Credit cards
Airline credit cards
Co-branded cards tied to a single airline. The free checked bag and companion benefits are normally worth more than the earning rates, and an airline failing takes its miles with it.
Bank of America
Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® card
Open to new applicants
The everyday Atmos card. The Companion Fare is the benefit people actually renew for.
Offer: 50,000 bonus points
Annual fee$95Bank of America
Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® card
Open to new applicants
Alaska and Hawaiian's premium card. Lounge passes, a companion award and accelerated status points.
Offer: 70,000 bonus points
Annual fee$395Citi
Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard®
Open to new applicants
The business version of the Platinum Select, with a larger limited-time bonus at the moment.
Offer: 75,000 AAdvantage bonus miles
Annual fee$99 after year oneCiti
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Legend Mastercard®
Open to new applicants
Admirals Club membership is the reason to hold it. The 2026 refresh added several credits that only pay off if you fly American regularly.
Offer: 80,000 AAdvantage bonus miles
Annual fee$695Citi
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Open to new applicants
The standard American Airlines card. A free checked bag for two or three people usually covers the fee on a single round trip.
Offer: 50,000 AAdvantage bonus miles
Annual fee$99 after year oneAmerican Express
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
Open to new applicants
A no-fee way to hold SkyMiles. No checked bag, which is the benefit most people actually want.
Offer: 10,000 bonus miles
Annual fee$0American Express
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Open to new applicants
The sensible Delta card for most people: free checked bags and a modest fee you can skip in year one.
Offer: Up to 80,000 bonus miles plus a $250 statement credit
Annual fee$150 after year oneAmerican Express
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Open to new applicants
The companion certificate is the whole argument. Everything else is a reasonable mid-tier airline card.
Offer: Up to 90,000 bonus miles plus a $300 statement credit
Annual fee$350American Express
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Open to new applicants
Sky Club access and a companion certificate that can cover the fee on its own, if you have someone to fly with.
Offer: Two domestic Delta Comfort flight certificates plus 50,000 bonus miles
Annual fee$650Barclays
JetBlue Card
Open to new applicants
The no-fee JetBlue card. No checked bag, so it is mainly a way to earn TrueBlue points.
Offer: 10,000 bonus points
Annual fee$0Barclays
JetBlue Plus Card
Open to new applicants
A free checked bag and a 10% points rebate make this one of the easier airline cards to justify at $99.
Offer: 70,000 TrueBlue points
Annual fee$99Chase
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Open to new applicants
The cheapest route into the Southwest card family, and the most widely reported bonus of the three.
Offer: 80,000 bonus points
Annual fee$99Chase
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
Open to new applicants
The middle Southwest card. Same Companion Pass math, smaller fee, smaller bonus.
Offer: 85,000 bonus points
Annual fee$149Chase
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Open to new applicants
The top Southwest card, and the one with the largest current bonus. Credits and points make the fee easier to swallow than it looks.
Offer: 90,000 bonus points
Annual fee$229Chase
United Club℠ Card
Open to new applicants
United Club membership in card form. The same test applies as with the Admirals Club card: would you buy the membership anyway?
Offer: Up to 100,000 bonus miles
Annual fee$695Chase
United Gateway℠ Card
Open to new applicants
The no-fee United card. No checked bag, so it is really a way to hold MileagePlus miles for free.
Offer: Up to 40,000 bonus miles
Annual fee$0Chase
United Quest℠ Card
Open to new applicants
The mid-premium United card, refreshed in October 2026. Sits between the Explorer and the Club card.
Offer: Up to 90,000 bonus miles plus 500 PQP
Annual fee$350Chase
United℠ Explorer Card
Open to new applicants
The mainstream United card. Free checked bag, two club passes a year, and a first year without a fee.
Offer: Up to 60,000 bonus miles
Annual fee$150 after year oneBank of America
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card
Renamed
Renamed. This card is now the Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature from Bank of America.
Offer: See the Atmos Rewards Ascent
Annual fee$95Barclays
Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®
Closed to new applicants
Closed to new applicants since October 2025. The open alternative for Atmos Rewards is the Atmos Rewards Ascent.
Offer: Not available to new applicants
Annual fee$99Barclays (closed)
AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®
Discontinued
No longer issued. Existing accounts were converted to the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select during 2026.
Offer: Not available
Annual feeNot verifiedBank of America
Allegiant World Mastercard®
Status not verified
Status not verified in this build. Check Allegiant's own site before relying on anything about this card.
Offer: Not verified
Annual feeNot verifiedBarclays
Frontier Airlines World Mastercard®
Status not verified
Status not verified in this build. Check Frontier's own site before relying on anything about this card.
Offer: Not verified
Annual feeNot verifiedBank of America (discontinued)
Free Spirit® Travel More Mastercard®
Discontinued
Discontinued alongside the rest of the Spirit card portfolio after the airline ceased operating in May 2026.
Offer: Not available
Annual feeNot verifiedBank of America (discontinued)
Spirit Airlines World Elite Mastercard®
Discontinued
Discontinued. Spirit ceased operations on 2 May 2026 and cardholders are being converted to a Bank of America cash-back card.
Offer: Not available
Annual feeNot verified
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