As airlines continue to add a variety of fees to compensate for keeping fare prices low to complete with each other, the overall cost to fly is increasing. Adding to the base cost of a flight are fees like fuel surcharges, checked baggage fees, and in-flight fees for food, drinks, headphones and pillows. Some airlines are now even charging for carry-on luggage. Some of the best airline miles credit cards allow customers to waive a few of these excessive fees and are accompanied by a quality rewards program. These features help customers save money on fees as well as apply discounts to fares.
These are the best airline miles credit cards available to consumers today, updated as of February 2012. If you fly frequently on any of the below airlines, you could save thousands of dollars in airfare every year, but even less frequent travelers will still be able to save money. If you own a card not found on this list and consider the card to be valuable, please leave a comment with the card information and I will add it to the list.
Editor’s choice
Continental Airlines OnePass® Plus Card. The Continental Airlines OnePass® Plus Card is perfect for anyone that flies Continental often. I fly Continental a few times each year, so I own this card personally. The first checked bag is always free with this credit card and after you sign up and make a purchase, you receive 25,000 bonus miles, good enough for a round trip ticket anywhere in the continental United States. Once an additional authorized card holder is added to the account, the card provides another 5,000 miles, bringing the initial bonus to 30,000 miles. If you’re a big spender, you will earn 10,000 bonus miles each year by spending $25,000 on the card annually. So for the first year of card ownership you could potentially rack up 40,000 bonus miles.
The rewards program on the Continental Airlines OnePass® Plus Card is simple; two reward miles earned for every dollar spent on Continental or United flights and one reward mile per dollar spent on everything else. As an added bonus, two Presidential Club passes are included annually and cardmembers receive priority boarding. The annual fee of $95 is waived for all first year cardholders. I own this card and currently use it for my everyday spending, because Continental flies frequently out of my closest airport, and I fly frequently to visit family. The annual fee is less than the cost of checking my bags each year, so it is financially worthwhile for me.
United MileagePlus® Explorer Card. Cardholders receive a few bonuses with the United MileagePlus® Explorer Card. First, you will earn 25,000 points after making your first purchase with the opportunity to earn 5,000 additional bonus miles by adding an authorized cardholder and another 10,000 bonus points every year you spend $25,000. Next, the card offers all fliers to check their first United or Continental bag for free (a $50 value round-trip). Finally, everyone who is approved for this card will have priority boarding privileges. All cardholders will earn double miles for dollars spent on United and Continental flights and one mile for each dollar spent on all other purchases. The United MileagePlus® Explorer Card does have a $95 annual fee, waived for all first year cardmembers.
Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express. The Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express offers 30,000 bonus miles after making $500 in purchases in the first three months. You will also receive double miles on Delta purchases and one mile per dollar for all other purchases. You and up to nine passengers will always have your first bag checked for free when flying Delta, up to $50 savings per person roundtrip. The annual fee for the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express is $95, but the card is free for the first year.
Citi® Platinum Select® / AAdvantage® World MasterCard®. The only Citi branded card to make our list, the Citi® Platinum Select® / AAdvantage® World MasterCard® provides cardholders a free round-trip ticket, in the form of 30,000 bonus miles. This benefit is available after the cardholder spends $750 during the first four months of cardmembership. You can tack on an additional 10,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after $5,000 in purchases during the first six months of cardmembership. And a one-time $100 statement credit for the first eligible American Airlines purchase made within the first twelve months of card ownership.
Another perk within the first twelve months of cardmembership spenders earn two AAdvantage® miles for every dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and one AAdvantage® mile for every dollar spent on other purchases. After that, you will continue to earn one AAdvantage® mile for every dollar you spend on purchases. The amount of miles you can earn each year is capped at 100,000 which does not include any promotional or bonus miles. The rewards are valid for travel with no blackout dates or travel restrictions for award travel on American Airlines, American Eagle or the AmericanConnection® carrier. The Citi® Platinum Select® / AAdvantage® World MasterCard® has an $85 fee each year, but this fee is waived for the first year.
JetBlue Card from American Express. The JetBlue Card from American Express takes a similar approach to the other cards by offering a free flight. When you sign up for this card, you’ll receive 10,000 points with your first purchase, good enough for a round-trip seat; one way tickets start at just 5,000 points. Cardholders will earn up to eight reward points on every dollar spent at jetblue.com. All other purchases earn one reward point for every dollar spent. A $40 annual fee accompanies the JetBlue Card from American Express.
With the fees on some of the above cards, becoming a member may not be worthwhile unless you pay your bill in full every month and fly frequently for the points to be more worthwhile than a cash back card. Many of these cards have fees, so consider whether you will use the card enough to take advantage of discounts and fee waivers exceeding the amount of those annual fees. Using an airline miles card also ties you into using a specific airline. If you fly the same route frequently, you may already have that level of loyalty.
Leave a comment if you are a fan of other airline miles credit cards.
Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through American Express Affiliate Program.
