Whether this card is right for you will depend on whether you would use the bonuses that
other airline cards give you.
Not exact matches
Besides credit
cards that offer points and cash back credit
cards, there are co-branded credit
cards that
give you extra points and
other perks for purchasing products offered by the retailer,
airline or the hotel that sponsors your credit
card.
Because
airline cards typically
give you accelerated rewards for
airline purchases — often 2 miles or more per dollar spent — use the
card for airfare, in - flight purchases and
other airline - related expenses.
While the
card earns 1 point per dollar on all
other purchases, booking tickets directly with
airlines and through AmexTravel.com each
give 5 points per dollar.
By contrast, the Continental
Airlines OnePass Plus
Card gives you an opportunity to acquire 40,000 bonus points and
other great rewards.
Chase Sapphire Preferred ®
Card gives you 1:1 point transfer to leading
airline and hotel loyalty programs at full value, so your points offer much more travel value than the points you earn with many
other programs.
Co-branded
airline cards, like the Gold Delta SkyMiles Amex
card and Alaska
Airlines Visa Signature
card, can be great if you often fly on the carrier since they
give you bonus miles for ticket purchases and
other perks, like free checked bags.
Other credit
cards, such as the Alaska
Airlines Visa Signature
Card,
give cardholders annual companion coach fares for $ 121, to be used for any paid flight.
On the
other hand, the Alaska
Airlines cards will
give you multiple bonuses even if you've had the same
card in the past.
And don't just look at the
airline miles, there are probably
other benefits the
card gives you as well.
Hyatt credit
card is a co-branded
card of Hyatt offered by Chase that
gives you 3 points for staying at all Hyatt hotels and resorts, 2 points for restaurant or
airline tickets purchased directly from the
airline and at car rental agencies and 1 point on all
other purchases.
A great travel rewards
card can do just that,
giving you points or miles for every purchase that can be redeemed toward
airline tickets, hotel stays, and
other travel - related expenses.
Overall, the
card offers good benefits for its user that
give it a somewhat unique edge over
other travel credit
cards, but these benefits are not significant enough to overwhelming dominate the
airline credit
card industry.
Membership Rewards
gives you access to the loyalty programs of 17
airlines and 4 hotels, which is significantly more than any
other card on this list.
The
card also allows for a Priority Pass Select membership, which
gives you lounge access at
other lounges (like the Alaska
Airlines Boardrooms, but not United Clubs).
Airline co-branded credit cards typically give you a number of free checked bags, priority boarding and other unique airline - specific
Airline co-branded credit
cards typically
give you a number of free checked bags, priority boarding and
other unique
airline - specific
airline - specific perks.
On the
other hand, the Alaska
Airlines cards will
give you multiple bonuses even if you've had the same
card in the past.
As things stand it's the cheapest of the three American
Airlines AAdvantage
cards I hold and, as it has the same earning rates as the
other two
cards and
gives me a 10 % rebate on awards, it's probably the most likely
card to survive any future cull.
The «United MileagePlus ® Explorer
Card»
gives you 2x miles per $ 1 on
airline tickets purchased from United, and 1x on all
other purchases.
The Prestige
card, on the
other hand,
gives you a $ 250 credit for
airline fees and incidentals.
Membership Rewards
gives you access to the loyalty programs of 17
airlines and 4 hotels, which is significantly more than any
other card on this list.
Sure they will
give you double points for buying an
airline ticket, but honestly, so does any
other airline credit
card.
Typical
airline credit
cards give you 1 mile per dollar spent on everyday shopping or 2 miles or more per dollar for certain categories, such as buying
airline tickets or
other travel expenses.
«Some
cards will
give you perks and upgrades just for being a cardholder, while
others offer more versatility by allowing you to transfer points to
other programs, including
airlines,» he explains.
For example, a
card in the Chase Ultimate Rewards program would
give you the option to transfer points to Korean Air and six
other airline partners, as well as the ability purchase a wide variety of award travel through the program's travel center.
Depending on how much cardholders spend on travel, dining and
other expenses throughout the year, that could
give the Sapphire
card a significant edge for the
card's first 12 months — especially if you buy a lot of
airline tickets.
While the
card earns 1 point per dollar on all
other purchases, booking tickets directly with
airlines and through AmexTravel.com each
give 5 points per dollar.
Chase Sapphire Preferred ®
Card gives you 1:1 point transfer to leading
airline and hotel loyalty programs at full value, so your points offer much more travel value than the points you earn with many
other programs.
And
airlines often
give card members free checked bags, which can be a value of $ 25 each way for you and
others on your reservation, depending on the
card.
Variable rewards
cards, on the
other hand,
give you their own currency (eg DBS Points) or an
airline's currency (eg Krisflyer miles).
You might also examine
cards that can't
give you United miles directly, but that might allow you to take United flights using
other airlines» frequent flier miles.
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.