Learn more: 7 reasons to get the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Card. Read our Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card review or jump back to offer details. Best for travel rewards on dining. On top of its uniquely high 4X rewards rate at both restaurants and U.
Big spenders who want to leverage their travel and food spending into generous Amex Membership Rewards points toward flights. The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a competitive rewards program that also rewards dining and earns points worth 25 percent more when redeemed for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
Learn more: Why the Amex Gold is great for traveling foodies. Read our American Express Gold Card review or jump back to offer details. BEST FLAT-RATE TRAVEL CARD. Meanwhile, the Venture X keeps the same flat-rate rewards and flexible redemption as other popular Venture cards.
People who are looking for a more affordable luxury travel experience than those provided by other premier travel cards and still want the benefit of flat-rate rewards. Frequent flyers may squeeze more value from elite cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Learn more: Is the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card worth it? Read our Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card review or jump back to offer details.
Best overall Southwest card. These perks make this the ideal card if you want the best Delta travel experience possible. Travelers looking for more flexibility in the airlines they fly and how they earn and redeem miles will want to look at a general-purpose travel card like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
Learn more: Frequent flyer guide to Southwest Rapid Rewards. Read our Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card review or jump back to offer details.
Best for Delta Air Lines perks. Cardholders still have plenty of other features to take advantage of, including free first checked bag on Delta flights, priority boarding on Delta flights, in-flight savings and lots of travel and shopping protections.
Regular Delta flyers looking to save on airfare and other travel costs can squeeze plenty of value out of the SkyMiles Platinum card and its loyalty status opportunities. supermarkets and restaurants. Learn more: Frequent flyer miles to Delta SkyMiles. Read our Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card review or jump back to offer details.
Best Delta starter card. It carries similar reward categories, but offers higher rewards rates plus a few additional categories.
The card also boasts more flexible redemption and Sapphire Preferred travel perks carry a ton of extra value. Learn more: Why expert Jason Steele loves the Delta SkyMiles Gold. Read our Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card review or jump back to offer details.
Best Southwest starter card. Thanks to its relatively low annual fee, solid rewards rates, airline perks and anniversary bonus , even occasional Southwest travelers can get plenty of value out of this starter airline card.
Regular Southwest passengers may get even more value from the upgraded perks and loyalty status shortcuts that the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and Rapid Rewards Priority card offer. Learn more: Why expert Tim Maxwell loves the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card.
Read our Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card review or jump back to offer details. Best companion discount. The sign-up bonus, free checked bag, discounts on in-flight purchases and day passes for Alaska Airlines lounges, as well as a chance at a discounted companion fare every year are some of the standout features.
Loyal Alaska Airlines flyers who frequently travel with friends or family members. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card lets you earn unlimited miles on purchases from any airline and earn miles that can be redeemed for all sorts of additional travel expenses. Read our Alaska Airlines Visa credit card review or jump back to offer details.
Best for Delta Sky Club fans. Just keep in mind that, effective Feb. The Platinum Card® from American Express is the only general-purpose travel card that also provides complimentary access to Delta Sky Club lounges. Learn more: Why expert Holly D. Johnson loves the Delta Skymiles Reserve.
Read our Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card review or jump back to offer details. An airline credit card is a type of rewards card, often co-branded with a major issuer like American Express or Citi , that offers rewards and perks for people loyal to a specific airline.
Typically, these cards earn airline miles for purchases made directly with the airline but can sometimes earn miles in other categories. You can use airline credit cards just like any credit card. There are defined credit limits and interest rates that apply to your purchases. For example, Delta SkyMiles cards earn miles you can redeem only for Delta flights, while Southwest Priority Rewards card rewards are used for Southwest airfare.
Most airline cards have higher rewards rates for purchases made directly with the airline, but that doesn't mean they can't be used elsewhere. Many cards earn miles on everyday purchases, including groceries, gas, dining and other categories. You might even think of an airline credit card as a sort of VIP airport pass.
The best airline rewards cards routinely include perks such as access to airport lounges, priority boarding, free checked bags and more. Both airline credit cards and travel credit cards typically reward you with points or miles. But there are a few key differences. Typical benefits may include free checked bags, priority boarding, companion tickets and even accelerated elite status.
In contrast, these credit cards are not tied to specific airlines. These options often include different airlines, hotels, car rentals and even transfers to partner airline or hotel reward programs. Depending on the travel credit card, you might also be able to redeem your points or miles for cash, gift cards and merchandise, though the value may not be as high as when you redeem for travel.
Some premium travel cards also provide complimentary access to airline-branded airport lounges. Before applying for a new airline credit card, it's important to consider the advantages and disadvantages.
Earning rewards. Extra perks. The best airline credit cards usually come with benefits that make traveling easier, such as lounge access, priority boarding, free checked baggage and more. Loyalty benefits. With a co-branded card, your loyalty to your favorite airline translates to actual monetary benefits.
No airline flexibility. If you have a bad experience with your airline of choice and decide to never fly with that carrier again, your co-branded airline card loses value. Annual fees. Fewer intro offers. Not many airline credit cards offer 0 percent intro APR offers for purchases or balance transfers, making them unsuitable for managing debt.
Cash back cards benefit shoppers and business credit cards are designed for small business owners, but who should get an airline card? The answer might be you if you fit any of these categories:. Here are some tips:. Any type of travel card typically requires a good-to-excellent credit score a FICO score of to , or a VantageScore of to You can earn free or discounted flights with your preferred airline when you choose a co-branded airline credit card.
Many airline credit cards offer great perks like free lounge access or discounted in-flight purchases. However, airline credit cards tend to come with higher annual fees, so these perks come at a cost. Conversely, if you do spend a lot on travel, you might be best served by a card that offers a lucrative return on travel-related expenses, including airfare.
Keep these factors in mind when searching for the best airline credit card to add to your financial arsenal. Senior Bankrate editor and credit card reviewer Nouri Zarrugh initially chose a lower-tier Southwest card, but he compared the value to the annual fee and eventually upgraded to a higher-tier airline rewards card for its stronger features.
I just wanted to get a big sign-up bonus and earn rewards on my Southwest flights. And the card got the job done there. But as the years passed and I learned more about credit card rewards, I started to wonder if the card was the best fit for me.
I was surprised to find that the higher-fee cards could actually be more lucrative for me. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card stood out. Assuming a 1. Even if I assumed a 1.
Airline cards provide the most value when used strategically with other cards and are especially useful for the travel-specific perks they offer, such as priority boarding, seating upgrades and companion fares.
Owning an airline credit card while being a member of the airline's frequent flyer program can also help you get maximum value. Because Southwest is a Chase travel partner , you can transfer your Ultimate Rewards points at a ratio. Some airlines restrict when you can use miles to book flights during busy traveling periods.
On the other hand, they also may heavily discount award flight costs during off-peak travel periods. Keep track of these fluctuations in cost to maximize the value of your miles. When evaluating the best airline cards, we consider a mix of factors, including how cards score in our proprietary card rating system and whether cards offer features that fit the priorities of a diverse group of cardholders, from earning rewards in popular categories to scoring a large sign-up bonus or high-value perks.
Whenever possible, we also feature cards that are available at various credit levels and price points. In other words, we assess whether the card earns rewards at a high rate in the most popular spending categories.
We also estimate the redemption value of points or miles from various rewards programs. With these calculations complete, we assign each card a score based on how its average rewards earnings, sign-up bonus value, rewards rate and redemption value stack up against other rewards cards.
The better these values, the higher its score will be, making it more worthy of inclusion in our list and increasing its potential ranking. We also score cards based on how much it costs to keep them in your wallet or carry a balance. To start, each card is scored based on whether it offers an intro APR and how its ongoing APR compares to the rates available on other rewards cards.
Cards with an annual fee will always be at a slight disadvantage in our scoring system since annual fees inherently cut into your rewards value. However, if a card offers terrific value via its ongoing rewards and perks, it can earn a high score and a spot in our list even if it carries a high annual fee.
After all, the highest rewards rates and most valuable perks are often found on cards with annual fees. With this in mind, we rate a card based primarily on how its ongoing rewards value and ongoing perk value such as annual credits or bonuses stack up against those of other cards in the category when you subtract annual fees.
That said, we strive to include as many no-annual-fee options in our list as possible since many people would rather not worry about offsetting fees, even if a card carries impressive rewards and perks. Rewards cards may make it easy to earn a lot of points, miles or cash back, but how easy is it to use those rewards?
Flexibility factors include whether a card only allows you to earn a high rewards rate on only a small amount of spending or requires you to meet a certain earning threshold before you can redeem rewards.
We also examine whether your points are worth less when you opt for some redemption options over others and whether a card gives you the flexibility to transfer rewards to travel partners.
In evaluating the best cards, we tend to favor cards that offer at least Tier 3 benefits, unless they include other unique features that could make up for less-impressive perks. Top picks for no-annual-fee airline cards include:.
Of the winners, the American Airlines MileUp card is the only no-annual-fee card that won a spot on the list, ranking above the average in third place. Airline reward programs differ greatly in the number of miles required to earn reward flights.
Some programs have fixed prices in miles, while others determine prices based on the cash value of tickets. To further complicate matters, not every program has a published chart that explains the number of miles you need for an award flight. However, you can generally expect award flights to set you back several thousand miles.
Fortunately, an airline credit card with a lucrative sign-up bonus and generous rewards program could make it much easier to earn the miles you need. We use primary sources to support our work. Power U. Credit Card Satisfaction Study.
Accessed Sept. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.
The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Apply for a credit card with confidence. When you find your odds, you get:.
A personalized list of cards ranked by likelihood of approval. No credit hits. Your personal information and data are protected with bit encryption. That means:. All of your personal information is protected with bit encryption. Your financial information, like annual income and employment status, helps us better understand your credit profile and provide more accurate approval odds.
Your financial information, like annual income and employment status, helps us better understand your credit profile. Having a clearer picture of your credit profile will help us ensure that your approval odds are as accurate as possible.
Your answer should account for all personal income, including salary, part-time pay, retirement, investments and rental properties. You do not need to include alimony, child support, or separate maintenance income unless you want to have it considerd as a basis for repaying a loan.
Knowing your rent or mortgage payments helps us calculate your debt-to-income ratio DTI which is your monthly debt payments divided by your pre-tax monthly income. Why does DTI matter? We need the last four digits of your social security number to run a soft credit pull.
We need the last four digits of your Social Security number to run a soft credit pull. This helps us locate your profile and identify cards that you may qualify for. Your information is protected by bit encryption. A soft credit pull will not affect your credit score.
Last step! Once you enter your email and agree to terms:. Your approval odds will be calculated. A personalized list of cards ranked by order of approval will appear. Your odds will display on each card tile. Enter your email address to activate your approval odds and get updates about future card offers.
You instruct Us to do this each time you return to our sites to view product offerings and up to once per month so you can be provided up-to-date results. You understand that this is not an application for credit and CardMatch offers and Approval Odds do not guarantee you will be approved for a partner offer.
To apply for a product you will need to submit an application directly with that provider. The best part is, these are purchases you planned on making anyway, so you will be earning points without any extra effort.
Limited-Time Offer. with the Rapid Rewards ® Plus Credit Card. Learn more. Indicates external site which may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. All Rights Reserved. Use of the Southwest websites and our Company Information constitutes acceptance of our Terms and Conditions. Flight Hotel Car Vacations Special Offers Rapid rewards ®.
CHECK IN FLIGHT STATUS CHANGE FLIGHT. Wanna receive email from us? You'll get the latest news, information, and promotional offers from Southwest® all in one sweet email.
When you're deciding whether to apply for an airline card or a travel rewards card, you need to consider the advantages and drawbacks of each choice. Airline cards are helpful if you're loyal to a specific airline because you'll earn miles with that program.
In addition, many airline cards can help you earn elite status more easily or may grant you elite-like perks like free checked bags, priority boarding and access to the airline's airport lounges.
But there are downsides to earning miles with a single airline because it may not fly where you want to go or may not be the best deal for that particular route. Travel rewards cards offer the most flexibility. Many travel cards allow you to transfer the rewards you earn to various airlines and hotels, allowing you to pick the best deals.
This type of card also typically offers a variety of general travel benefits, such as trip delay insurance , lost baggage coverage and access to larger networks of airport lounges. On the flip side, with a travel rewards card, the best redemptions can be harder to find or complicated to book and you usually won't get airline-specific benefits.
Keep in mind, if you've assessed your situation and feel you can benefit from both types of cards, you can have one or more of each card type. Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox.
Sign up here. When deciding between an airline credit card or a travel rewards credit card , ask yourself the above three questions to narrow down the best choice for your travel needs. As long as you earn the welcome bonus , make the most of your card's travel benefits and stay within your budget , either type of credit card can enhance your travels while simultaneously saving you money on flights and other expenses.
Catch up on CNBC Select's in-depth coverage of credit cards , banking and money , and follow us on TikTok , Facebook , Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here. For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here. For rates and fees of Discover it® Miles, click here. Skip Navigation.
Credit Cards. Follow Select. Our top picks of timely offers from our partners More details. Choice Home Warranty. National Debt Relief.
LendingClub High-Yield Savings. Freedom Debt Relief. UFB Secure Savings. Select independently determines what we cover and recommend. We earn a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links. Read more about Select on CNBC and on NBC News , and click here to read our full advertiser disclosure.
Airline credit cards can earn points or miles on every dollar you spend. Airline credit cards provide purchase, theft and fraud protection Hear from our editors: The best airline credit cards of February · Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: Best for first-class upgrades · Delta American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Mastercard® · Earn 15, bonus miles. Terms apply. · No annual fee* · Earn 2X miles at grocery stores. View
Shaktikazahn 
