The major decision to make when choosing a miles credit card is whether you want flexible redemption options or
branded airline perks.
Not exact matches
There are two major types of cards, each with differing levels of
perks and flexibility: Traditional travel cards, embossed with an
airline or hotel
brand, tend to have the best
perks but the least flexibility.
However, by not using a United
branded credit card, you'd be giving up
airline - specific
perks, such as checked baggage fee waivers and priority boarding.
The downside of using the Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card over a Southwest
branded one is that you will miss out on all the
airline perks the latter comes with — including things like free checked baggage, and elite qualifying miles.
As
branded airline credit cards go, the Hawaiian
Airlines World Elite MasterCard offers a nice array of travel
perks and cardholder bonuses.
For one, few
airline rewards programs can offer the same specific
perks provided by
branded frequent flyer programs, which often include things like free checked bags or access to airport lounges.
If you currently fly or plan to fly on American
Airlines and value the associated travel
perks, having one of the
branded cards can certainly be worth it.
As
branded airline credit cards go, the Hawaiian
Airlines World Elite MasterCard offers a nice array of travel
perks and cardholder bonuses.
If you are loyal to a particular
airline or hotel, it might be better to consider to a
brand - specific credit card (i.e. Chase IHG Rewards Club credit card) that offers
perks like anniversary nights and higher reward point payouts as the Sapphire Preferred loses a lot of its luster after earning the 50,000 bonus points if you don't need the reward point redemption flexibility.
Not only does Citi offer its own line of cards, it partners with companies like American
Airlines, Costco, Expedia, AT&T and others to offer company -
branded cards with their own set of
perks.
For many frequent fliers, this isn't really a great
perk considering how most of these services are already included in elite status
perks or come with possessing an
airline -
branded credit card.
This could be in the form of an
airline branded card for flights, a hotel
branded card for free nights and an annual fee card such as American Express Platinum for
perks like that card's $ 200 a year in
airline credits, lounge access, faster trips through customs and instant Starwood Gold status.
Airline branded cards offer the most
perks including free checked bags, lounge access, priority boarding, early check - in and a variety of other amenities.
There are two major types of cards, each with differing levels of
perks and flexibility: Traditional travel cards, embossed with an
airline or hotel
brand, tend to have the best
perks but the least flexibility.
If you're looking for a card that offers a diverse array of useful
perks, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Citi Prestige and the Amex Platinum are probably your best bets, though the
airline and hotel cards on this list can be a good fit if you're loyal to those
brands.
If you're loyal to a particular
airline or hotel chain because of a hard - to - find route that you frequent or business - travel requirements, a
branded card may give you extras such as free checked bags, priority boarding, and other
perks of elite status.
In addition to the points and miles available through many cards, to the
perks that come with
airline branded cards, travelers can unlock a world of benefits through their preferred spending methods.