Short answer: On our standard traveller profile, Tria Card (Max) keeps the most in all four markets we compare: $93.60 a month in the US and $60.83 in the UK, the UAE and Germany. Its 6% on trips booked through Tria Travel, and the extra 3% Pelikan × ether.fi pays on flights booked with Pelikan, count only when you book through those channels.
Most cards treat a plane ticket like any other purchase: normal cashback, normal cap, and FX if the airline charges in a currency your card does not settle free. Figures are US dollars kept per month after plan fees, FX and other costs, as of the cards.json build of 25 October 2026.
Which cards pay a bonus on flights?
Two cards earn a flight or trip bonus on the plan our ranking picks. They are the only two of 19 in our euro-area example run, and our US and UK runs show no other.
| Card | Flight bonus | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Tria Card | 6% back on trips, no monthly cap | Booked through Tria Travel |
| Pelikan × ether.fi | Extra 3% on flights (6% in total), capped at $500 a year | Booked with Pelikan, in the Dubaihop app or on WhatsApp |
| Every other card, on its ranked plan | None | Flights earn the standard rate |
Book the same flight on the airline's own website and both cards pay their normal rate. Pelikan's 3% is illustrative until the partner schedule is countersigned. Plasma One's Platinum plan also pays extra on partner airlines booked direct, but our ranking did not pick that plan on any profile we ran. Pelikan × ether.fi is Pelikan's own card, ranked by the same formula as every other card.
Which card keeps the most in the US, the UK, the UAE and Germany?
Standard profile: $1,500 a month at home, four trips a year at $800 in a local currency, and six flights a year at $450, booked through each card's own channel where it has one. Cash only.
| Market | Cards ranked | #1 | #2 | #3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 13 | Tria Card (Max) $93.60 | Lava Card $59.75 | ether.fi Cash (Core) $54.95 |
| United Kingdom | 16 | Tria Card (Max) $60.83 | MEXC Card (Standard) $33.86 | Pelikan × ether.fi (Core) $30.65 |
| United Arab Emirates | 16 | Tria Card (Max) $60.83 | Ethena Pay (Standard) $53.78 | MEXC Card (Standard) $33.86 |
| Germany | 19 | Tria Card (Max) $60.83 | Pelikan × ether.fi (Luxe) $45.78 | ether.fi Cash (Luxe) $39.03 |
Tria is first in all four and is offered in 234 countries. It keeps more in the US because it charges no fee on dollar purchases, so only trip spending pays FX. The bonus lines themselves are the same in our US, UK and Germany runs. Pelikan × ether.fi is offered in 34 countries and is not ranked in the US or the UAE. Set your own country, flights and fare in the calculator, with "Count travel perks" switched off to match our cash-only tables.
How much does booking through the card's channel add?
Our euro-area example run raises the flight count to twelve a year at $450; everything else stays at the standard profile.
| # | Card | Plan | Via the card's channel | Direct with the airline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tria Card | Max (Metal) | $70.05 | $59.22 |
| 2 | Pelikan × ether.fi | Luxe | $59.28 | $45.78 |
| 3 | ether.fi Cash | Luxe | $45.78 | $45.78 |
Booking through Tria Travel adds $10.83 a month; booking with Pelikan adds $13.50 (our arithmetic). Tria's bonus line shows $27.00, but booked direct, most of that spending still earns 6% inside the Max plan's $2,000 monthly band, so Tria Travel only adds money above it. Pelikan's 3% sits on top of the normal rate, so all of it shows in the gap. Tria keeps the most either way. With no flights, Pelikan × ether.fi and ether.fi Cash keep the same $32.28. For every other card, how you book changes nothing, so pick the cheapest fare.
This run covers one euro-area resident. Elsewhere, FX and availability move the amounts. The calculator's "Flights via the card's travel desk" switch flips between the two columns.
Which currency should you pay a fare in?
Airlines often charge in the departure country's currency or in dollars; if your card does not settle it for free, you pay FX on the whole fare.
| Card | Cost on a fare in a currency it does not settle free |
|---|---|
| Tria Card | 1.9% (none on dollars) |
| ether.fi Cash / Pelikan × ether.fi | 1.55% on Luxe, 1.8% on Core (none on euros or dollars) |
| MEXC Card | 1.3%, plus a 1% spending fee on every purchase |
| Lava Card | 0% on our profile |
On a $450 fare, 1.9% is about $8.55 (our arithmetic), a large part of the cashback on that ticket. Three habits help:
- Pay in a currency your card settles free: dollars for Tria, euros or dollars for ether.fi-based cards.
- Refuse the merchant's "pay in your home currency" offer at checkout. That conversion is usually priced worse than the card network's rate.
- Compare the fare, not only the cashback. If a card's channel charges more than the airline for the same ticket, the difference comes off the bonus first.
Which card should you use for flights?
- You book on airline sites: neither bonus applies, so pick on everyday cashback and FX in your market.
- You use a card's channel but put under $2,000 a month on the card: Tria Travel adds nothing in the calculator, because the Max plan already pays 6% up to that line; Pelikan's 3% applies at any spend up to its cap (our arithmetic). On the standard profile, just under that line, Tria still keeps more.
- You spend more and fly often: both channels add money. See our ranking for frequent travellers.
- You fly a few times a year: flights barely move the result; see the general travel cashback ranking.
Plans, bands and fees are on the Tria Card page.
FAQ
What is the best card for booking flights? On our standard traveller profile, Tria Card (Max) ranks first in the US, the UK, the UAE and Germany. In our euro-area twelve-flight run it keeps $70.05 a month booked through Tria Travel; Pelikan × ether.fi is second at $59.28 booked with Pelikan.
Do cashback cards pay more on flights? Most do not. In our runs, only Tria Card and Pelikan × ether.fi pay a flight bonus on their ranked plan, and only through their own channel.
Do I get the flight bonus if I book on the airline's website? Not with these two cards. Tria's 6% needs a booking through Tria Travel, and Pelikan's extra 3% a booking with Pelikan. Booked directly, the flight earns the card's standard rate.
Does the flight bonus depend on where I live? Not in our runs: on the standard profile, Tria's is $13.50 a month in the US, the UK and Germany, and Pelikan's $6.75 in the UK and Germany. Which cards you can get, and the FX on everyday spending, do change by country.
Rankings use one formula for every card, including ours; no card can pay for a place. Cashbackpacker is run by Pelikan, which also offers the Pelikan × ether.fi card. General information, not financial advice. Crypto cards are not bank deposits; rewards, fees and availability change.
