Should I pay for a flight with a credit or debit card?

Using a debit card to withdraw local currency from an ATM in that country will always get you the best exchange rate possible. For all other aspects of travel – from booking the flight and lodging to planning excursions and tours, use a credit card. Your future traveling self will thank you.



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Using a credit card to book travel is one of our top tips for booking travel now – and always. It's one of the best ways to protect yourself against the uncertainty of travel.

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Every time you purchase an airline ticket with your credit card, you could earn valuable bonus points or miles toward your next award trip. And you can't forget about the perks that make your flights go smoother and protect you when things go wrong, such as airport lounge access and trip delay reimbursement.

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Timing plays an important part. Specifically, plane tickets usually don't get cheaper closer to the departure date. Instead, flights tend to be the most inexpensive when you book between four months and three weeks before your departure date.

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The reason why debit cards are not always accepted is due to the different laws covering payment guarantees and the possibility of fraud. In some cases, the card will be refused as the merchant may not be able to guarantee there are sufficient funds in the account to cover the cost of the purchase.

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Yes, using a credit card internationally is the best way to go about paying for things when you're abroad. It's safer because you don't have to carry as much cash, and all major credit card companies offer $0 fraud liability guarantees.

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The main negative aspect of airline credit cards is the lack of redemption options. Since you'll only earn a single frequent flyer currency, you can only redeem miles with that specific airline and its partners.

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Yes, it is better to have a credit card for travel, particularly if you're traveling abroad. Credit cards are more secure than cash, have better rewards than debit cards, and provide better currency exchange rates than you'll find at banks and currency kiosks.

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Average domestic airfare price by day
  • Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the cheapest days to fly domestically.
  • Saturday and Monday flights can help you avoid the Sunday rush.
  • Wednesdays and Thursdays are the cheapest day to fly internationally.
  • Book one to three months in advance.
  • Set a price alert.


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Be flexible with destination, airport and dates Use Google Flights to see if there are cheaper places to go by leaving the destination field blank when you search. Check nearby airports if you're set on a destination. And use the calendar views to find lower prices on different dates.

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United accepts Visa®, and all other major credit cards, including MasterCard®, American Express®, Discover®, Diners Club® and JCB, for inflight purchases on all United and United Express® flights. Debit cards bearing Visa or MasterCard logos are accepted on board as well.

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The majority of our airport lobbies do not accept cash as a form of payment. We accept credit and debit cards with: Visa. MasterCard.

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Round-trip tickets are usually cheaper than one-ways, sometimes significantly so. NerdWallet compared fares across multiple international routes and found that, typically, buying two one-way tickets costs 20% more than a single roundtrip.

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Is there a cheapest month to fly? If you're looking for a bargain month to travel, February is your best bet. Flights in January closely follow February for being most affordable. At the other end of the spectrum, December and July are the first and second most expensive months to travel, on average.

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