The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Credit card offers 3 miles for every dollar spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases and unlimited 1 mile for every dollar spent on eligible purchases anywhere else. Plus, when you sign up and spend $2,000 in eligible purchases in the first 90 days, you get 50,000 miles in a sign up bonus–that’s enough miles to fly round trip anywhere that Alaska Airlines flies. 

From there, the real value of this Alaska Airlines credit card is access to Alaska Airlines’ Companion Fare. With the Companion Fare, you’ll receive a credit once a year that allows you to book a ticket for an Alaska Airlines flight for a partner for as low as $121 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees starting at $22). Depending on how you spend this benefit, it can be a real money saver.  

The downside of an Alaska Airlines card is that Alaska doesn’t fly everywhere. Most notably, Alaska has limited flights to the East Coast and the Midwest. Alaska is working to combat this downside with Oneworld Alliance member airlines and their Global Partners, but it’s still worth making sure that Alaska flies where you want to go before you get the credit card.  

If you’ve worked out that Alaska Airlines will get you where you want to go, then this credit card is a great option to benefit from your Alaska Airlines flights and actually enjoy traveling as well. With Alaska Airlines flights booked with your airline credit card, you’ll get a free checked bag for you and up to six other guests and no foreign transaction fee on purchases once you get to your location.

The AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard currently offers 4 miles for every dollar spent on eligible American Airline purchases (this limited-time offer ends December 31st, 2022). All other eligible purchases earn you 1 point per dollar. 

This earning potential isn’t the best return you can find on the market, but the huge welcome bonus of 80,000 miles when you spend $5,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of the account opening is pretty amazing. You also get 10,000 additional Loyalty Points after you spend $40,000 in a qualifying year. That’s basically an extra $100 bonus. 

The real draw of cards like the AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Card is an enhanced airport experience. 

You get priority boarding, a free checked bag for up to 8 additional travel companions, no foreign transaction fees, 25% off in-flight purchases, and $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. 

On top of all that, you also get access to the large American Airlines Admirals Club® lounge system, which is considered a $650 value.

The AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard rewards you 2 miles for every dollar spent on restaurants and gas stations, 2 miles for every dollar spent on eligible American Airlines flights and 1 mile for every dollar spent on other purchases.  While these aren’t the highest mile returns on this list, the $0 introductory annual fee and other airport perks makes it a good airline credit card for most.  

With the AAdvantage Platinum Select card, you get a free checked bag for you and up to 4 travel companions on the same reservation, preferred boarding on American Airlines flights, and 25% savings on in-flight purchases like food and beverages and Wifi. 

Unfortunately, AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard doesn’t provide any access to the airport lounges, so if you’re looking for a place to relax at the airport you might have to upgrade to one of American Airlines higher offerings. 

But, if you’re a big spender, we do love that you can earn a $125 American Airlines Flight Discount after you spend $20,000 or more in purchases during your first year and renew your card. Plus, if traveling internationally, you have the added benefit of no foreign transaction fees.  

The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Credit Card earns you 3x miles on Delta purchases and 1x miles for all other eligible purchases. 

While the annual cost will give some thrifty travelers pause, the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express credit card does offer a lot of perks to make up for the hit on your wallet. 

First, you currently get a 95,000 mile sign up bonus (offer expires Nov. 9, 2022) when you spend $6,000 in the first six months. That’s nearly $1,000 to spend on Delta purchases just for signing up, paying the account opening annual fee, and purchasing the required amount. Just a reminder, you won’t be rewarded these miles until you spend the $6,000 minimum with your airline credit card, so don’t expect to use your miles right away. 

With this card, you also get complimentary access to the Delta Sky Club lounge and two one-time guest passes. A Sky Club membership alone runs about $545, so if you’re considering purchasing a membership, you might as well spring for the Delta SkyMiles Reserve credit card instead. 

In case that awesome lounge option doesn’t feel like quite enough, you also get into the American Express Centurion Lounge at the airport if you made your Delta purchase with your Delta American Express credit card. 

The other major perk that puts this card in our best airline credit card category is the illustrious Companion Certificate. Each year that you renew this card you receive a Companion Certificate which allows you to fly a companion on any domestic round-trip flight with you for free. You’ll have to cover the fees and taxes (capped at $75), but this pass is a real score each year. 

Finally, Delta finishes its credit card perks by offering a free checked bag for up to eight companions traveling with you, priority boarding, 20% back on inflight Delta purchases, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee credit, and no foriegn transaction fees.

 All in all, it’s expensive, but if you fly enough, it’s a no-brainer. 

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card gives you 3 points for every dollar you spend on Southwest, 2 points for every dollar spent on a Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners, and 1 point for every other dollar you spend. 

While the Priority Card is a little more expensive than Southwest’s other credit card offerings, the annual $75 Southwest travel credit and 7,500 points awarded each year on the credit card account anniversary make a solid dent in offsetting that expense. 

You also get four Upgraded Boardings per year (when available). This means you can move from your boarding group up to a higher boarding position, allowing you to get on the airplane faster, pick better seats, and ensure better overhead space for your luggage. This upgrade cost begins at $30, but with this airline credit card you get four for free. 

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card also offers no foriegn transaction fees and two free checked bags are included in normal Southwest service, but what pulls this card ahead in our best airline credit card for Southwest is the possibility to earn the coveted Southwest Companion Pass. 

The Southwest Companion Pass allows one person to book a ticket with you on every Southwest flight for a year–obviously a huge savings. Southwest makes you earn it by earning 125,000 qualifying points or flying on 100 one way flights in a calendar year. While you’re in no way guaranteed a Companion Pass with this credit card, the points you earn can go towards your total qualifying points. 

While this Companion Pass is incredibly tempting, do make sure to check that Southwest flies where you want to go before you fully commit, especially if you’re planning international travel. Southwest has pretty good coverage in the continental US and South America, but no coverage in Europe or Asia. 

The United Explorer Credit Card offers 2 miles per dollar spent on United Airlines purchases and dining and hotels. From there, it’s 1 mile for all other eligible purchases. This is a pretty nice return but the real bump in points is the 50,000 welcome bonus you get after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months following your account opening. 

This card membership also gets you priority boarding and a free first checked bag for you and a companion. While that doesn’t hold a candle to Delta’s free checked bag policy, we love that United also gives you up to $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS fee credit and two one-time passes to the United Club. Unlike other mid-tier credit cards that still bar you from the airline lounge access, this United Airlines credit card allows you to sit back and relax in comfort two times a year. It’s not huge, but it helps. 

Like the other airlines, United has no foreign transaction fees with this card. Plus, you can earn 500 premium qualifying points for every $12,000 you spend with your Explore card (up to 1,000 points a year). These points are added to your points total and can earn you premier status. Premier status with United Airlines means you get elite perks like preferred seating, upgrades, and waived fees. It also allows you access to Saver Award flights, meaning seats that require fewer miles. These flights are limited so you can’t always get one, but higher premier status means a greater opportunity to score fantastic deals.   

As an added bonus, United Airlines is currently offering DashPass for one year for new customers. 

Chase Sapphire Preferred’s high reward rate and flexible point redemption puts it top on our list of credit cards for travelers. Chase offers 5 points per dollar spent on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3 points per dollar spent on dining, and 2 points per dollar spent on all other travel purchases like car rental, airline tickets or hotels. Chase really shows up when it comes to rewarding your travel purchases.

To spend your points, you can book through Chase Ultimate Rewards or transfer points to Chase’s airline partners. Chase partners with airlines like Southwest, United, and Jetblue, giving you a 1:1 transfer of points to miles. Chase doesn’t publish these airline partners (though you can usually figure them out with just a few minutes on Google), but know it’s not every airline. 

Chase does incentivize spending points on the actual Chase website, however, giving you 25% more value when you redeem with Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, the 60,000 point sign up bonus you receive when you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months is worth $750 when redeemed through the Chase Ultimate Rewards. 

While the Sapphire Preferred doesn’t have any airport specific perks like priority boarding or a free checked bag (though it does offer no foreign transaction fees), Chase easily compensates with other financial perks. For instance, once a year, you’ll receive a $50 hotel credit when you book a hotel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal. 

You’ll also get more value for your points when you use Pay Yourself Back, where points are worth 25% more when you redeem them for specific existing purchases within specified categories. It can be a little confusing, but basically, you can use your points for more value to pay off previous eligible purchases. 

Finally, another perk worth noting is that each year on your credit card account anniversary you’ll receive bonus points worth 10% of the points you accrued the previous year.

In short, Chase Sapphire Preferred rewards can make travel very lucrative.  The downside is having to book through Chase for the best returns. It can be complicated and not always the best price, plus there is no price match, which some other credit card issuers offer. 

While not technically an airline credit card, Capital One still makes our list because of the great travel rewards and other travel perks similar to some airline credit cards, like no foreign transaction fees and a $100 Global Entry credit. 

This card offers high returns if you’re willing to make purchases through the Capital One website. You earn 10x miles on hotels & rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5x on flights booked through Capital One Travel, and 2x miles on all other purchases every day. If traveling, these points can add up quickly. 

With these points, you can purchase on Capital One or transfer to their 15+ partners. We especially love the Smart Booking aspect of Capital One which means they’ll give you a partial refund if you buy a flight when they recommend and the price drops lower later. 

We know the annual cost for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Card might provide some sticker shock for some credit card users, but it is actually slightly lower than many other cards with similar offerings.

This card also gives you access to Capital One Lounges and 100+ Plaza Premium Lounges while you’re at the airport. This perk is awesome where available, but right now the Capital One Lounges locations are pretty limited. Currently Capital One only has an open lounge at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport, but they are working on opening them at the Denver airport and Dulles airport soon. 

The CapitalOne Venture Rewards Credit Card is a good choice for the best airline credit card seeker who doesn’t want to shell out for the Venture X. You keep a lot of the same mile redemption benefits for a lower price tag–just notice that you do lose the flight credits. 

The CapitalOne Venture Rewards Credit Card offers you an unlimited 2 miles for every dollar spent on everyday purchase and a special 5 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel. 

You can use the miles you earn to purchase a trip through Capital One Travel or transfer your miles to their 15+ partners.  If you make purchases through Capital One Travel, you should get some peace of mind knowing they’ll refund the difference if you find a better price for that flight within 24 hours of booking. The downside is that flights on Capital One Travel are limited, so you may not be able to find the best flight through the website. 

We do love that CapitalOne offers you two complimentary visits per year to the Capital One Lounges (or the 100+ Plaza Premium Lounges) with this card. Again, the CapitalOne Lounge locations are limited, but it’s still a nice perk for only $95 a year.