The 9 Best Credit Cards for Booking Private Jet Travel [2024]

The economics and sentiment around booking private jet travel have changed dramatically in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Well-heeled travelers, especially those who travel in larger groups, have been increasingly able to justify shelling out tens of thousands of dollars for the sake of the convenience and peace of mind that comes with private aviation.

Although many private jet brokers and operators still only accept wire transfers as payment, credit cards are growing in acceptance among these merchants.

In this guide, we’ll show you how you can get a substantial return on your spending through credit card rewards when booking private jet travel.

Let’s get right to it!

What To Look For in a Credit Card for Booking Private Jet Travel

Your experience trying to book private jet travel with a credit card is going to have a lot of variation depending on which merchant you transact with, similar to what you’d experience with different restaurants around the world.

Some don’t accept credit cards at all, some charge a credit card transaction fee, and some accept credit cards with no added fees.

In general, this is an industry that operates heavily on wire transfers — credit cards are usually accepted, but a shocking 4% to 5% credit card fee is added to the whole transaction.

But if you find brokers or operators who can waive these fees while accepting credit cards, you’ll want to make sure your card doesn’t get declined.

Private jet flights can run upwards of $100,000 for international journeys, so you’ll need a card that can pack a big enough punch to cover the whole flight.

Additionally, you’ll want one that rewards you the most for the hefty price tag. And, finally, you’ll want to find a card that can offer other benefits, including hotel perks, statement credits, and more.

Now, we’ll take a look at the best personal and business credit cards for booking private jet travel.

The 5 Best Personal Cards for Booking Private Jet Travel

If you’re booking private jet travel for personal reasons (or if you don’t have a business), you’ll want to follow this section closely as we outline the best personal cards to use for booking private jet travel.

Card Summary

Card	Welcome Bonus and Annual Fee	Private Jet Benefits
The Platinum Card® from American Express	Earn 80,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. Annual fee of $695 (rates & fees)	Earn 5x Membership Rewards points on airfare booked directly with the airline Wheels Up partnership for discounts and flight credits No preset spending limit
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card	Earn 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $395 (rates & fees)	Earn 2x miles on every purchase Travel insurance
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card	Earn 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $95 (rates & fees)	Earn 2x miles on every purchase Travel insurance
Chase Sapphire Reserve®	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $550	Earn 5x total points on air travel purchased through Chase Travel Earn 3x points on other travel
Chase Freedom Unlimited®	Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. Annual fee of $0	Earn 1.5% cash-back on every purchase 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 20.49% - 29.24%.

Amex Platinum Card (Best for Earning Points & Wheels Up Benefits)

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 125k (or 150k) points with the Amex Platinum. The current public offer is 80,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

Undoubtedly, the best personal card for booking private jet travel is the Amex Platinum card.

First of all, the card features an incredible welcome offer. The card also earns up to 5x Membership Rewards points. Here’s a look at the earning structure:

• Earn 5x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year)
• Earn 5x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com
• Earn 1x Membership Rewards point per dollar spent on all other purchases

Hot Tip: As we’ll discuss in the last section, some private jet operators, brokers, and mobile apps count as airlines, which would also allow you to earn 5x points here!

The next noteworthy feature of this card is that it has no preset spending limit. Private jet journeys are extremely expensive — this is probably going to be one of the only cards you can get where you can pay for the entire charter on 1 card.

The absence of a preset spending limit allows you to confidently book your private jet flight without worrying about maxing out a traditional credit limit.

This card has amazing travel benefits, including:

• Access to Wheels Up’s Premium Private Jet Program that offers initiation discounts, flight credits, and more
• Access to Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection
• Access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection
• Complimentary hotel elite status with Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status (enrollment required)
• Rental car elite status and/or benefits with Avis, Hertz, and National

It gets even better, though, because you’ll enjoy more than $1,600 worth of additional value through statement credits:

• Up to $200 in Uber Cash for Uber rides or UberEats orders in the U.S.
• Up to $200 in airline fee credits
• $189 in CLEAR Plus credit
• Up to $100 in Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credits
• Up to $200 in prepaid hotel credits on eligible Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings
• Up to $240 in digital entertainment credits
• Up to $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue credits
• Up to $300 in Equinox credits
• Up to $155 in Walmart+ credits

Why We Like Earning Amex Membership Rewards Points

Amex Membership Rewards points are the most valuable type of transferrable points available, worth around 2.2 cents apiece.

If you find a private jet company whose purchases code as an airline, you can enjoy a return on spending of a whopping 11%!

That’s a fantastic return when you consider you can get back thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars back on a single private jet charter.

The best way to redeem your Amex Membership Rewards points is through the Amex transfer partners for luxury business and first class travel.

Bottom Line: The Amex Platinum card is the most well-rounded card to use for private jet travel. Between the possibility of earning 5x points (if your charter company is categorized as an airline), the absence of a preset spending limit, the Wheels Up membership perks, and the other travel-related perks, such as hotel benefits, this card is an absolute no brainer.

Capital One Venture X Card (Best for Premium Travel Insurance)

Our runner-up credit card is the Capital One Venture X card, one of the hottest ultra-premium cards to hit the market in years.

To start, it boasts a huge welcome bonus right now. You can also earn up to 10x miles on hotels and rental cars, as well as 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel.

Unfortunately, private jet flights aren’t eligible for these bonus categories — not to worry, though, because you’ll earn 2x miles on all other purchases, which is nothing to sneeze at when you’re talking about private jet purchases that can cost well into the tens of thousands of dollars.

A neat feature of this credit card is that it seems to offer the highest credit limits out of any of Capital One’s personal credit cards.

Although it’s not unusual to see credit limits around $30,000 to $50,000, we’ve heard reports of people having 6-figure credit limits. This card’s high credit limits could make booking private jet flights a breeze.

This fabulous credit card comes with a $300 annual travel credit for Capital One Travel bookings, a bonus of 10,000 miles every year (starting on your first cardmember anniversary), access to lounges (Capital One Lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and Priority Pass Select lounges), and a $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit!

As far as other perks go, you should maximize the complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status, awesome travel insurance, cell phone insurance, 4 no-additional-charge authorized users (rates & fees), and no foreign transaction fees (rates & fees).

Why We Like Earning Capital One Miles

Capital One Miles is another example of a transferrable rewards currency, just like American Express Membership Rewards.

The major difference is that Capital One has a different list of transfer partners that can be leveraged for luxury business and first class travel.

And when you earn 2x miles on private jet flights, you can expect that to be equivalent to a return on spending of around 3.6%.

If you decide not to use transfer partners, you can also redeem Capital One miles for cash-back, gift cards, merchandise, or travel through Capital One Travel at a lower redemption value.

Capital One Venture Card (Best for Travel Insurance)

The Capital One Venture card is the little sibling of the Capital One Venture X card. Known essentially as the mid-market premium credit card offering in the Venture family, this card offers outsized rewards and a lower annual fee.

You can still earn an awesome welcome bonus and unlimited 2x miles on all purchases.

Expect to get a return on spending of 3.6% for all purchases, which includes your private jet flights.

Additionally, you’ll get 5x points on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

It also comes with Hertz Gold Plus Rewards status (Five Star), unlimited free authorized users (rates & fees), no foreign transaction fees (rates & fees), travel insurance, and purchase protection.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card (Best for Earning Points)

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is Chase’s flagship ultra-premium personal credit card. It offers cardholders the ability to earn lots of Chase Ultimate Rewards points thanks to a decent welcome bonus and the following earning structure:

• 10x points per dollar spent on car rentals, hotels, and dining booked through Chase Travel
• 10x points on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025)
• 10x points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $250 (through March 31, 2025)
• 5x points per dollar spent on air travel booked through Chase Travel
• 3x points per dollar spent on all other dining and travel purchases
• 1x points per dollar spent on all other purchases

Most, if not all, private jet operators or brokers will fall under the travel umbrella, making it easy to earn 3x points, which is equivalent to a return on spending of 6%.

It also has an up to $300 travel credit, a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership, a 50% redemption bonus on bookings made via the Chase Travel portal, access to the Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection, a $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit, and some of the best travel insurance in the business.

There are no foreign transaction fees, either.

Why We Like Earning Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

As we mentioned, you can easily convert your cash-back to Ultimate Rewards points with the right credit card pairing. If you convert your points, they can be redeemed for transfer to the Chase travel partners for award travel.

Otherwise, you can redeem your rewards for cash-back, gift cards, at Amazon.com, and travel through Chase Travel at a fixed value.

Freedom Unlimited Card (Best for Cash-back & Intro APR)

The last personal credit card we’ll be discussing is the Freedom Unlimited card. Although it earns up to 5% cash-back on certain purchases, those bonus categories will likely not apply when booking private jet travel.

To be specific, the Freedom Unlimited card currently boasts the following earning categories:

• 5% cash-back on travel booked through Chase Travel
• 3% cash-back on dining
• 3% cash-back on drugstore purchases
• 1.5% cash-back on all other purchases

There’s usually a sizable welcome bonus available on the card, as well as a 0% introductory APR promotion on purchases and balances.

And although the rewards from this credit card are marketed as “cash-back,” you can convert that cash-back to Ultimate Rewards points if you have the right credit card — options include the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve card, or Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card.

Your rewards will convert at a ratio of 1% to 1x, meaning 1.5% cash-back can be converted to 1.5x Ultimate Rewards points, making your return on spending hover around 3%.

You’ll also enjoy extra perks such as secondary rental car coverage, purchase protection, extended warranty, fraud protection, zero liability for unauthorized purchases, and free authorized users.

The 4 Best Business Cards for Booking Private Jet Travel

If you’re booking private jet travel for business, this section is for you!

Card Summary

Card	Welcome Bonus and Annual Fee	Private Jet Benefits
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express	Earn 120,000 points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $695 (rates & fees)	1.5x Membership Rewards points on purchases of $5,000 or more (terms apply) No preset spending limit
Capital One Spark Cash Plus Card	Earn $1,200 cash back once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $150	2% cash-back on all business purchases with no caps or limits No preset spending limit
Capital One Spark Miles for Business	Earn 50,000 miles once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months. Annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, $95 after that	2x Capital One miles on all business purchases with no caps or limits
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card	Earn $750 cash back after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $0	1.5% cash-back on all purchases 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 18.49% - 24.49% thereafter

Amex Business Platinum Card (Best Business Card for Points on Purchases Over $5,000)

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome bonus offer of up to 170,000 points with the Amex Business Platinum. The current public offer is 120,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

The best business card for private jet bookings, in our eyes, is the Amex Business Platinum card, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

Here’s a look at this card’s earning structure:

• 5x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on flights and prepaid hotels at AmexTravel.com
• 1.5x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on eligible purchases in key business categories, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else (up to $2 million in purchases per calendar year)
• 1x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on all other purchases

When you book a private jet flight and spend more than $5,000 in a single transaction, you can earn 1.5x points, which is equal to a return on spending of 3.3%.

In addition, if you’re a business owner who spends a lot on the following categories, you can earn 1.5x points per dollar:

• Construction material and hardware suppliers
• Electronic goods retailers and software and cloud system providers
• Shipping providers

When you max out the $2 million cap in purchases that earn 1.5x points, you’ll end up with 3 million Amex points per year!

The travel benefits you’ll get are extensive:

• Access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection (which includes Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs when flying Delta the same day, Priority Pass lounges upon enrollment, Plaza Premium Lounges, and more)
• Complimentary hotel and car rental elite status (enrollment required)
• Access to Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection
• Access to a 35% rebate when using Pay with Points (up to 1 million points back per calendar year)

Beyond that, you’ll enjoy these business-oriented statement credits:

• Up to $400 with Dell Technologies
• Up to $360 with Indeed
• Up to $150 with Adobe
• Up to $120 on wireless telephone purchases
• Up to $200 in airline fee credits
• $189 in CLEAR Plus credit

Capital One Spark Cash Plus Card (Best Business Card for Cash-back & No Preset Spending Limit)

The Capital One Spark Cash Plus card is one of our favorite credit cards for high-spending business owners. And if you’re booking private jet travel with any frequency, you’re probably a high-spending business owner.

This card is unique because, unlike its other Spark-branded siblings, it has no preset spending limit, making it an awesome credit card for private jet bookings.

In addition, you will earn an unlimited 2% cash-back on every purchase you make. Plus, get your $150 annual fee refunded every year you spend at least $150,000!

The secret, at least for points enthusiasts, is that you can convert your cash-back to Capital One miles as long as you have a credit card that earns Capital One miles, such as the Capital One Venture X card. You’ll convert at a 1% to 1x ratio, meaning you can convert your 2% cash-back to 2x Capital One miles on a card with no preset spending limit!

Even better, you can add unlimited employee cards for no additional fee, and there are no foreign transaction fees. You can even create virtual card numbers with Eno!

Capital One Spark Miles Card (Best Business Card for Miles)

The Capital One Spark Miles card is a fantastic business credit card to have — it offers a great welcome bonus and earns 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and an unlimited 2x Capital One miles per dollar spent on all other business purchases.

This credit card has a traditional credit limit (unlike the Capital One Spark Cash Plus card), but it comes with the ability to transfer miles to airline partners as a standalone credit card (also unlike the Capital One Spark Cash Plus card).

It comes with a $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit, too.

Anecdotally, we’ve also seen credit limits in excess of $100,000 for high-spending business owners, so having a traditional credit limit might not end up being a big issue.

Other perks include 2 free visits to Capital One Lounges or Plaza Premium Lounges per year, extended warranty coverage, the ability to create virtual card numbers through Eno, zero fraud liability protection, free employee cards, no foreign transaction fees, and more.

Ink Business Unlimited Card (Best Business Card for Cash-back & Intro APR)

The last credit card we’ll discuss is the Ink Business Unlimited card, which is issued by Chase.

This credit card has a sizable welcome bonus and the ability to earn an unlimited 1.5% cash-back on all business purchases without bonus categories or limits.

Although the Ink Business Unlimited card is a credit card, we’ve seen credit limits greater than $100,000, which could be more than enough to book private jet flights.

This card also comes with the ability to convert your 1.5% cash-back to 1.5x Ultimate Rewards points if you also have an Ultimate Rewards card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. That’ll double your return on spending from 1.5% to 3%!

Be sure to also make use of the other benefits, like the introductory 0% APR benefit, travel insurance (including primary car rental coverage), extended warranty coverage, purchase protection, zero liability fraud protection, and free employee cards.

Booking Through an App vs. Booking Through a Broker

Now that you’re aware of all the best credit cards to use for booking private jet flights, the question becomes: should you book through an app or through a broker?

The truth is there’s no right or wrong answer.

In general, if you value the convenience of being able to book a private jet flight without having to pick up the phone or send an email, booking through an app is probably the best choice.

But if you have the right relationship with a good broker, he/she might be able to get you better deals, availability, schedules, planes, crews, and more.

There isn’t a clear answer — but what we can tell you is that different types of companies in private aviation will code differently in the context of earning rewards.

In an ideal world, you’ll earn as much in rewards as possible when booking your private jet travel. But one of the challenges is figuring out whether your particular merchant will code as an airline, general travel, or something else.

Luckily, we’ve done a ton of research into this and can provide some general data points on which operators or brokers fall under each merchant category.

Keep in mind that these merchant category codes can change at any point in time without notice.

In general, these companies count as airlines (and should therefore earn 5x points with the Amex Platinum card):

• Flexjet
• Tradewind Aviation
• Wheels Up
• XO

And these companies fall under travel (and will not earn 5x points with the Amex Platinum card):

• BLADE
• JSX

Some companies don’t fall squarely into either of these merchant category codes — for example, Surf Air almost always codes as “local commuter transport.”

Hot Tip: Learn more about these companies in our detailed guide to the best ways to fly private or semi-private!

Final Thoughts

Private jet travel can be one of the most luxurious experiences a traveler can have, but it can also be one of the most expensive. However you book, you should aim to get the maximum return on your investment by using the right credit card.

You’ll want to look for a card that offers either no preset spending limit or consistently offers high credit limits, boasts excellent rewards, and has other perks for the other aspects of your travel (like hotel elite status).

Finally, choose the right credit card based on whether you’re booking private jet travel for personal reasons or for business trips.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

Enrollment required through Capital One website or mobile app. Upon enrollment, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024.  Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier.  Additional terms apply.