Alternatively, there are also
specific airline credit cards if you want to get additional airline benefits and perks.
If you're looking for
a specific airline credit card that we may not have mentioned in our top list, we've created a handy tool that lets you compare airline credit cards.
I was able to work a few deals with
specific airline credit cards and a few other cards to batch them together to get a deal.
Not exact matches
Airline specific cards often include perks like priority boarding, free checked bags, and credit towards airline status for free up
Airline specific cards often include perks like priority boarding, free checked bags, and
credit towards
airline status for free up
airline status for free upgrades.
You won't find
airline -
specific perks with the Capital One ® Venture ® Rewards
Credit Card.
But if you mainly book flights with a
specific airline, you may want to consider applying for an
airline credit card and joining a frequent flyer program.
You even get a $ 200
airline credit each year for a
specific airline of your choice.
While co-branded
airline credit cards offer special benefits to frequent flyers of one
specific airline, general travel rewards cards can offer more flexibility in redeeming award flights and other travel bookings.
The first step in choosing an
airline credit card is determining whether an
airline card even makes sense for you, especially compared with a general travel
credit card whose rewards aren't tied to a
specific carrier.
Most of the time, the rewards rates on these
credit cards tend to be lower than those of
airline or hotel -
specific credit cards.
Miles earned through a
credit card are generally tied to a
specific airline's frequent flyer program.
And general travel cards tend to be simpler than
airline -
specific credit cards.
As a general travel card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card Card lacks the special perks that many
airline -
specific credit cards offer, especially free checked bags and priority boarding.
If you have an
airline co-branded
credit card, you can get
specific perks when you use it to purchase travel on that
airline.
For general
credit cards, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, and
airline -
specific cards like the Citi AAdvantage, the best time to sign up to maximize your reward points is in November.
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 third type of rewards card,
airline cards, allow you to earn miles earned through a
credit card, and those are generally tied to a
specific airline's frequent flyer program.
Travel rewards cards that earn you miles — like the Capital One ® Venture ® Rewards
Credit Card and the Barclays Arrival Plus ® World Elite Mastercard ® — but they aren't tied to a
specific airline.
If you choose a co-branded
credit card, you'll earn rewards for purchases at the
specific airline or hotel the card is branded with, and you'll be able to redeem your rewards there.
If you plan to sign up for a single
credit card and put the bulk of your expenditures on this card, an
airline -
specific travel card may not give you the best return on your investment — you might want to sign up for a generic travel
credit card instead.
The Capital One Venture card is a well - known example of this type of general travel - focused
credit card, because it is not tied to a
specific airline carrier.
If you use one
specific airline all the time, get its
credit card to rack up even more frequent flyer miles.
Airline credit cards offer generous rewards and perks like free checked bags or airport lounge access with
specific airlines.
Any
airline or hotel
specific credit card will pay for a travel purchase with any travel provider, but, you should not expect to earn bonus points if you do not use one of the authorized travel partners.
Because you are earning miles that are redeemed for travel
credit, you don't have to worry about using your miles for
specific airlines.
Many
airline credit cards are
specific to a single carrier but can offer great advantages.
For example, a
specific airline might offer a rewards
credit card that lets you wrack up the
airline points / miles quickly.
If a
credit card isn't co-branded with a
specific airline, you can be safe in assuming its miles are essentially points.
These
credit cards let you earn points of a
specific airline, hotel or other type of loyalty program directly — and some even allow you transfer points to another loyalty program.
Most travel rewards
credit cards also award bonus points or miles for
specific purchases like hotel stays or
airline tickets.
If you are not loyal to one
specific airline or you do not travel frequently, you should choose a general frequent flyer
credit card so you can redeem your reward points or miles for a flight with any
airline.
And co-branded
credit cards can be especially appealing to cardholders who have a particular affinity for a
specific airline and want a faster way to accrue frequent flyers miles, as these cards typically reward you with miles for every purchase.
While having the flexibility to redeem your travel rewards can make planning your next trip significantly easier,
credit cards co-branded with
specific airlines can frequently offer exclusive perks and benefits that may offset the limitations for some applicants.
As travelers are awarded points for flying with a particular
airline regularly or frequenting a
specific hotel,
credit card users are awarded points for regularly using a particular
credit card and often for a particular purchase.
You even get a $ 200
airline credit each year for a
specific airline of your choice.
Some of the general travel
credit cards (ones not associated with a
specific airline) are also adding perks like $ 200 off Uber and extra points for travel - related expenses such as restaurant meals.
You would need to spend significantly more money with the Virgin Atlantic World Elite MasterCard ®
Credit Card in order to earn an award ticket from New York to London, than with the British Airways Visa Signature ® Card — a difference of $ 3,333 on general spending, and $ 5,000 with
airline -
specific spending.
If you have no particular loyalty to United, however, and if you don't care about earning any
airline -
specific benefits, we recommend going with a more generic business
credit card, like the Ink Business Preferred ℠ Credit Card or Capital One ® Spark ® Cash for Bus
credit card, like the Ink Business Preferred ℠
Credit Card or Capital One ® Spark ® Cash for Bus
Credit Card or Capital One ® Spark ® Cash for Business.
Airline specific cards often include perks like priority boarding, free checked bags, and credit towards airline status for free up
Airline specific cards often include perks like priority boarding, free checked bags, and
credit towards
airline status for free up
airline status for free upgrades.
Airline credit cards are most useful to people who tend to fly with that specific airline on a regular
Airline credit cards are most useful to people who tend to fly with that
specific airline on a regular
airline on a regular basis.
If your past travel patterns show that you don't pick
airlines and hotels based on brands, such travel rewards
credit cards will better for you, compared to brand -
specific cards.
You won't find
airline -
specific perks with the Capital One ® Venture ® Rewards
Credit Card.
If you prefer a
specific airline or hotel chain, take a look at travel
credit cards to see how long it would take you to score a free flight or hotel stay.
And ultimately it boils down to the
specific airlines you choose to accumulate miles with, which boils down to opportunities for earning miles (either by flying, or having
airline credit cards, or participating in online promotions, etc).
Another important distinction between
airline -
specific and generic miles
credit card programs is that most co-branded cards carry an annual fee and generic cards generally do not.
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.
Cathleen McCarthy: The battle of generic versus frequent flier miles — A primer on how both generic
credit cards and
airline -
specific cards offer and redeem travel miles — and which is best for you.
If you want to only travel domestically and Southwest services your
specific routes best, then it's a no - brainer to go for the Southwest
Airlines Rapid Rewards ® Premier
Credit Card.
Airline credit cards offer generous rewards and perks like free checked bags or airport lounge access with
specific airlines.
Each cardholder must select a
specific airline; that
airline choice will apply to both the $ 200
credit and the 35 %
airline points rebate.