Airline credit cards sometimes get a bad rap. But if you are loyal to one carrier and you’re looking for a simple way to score perks—including free flights—these cards can be a great solution.
Credit card junkies dedicated to earning free travel tend to prefer general travel cards, which offer more flexibility (and complexity), allowing you to redeem points not just for flights, but also for hotels and other travel costs. They also make it easier to use points with multiple airlines.
But airline credit cards still have a lot to offer. While our favorite airline cards—below we highlighted one from each major U.S. carrier—typically charge $100 to $250 annual fee, they make up for these with generous welcome bonuses, typically enough miles for several free flights. You can also count additional annual miles bonuses, or similar perks such as an annual “companion pass,” the airline world’s version of buy one, get one free.
Some cards also offer credits to offset travel-related expenses like TSA PreCheck. And many also offer smaller perks, like discounts free checked bags and discounts on in-flight purchases such as food.
Which airline credit card is best for you? In general that’s going to depend on what airline you regularly fly. But some cards offer more value than others. Here are our favorite airline cards from six popular U.S. carriers.
- Base rewards rate: 1x
- Bonus rewards: 2x on American Airlines purchases
- Welcome bonus: 50,000 miles after making your first purchase and paying the annual fee within the first 90 days
- Key perks: Annual companion ticket worth $99 plus taxes and fees when you spend $20,000 in a year
- Annual fee: $99
- APR: 21.24% to 29.99% variable
Airline credit cards typically require you to spend at least a few thousand dollars to earn a welcome bonus, but with the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard, you’ll earn 50,000 bonus miles as soon as you pay the card’s $99 annual fee and make a single purchase in the first 90 days.
The card also offers 2 miles per dollar on American Airlines purchases and 1 mile per dollar on everything else. As with most airline cards, you’ll get some standard perks, including one free checked bag for you and up to four companions, priority boarding and in-flight savings to the tune of 25% off.
One unusual perk the card offers is the ability to get up to $25 in credits toward in-flight Wi-Fi purchases on American Airlines flights each year—no other consumer airline credit card offers this benefit. You can also earn a companion certificate each year, giving you up to $99 off (plus taxes and fees) when you add someone to your reservation, though you’ll need to spend at least $20,000, or about $1,700 a month, on the card each year to earn it.
How the rewards stack up
The card’s bonus is standard for airline credit cards, but depending on how you use it, you could get at least one or two award flights with it—round-trip American Airlines flights within the U.S. start at 15,000 miles.
The value of the bonus may be enough to cover the cost of the annual fee for at least the first few years. But without regular use and frequent travel, it’ll be tough to make up for the card’s annual fee on an ongoing basis.
One simple way to cover the cost of the fee every year is to earn the card’s annual companion certificate. But with a $20,000 spending requirement, you’ll likely need to make the AAdvantage Aviator Red your primary card, and even that might not be enough to meet the minimum threshold.
Unfortunately, you won’t earn any bonus rewards on non-American Airlines purchases—some other airline credit cards offer more miles on everyday spending, like dining, groceries and other travel expenses.
- Base rewards rate: 1x
- Bonus rewards: 3x on Delta purchases and hotels; 2x at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets
- Welcome bonus: 50,000 miles after spending $3,000 in the first six months
- Key perks: Annual companion certificate; up to $100 credit for Global Entry or up to $85 for TSA PreCheck every 4.5 years; 15% off award flights on Delta flights when booking through delta.com
- Annual fee: $350
- APR: 20.99% – 29.99% variable
- Terms apply. See rates and fees.
Despite its $350 annual fee, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card is a standout because of several key perks, including a competitive welcome bonus and a valuable companion certificate.
When you fly Delta, you’ll get the standard benefits most airline cards offer such as priority boarding, a free checked bag for you and up to eight others on your reservation, and 20% back on select in-flight purchases.
You’ll also earn 85,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 in the first six months after opening the card and get 3 miles per dollar on Delta and hotel purchases, 2 miles per dollar at restaurants globally and supermarkets in the U.S., and 1 mile per dollar on other qualified purchases.
But the card also offers benefits that aren’t common among airline credit cards, the most valuable being an annual round-trip companion certificate for a main cabin domestic, Carribbevn or Central American flight—in other words, a second ticket for a plus-one—and a 15% discount when you use miles to book a flight.
If you apply for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, which offers expedited domestic airport security screening and U.S. Customs clearance, respectively, you’ll be reimbursed for the application fee—up to $85 for TSA PreCheck every 4.5 years or up to $100 for Global Entry every 4 years—when you pay with the card.
How the rewards stack up
While the card’s annual fee is high compared to other top picks, the companion certificate can easily make up for it. When you book a main cabin ticket using your credit card, you can add a companion for just the cost of taxes and fees, which max out at $80 for a roundtrip domestic flight or $250 for an international one. Considering the average round-trip ticket costs around $260 these days, the perk could save you hundreds of dollars.
That said, the card’s 85,000-mile welcome bonus should be good for at least one or two award flights. Delta offers domestic flights for as little as 9,000 miles round trip, although most tickets will cost more.
The card’s rewards are generous, too. While some other airline credit cards only offer bonus miles on purchases made with the airline, this one gives you extra points on some everyday spending categories, like U.S. supermarkets.
While you can’t put a price tag on the 15% discount on flights booked with miles, for frequent travelers the savings can add up over time. The math suggests that for every five to six flights, you could save enough miles for an additional flight.
Finally, getting a free checked bag can save you $30 each way per person. While one free checked bag is a standard airline credit card benefit, Delta’s fee waiver applies to up to nine people on your reservation, more than any other airline.
- Base rewards rate: 1x
- Bonus rewards: 3x on United purchases, 2x on other travel, dining and select streaming services
- Welcome bonus: 60,000 miles and 500 premier qualifying points after spending $4,000 in the first three months
- Key perks: $125 annual United credit; up to 10,000-mile annual award flight credits; free first and second checked bags; up to $100 credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS every 4 years
- Annual fee: $250
- APR: 21.99% to 28.99% variable
The United Quest Card’s $250 annual fee comes with several benefits that can make the card a solid choice for frequent United fliers, including flight credits, miles rebates and free upgrades.
As a new cardholder, you can earn an above-average bonus of 60,000 miles and 500 Premier qualifying points, or PQPs, after you spend $4,000 in the first three months.
PQPs are points that count toward eligibility for elite status with the United MileagePlus program, which includes benefits like free upgrades and extra miles when you book flights. In addition to the bonus, you can earn 25 PQPs for every $500 you spend, up to 6,000 per year. (Despite this benefit, earning a United status through spending alone isn’t easy: You need 5,000 PQPs to earn Premier Silver, the program’s lowest elite status tier.)
Like many airline cards, this one offers priority boarding and 25% back on in-flight purchases. You’ll also get an application fee credit worth up to $100 toward membership with Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, which isn’t a standard perk, but it’s relatively common. More rare, though, is the card’s credit toward an application for NEXUS, which offers expedited customs screening when entering Canada and also includes Global Entry and TSA PreCheck.
Also, while other airline cards typically offer one free checked bag when you fly with the airline, this one offers two for both you and a companion. Other unique benefits include an annual $125 credit toward United purchases with no spending requirement, free upgrades on flights booked with miles and a 5,000-mile credit for each of your first two award flights booked each year.
The card also offers 3 miles per dollar on United purchases (after your $125 annual credit); 2 miles per dollar on other travel, dining and select streaming services; and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.
How the rewards stack up
The card’s 60,000-mile welcome bonus is slightly higher than the standard 50,000 miles, and depending on how you use them, you could get at least two or three flights out of it—round-trip flights in the U.S. start at 10,000 miles.
The $125 United credit is enough to offset half of the card’s annual fee, and if you travel regularly with the airline, the combination of 5,000-mile credits, complimentary upgrades, extra checked bags and other perks can make the rest of the cost worth your while.
You’ll also get more rewards for making the Quest Card your primary card compared to some other airline cards, with bonus miles on a few different everyday spending categories, including travel, dining and streaming.
Earning the 5,000 PQPs required for Silver elite status with spending alone will require $10,000 in purchases each month. But even if you don’t spend close to that, any PQPs you earn with your credit card will be added to the PQPs you collect from flying, which can make it easier to achieve elite status.
- Base rewards rate: 1x
- Bonus rewards: 3x on Southwest purchases, 2x on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners, local transit and commuting, internet, cable and phone services and select streaming services
- Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Key perks: $75 annual Southwest credit; annual 7,500-point bonus; 4 upgraded boardings each year
- Annual fee: $149
- APR: 21.49% to 28.49% variable
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card makes it easy to make up for its $149 annual fee each year with flight credits, points bonuses and upgraded boardings.
When you open the account, you’ll get 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in the first three months. You’ll also get a $75 credit on Southwest purchases each year, and, starting with your first anniversary, you’ll also get an annual bonus of 7,500 points. (Southwest uses points rather than miles like many other airlines as its basic rewards currency.)
On everyday spending, the card offers 3 points per dollar on Southwest purchases; 2 points per dollar on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners, local transit and commuting, internet, cable and phone services and select streaming services; and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
More credit card picks
Because Southwest Airlines offers two free checked bags to all its customers, it’s not a card benefit. The budget airline’s boarding process is also different from that of other airlines, assigning you a boarding position based on when you check in.
While the card doesn’t offer priority boarding on all flights, you can get up to four upgraded boardings per year, giving you one of the first 15 boarding positions. You’ll also get the standard in-flight savings benefit with 25% back.
The card also offers 1,500 tier qualifying points (TQPs) for each $10,000 you spend—a separate point system for elite status eligibility. You need 35,000 or more TQP for A-list status, which comes with perks like priority boarding and extra points when you book Southwest flights and pay cash.
How the rewards stack up
The card’s annual $75 Southwest credit and 7,500 bonus points can be worth enough to offset the annual fee. Southwest occasionally offers round-trip flights for fewer than 5,000 points—Delta, American and United may require double or even triple that. However, you’ll need to make sure you’re flying often enough to use them—the points don’t expire, but the credit won’t carry over to the new year.
Upgraded boarding typically costs a minimum of $30, and with four per year, you can get as much as $120 in value from that benefit.
The card’s welcome bonus is higher than the standard and with an opportunity to book flights with fewer points compared to other airlines, you may be able to stretch the bonus further at Southwest. At a minimum, you may be able to get at least a few award flights from the bonus alone.
While it’s a plus that the card offers bonus rewards on non-Southwest purchases, it may be tough for some cardholders to spend enough on things like local transit and streaming services to make a big difference.
- Base rewards rate: 1x
- Bonus rewards: 6x on JetBlue purchases, 2x at restaurants and eligible grocery stores
- Welcome bonus: 40,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days
- Key perks: Annual 5,000-point bonus; 50% off inflight purchases; 10% points rebate on award flights; earn Mosaic status after spending $50,000 each year
- Annual fee: $99
- APR: 21.24%, 25.24% or 29.99% variable
With a $99 annual fee, the JetBlue Plus Card offers points rebates when you book award flights, an annual bonus and a higher discount on in-flight purchases.
The card offers 40,000 bonus points when you spend just $1,000 and pay the annual fee within the first 90 days. You’ll also get 6 points per dollar on JetBlue purchases, 2 points per dollar at restaurants and eligible grocery stores, and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
Unlike other airline credit cards, JetBlue Plus doesn’t offer priority boarding. But you will get a free checked bag for you and up to three companions, and you’ll get 50% back on in-flight purchases, double the standard savings.
Other unusual features include a 10% points rebate each time you redeem rewards for JetBlue flights, 5,000 bonus points each year and a $100 annual statement credit when you use your card to book a JetBlue Vacations package. JetBlue is also the only major airline that lets you redeem your points for statement credits on your credit card, albeit at a low rate of 75 cents per point.
The card offers a more straightforward path to elite status, at least compared to other airline cards. You can earn Mosaic status, which comes with benefits like two free checked bags, free in-flight alcoholic beverages, expedited security and free upgrades, after you spend $50,000 on the card in a year. That translates to more than $4,200 per month, which may be high for many consumers. A recent survey of Wall Street Journal readers found they charged about $3,000 a month to their cards. But it’s low compared to other airline credit cards.
How the rewards stack up
Round-trip flights with JetBlue within the U.S. typically start at close to 8,000 points, which isn’t as low as Southwest, but still low compared to other major carriers. In other words, you could get at least one or two flights with your welcome bonus.
If you don’t spend enough to earn Mosaic status with your purchases, adding an authorized user, such as a partner, could help you reach the spending requirement.
Even without elite status, the card makes it easy to offset a good chunk of the annual fee, if not more, through the annual 5,000-point bonus, increased in-flight savings and 10% points rebate.
The card also offers a much higher rewards rate on JetBlue purchases compared to other airline cards and their respective airline purchases. And you’ll get the chance to earn bonus points on common expenses like groceries and gas.
More cards to consider
Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard
If you frequently fly American Airlines and want access to the Admirals Club lounge, the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite is the only card that offers that perk. The card also offers a relatively high welcome bonus. Without the lounge benefit, however, the other card’s perks aren’t valuable enough to make the $595 annual fee worth it.
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard
If you frequently travel to and from Hawaii, the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard can be a great option, offering a sizable welcome bonus, discounted award flights, an annual companion discount and two free checked bags, all for a $99 annual fee. However, Hawaiian Airlines doesn’t have many partners, so other domestic and international flight options are somewhat limited.
United Explorer Card
The card offers a $0 introductory annual fee the first year, then $95 after that. With that, you’ll get an above-average welcome bonus, two one-time passes each year to the United Club lounge, premier upgrades on flights booked with miles and an application fee credit toward Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS.
Alaska Airlines Visa Credit Card
The card offers a companion pass worth $99 plus up to $23 in taxes and fees after you spend $6,000 each year, which is more than enough to offset the card’s $95 annual fee. You’ll also get $100 off an annual Alaska Lounge+ membership (normally $550) and 10% more rewards if you’re an eligible Bank of America banking customer. However, the card’s welcome bonus is below average.
How we picked
To choose Buy Side from WSJ’s Best Airline Cards, we compared 23 credit cards from 10 major domestic airlines. We started by creating a baseline, ensuring that each card offered most, if not all, of the standard benefits you can expect from an airline card such as priority boarding, free checked bags and in-flight discounts.
From there, we favored credit cards that offered unusual and valuable perks that made it easier to cover the cost of the card’s annual fee. Examples include companion certificates, annual flight credits and miles bonuses, and access to expedited airport security and U.S. Customs screening.
To find out more about how we choose credit cards—and to meet our panel of experts—you can also check out Buy Side from WSJ’s full best credit cards methodology.
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