Best Airline Credit Card — By Airline and Goal
The right airline card depends on which airline you fly and whether you want free bags, a companion pass, or transferable miles. Here are the actual numbers, with no affiliate rankings.
There is no single best airline card. If you fly Southwest frequently, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card ($229/yr) offers 7,500 anniversary points and Companion Pass eligibility that can be worth $500–1,000+. For Delta flyers, the Delta Gold Amex provides free bags and 2x on dining and groceries. For flexibility across airlines, Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95/yr) transfers 1:1 to United, Southwest, British Airways Avios, Air France Flying Blue, and 11 others.
Airline cards by carrier — live from our card database
| Card | Annual fee | Earning rate | Key perk | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex | $150/yr | 2x Delta, dining, groceries | Free first bag; $200 Delta flight credit | Occasional Delta flyers |
| Delta SkyMiles Platinum Amex | $350/yr | 3x Delta & hotels; 2x dining/groceries | Annual companion cert; $120 Resy credit | Frequent Delta flyers |
| Delta SkyMiles Blue Amex | $0 | 2x Delta & dining | 20% back on inflight purchases | Light Delta flyers, no fee |
| Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select | $99/yr | 2x AA, restaurants, gas | Free first bag; preferred boarding | American Airlines flyers |
| AAdvantage MileUp | $0 | 2x AA & groceries | 25% inflight savings | Casual AA flyers |
| United Business Card | $0 intro, then $150 | 8x total on United flights (incl. MileagePlus member miles); 2x dining; 2x gas; 2× office, transit | Free first bag; 2 United Club passes; travel credit | United business flyers |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority | $229/yr | 4x Southwest; 2x gas & restaurants | 7,500 anniversary pts; Companion Pass eligible | Southwest loyalists |
| JetBlue Business Card | $99/yr | 6x JetBlue; 2x dining; 2× office | 50% inflight savings; 5k anniversary bonus | JetBlue flyers |
We pull annual fees, welcome bonuses and apply links live from our card database. Some links may earn us a commission at no cost to you, but commissions never change a ranking. We base rankings on math only. Verify final terms with the issuer before applying.
Co-branded vs. transferable miles: which is better?
Co-branded cards (Delta, United, American) earn miles in one airline’s program. Transferable cards (Chase Sapphire, Amex Gold, Capital One Venture) earn flexible points that convert to multiple airline programs.
| Factor | Co-branded | Transferable points |
|---|---|---|
| Best earn rate on that airline | 2–3× direct flights | Usually 1–2× |
| Free checked bag | Often included | Not available |
| Flexibility across airlines | One program only | 10–20+ partners |
| Value vs. cash | Typically 1–1.5c/mile | Up to 2c/point via partners |
| Best for | Loyal flyers with status | Occasional or flexible travelers |
The math on free bags: A $99/yr airline card that gives you a free first checked bag saves $35–40 per bag, per flight. One round trip with a checked bag = $70–80 in savings. If you fly 2+ round trips per year with a checked bag, the card pays for itself.
The Southwest Companion Pass — biggest value in airline cards
The Southwest Companion Pass lets one designated person fly with you free (just taxes) on every Southwest flight for the rest of the calendar year plus the entire following year. To earn it, you need 135,000 Rapid Rewards points in a calendar year. Points from welcome bonuses count.
Strategy: Apply for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card in January, meet the spending requirement (currently $3,000 in the first 3 months for the welcome offer), and the welcome bonus alone gets you almost halfway to the Companion Pass. Add a second Southwest card and you can earn the Companion Pass from signup bonuses alone if spend requirements overlap.
The math: A Companion Pass used on 10 round trips at an average value of $200 per ticket = $2,000 in travel value from one card benefit.
Frequently asked questions
- Do airline miles expire? It depends on the program. American AAdvantage miles expire after 24 months of inactivity. Delta SkyMiles, United MileagePlus miles, and Southwest Rapid Rewards points do not expire as long as your account stays open, and recent flight activity is not required.
- What credit score do you need for an airline card? Most airline cards require 670+ FICO. Premium cards (Delta Platinum, $350 fee) typically approve at 700+. No-fee cards like Delta Blue and AAdvantage MileUp can approve around 650–670.
- Can you use airline miles on any airline? Co-branded miles can be used for award flights on the issuing airline and its alliance partners. Delta miles book on SkyTeam partners; American AAdvantage miles book on Oneworld carriers like British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Qatar.
- Is it better to get an airline card or a cash back card? For most people who fly occasionally, a flat 2% cash back card outperforms a co-branded airline card unless you check bags frequently. If you check 2+ bags per year or fly the same airline 4+ times per year, the co-branded card usually wins on total value.