Offline downloads: Credit card benefits for flights
Quick insights
- Some credit cards offer entertainment credits that may help cover streaming memberships you can use to download shows before a flight.
- Co-branded airline cards may offer discounts on in-flight purchases, which may help you save on in-flight movie snacks.
- In-flight Wi-Fi isn't always reliable enough for streaming, so downloading content ahead of time may be a more dependable approach.
You're halfway through a flight, your movie starts buffering and the Wi-Fi drops out. It's a familiar frustration for some travelers. The fix might be simpler than you think: download your entertainment before you board, and your credit card might help with the cost.
Some credit card benefits extend to the entertainment you enjoy on the ground and in the air. From streaming credits to in-flight snack discounts, the right card may help you stay entertained without paying full price.
Downloading content before your flight
In-flight Wi-Fi has improved over the years, but it isn't always fast or reliable enough to support streaming video. On a packed flight with many passengers online at once, the connection may slow to a crawl or drop out entirely.
Downloading your content ahead of time may be the more dependable approach. If your card includes an entertainment credit, you might use it toward a streaming membership that lets you download movies and shows to your device before you board. For example, a family heading out on vacation could load up a tablet with downloaded movies and games for the kids, so they're set even if the internet cuts out mid-flight.
Saving on in-flight snacks for your movie
Once your entertainment is sorted, you might want a snack to go with it. Some co-branded airline credit cards offer a percentage back on in-flight food and beverage purchases, which may help lower what you spend. These discounts often post automatically as a statement credit on your balance, so you might not have to do anything extra to get the savings.
Co-branded airline cards vs. general travel cards
The type of card you carry may shape which entertainment perks you get. A co-branded airline credit card is tied to a specific airline and may offer on-board discounts like a percentage back on food and drinks. The perks usually apply only when you fly that airline.
General travel rewards cards aren't tied to one airline, so they may not offer the same in-flight discounts. Instead, they might provide broader entertainment credits or flexible credit card points you can use toward streaming subscriptions or other purchases. A traveler who flies different airlines might prefer that flexibility, while someone loyal to one airline might get more value from a co-branded card's on-board perks.
Maximizing entertainment rewards beyond the flight
The entertainment benefits on your card might extend beyond air travel. Some cards offer bonus rewards on entertainment purchases like movie tickets, concerts and streaming services, which may help you earn more on the things you already enjoy.
If your card offers cash back on streaming services, you might use that reward to help offset the cost of a subscription you download content from for your flights.
In summary
Staying entertained on a flight doesn't have to mean relying on spotty Wi-Fi or paying full price for snacks. A credit card with entertainment credits may help you cover a streaming subscription you can use to download shows ahead of time, and a co-branded airline card might help save you money on in-flight food and drinks.
