Redirected//
If you find yourself frequently flying one airline, having their co-branded credit card can be a great idea. It will give you the chance to earn free flights, free checked bags, priority boarding, and much more. But with so many different cards available, it might be difficult to figure out which card would be best for you. In this article, we’ll walk you through the five best airline branded credit cards available in 2018.
If your preferred airline is American Airlines, the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard might just be The One. With this card, you can earn 50,000 AAdvantage miles after spending $2,500 within the first three months. You will then receive two miles per dollar when you use your card for eligible American Airlines purchases and one mile on everything else.
What makes this card even more attractive for frequent American Airlines fliers is that cardholders also have access to several other benefits from American Airlines some of which include a free checked bag for yourself and up to four travel companions, preferred boarding on American Airlines flights and 25% savings on in-flight purchases for food and beverage.
If you’re not particular about which airline you fly with, or you don’t travel often enough to get a co-branded travel card but still the want travel rewards, there are many cards that offer similar competitive rewards. The advantage to these cards is that they let you fly with any airline. We’ve picked out some alternatives for you to review.
Card Details +
With 1.5 miles back on every purchase, you can rack up the rewards easily. Plus, Discover matches all the miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year, so if you’ve earned 30,000 miles, you’ll earn 60,000. Miles can be applied to any airline and there are no blackout dates giving you the flexibility to travel where and when you want, on any airline you choose.
When you are approved for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, you can receive a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles after spending $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from the account opening, which equals $500 in travel. Cardholders also receive 2X miles on every purchase and miles don’t expire for the life of the account. There is also no limit on how many miles can be earned. Plus, you can fly any airline and there are no blackout dates. The card has an annual fee of , so if this doesn’t appeal to you, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Card is a no annual fee card that you can apply for instead, however, the rate of rewards you earn won’t be as high.
Annual Fee:
APR:
Card Details +
For the Sapphire Preferred, Chase is offering a generous 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of the account opening. When you redeem these points through Chase Ultimate Rewards, they’re worth $625 toward travel. Cardholders receive two points on dining and travel worldwide, and one point on all other purchases.
The Sapphire Preferred is also ideal for traveling abroad since there are no foreign transaction fees. Plus, you can redeem points from dining worldwide, where some cards don’t allow you bonus points outside the United States. If you redeem points through Chase Ultimate Rewards, then your points have 25% more value, and there are no blackout dates. If you’re looking for even more extensive rewards, you can apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, which has a higher welcome offer that offers a greater value on redemption, (but remember, there’s a hefty $450 annual fee that accompanies the extra rewards).
Whether you’re partial to a particular airline, or you like to keep your options open, having a travel rewards credit card can be extremely beneficial, especially if you’re a frequent traveler, or if you have some big travel plans for the future. It’s always good to keep in mind that most of these credit cards require good to excellent credit, so you’ll want to check your credit scores before applying (Check two of your credit scores for free monthly at Credit.com).
At publishing time, the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard, Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express, Blue Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express, Discover it Miles Card, Chase Sapphire Preferred, and Chase Sapphire Reserve are offered through Credit.com product pages, and Credit.com is compensated if our users apply and ultimately sign up for these cards. However, these relationships do not result in any preferential editorial treatment. This content is not provided by the card issuers. Any opinions expressed are those of Credit.com alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the issuers.
Note: It’s important to remember that interest rates, fees and terms for credit cards, loans and other financial products frequently change. As a result, rates, fees and terms for credit cards, loans and other financial products cited in these articles may have changed since the date of publication. Please be sure to verify current rates, fees and terms with credit card issuers, banks or other financial institutions directly.
This article last updated on September 25th, 2018.
