Airlines Credit Card

Airline credit cards can be an excellent addition to your wallet if you fly frequently with a certain airline or want the flexibility to fly any carrier. Beyond offering bonus rewards when booking flights, many include value-added perks that can lower your out-of-pocket expenses or increase your comfort when on the road.

airlines credit card

There are many things to consider when picking an airline credit card. First, evaluate your typical travel habits. Do you frequently fly with just one or two carriers? If so, you may be a good candidate for an airline-specific credit card. However, if you spread your trips across multiple airlines, a more general travel card could be a better fit.

The Amex Platinum is unmatched when it comes to travel perks and benefits. If lounge access, hotel elite status and annual statement credits are important to you, this card is well worth the high annual fee. Read our full review of the Platinum Card from American Express.

The Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex provides valuable elite-like benefits for causal Delta flyers including a first checked bag free and priority boarding. It can easily justify getting and keeping this card. Read our full review of the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card.

The Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard is the best for those who fly American Airlines and want Admirals Club lounge access. It also gives you helps you earn and maintain elite status and comes with priority perks. Read our full review of the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business card is ideal for business travelers and loyal Southwest flyers interested in hitting A-List status or earning a Companion Pass. Read our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business card.

Rewards: Earn 5 points per dollar on airfare purchased directly with the airlines or through Amex Travel (on up to $500,000 each calendar year) and 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel. Earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

The information for the CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Sensing an opportunity to attract younger customers or those who might just be getting started with credit, as well as customers who prefer earning miles over elite-style benefits, several airlines have introduced new no-annual-fee credit cards with pared-down perks.

These cards may not offer the same rewards as their more expensive counterparts, but they are worth considering in some cases. For example, if you want to hang onto a credit card for several years without having to shell out an annual fee each year, a no-annual-fee card can be a good solution.

Rewards: This card offers you double miles at restaurants worldwide as well as on all Delta purchases, including Sky Club membership or passes, Delta Vacations packages, seat upgrades and inflight purchases of food, beverages and audio headsets. You earn 1 mile per dollar spent elsewhere.

If the majority of your spending is on non-JetBlue purchases and you prefer a card with no annual fee, you might as well get the regular JetBlue Card since it earns the same number of points on non-airline spending.

If the card comes with statement credits, complete the spending required to get them. Use fee credits to cover expenses such as airport lounge access, seat upgrades or inflight food and beverage purchases.

Airline credit cards of a more premium nature may also earn elite-qualifying miles for those pursuing airline status and even lounge access in some cases. Those who need a little help hitting elite status or want to enjoy elite status-like benefits while they work to hit a tier can benefit from an airline card and its perks.

At the end of the day, TPG staffers all have our favorites and there is no right or wrong preference. In fact, as you saw from the above list, most major airlines offer multiple cobranded cards to fit the needs of a wide range of customers.

Most airline credit card users will be better off paying an annual fee to reap many more benefits from their card, but there are some exceptions. For example, the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card is a great choice for infrequent travelers and Delta flyers who want to earn double miles at restaurants.

Likewise, the AAdvantage MileUp card lets you earn double AAdvantage miles at supermarkets and grocery stores. Even the no-annual-fee JetBlue card from Barclays offers you double points at restaurants and grocery stores, along with 3 points per dollar spent on JetBlue purchases.

Many of the credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Please view our advertising policy page for more information.

American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles are not available if you have received a new account bonus for a Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select account in the past 48 months. The card offer referenced in this communication is only available to individuals who reside in the United States and its territories, excluding Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands.

For benefit to apply, the Citi / AAdvantage account must be open 7 days prior to air travel, and reservation must include the primary credit cardmember's American Airlines AAdvantage number 7 days prior to air travel. If your credit card account is closed for any reason, these benefits will be cancelled.

Eligible Citi / AAdvantage primary credit cardmembers may check one bag free of charge when traveling on domestic itineraries marketed and operated by American Airlines, or on itineraries marketed by American Airlines and operated as American Eagle flights by Envoy Air Inc., Republic Airways Inc., SkyWest Airlines, Inc., Mesa Airlines, Inc., PSA Airlines, Inc., or Piedmont Airlines, Inc. All flights on the itinerary must be domestic flights marketed by American Airlines and operated by American Airlines or American Eagle. This benefit will not be available for travel on codeshare flights booked with an American Airlines flight number but operated by another airline. For the Citi / AAdvantage credit card, up to four (4) companions traveling with the eligible primary credit cardmember will also get their first checked bag free of charge if they are listed in the same reservation. Waiver does not apply to overweight or oversized bags. This benefit cannot be combined with any existing AAdvantage program benefits, or with First or Business class benefits, including any waiver of baggage charges. Please see aa.com/baggage for baggage weight and size restrictions. Applicable terms and conditions are subject to change without notice.

For benefit to apply, the Citi / AAdvantage account must be open 7 days prior to air travel, and reservation must include the primary credit cardmember's American Airlines AAdvantage number 7 days prior to air travel. If your credit card account is closed for any reason, this benefit will be cancelled. This benefit will not be available for travel on codeshare flights booked with an American Airlines flight number but operated by another airline. Up to four (4) companions traveling with and listed in the same reservation as the Citi / AAdvantage primary credit cardmember are eligible to board at the same time as the primary credit cardmember. Applicable terms and conditions are subject to change without notice.

Eligible credit cardmembers will board after Priority boarding is complete, but before the rest of economy boarding. The boarding benefit will display on your American Airlines boarding pass as Group 5. This benefit applies on flights marketed and operated by American Airlines, or on flights marketed by American Airlines and operated as American Eagle flights by Envoy Air Inc., Republic Airways Inc., SkyWest Airlines, Inc., Mesa Airlines, Inc., PSA Airlines, Inc., or Piedmont Airlines, Inc.

Earn a $125 American Airlines Flight Discount certificate (the "Flight Discount") after you spend $20,000 or more in purchases that post to your Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select credit card billing statement during your credit cardmembership year (every 12 months from the billing cycle after your anniversary month through the billing cycle of your next anniversary month). With the exception of special account status or circumstances (e.g. Military relief programs), the anniversary month will coincide with the month in which the annual fee is billed. To receive the Flight Discount, your account must be open for one full billing cycle after your anniversary month. For your first year of credit cardmembership, purchases qualify as of the date of your account opening. The Flight Discount expires one year from date of issue of the certificate. The Flight Discount is redeemable toward the initial ticket purchase of air travel wholly on flights marketed and operated by American Airlines, or on flights marketed by American Airlines and operated by Envoy Air Inc., Republic Airways Inc., SkyWest Airlines, Inc., Mesa Airlines, Inc., PSA Airlines, Inc., or Piedmont Airlines, Inc. for itineraries originating in the U.S., Puerto Rico, or U.S. Virgin Islands, and sold in US Dollars. The Flight Discount is also redeemable for air travel on any oneworld carrier or American Airlines codeshare flight. The Flight Discount is redeemable online at aa.com, or by calling American Airlines Reservations. A reservations services fee may apply for travel booked through American Airlines Reservations. The Flight Discount is redeemable only toward the purchase of the base airfare and directly associated taxes, fees and charges that are collected as part of the fare calculation for travel. The Flight Discount cannot be used to pay the taxes and charges on mileage redemption tickets where only taxes and fees are being collected. The Flight Discount may not be used for flight products and/or services that are sold separately or non-flight products and/or services sold by American Airlines. If the ticket price is greater than the value of the Flight Discount, the difference must be paid only with a credit, debit or charge card, or with American Airlines Gift Cards. Any unused balance can be applied towards eligible future travel until the stated expiration date. If travel booked with the Flight Discount is cancelled or changed by the credit cardmember, the Flight Discount will be forfeited and the credit cardmember will be responsible for any applicable fare difference and the applicable change fee. The Flight Discount will not be replaced for any reason. The Flight Discount is non-refundable, may not be sold and has no cash redemption value. After qualification, please allow 8-12 weeks for delivery of the Flight Discount. 041b061a72