Airlines

Airline cards are the easiest rewards cards to justify and the easiest to overvalue. The benefit that reliably pays is the free checked bag. Two travelers on two round trips a year clears a $99 annual fee before you count a single mile.

The benefit that rarely pays as advertised is the earning rate. Most co-branded cards earn 1x or 2x outside airline spending, which is below a flat 2% cash-back card. Put your everyday spending somewhere better and use the airline card for the airline.

What changed this year

Three things worth knowing if you have not been following closely. Citi is now the sole issuer of American Airlines cards, and Barclays Aviator accounts were converted during April 2026. Alaska and Hawaiian's loyalty programs merged into Atmos Rewards, which renamed the Alaska Visa Signature to the Atmos Rewards Ascent. And Spirit Airlines stopped operating in May 2026, which is taking its credit cards with it.

That last one is the argument for transferable bank points over co-branded miles in one sentence. Chase, Amex, Capital One and Citi points survive an airline failing. Co-branded miles do not.