Air-Miles Cards for International Travel

published 4 February 2010

George Clooney may have earned his coveted silver card in the hit movie Up in the Air, but we mere mortals will have to wait. Still, it’s refreshing to learn that two international carriers are offering attractive deals.

Sign up for British Airways’ Visa Signature card from Chase ($75 annual fee; 13.24% interest rate) and you’ll receive 20,000 bonus miles after your first use of the card, and 10,000 additional miles after you spend $750. You’ll get a $50 discount on every BA transatlantic ticket you book online. Spend $30,000 on your card in a single year and you will receive a voucher for a companion ticket that is valid for two years. You earn 2.5 miles for every dollar spent on BA flights and vacation packages, and 1.25 miles for all other spending. Plus, you earn a free flight -- even on BA’s domestic partners, American and Alaska Airlines -- with 25,000 miles (50,000 miles to fly to Europe) with no blackout dates.

For every dollar you spend with the Virgin Atlantic American Express Black Card from Bank of America ($90 annual fee; 12.24% interest rate), you earn three miles (1.5 miles on all other purchases). Make your first purchase and Virgin will add 20,000 miles to your account. Spend $25,000 in a year and you’ll receive 15,000 additional miles. Virgin is offering a 0% teaser rate that’s good for seven months on purchases and balance transfers. And Virgin currently gives you an incentive to cross the pond by requiring only 29,500 miles -- instead of the usual 45,000 -- for a New York-to-London ticket.