American Express cards with free flights

Choosing an Amex card that offers a complimentary flight or travel credit can help offset the annual fees that come with these premium options. For example, the Qantas American Express Ultimate Card has a $450 annual fee and offers a $450 Qantas Travel Credit each year.

Whether you’re interested in getting a new Amex card or already have one that offers a flight or travel credit, use this guide to compare your options and find out how you can get the most out of this premium perk.

Compare American Express cards with complimentary flights or travel credit

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Name	Product	Bonus Points	Rewards program	Rewards Points per $ spent	Purchase rate (p.a.)	Annual fee
Qantas American Express Ultimate Card		55,000 bonus points	Qantas Frequent Flyer	Amex 1.25	20.74% p.a.	$450 p.a.	Get 55,000 bonus Qantas Points, a $450 Qantas Travel Credit and 2 yearly complimentary Qantas Club lounge invitations with this premium card.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
American Express Explorer Credit Card		50,000 bonus points	Membership Rewards	Amex 2	20.74% p.a.	$395 p.a.	Get 50,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months, a yearly $400 Travel Credit and 2 entries per year to the Amex Lounge.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
American Express Platinum Card		80,000 bonus points	Membership Rewards Ascent Premium	Amex 2.25	N/A	$1,450 p.a.	Receive 80,000 bonus Membership Rewards Points, a $450 annual Platinum Travel Credit, dedicated personal service and luxury travel perks.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
American Express Platinum Edge Credit Card			Membership Rewards Ascent	Amex 1	20.74% p.a.	$195 p.a.	Receive a yearly $200 Travel Credit and complimentary domestic and international travel insurance, plus up to 3 Membership Rewards Points / $1.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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What is the difference between a complimentary flight and a travel credit?

If you get an Amex card with a complimentary flight, you can only use the benefit for eligible domestic or international flights. In comparison, Amex cards that offer a travel credit allow you to put a fixed amount of money towards travel you book through American Express. As well as flights, this includes hotels, car hire or experiences (ie travel tours), which gives you more flexibility in how you use the benefit. Check out our guide for full details and steps to redeem American Express travel credit.

Where can I travel with an American Express complimentary flight?

With the Qantas American Express Ultimate Card, you’ll get $450 towards either a domestic or international booking with Qantas. Put simply, you can use the credit towards any flight with a QF flight number.

What else do I need to know about American Express free flights and travel credit?

American Express and its partner airlines have a few important conditions that you should be aware of before you redeem your complimentary flight, which we've outlined below. It also reserves the right to change any of these terms and conditions.

• Yearly redemption. This travel benefit is available 365 days from the start of your membership year, ie the date you first got your Amex card. Your flight must be booked before the end of that year, and cannot be carried over to the next.
• Account status. You must have an active American Express account and have paid your annual fee before redeeming the flight or travel benefit. You also need to pay at least the minimum amount listed on each statement by the due date.
• Subject to availability. There is no guarantee that the flight or travel booking you want to make will be available.
• Bookings of a lower value. If your booking is worth less than the value of the Qantas Credit or Travel Credit offered on your card, you will forfeit the difference. For example, if you used the $450 Qantas Travel Credit to book flights worth $300, you wouldn’t get any value from the remaining $150 Qantas Travel Credit.
• Cancellations. If you cancel your booking, you won’t get money back from the portion of your booking that’s made with the flight benefit or Travel Credit.
• Ticket or booking changes. Any changes made after your initial booking will attract the airline or company’s usual fees, fare differences and applicable GST. Read through the terms and conditions of your booking to find out the potential costs involved.
• Fare class. With the Qantas American Express Ultimate, you can use the $450 flight credit to book in any fare class you like, from economy through to business or first class.
• Ticket restrictions. You may not sell, transfer, endorse, refund or exchange your ticket for cash, or combine this offer with any other promotion, discount, negotiated or corporate rate. You cannot redeem your ticket with a partner airline or codeshare flight, so make sure the booking has a QF flight number (for Qantas).
• Conditions of carriage. With the free flight benefit, your travel conditions are subject to the the “Qantas Conditions of Carriage”.

American Express credit cards with complimentary flights or travel credit give you a simple way to balance out the annual fee, while also enjoying premium travel benefits and rewards. Just make sure you keep the terms and conditions in mind, so that you always get as much value as possible from this perk. If you’re still choosing a card, you can also compare these Amex options with other credit cards that offer flights or travel credit to help you find the right one for you.

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