Banks, Credit Cards and their Airline Partners

Different banks (and their credit cards) have different airlines as their partners. If you’re planning to invest in miles, this is definitely something you should take into consideration.

When it comes to earning miles, travel-related credit cards usually fall into two categories: the co-branded one and a general one.

Usually, co-branded credit cards offer a lower spend-to-miles ratio than the general one. However, this ties you up to the specific airline partner. Redemption is also automatic; and while this may seem convenient, it prevents you from racking up your miles and transferring during promos. An example of this card would be EastWest Bank’s KrisFlyer Mastercard.

On the other hand, a general, travel-related credit card offers you the flexibility of transferring to a wider selection of airline partners, some even including hotel groups/programs. And while the spend-to-miles ratio may not be as low as co-branded credit cards, there are some cards that come pretty close (or even lower)! Chinabank’s Destinations Mastercard would be one of the cards that falls under this category.

Regardless of the type of travel credit card that you have, make sure to be a member of the partner airline/hotel group first since this is a requirement before you can transfer.

For now, I’ve started with the banks and credit cards that I already own since it’s easier for me to check. I also threw in some other membership program that allows one to transfer to airline miles. The more the merrier, right?

Do check in from time to time because I’ll be adding more to the list in the coming days in case I missed any.