16 best airline credit cards of September 2024

It can add a lot of value to almost any traveler’s wallet — from points and miles beginners to casual travelers who only fly once or twice a year to frequent flyers who are in the air at least once a month.

“The Chase Sapphire Preferred has been in my wallet for over five years and is the go-to midlevel rewards credit card that I recommend to people. It usually has a pretty solid sign-up bonus, with points that can be transferred to some of my favorite loyalty programs, like British Airways Executive Club and World of Hyatt.” — Matt Moffitt, senior credit cards editor

If you’re looking for a card that earns bonus rewards on all purchases, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns at least 2 miles per dollar on every purchase. The card has a low $95 annual fee (see rates and fees), valuable sign-up bonus and the ability to redeem miles for travel through Capital One Travel or by transferring to 15+ travel partners.

The card is best suited to casual Delta flyers who may not fly often enough to earn elite status but would enjoy elitelike perks such as priority boarding and a free checked bag.

“As someone who likes flying Delta but doesn’t fly with them often enough to earn elite status, my Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex still gives me elitelike perks to help upgrade my travel experience.” — Madison Blancaflor, senior editor

If you are a regular Delta flyer interested in earning elite status, the Delta SkyMiles? Platinum American Express Card is a strong alternative. You’ll get the same elitelike benefits as with the Gold, but you’ll also get the ability to fast-track your way to Medallion status.

Small-business owners who want to earn valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points across a number of business expenses without a high annual fee. Those with a company cellphone also could benefit from this card through its cellphone protection.

“I originally signed up for the Ink Business Preferred primarily for its sign-up bonus. But, over the last year, I’ve found myself making it my go-to card when booking travel. After all, the Ink Business Preferred earns 3 points per dollar spent on travel and provides excellent travel protections, including trip delay protection and rental car insurance.” — Katie Genter, senior points and miles writer

For small-business owners who are interested in maximizing their monthly expenses, the American Express? Business Gold Card offers a very strong rewards structure that adapts to your spending habits. Plus, TPG values Amex Membership Rewards points at 2 cents each (equal to our valuation of Chase Ultimate Rewards points).

Travelers looking for a premium card with a lot of benefits who don’t want to pay an exorbitant annual fee.

“With an annual fee that is $300 less than the Amex Platinum (see Amex Platinum rates and fees), the Capital One Venture X card is my favorite travel credit card. The card comes with an annual $300 Capital One Travel portal credit, which I use to book flights. That effectively brings the $395 annual fee down to $95 per year (see rates and fees). Cardholders enjoy a Priority Pass Select membership and access to Capital One lounges. I use my Venture X card to earn 2 miles per dollar (a 3.7% return at TPG’s valuations) in spending categories where most cards would only accrue 1 mile (e.g., auto maintenance, pharmacies, medical bills).” — Kyle Olsen, former points and miles reporter

The Chase Sapphire Reserve? has a similar set of benefits, but its travel credit is less restrictive than the Venture X’s, and you’ll earn more on non-portal travel and dining spending. However, the Chase Sapphire Reserve does come with a higher annual fee ($550).

Anyone with frequent restaurant and grocery purchases can get a ton of value from the Amex Gold, especially if you utilize the issuer’s array of lucrative transfer partners.

“Groceries and dining at restaurants are two of my top spending categories, and I love that the Amex Gold rewards those purchases with 4 points per dollar spent.” — Senitra Horbrook, former credit cards editor

If you still want extra rewards at restaurants along with additional bonus categories and other valuable perks at a lower fee, consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred? Card.

Loyal American Airlines flyers who are looking for ways to fast-track elite status and enjoy Admirals Club lounge access when flying with American.

“This card helps me earn Loyalty Points for my elite status with American. But the real reason I keep it year after year is because of the generous lounge access policy and the ability to add so many of my friends and family as authorized users.” — Scott Mayerowitz, former executive editor

American Airlines flyers who are looking to earn Loyalty Points but aren’t interested in lounge access could benefit from the Citi? / AAdvantage? Platinum Select? World Elite Mastercard?. It comes with a much lower annual fee and lets you earn bonus AAdvantage miles on additional spending categories: restaurants and gas stations.

The information for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite 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. 

Because of the high annual fee, this card is best for those who fly Delta regularly and can maximize all of the card’s benefits.

“As a Delta Diamond Medallion, I spend a lot of time on Delta jets. The Delta Reserve card helps me maintain my status by offering shortcuts to earning (and retaining) status. Plus, the card’s annual companion ticket is valid on first-class itineraries and has helped me offset the card’s annual fee multiple years in a row.” — Andrew Kunesh, former senior editor, points and miles

The Platinum Card? from American Express offers a host of benefits for travelers who want to keep their redemption options open beyond Delta and its partners. While it won’t help you earn Delta elite status, Amex Platinum cardholders do have access to Delta Sky Club lounges (when flying Delta that same day) and can transfer points to Delta for award redemptions.

Small-business owners who want some United perks without spending hundreds of dollars on an annual fee.

“As a frequent United traveler, I actually have a couple of United credit cards that unlock different perks and benefits. While I initially got the United Business Card for the bonus and to keep business expenses separate, I keep it for the discount on inflight purchases, the annual 5,000-mile bonus for having both a business and personal United card, and the $100 statement credit for charging at least seven United flights to the card each year.” — Summer Hull, director of content

Loyal United flyers who are interested in even more benefits (including lounge access and additional ways to fast-track elite status) should consider the United Club Business Card. While the annual fee is much higher, frequent United flyers who maximize the benefits can easily offset the additional cost.

The information for the United Club Business has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Frequent Delta flyers and/or those seeking to earn Delta Medallion status would benefit from the premium perks offered by the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Amex.

“I keep it in my wallet for the annual companion pass. My family and I do a lot of domestic flying and often plan our vacations far in advance. Having the companion ticket can save my family hundreds of dollars a year in airfare. Plus, the tickets even qualify for free elite upgrades.” — Scott Mayerowitz, former executive editor

If you are a Delta loyalist who wants more Delta perks, including Delta Sky Club access, the Delta SkyMiles? Reserve American Express Card may be a better option for your wallet.

Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 15 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter.

Frequent travelers who know they can make the most of the many perks this card has to offer will benefit the most from adding it to their wallet.

“Whilst this card has a high annual fee, it more than justifies itself for frequent travelers like me. The lounge access options that come with the Platinum are unrivaled by competitors. I put all of my flights — whether bought with cash or points — on this card to earn 5 points per dollar spent (up to 500,000 points per year; must be purchased directly with the airline or with Amex Travel). I make sure to take full advantage of the Uber, Saks Fifth Avenue, Hulu/Disney+ and Clear Plus credits (enrollment is required). And, honestly, pulling a Platinum card out of your wallet to pay for something does feel pretty fancy.” — Matt Moffitt, senior credit cards editor

Travelers who won’t utilize the various credits offered by the Amex Platinum might find more value with the Chase Sapphire Reserve?. That card offers plenty of strong benefits — including lounge access, a travel credit and fantastic travel protections — but you’ll also get a strong earning rate across categories beyond just travel purchases.

The card is an obvious choice for anyone who flies with Alaska Airlines regularly, offering a generous sign-up bonus and elitelike perks to help elevate your travel experience.

“With new benefits, this card is even more valuable to me — even with the annual fee going up $20 this year. It provides a free first checked bag, discounts on inflight purchases and priority boarding. My favorite feature, however, is the annual Companion Fare. I get hundreds of dollars in annual value from this perk.” — Ryan Smith, former credit cards writer

Cards that earn flexible rewards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred? Card, are great alternatives. Since Chase is a transfer partner with other Oneworld airlines and has its own travel portal, you still have the ability to book Alaska flights with your points —and you aren’t limited to only Alaska Airlines and its partners.

Southwest loyalists who frequently fly and make purchases with the airline.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card can be a great addition to any Southwest loyalist's wallet. It features a great sign-up bonus, a $75 Southwest travel credit and 7,500 points on your cardmember anniversary. These benefits make the card well worth its annual fee for a frequent Southwest flyer. 

Fans of Southwest can breathe a little easier knowing that they have options when it comes to choosing the best Southwest credit card for their specific needs. If you want a Southwest-branded credit card with a lower annual fee, you can choose between the Southwest Rapid Rewards? Premier Credit Card or the Southwest Rapid Rewards? Plus Credit Card, which have annual fees of $99 and $69, respectively. The Premier card is a great choice for the semi-frequent Southwest traveler, while the Plus card is a great entry-level choice for those who occasionally fly Southwest.

The information for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Small-business owners who fly regularly with Southwest will get the most out of this card’s earning categories and benefits.

"It made sense for me to get this as my first Southwest card, given that I live in Austin, where almost 40% of flights are operated by Southwest. I get the most value out of this card by taking advantage of the upgraded boardings, inflight Wi-Fi credits and 9,000 anniversary bonus points, which help offset the significant annual fee.” — Matt Moffitt, senior credit cards editor

The Ink Business Preferred? Credit Card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points across a variety of business expenses and has a lower annual fee than the Southwest Performance Business card. While it doesn’t offer Southwest-specific perks or a fast-track to elite status, Southwest is a Chase transfer partner, so you can transfer your points to book Southwest flights.

The VentureOne is a strong card to have in your arsenal and great if you are budgeting. After all, there aren’t many no-annual-fee cards with the ability to transfer points and miles directly to travel partners, so it’s a big bonus that this card offers that.

“I wanted a credit card that earns Capital One miles without an annual fee, and this is a winner. It doesn’t have the bells and whistles of some other cards, but I’m happy earning 1.25 miles per dollar on all purchases without paying a fee to keep this card year after year. I’ll never cancel this card.” — Ryan Smith, former credit cards writer

For a small annual fee, many travelers could benefit from the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. You’ll earn at least 2 miles per dollar on all purchases and receive a statement credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry membership.

Anyone who flies JetBlue even a couple of times per year can benefit from carrying this card.

“JetBlue has extensive service from my home state of Florida, and I love the carrier’s in-flight product and free WiFi. The JetBlue Plus Card is a no-brainer for me given the anniversary bonus and perks I get every time I set foot on a JetBlue plane.” – Nick Ewen, senior editorial director

If you want more flexibility for your rewards, opt for a more general travel card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.