The 10 Best Airline Credit Cards of March 2024

The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Credit card offers 3 miles for every dollar spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases, 2 miles for every dollar spent on gas, transit, EV charging and select streaming services, and unlimited 1 mile for every dollar spent on eligible purchases anywhere else. Plus, when you sign up and spend $3,000 in eligible purchases in the first 90 days, you get 70,000 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 $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees starting at $23). 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 has pretty high reward rates if you’re making purchases through American Airlines:

• 10 miles for every dollar spent on car rentals booked through aa.com 
• 10 miles for every dollar spent on eligible hotels booked through aa.com
• 4x miles for every dollar spent on American Airline flight purchases 

All other eligible purchases earn you 1 mile per dollar.

This everyday earning potential isn’t the best return you can find on the market, but the huge welcome bonus of 70,000 miles when you spend $7,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of the account opening is pretty amazing. You also get 10,000 additional Loyalty Points after you earn 50,000 Loyalty Points in a qualifying year. That’s basically an extra $100 bonus. 

While that’s all great, 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 $850 value. When at the lounge, you can enter to relax, enjoy a hearty snack, freshen up with a quick shower, and, overall, wait for your upcoming flight in peace. If you’re traveling with family or friends, you can even get two guests in with you. 

We know this card is expensive, but if you’re looking for luxury and fly often with American Airlines, it might be the perfect fit.

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 100,000 mile sign up bonus (offer expires March 27, 2024) when you spend $6,000 in the first six months. That’s about $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 $695, 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 $80 for domestic flights and $250 for round trip), 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, a $200 Delta Stays Credit to cover hotels or rentals through delta.com, complimentary upgrade list, and more.

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

Rate & fees and terms apply.

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold card gives you 2 miles for every Delta purchase, 2 miles at restaurants and supermarkets, and 1 mile for all other purchases. Plus, right now, Delta is offering 70,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 6 months of membership. Hurry and sign up because this particular offer (though we’re sure another slightly less amazing one will still be available) ends March 27th, 2024.

Besides earning miles, you also receive a checked bag free, no foreign transaction fees and main cabin priority boarding. If you’re planning on making purchases on board a Delta flight, you can also get 20% back on in-flight purchases.

We know this card looks a little lackluster next to the glory of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card, but there is a significant difference in price tag.

Basically, if you’re a frequent Delta flyer and not interested in Delta Lounge visits, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Card might be a perfect fit.

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,car partners, and local transit 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 foreign 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 7 miles per dollar spent on United when you’re a MileagePlus member and use your Explorer Card to purchase flights. Then it's 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 25 premium qualifying points for every $500 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. 

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.  Currently Capital One has lounges at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport, Denver International, and Washington Dulles. If you’re not traveling near those, you’re not completely out of luck as you also get access to the Partner Lounge Network. The list is a little more confusing to find, but you can check your location on the Capital One website.  

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.