Cobranded airline credit cards can be worth it for people who fly a lot with a particular airline. They often come with a host of elite-like benefits, such as free checked bags and priority boarding, as well as shortcuts to actually earning status.
To appeal to the widest swath of possible customers, many of the airlines offer a range of cards, varying from fee-free to $450 a year. Today, we’re going take a closer look at the best cards in each of these tiers.
Ranking CriteriaThese cards are ranked solely by the return they offer on airline spending based on our valuations. For our overall choices of top airline cards, which factors in other criteria such as sign up bonuses and perks, read our guide on The Best Airline Credit Cards. Also, although most airlines offer business cards, for today’s rankings, we’ve only included personal cards and ones that are currently available to new applicants.
No-Fee Airline Cards| Card | Bonus for airline purchases | RETURN ON SPENDING (BASED ON TPG VALUATIONS) |
| JetBlue Credit Card | 3x | 3.9% |
| American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp Card | 2x | 2.8% |
| Blue Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express | 2x | 2.4% |
| United TravelBank Credit Card | 2% back in TravelBank cash | N/A |
Welcome bonus: Earn 10,000 points ($130 based on TPG valuations) after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days from account opening.
Earning rates: 3 points per dollar on all JetBlue purchases, 2 points per dollar at restaurants and grocery stores and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
The JetBlue Credit Card is the only no-fee airline card to offer 3x points on airline spend (with JetBlue only, not all airlines). That return on spend is even higher than what you’ll get with many mid-tier cards. Earning double points on dining and grocery spend can also be useful — especially if you don’t already have the American Express® Gold Card which earns 4x points at US supermarkets and US restaurants. Other perks of the card include 50% savings on inflight food and beverage purchases and no foreign-transaction fees.
American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp Card
Photo by Angel DiBilio / Shutterstock.
Welcome bonus: Earn 10,000 miles ($140 based on TPG valuations) and a $50 statement credit after spending $500 in the first three months from account opening.
Earning rates: 2 miles per dollar at grocery stores and on American Airlines purchases, 1 mile per dollar on everything else.
The recently introduced AAdvantage MileUp Card offers a solid sign-up bonus with a low spending requirement and decent bonus rewards for a category beyond spending on AA flights. The card also comes with 25% savings on inflight food and beverage purchases.
Blue Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American ExpressWelcome bonus: Earn 10,000 miles ($120 based on TPG valuations) after spending $500 in purchases within three months of account opening. Terms apply.
Earning rates: 2 miles per dollar at US restaurants and on Delta purchases, 1 mile per dollar on everything else
The card’s welcome bonus has a low spending requirement, and earning 2x miles on spending at US restaurants is a nice bonus. The card offers 20% savings on inflight purchases, secondary rental car insurance and various purchase protections.
United TravelBank Credit CardWelcome bonus: Earn $150 in United TravelBank cash after spending $1,000 in the first three months from account opening.
Earning rates: 2% of your spending back in TravelBank cash on tickets purchased from United, 1.5% in TravelBank cash on all other purchases.
The United TravelBank Card is best for those who like simplicity. Since the card earns TravelBank cash to use on United tickets, as opposed to traditional airline miles, booking award travel is very straightforward and doesn’t require scouring for saver award availability. Other benefits of the card include 25% back as a statement credit on food and beverage purchases on board United flights, auto rental coverage, trip cancellation/interruption insurance and no foreign-transaction fee.
Mid-Tier Airline Cards| Card | Bonus for airline purchases | RETURN ON SPENDING (BASED ON TPG VALUATIONS) |
| JetBlue Plus Card | 6x | 7.8% |
| Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card | 3x | 5.4% |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card | 2x | 3% |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card | 2x | 3% |
| United Explorer Card | 2x | 2.8% |
| Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard | 2x | 2.8% |
| Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express | 2x | 2.4% |
Annual fee: $99
Welcome bonus: Earn 40,000 points ($520 based on TPG valuations) after you spend $1,000 in the first 90 days from account opening.
Earning rates: 6 miles per dollar on all JetBlue purchases, 2 points per dollar at restaurants and grocery stores and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
The JetBlue Plus Card far outshines most other airline cards in terms of earning. The card also comes with some great money-saving benefits such as a free checked bag for you and up to three companions, 10% rebate on all redeemed TrueBlue points and 5,000 bonus points at your card member anniversary each year. You can also earn JetBlue Mosaic elite status with $50,000 in annual spend on the card.
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit cardAnnual fee: $75
Welcome bonus: Earn 30,000 miles ($540 based on TPG valuations) and a companion fare after you spend $1,000 in the first 90 days from account opening.
Earning rates: 3 miles per dollar on Alaska Airlines purchases, 1 mile per dollar on everything else.
Mileage Plan miles are some of the most valuable miles around and one of the easiest ways to earn them is through the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature. Notable perks of the card include a free checked bag for you and up to six companions and an annual $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees).
Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit CardAnnual fee: $69
Welcome bonus: Earn the Companion Pass and 30,000 points ($450 based on TPG valuations) after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Offer ends 2/11/19. Companion Pass is promotional and will be valid through 12/31/19.
Earning rates: 2 points per dollar on Southwest purchases and purchases with Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners, 1 point per dollar on everything else.
Though the Southwest Plus Card is the airline’s most bare-bones card, it offers the same earning rates as its more expensive siblings. The points earned with this card count toward both A-List and Companion Pass eligibility. You’ll get 3,000 bonus points on your account anniversary, worth about $45 based on TPG’s valuations.
Now is an especially good time to consider opening this card, as until Feb. 11 it’s offering a welcome bonus that includes the Southwest Companion Pass through Dec. 31, 2019 in addition to 30,000 Rapid Rewards points after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months. The Companion Pass lets you designate a friend or family member to travel with you for free (minus taxes and fees).
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card
Annual fee: $99
Welcome bonus: Earn the Companion Pass and 30,000 points ($450 based on TPG valuations) after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Offer ends 2/11/19. Companion Pass is promotional and will be valid through 12/31/19.
Earning rates: 2 points per dollar on Southwest purchases and purchases with Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners, 1 point per dollar on everything else.
The Southwest Premier Card offers the same welcome bonus (including the Companion Pass) and earning rates as the Southwest Plus Card. Instead of 3,000 bonus points on your account anniversary, you’ll get 6,000 bonus points, worth about $90. You’ll also earn 1,500 Tier-qualifying points (TQPs) that count toward A-List and A-List Preferred status for each $10,000 you spend in a calendar year, up to $100,000 in spending. This card has no foreign-transaction fees.
United Explorer Card
Annual fee: $95 (waived first year)
Welcome bonus: Earn 40,000 miles ($560 based on TPG valuations) after you spend $2,000 in the first three months from account opening.
Earning rates: 2 miles per dollar on dining, hotel and United purchases, 1 mile per dollar on everything else.
Like with many other cards on this list, with the United Explorer Card you’ll get a free checked bag when you use the card to pay for your United flights, priority boarding and a 25% discount on inflight purchases. However, the benefits don’t end there for this card, you’ll also get a pair of United Club passes each year, access to additional award space, a $100 Global Entry/$85 TSA PreCheck credit and primary car rental coverage.
Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard
Annual fee: $99 (waived first year)
Welcome bonus: Earn 50,000 miles ($700 based on TPG valuations) after you spend $2,500 in the first three months from account opening.
Earning rates: 2 miles per dollar at restaurants, gas stations and on American Airlines purchases, 1 mile per dollar on everything else.
The Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard offers the run-of-the-mill cobranded card benefits like a free checked bag for you and up to four companions, priority boarding and a 25% rebate on inflight food and beverage purchases, as well as a $100 American Airlines flight discount after you spend $20,000 in a membership year and renew your card, access to reduced mileage awards and a 10% rebate on redeemed miles.
Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American ExpressAnnual fee: $95 (waived first year, See Rates & Fees)
Welcome bonus: Earn 30,000 miles ($360 based on TPG valuations) after spending $1,000 in three months and a $50 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first three months from account opening. Terms Apply.
Earning rates: 2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases, 1 miles per dollar on everything else.
The Gold Delta Amex doesn’t offer an especially exciting return on spend and its perks are all fairly basis. The card offers free checked bag for you and up to eight companions, priority boarding, a 20% rebate on inflight food and beverage purchases and discounted Sky Club access.
Premium Airline Cards| Card | Bonus for airline purchases | Return on spending (Based on TPG valuations) |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card | 2x | 3% |
| United MileagePlus Club Card | 2x | 2.8% |
| Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard | 2x | 2.8% |
| Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express | 2x | 2.4% |
| Delta Reserve Credit Card from American Express | 2x | 2.4% |
Annual fee: $149
Welcome bonus: Earn the Companion Pass and 30,000 points ($450 based on TPG valuations) after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Offer ends 2/11/19. Companion Pass is promotional and will be valid through 12/31/19.
Earning rates: 2 points per dollar on Southwest purchases and purchases with Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners, 1 point per dollar on everything else.
The Southwest Priority Card comes with valuable travel benefits that effectively offset the card’s annual fee. With this card, you’ll get a 6,000 bonus points at your card member anniversary each year, a $75 annual Southwest travel credit, four upgraded boardings per year (when available) and 20% back on inflight drinks and Wi-Fi. As with the other Southwest cards, now’s an especially good time to consider opening this card, as now through Feb. 11 it’s offering a sign-up bonus that includes the Southwest Companion Pass through Dec. 31 in addition to 30,000 Rapid Rewards points after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months.
United MileagePlus Club CardAnnual fee: $450
Welcome bonus: Earn 50,000 miles ($700 based on TPG valuations) after you spend $3,000 in the first three months from account opening.
Earning rates: 2 miles per dollar on United purchases, 1.5 miles per dollar on everything else.
The United Club Card offers full United airline lounge membership, among other premium airline benefits such as priority check-in, security screening and boarding, as well as priority baggage handling. You’ll also have access to expanded award availability, no last-minute award fees and primary insurance on car rentals. And 1.5 United miles per dollar is a pretty strong earning rate for day-to-day spending.
Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard
Annual fee: $450
Welcome bonus: Earn 50,000 miles ($700 based on TPG valuations) after spending $5,000 in the first three months from account opening.
Earning rates: 2 miles per dollar on American Airlines purchases, 1 mile per dollar on everything else.
The Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard comes with a full Admirals Club membership, which allows you and your immediate family (including children under 18) or two traveling companions access to the club no matter what airline you’re flying. You’ll also get a free checked bag for you and up to eight companions, priority check-in, airport screening and boarding privileges. Those chasing elite status can 10,000 elite-qualifying miles (EQMs) after spending $40,000 on the card in a calendar year.
Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American ExpressAnnual fee: $195 (See Rates & Fees)
Welcome bonus: Earn 35,000 bonus miles ($420 based on TPG valuations) and 5,000 MQMs after you spend $1,000 in the first three months and a $100 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase with your card within the first three months from account opening.
Earning rates: 2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases, 1 mile per dollar on everything else.
While not necessarily on the earning side, there is value to be found in the Platinum Delta SkyMiles Amex (aka the best airline credit card according to TPG readers). The card offers the standard suite of airline card benefits like free checked bags and priority boarding, as well as some more valuable ones, such as built-in MQM boosters and a MQD waiver, both of which allow you to earn status without actually flying. The card’s annual companion certificate can also be extremely valuable and help you more than offset the card’s annual fee.
The information for the Platinum Delta SkyMiles Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Annual fee: $450 (See Rates & Fees)
Welcome bonus: Earn 40,000 miles ($480 based on TPG valuations) and 10,000 MQMs after you spend $3,000 in the first three months from account opening.
Earning rates: 2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases, 1 mile per dollar on everything else.
The Delta Reserve Credit Card from American Express is ideal for those who working toward Delta elite status and those who don’t already have the Platinum Card® from American Express. In addition to offering you complimentary Sky Club access when you’re traveling on Delta (the same benefit offered by the Amex Platinum), the card offers Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) toward Medallion status, both as part of the welcome bonus and for card holders who meet certain spending thresholds. Other benefits include a companion certificate for domestic travel each year after your account anniversary, a free checked bag on Delta flights, priority boarding and no foreign-transaction fees.
Bottom LineYou don’t need to pay an annual fee to get a good return on your airline spending. The no-fee JetBlue Credit Card, for example, offers a higher return on spending than most mid-tier and premium airline cards. But when you do pay an annual fee, you’ll enjoy far more benefits, such free checked bags, savings on inflight purchases, shortcuts to elite status and companion passes.
As a reminder, if it’s just a high return on airfare purchases you’re after, you may be better off using a card that earns flexible rewards such as the Platinum Card from American Express or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. For more on maximizing airfare purchases, check out our in-depth guide on The Best Credit Cards for Airfare Purchases.
For rates and fees of the Gold Delta SkyMiles Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta Reserve Card, please click here.
Featured photo Carlos Hernández / Unsplash.
Apply for the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express here before it closes applications forever on Feb. 12!
Marriott currently offers two personal credit cards with $95 annual fee: the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express (See Rates & Fees) and the Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card. However, that’s changing come Feb. 13, when the new Marriott Bonvoy branding goes live and the SPG Amex closes to new applicants.
Although the two cards are practically identical, it could make more sense for you to pick up the SPG Amex before it’s gone forever. On the flip side, some people might want to hold off from applying for either of the cards until the rebranding is complete. Read on for a closer look on how they stack up.
You can redeem 50,000 points per night to stay at the Jaffa Tel Aviv (Photo by Isabelle Raphael / The Points Guy.)
Eligibility
Plain and simple, the SPG Amex is easier to get approved for than the Marriott Premier Plus. The Marriott Premier Plus is issued by Chase and subject to the issuer’s dreaded 5/24 rule. This means that if you’ve opened more than five credit cards in the past 24 months (from all banks, not just Chase), it’s a sure bet that your application will get rejected.
Starting Feb. 13, you’ll have to commit to the $450 Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant (currently known as the Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card) (See Rates & Fees) if you want a personal Marriott card issued by Amex.
Annual FeeThe SPG Amex and the Marriott Premier Plus both carry a $95 annual fee. However, the SPG Amex gets a slight edge as it waives the annual fee for new card holders during the first year. This gives you the chance to earn the welcome bonus and test-drive the card for a year before having to decide whether the value of its benefits justifies paying the annual fee.
Welcome BonusBoth the SPG Amex and the Marriott Premier Plus are currently offering 75,000 points — worth a solid $675 based on TPG’s latest valuations — after spending $3,000 on the card within the first 3 months.
Starting on Feb. 28, the Marriott Premier Plus (which will then be called the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless) will be available with a limited-time 100,000-point welcome bonus to new card holders who spend $5,000 in the first three months.
Use your bonus for a stay at the W South Beach. (Photo courtesy of the hotel.)
If you’re in a rush to get a large stash of Marriott points, your best bet would be to wait until Feb. 28 and get the 100k bonus from the Boundless card. But if time isn’t a factor, you’ll be much better off getting the 75k bonus from the SPG Amex now.
Hear me out. Although Marriott has restrictions on earning welcome bonuses, you will still be able to earn the welcome bonus on other cobranded cards in the future if you get the SPG Amex now. If you wait to get the 100k bonus on the Boundless card, you’ll never be able to get the bonus from the SPG Amex.
For a quick refresher, you can’t get the personal SPG bonus if you’ve already received the bonus before or have or have had any of the personal Marriott or Ritz-Carlton cards in the last 30 days. You’re ineligible for the welcome bonus on the Marriott card from Chase if you have or have had the SPG Amex in the last 30 days, have acquired the SPG Luxury or SPG business card in the last 90 days, or have received a welcome offer or upgrade bonus for the SPG Luxury or SPG business card in the last 24 months.
Main Benefits and Features| SPG Amex | Marriott Premier Plus | |
| Earning Rates | 6x at Marriott hotels 2x on all other purchases | 6x at Marriott hotels 2x on all other purchases |
| Elite Status | Automatic Marriott Silver status
15 Elite Night Credits each year Earn Gold status after spending $35,000 on the card |
Automatic Marriott Silver status
15 Elite Night Credits each year Earn Gold status after spending $35,000 on the card |
| Free Night Certificates | Annual free night (up to 35,000 points) after card renewal | Annual free night (up to 35,000 points) after card renewal |
| Other Benefits | No foreign transaction fees (See Rates & Fees) Complimentary Boingo Wi-Fi access Travel accident insurance Baggage protection Secondary car rental insurance Premium roadside assistance Access to Amex Offers Return protection Purchase protection Extended warranty | No foreign transaction fees Trip delay reimbursement Lost luggage reimbursement Secondary car rental insurance Purchase protection Extended warranty |
As you can see, many of the key features overlap: the earning rate, automatic Silver status, annual free night at hotels costing 35,000 points or less, among others. The SPG Amex offers a few more benefits, like complimentary Boingo Wi-Fi access and return protection, but it lacks trip delay protection, which is included with the Marriott Premier Plus. As of now, both cards will retain all of their current benefits when the rebranding happens.
Which Card Should You Get?Unless you’re in a rush to get 100,000 Marriott points or already received the welcome bonus before, you’ll probably be better off getting the SPG Amex before it closes applications forever on Feb. 12. Besides enabling you to still get the welcome bonus on other cobranded Marriott cards down the line, the card offers slightly more benefits and gets a slight edge for the waived annual fee in year one. If nothing else, the limited-edition design on the rebranded SPG Amex (which will be known as the Marriott Bonvoy Amex) is sure to look a lot swankier than the Marriott Premier Plus.
For more on the new Marriott Bonvoy cards, see:
Marriott Overhauls Cobranded Cards, Last Chance to Grab SPG Amex FAQ About the New Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards From Amex and Chase Why You Should Apply for the SPG Amex Before It’s Gone ForeverFor rates and fees of the SPG Amex Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the SPG Luxury Card, please click here.
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