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Some of the most valuable travel rewards are booking award flights. Using an airline credit card can give you extra perks that help you avoid optional fees including checked baggage. As most airlines offer several credit card options, picking the right one might seem overwhelming at first.
Before you apply for the first offer you receive in the mail, use the following guide to choose an airline credit card and compare your options. Taking a few minutes to consider all the factors helps you find the best fit.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
Choose An Airline Credit Card: Focus On The Airline You Fly The Most
To get the most from a branded airline credit card, you will need to fly with that airline on a regular basis. Your choice is easy if your airport is a hub for one major airline like American, United, or Delta. If you split your flights between two airlines, you should compare the card benefits and purchase rewards to see which one is best.
If you bounce between carriers and don’t fly enough with one to accumulate enough rewards to book free flights, some of the best travel credit cards for beginners can be a better option as they offer more flexibility. Although you won’t get complimentary benefits like free checked bags or priority boarding, you have the flexibility of redeeming your points for award flights on any airline.
Compare Card Benefits
Branded airline credit cards justify their annual fee through their various travel benefits. One of the most common benefits is a free checked bag. United Airlines credit cards waive the fee on the first checked bag for you and one companion. Some of the best credit cards for American Airlines travelers waive the fee for 4 companions and some of the best Delta credit cards lets up to 8 companions check one bag for free on Delta flights.
Other benefits you may receive include:
- Airport lounge passes
- Seat upgrades (when available)
- In-flight purchase discounts
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
- Free in-flight WiFi
- Annual companion certificates
Credit cards with higher annual fees will offer more benefits. You will need to decide if the extra benefits are worth the higher fee. If you don’t want an annual fee but still want a travel rewards card, check out our guide to the best travel credit cards with no annual fees.
Even if you only fly with one or two roundtrips a year, your card benefits can save you more money than you spend in the annual fee.
Compare Purchase Rewards
Most airline credit cards have a straightforward rewards program. You can expect to earn 2 miles per $1 spent with that airline and 1 point per $1 for all other purchases.
In recent years, some cards now award bonus points on select non-airline purchases. Bonus categories can include:
Some cards, such as select Delta credit cards, also give you extra miles when you reach certain spending milestones.
Signup Bonus
It’s not a bad idea to time your application when you can spend enough to earn the card’s one-time signup bonus. Most cards have a minimum spend between $1,000 and $3,000 and you can earn between 30,000 and 50,000 bonus miles.
You might also wait to apply when some of the best limited-time credit card offers are available.
Most airlines offer enhanced offers one or two times a year. The minimum spend might be the same although you can earn more points. These bonus points can be enough to help you book an extra award flight and more.
Annual Fee
Although the annual fee might be the first thing you look at when comparing your options for the best rewards credit cards, it should be the last trait you compare. This is because you should first look at the card benefits and purchase rewards and calculate the value of your potential rewards each year. Then, you can compare your rewards value to the annual fee.
If the reward value is greater than the annual fee, it can make sense to apply for the card.
Choose An Airline Credit Card: Some Of The Best Airline Credit Cards
Most airlines offer a card that caters to your travel frequency. It doesn’t matter if you fly once a year or once a week. Below are some of our favorite airline credit cards for each of the major airlines. These cards can also give you an idea of what airline credit cards can offer you.
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card offers several perks.
You get priority boarding on Delta flights.
The Delta SkyMiles Gold Credit Card earns 2x Miles on Delta purchases at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.) and at U.S. supermarkets (1x Mile for everything else that is eligible). It also has 20% savings in the form of a statement credit after you use your Card on eligible Delta in-flight purchases.
Additionally, you can Pay with Miles: take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com.
Plus, Gold card members will receive a $200 Delta Flight Credit to use for future travel after spending $10,000 in purchases on their card in a calendar year. Additionally, enjoy up to $100 back annually on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com.
Cardholders can also get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
Welcome Bonus
New Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card cardholders can earn 40,000 bonus miles after they spend $2,000 in purchases on their new Card in their first 6 months of Card Membership.
The introductory annual fee of $0 for the first year, then $150 (See Rates & Fees).
United Explorer Card
The United℠ Explorer Card is one of the few airline credit cards that offers bonus points on select daily purchases:
- 2x miles on United® purchases, dining (including eligible delivery services), and hotel nights
- 1x miles for everything else
- Free checked bag for the primary cardholder and one companion
- Two one-time United Club passes each year
- Premier upgrades (when available)
- 25% back on United® inflight purchases
- $0 annual fee for the first year (then $95)
You also get a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit saving you up to $100.
New United℠ Explorer Card cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening.
Plus, there’s a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.
Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard
The information for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® is the mid-tier American Airlines credit card option.
- 2x points on eligible American Airlines purchases
- 2x points at restaurants and gas stations
- 1x points on all non-bonus spending
- Free checked bag for the primary cardholder and up to 4 companions on the same itinerary
- $125 American Airlines flight discount after $20,000 annual spend and renewing the card
- 50,000 bonus AAdvantage miles after spending $2,500 in the first 3 months
The $99 annual fee is waived for the first 12 months.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card
There are three different personal Southwest credit cards that have different annual fees and annual bonuses. However, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card offers the most Southwest flight perks:
- $75 Southwest annual travel credit
- 4 Upgraded Bookings per year (when available)
- 7,500 anniversary Rapid Rewards points per year
- Get 25% back on inflight purchases.
The $149 annual fee is billed on your first monthly statement, so you should apply for this card if you can use the travel credit and Upgraded Bookings during your first year of ownership.
Cardholders earn unlimited:
- 3x points on Southwest® purchases
- 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshares
- 2x points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming purchases
New Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card cardholders can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
As always, your first two checked bags always fly for free on every Southwest flight.
Summing It All Up: How To Choose An Airline Credit Card
Some of the best airline credit cards come with the easiest way to earn frequent flyer miles for the airline you fly on a regular basis. The additional card benefits can also help you save money on baggage fees, lounge visits, and flight upgrades. You should focus first on finding the card offering the most benefits you will use each year.
This is the card that can help you save the most money when flying on your favorite airline.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, please click here.
