Airline Credit Cards

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

Co-branded airline credit cards are great for frequent flyers because they include benefits like free checked bags and priority boarding. It’s important to remember, though, the miles they earn can’t be transferred like flexible points.

Still, if you fly with a particular airline regularly or you want to add to your airline loyalty account balance for a particular redemption, an airline-specific credit card could be the right choice for you.

Best Airline Credit Cards

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Current Welcome Bonus: Earn 50,000 Southwest points when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months of being a cardholder. 

Favorite Card Features:

• 2x points on Southwest purchases
• 2x points local transit, commuting, and rideshare costs
• 2x points internet, cable, and phone services, as well as select streaming
• 1x points on all other purchases
• 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points boost each year
• 2 Early Bird Check-In® each year
• Receive 3,000 anniversary points each year
• Member FDIC

Annual Fee: $69

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Current Welcome Bonus: Earn 50,000 Southwest points when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months of being a cardholder.

Favorite Card Features:

• 3x points on Southwest® purchases
• 2x points local transit, commuting, and rideshare costs
• 2x points internet, cable, and phone services, as well as select streaming
• 1x points on all other purchases
• 2 Early Bird Check-In® each year
• 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points boost each year
• No foreign exchange fees
• Receive 6,000 anniversary points each year
• Member FDIC

Annual Fee: $99

I love having Southwest points in my loyalty account! They’re easy to redeem domestically and for Southwest’s more tropical destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. Their Wanna Get Away fares can be as little as a few thousand points!

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Current Welcome Bonus: Earn 50,000 Southwest points when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months of being a cardholder.  

Favorite Card Features:

• 3x points on Southwest purchases
• 2x points local transit, commuting, and rideshare costs
• 2x points internet, cable, and phone services, as well as select streaming
• 1x points on all other purchases
• No foreign transaction fees
• Receive 7,500 anniversary points and a $75 Southwest® travel credit each year. 
• 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points boost each year
• Member FDIC

Annual Fee: $149

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Current Welcome Bonus: Earn 75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months from opening opening your card.

Favorite Card Features:

• 3x for purchases on British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, and LEVEL 
• 2x on hotel bookings made directly with the hotel 
• 1x on all other purchases
• No foreign transaction fees
• Save 10% on British Airways airfare for flights originating in the U.S when you book with the website provided when you receive your card
• Member FDIC

Annual Fee: $95

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Current Welcome Bonus: Earn 75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months from opening opening your card.

Favorite Card Features:

• 3x for purchases on British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, and LEVEL 
• 2x on hotel bookings made directly with the hotel 
• 1x on all other purchases
• No foreign transaction fees
• Save 10% on Iberia airfare for flights originating in the U.S when you book with the website Iberia.com/Chase10
• Member FDIC

Annual Fee: $95

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Current Welcome Bonus:

Earn 75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months from opening opening your card.

Favorite Card Features:

• 3x for purchases on British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, and LEVEL 
• 2x on hotel bookings made directly with the hotel 
• 1x on all other purchases
• No foreign transaction fees
• Priority Boarding on Aer Lingus flights to Ireland
• Member FDIC

Annual Fee: $95

Earning Avios with British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus is just as important as earning miles with any of the 3 legacy carriers, United, American, Delta. Avios can be used to book flights with partners like American Airlines or Alaska Airlines, often for a lot less than what these airlines charge.

Luckily, British Airways is a transfer partner with several travel rewards programs. But, the co-branded British Airways credit card can help you earn even more Avios.

I’ve used Avios for many redemptions including a short-haul flight (BA sweet spot!) from London to Prague to see the city all lit up for Christmas.

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Current Welcome Bonus: 60,000 United miles after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months from your account opening.

Favorite Card Features:

• 2x on United purchases, dining, and hotels, & eligible delivery services
• 1x on all other purchases
• Get 25% off United inflight purchases for things like food, drinks, and wifi
• No foreign exchange fees
• A free checked bag for savings up to $140 each round trip (Terms Apply)
• Priority boarding when you fly with United
• Up to $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Fee Credit
• Member FDIC

Annual Fee: $0 the first year, then $95 thereafter

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Current Welcome Bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus miles and 500 PQP after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening your account

Favorite Card Features:

• Earn 3 miles for every $1 spent on United(R) purchases
• Earn 2 miles for every $1 spent on travel, dining, and select streaming services
• Earn 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases 
• Receive up to a $125 United(R) purchase credit + two 5,000-mile anniversary award flight credits every year (terms apply)
• Free 1st and 2nd checked bags for a savings up to $320 for every roundtrip (terms apply) + priority boarding
• Get up to 6k Premier qualifying points (500 PQP for every $12k you spend on purchases)
• No foreign exchange fees
• Member FDIC

Annual Fee: $250

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Current Welcome Bonus: Earn 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases within 3 months of opening your account.

Favorite Card Features:

• Earn 4 miles per $1 spent on United purchases 
• Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel and dining purchases
• 1x on all other purchases
• 10% United Economy Saver Award discount within the continental U.S. and Canada
• No foreign exchange fees
• Free first and second checked bags - save up to $320 per roundtrip (terms apply) - and Premier Access(R) travel services
• Earn up to 8k Premier qualifying points (500 PQP for every $12K you spend on purchases)
• Member FDIC

Annual Fee: $525 

United miles are easy to earn with credit cards like this, as well as by transferring Ultimate Rewards points from an Ink Preferred or Sapphire to United.

One of my favorite ways to use United miles is to take advantage of the Excursionist Perk! United allows you to add a free segment to round trip award flights so you can see another city or country for no extra miles before moving on to your destination.

Yes, you can fly from the U.S. to Paris and then to Rome for the same number of miles had you just flown directly to Rome!

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Current Welcome Bonus: Earn up to 100,000 bonus points – 75,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months as a cardholder. Plus, an additional 25,000 points after spending $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months as a cardholder.

Favorite Card Features:

• 3x the points for every $1 spent on groceries, dining at restaurants, and for purchases made with Air Canada directly. Earn 1x the point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
• Earn 500 bonus Aeroplan points every month when you spend at least $2,000 monthly on your card - up to 1,500 points per month
• Redeem points for both international and domestic flights with the Aeroplan(R) Credit Card.
• Member FDIC

Annual Fee: $95

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Current Welcome Bonus: Earn 40,000 Delta SkyMiles after spending $2,000 in the first 6 months from your account opening. 

Favorite Card Features:

• Card Members 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.
• 2x on Delta purchases, restaurants, and U.S. grocery stores; 1x on all other purchases
• A free checked bag and priority boarding when you fly with Delta
• No foreign exchange fees
• Earn $100 Delta flight credit when you spend $10k on the card in a calendar year
• Get 20% savings in the form of statement credits on eligible in-flight Delta purchases. 
• Terms Apply

Annual Fee: $0 the first year, then $99 thereafter

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Current Welcome Bonus: Earn 50,000 Delta SkyMiles after spending $3,000 in the first 6 months from your account opening. 

Favorite Card Features:

• Get 15% off Delta operated award flights booked through Delta.com or the FlyDelta App. (Partner flights and taxes/fees not applicable.)
• Earn 3 miles per $1 spent on Delta purchases and hotels
• Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on restaurants and U.S. grocery stores, 1x on all other purchases
• A free checked bag and priority boarding when you fly with Delta
• Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck(R) after you apply through any Official Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
• No foreign exchange fees
• Domestic main cabin Companion Certificate when you renew your card
• Access Delta Sky Clubs(R) for $50 per person each visit for you and 2 guests or immediate family members when you travel together on a Delta flight from now until 12/31/23. Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available.
• Earn Medallion Status faster with Staus Boost- Earn 10k MQMs after spending $25k in purchases on your Card up to 2x each year until 12/31/23. Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available. Learn more at delta.com/skymilesprogramchanges for the new way to earn toward Medallion Status as a cardholder. 
• Terms and limitations apply.

Annual Fee: $250

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Current Welcome Bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months as a cardholder.

Favorite Card Features:

• Card Members save 15% on Delta operated award flights when you book through Delta.com or the FlyDelta App. (Partner flights and taxes/fees not applicable.)
• Earn 3 miles per $1 spent on Delta purchases 
• Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Get Delta Sky Club(R) access for no extra cost and bring 2 guests or immediate family members for $50 per person each visit. Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members get 10 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club. For an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, eligible purchases on the Card must total $75,000+ between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each subsequent calendar year.
• Centurion Lounge Access when you use the card to buy a Delta flight
• A free checked bag when you fly with Delta
• Domestic Companion Certificate when you renew your card
• No foreign exchange fees
• Earn Medallion Status faster with Status Boost- Earn 15k MQMs when you spend $30k on your card up to 4x timesf or a total of 60k MQMs through 12/31/23. MQMs determine Medallion Status and are
  different from the miles you earn for flights. Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available. Learn more at delta.com/skymilesprogramchanges for a new way to earn toward Medallion Status as a cardholder.
• Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck(R) after you apply through any Official Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
• Terms and limitations apply

Annual Fee: $550

Delta SkyMiles can come in handy, especially when Delta releases its flash sales! This is when award flights to destinations all over the world are heavily discounted. In addition to using your SkyMiles to score a great deal, these cards give you free checked bags and other perks to enhance your travel experience.

And despite not having a fixed price award chart, you can still find reasonable award pricing. I’ve found 30k mile one-way flights to Europe and 40k mile one-way flights from Australia back to the U.S. This award pricing is comparable to what you’d also find with competitors, United and American.

Citi® AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®

Current Welcome Bonus:Earn 50,000 American Airlines miles after making $2,500 in the first 3 months from your account opening.

Favorite Card Features:

• 2x on American Airlines purchases, restaurants, and gas stations
• No foreign exchange fees
• 1 free checked bag on all domestic flights
• $125 discount on an American Airlines flight after spending $20k on your card in the first year and continuing card membership into the 2nd year.

Annual Fee: $0 in the first year, $99 in the second year

American Airlines miles can be used to book award flights on American Airlines and their Oneworld Alliance partners. These miles are particularly valuable because American Airlines is only a transfer partner of Marriott Bonvoy, making them harder to earn than United or Delta miles.

I’ve booked American Airlines web specials for as little as 5k miles and taken advantage of premium class seats on flights operated by partners like Qatar and Cathay Pacific.

Best Business Airline Credit Cards

If you’re a business traveler or you’d like to earn airline miles and benefits when you pay your business expenses, consider a co-branded business credit card. Designed especially for small businesses, these cards offer bonus categories to target business spending. The miles you earn can help you take that bucket list trip!

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Current Welcome Bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in your first 3 months as a cardholder.

Favorite Card Features:

• 3x on Southwest purchases,
• 2x on rental cars and hotels booked through Southwest's partners
• 2x on rideshares
• 2 EarlyBird Check-ins per year
• No foreign exchange fees
• Each year on your card anniversary, earn 6,000 Rapid Rewards points.
• Use Rapid Rewards points to fly anywhere Southwest flys including Hawaii, Costa Rica, the Caribbean, and Mexico.
• Member FDIC

Annual Fee: $99

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Current Welcome Bonus: Earn 80,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards Points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months from opening your account.

Favorite Card Features:

• 4x on Southwest purchases
• 3x on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner bookings
• 2x on Rideshares
• 2x on internet, cable, and cell phone costs, as well as advertising purchases for social media and search engines
• Card perks include 4 upgraded boarding positions every year, when available for your travel dates
• Get 9k Rapid Rewards points each year you renew your card
• Member FDIC

Annual Fee: $199

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Current Welcome Bonus: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening your account.

Favorite Card Features:

• Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on United(R) purchases, dining including eligible delivery services, at gas stations, office supply stores, as well as on local transit and commuting.
• Receive a 5,000-mile "better together" bonus each anniversary when you have both the United(SM) Business Card and a personal Chase United(R) credit card
• Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases. Plus, get employee cards at no additional cost - miles earned from their purchases accrue in your account so you can earn rewards quicker
• $100 United travel credit each anniversary year after 7 United flight purchases of $100 or more
• No foreign exchange fees
• Enjoy a free 1st checked bag - a savings of up to $140 per roundtrip (terms apply), 2 United Club(SM) one-time passes per year, and priority boarding privileges.
• $100 United(R) travel credit after 7 United flight purchases of $100 or more each anniversary year
• Member FDIC

Annual Fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $99

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Current Welcome Bonus: Limited Time Offer! Earn 75,000 Delta SkyMiles after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months from your account opening. Plus, get an extra 5,000 Bonus Miles after making an eligible Delta purchase with your new card in the first 6 months as a cardholder. Offer Ends 10/25/23.

Favorite Card Features:

• Card Members save 15% on award travel With TakeOff 15. Enjoy savings on Delta flights. Not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
• Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on directly-made Delta purchases and at restaurants.
• Earn 2 miles per $1 spent at U.S. shipping purchases and U.S. Advertising buys in eligible media
• Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
• A free checked bag and priority boarding when you fly with Delta
• 20% statement credit on some in-flight purchases
• No foreign exchange fees
• Earn $100 Delta flight credit when you spend $10k on the card in a calendar year
• Terms and limitations apply

Annual Fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year as a cardholder, then $99 thereafter

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Current Welcome Bonus: Limited Time Offer! Earn 90,000 Delta SkyMiles after spending $8,000 in the first 6 months from your account opening. Plus, get an extra 10,000 Bonus Miles after making an eligible Delta purchase within the first 6 months as a cardholder. Offer Ends 10/25/23.

Favorite Card Features:

• Card Members save 15% on award travel With TakeOff 15. Enjoy savings on Delta flights. Not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees
• Earn 3 miles per $1 spent on Delta purchases and hotels
• Earn 1.5 miles per $1 spent on big purchases of at least $5k, up to 50k extra miles each year (Purchases made in card bonus categories earn only the higher multiplier.)
• Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
• A free checked bag and priority boarding when you fly with Delta
• $85-$100 statement credit for TSA Pre-Check or Global Entry
• Domestic main cabin Companion Certificate when you renew your card
• 20% statement credit on most in-flight purchases
• Delta Sky Club(R) Access - Access the Delta Sky Clubs(R) for $50 per person for each visit for you and 2 guests or immediate family members when flying together on Delta. Effective 1/1/24, Delta Sky Club access will no longer be available.
• With Status Boost(R), earn 10k Medallion(R) Qualification Miles (MQMs) after spending $25k in purchases on your Card each calendar year, up to twice per year to help you near Medallion Status. MQMs determine Medallion Status and are different from the Miles you earn for flights. Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available, Learn more at delta.com/skymilesprogramchanges for the new way to earn Medallion Status as a cardholder.
• No foreign exchange fees
• Terms and limitations apply

Annual Fee: $250

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Current Welcome Bonus: Limited Time Offer! Earn 100,000 Delta SkyMiles after spending $12,000 in the first 6 months from your account opening. Plus, earn an extra 10,000 Bonus Miles when you make an eligible Delta purchase with your new Card in the first 6 months as a cardholder. Offer Ends 10/25/2023

Favorite Card Features:

• Card Members save 15% On Award Travel With TakeOff 15. Enjoy savings on Delta flights. Not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
• Earn 3x miles per dollar on Delta purchases 
• Earn 1x on all other purchases until spending $150k in a calendar year, then 1.5x thereafter
• Get complimentary access into Delta Sky Clubs(R) where you can relax before your Delta flight or find downtime between connections.* Also, get two Delta Sky Club One-Time Guest Passes every year. *Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will get 10 Visits each year to the Delta Sky Club. For unlimited Visits every year starting on 2/1/25, eligible Card spending must equal $75,000+ between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and every subsequent calendar year.
• Centurion Lounge Access when you use the card to buy a Delta flight
• $85-$100 statement credit for TSA Pre-Check or Global Entry
• With Status Boost(R), earn 15k Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after spending $30k in purchases with your Card through 12/31/23, up to 4x each year to help you near Medallion Status.* MQMs determine Medallion Status and are different from the miles earned toward flights. *Effective 1/1/24, this benefit changes and you'll earn toward Medallion Status in a new way with the Card. Learn more.
• A free checked bag when you fly with Delta
• Domestic Companion Certificate when you renew your card
• No foreign exchange fees
• Terms and limitations apply

Annual Fee: $550

Citi Business® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®

Current Welcome Bonus: 65,000 American Airlines miles after spending $4,000 in the first 4 months from your account opening.

Favorite Card Features:

• 2x on American Airlines purchases, cell phone, internet, cable, and satellite services, as well as on gas and rental car costs.
• Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage mile earned from purchases
• No foreign exchange fees
• 1 free checked bag on all domestic flights

Annual Fee: $0 in the first year, $99 in the second year

Disclosure:

The Globetrotting Teacher has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. The Globetrotting Teacher and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

Comments & responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.