Why You Might Want A Credit Card For An Airline You’ve Never Flown

You’ve probably seen credit cards tied to airlines you’ve never flown—and maybe never plan to.

At first glance, they don’t seem all that useful. Why earn miles with Aer Lingus, Cathay Pacific, or Lufthansa if you’re not flying those airlines?

Because that’s not really the point.

You don’t get these cards to fly those airlines—you get them to fly other airlines.

Thanks to airline alliances and partner award bookings, miles earned with one carrier can often be used on another. That means a card from a foreign airline program can still be useful to U.S. travelers, especially if it gives you another way to book flights you were already planning to take.

Why These Cards Exist (And When They Make Sense)

If you’ve been collecting points for a while, you’ve probably run into a few limitations. Maybe you’re over 5/24 and can’t get another Chase card. Maybe you already have the major U.S. airline cards. Or maybe you’re just looking for new ways to earn miles without starting from scratch.

That’s where these cards come in.

Instead of earning more United, Delta, or American miles, you’re earning miles in partner programs that can sometimes offer lower award pricing, better availability, or fewer fees, depending on how you redeem them.

In other words, you’re not switching loyalty—you’re expanding your options.

Why This Matters

Sometimes, the best way to book a flight isn’t through the airline operating it.

I recently looked at the same Star Alliance flight through United, Aeroplan, and Avianca LifeMiles, and the mileage price wasn’t the same. I wrote about that here: Almost Booked This Award Flight—Until I Checked Another Program.

That’s really the case for these cards. They’re not about being loyal to one airline. They’re about giving yourself more ways to earn miles in programs that might price the same trip differently.

Which International Airline Cards Are Most Useful?

Not all of these cards are equally valuable. The best ones tend to fall into a few clear groups.

Avios Cards: Flexible And Easy To Understand

These are some of the easiest international airline cards to understand because they all earn Avios. Since Avios can be moved between Aer Lingus, British Airways, and Iberia, you have some flexibility to choose whichever program offers the best deal for a specific redemption.

Star Alliance Cards: Useful If You Fly United Or Its Partners

These programs can be useful because they give you access to Star Alliance awards. Aeroplan is the standout for most people because it’s easier to top off with transferable points and can be a practical alternative to booking with United miles.

Programs That Are Easy To Top Off

These cards are more appealing because the loyalty programs also partner with major transferable currencies. That makes it easier to combine a sign-up bonus with points you already have instead of getting stuck with a small balance you can’t use.

More Niche Options

These may still be valuable, but they’re much more situational. In most cases, they make the most sense if you already know exactly how you’d use the miles.

And A Good Example Of What To Avoid

The Icelandair Mastercard is a good reminder that not every international airline card is equally useful.

Since Icelandair’s program isn’t part of a major alliance, you don’t get the same kind of flexibility you do with Avios or Aeroplan. That makes it much harder to build a strategy around, unless you specifically want Icelandair points.

Final Thoughts

International airline credit cards can look random if you only think about flying the airline on the front of the card.

But once you start thinking about partner awards, they make a lot more sense.

That doesn’t mean every one of these cards is worth getting. But if you’ve already worked through the obvious U.S. airline cards, or you want more ways to book the same flights for fewer miles, these cards can open up some interesting options.

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary