits. We did not include all possible options.