Do You Earn Rewards on In-Flight Purchases?
Onboard purchases code as the airline
When you buy a snack, a cocktail, or Wi-Fi in the air, the charge usually rings up under the airline’s merchant category, the same one that covers your ticket. That means a card that rewards airfare or travel broadly earns its bonus, and an airline co-branded card may earn its in-flight bonus, which several cards advertise as a perk. See how airfare is defined in what a travel credit card covers.
Co-branded cards often boost onboard spending
Many airline co-branded cards specifically reward in-flight purchases, sometimes matching their bonus on tickets, and some also give a flat discount on onboard food and drinks. If you fly one airline often, its card can turn a coffee at 30,000 feet into bonus miles. Compare that with how baggage and seat fees code.
When it earns only the base rate
A few airlines outsource onboard sales to a third-party vendor, so the charge can code as general retail or dining rather than as the airline, earning just the base rate. Wi-Fi bought through a separate provider like a connectivity vendor can do the same. If earning matters, use your best travel or airline card and check how the charge posts.
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