Cards for Greece

The best credit cards for a trip to Greece.

Greece is a Star Alliance market (Aegean) with strong Amex FHR presence at Santorini and Mykonos luxury properties.

Reviewed by destination.com editorial·Updated August 3, 2026·How we rate cards

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Greek island travel routes through Athens on Aegean Airlines (Star Alliance) or via European hubs. Aeroplan is the best transfer path from major U.S. issuers for Star Alliance-metal Greece flights.

On the ground, the differentiator is Amex FHR — Santorini and Mykonos have strong luxury-hotel footprint that FHR upgrades meaningfully.

Regional context: Greece is served by Star Alliance (Aegean, Lufthansa) and Sky Team (Air France to CDG connections). Aegean's domestic covers the major islands.

The three cards we'd take to Greece

Best for Greece

The Platinum Card from American Express

FHR at Santorini + Mykonos luxury

Fee

$895/yr

Amex FHR is the biggest lever for Greek island luxury. Katikies Santorini, Grace Hotel Santorini, and Belmond Mykonos all deliver full-suite upgrades + $100 property credit.

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Pick #2

Chase Sapphire Preferred

UR → Aeroplan · trip protection · no FX

Fee

$95/yr

UR → Aeroplan books Aegean Star Alliance flights to Athens. Trip protection covers ferry delays.

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Pick #3

American Express Gold Card

4x on Greek restaurants · MR to Aeroplan

Fee

$325/yr

Greek restaurant spending — mezze-heavy multi-course meals with wine — earns aggressively at 4x on the Gold.

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Sweet spots we'd target

NYC-Athens via Aeroplan/Lufthansa business: 63,000-70,000 miles one-way
Katikies Santorini via Amex FHR: $100 credit + suite upgrade
Aegean Athens-Santorini domestic: 7,000-10,000 miles

Tips for maximizing points in Greece

Aegean is Star Alliance — Aeroplan and Turkish Miles&Smiles both work for reaching Athens.
Domestic Greek island flights are cheap in economy — no need to burn miles on Athens-Santorini.
FHR rates during Greek high season (July-August) can beat cash rates because of included benefits.