Airline reward cards fall into one of two categories.
- Branded airline card – offers the perks of working with one airline
- General travel card – allows you to collect travel reward points on all spending
Always, read the fine print. Sometimes points aren’t valid if you book through a discount broker – make sure you check. If you need to travel at a certain time of year, look fort blackout dates that prevent you from using rewards mileage to travel during that time.
Here are ConsumerFu’s top picks for general travel cards. We also give a full rundown of branded cards in the table below.
Card | Annual Fee | Interest Rates | Reward Rates | Other Perks |
---|---|---|---|---|
Capital One® Venture℠ Rewards Credit Card |
$0 first year, $59 after that | 13.9%-20.9% variable APR | Earns 2 miles for every $1 spent |
|
Chase Sapphire Preferred |
$0 first year, $95 after that | 15.24% APR | Earns 2 miles for every $1 spent on travel and dining and 1 for $1 on all other spending |
|
Capital One VentureOne |
$0 | 0% 12 months, 11.9% – 19.9% thereafter | Earns 1.25 miles for every $1 spent on any purchase | 10,000 mile signup bonus when you spend $1000 in the first 3 months |
The following is a rundown of other U.S. based airline specific reward cards.
Card | Annual Fee | Bonus Miles | Rewards Rate | VIP Perks |
---|---|---|---|---|
AMEX Gold |
$95 | 30,000 Delta Miles |
2 miles per $1 on Delta, 1 mile per $1 on other
airlines |
Priority Boarding 20% off in-flight purchases
First checked bag free |
AMEX Express |
$40 | 10,000 JetBlue Miles |
As many as 8 points per $1 on jetBlue, 1 mile per $1 all other
airlines |
None |
Bank of Hawaii Hawaiian Airlines Visa Signature |
$79 |
35,000 Hawaiian Airlines Miles |
2 miles per $1 on Hawaiian, 1 mile per $1 all other airlines |
One-time $25 discount on two full price round
trip coach fares |
Chase The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Card |
$99 | 25,000 Bonus Points After
$1000 spent |
2 points per $1 spent directly on Southwest or AIRTRAN,
1 for $1 on all other purchases |
Up to 15,000 tier qualifying points annually, 6000 Anniversary points annually, No foreign transaction fees |
Citi Platinum Select AAdvantage World MasterCard |
$95 | 30,000 American Airlines Miles |
1 miles per $1 | Priority Boarding First checked bag free 25% discount on eligible in-flight purchases
$100 AA flight discount annually |
Citi AAdvantage |
$50 | 25,000 American Airlines
Miles |
1 miles per $1 | Priority Boarding 25% off in-flight purchases
First checked bag free |
Frontier Airlines |
$59 |
35,000 |
2 miles per $1 on Frontier, 1 mile per $1 on other airlines |
None |
Frontier Airlines |
$0 | 5,000 Frontier Miles |
1 mile per $1 on Frontier, 0.5 miles per $1 on other
airlines |
None |
Hawaiian Airlines |
$50 | 10,000 Hawaiian Airlines
Miles |
2 miles per $1 on Hawaiian, 1 mile per $1 on other
airlines |
25% discount on Mainland to Hawaii flights |
US Airways |
$49 | 10,000 US Airways Miles |
1 mile per $1 | 5,000 mile discount on reward redemptions, $149 companion ticket annually |
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