Best airline credit cards of March 2023

Pros

• Earn up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®, covering the application fee for one of these features.
• This card charges no foreign transaction fees.

Cons

• Your rewards miles will lose about half their value when you redeem for statement credits or a check.
• There are no intro APR offers on purchases or balance transfers.

Pros

• There is no minimum miles value required to redeem for travel.
• This card does not charge an annual fee.

Cons

• Miles will lose up to half of their value if you redeem on statement credits or gift cards.
• There is no major U.S. airline included as a travel partner for this card.

Pros

• Not only do you have the flexibility to transfer points to one of the card’s many airline and hotel partners, but your points may be even more valuable when you do so.
• Along with ongoing rewards at restaurants, you can earn up to $120 back in credits to cover purchases at participating restaurant partners like Grubhub and The Cheesecake Factory (upon enrollment, up to $10 per month). That makes the card a lucrative option even when you’re not traveling.

Cons

• There is a $250 annual fee to hold this card. While this fee may be worth it for frequent travelers who take advantage of the card’s perks and rewards, it may be too pricey for modest spenders.
• It doesn’t include many valuable airline or airport perks, like priority boarding, free checked bags or lounge access, so it may not be the best choice for travelers looking for a luxury experience.

Pros

• Carries a lower annual fee ($395) than most luxury travel cards while still offering plenty of terrific perks, including 10,000 bonus miles each year on your account anniversary and up to $300 per year in Capital One Travel statement credits—enough value to offset the annual fee.
• Includes complimentary Priority Pass and Capital One lounge access as well as credits for expedited security screening, making it especially valuable for frequent flyers.

Cons

• Only offers a flat 2X miles on travel booked outside the issuer’s portal, and doesn’t grant quite as many luxury travel and retail perks as some pricier cards.
• Occasional travelers will have a hard time justifying the card’s annual fee and may be better off with a lower-cost travel card like the Venture or VentureOne.

Pros

• The 50,000-point sign-up bonus is attainable, after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months.
• You’ll get an anniversary bonus of 7,500 points and a $75 annual travel credit (for eligible purchases) each year with this card, two perks that can recoup the annual fee on their own.

Cons

• Its $149 annual fee will be hard for occasional travelers to justify, especially considering the card offers the same rewards rates as lower-cost Southwest cards.
• You can’t transfer your points to any partner airlines and Southwest isn’t a member of any airline alliance, so you’ll have minimal flexibility when using points for airfare.

Pros

• You’ll receive discounted lounge access and priority boarding on Delta flights with this card.
• There’s a waived checked bag fee for the first bag on each flight you take with Delta.

Cons

• The $250 annual fee could prove to be a bit steep.
• Competing cards may provide more flexible rewards and stronger travel perks for a similar annual fee.

Pros

• The spending requirement to access the welcome offer is relatively attainable compared to the potential value — $2,000 in your first six months as a cardmember for 70,000 miles.
• This card offers one free checked bag on Delta flights, which can cover the annual fee on its own at a $60 value per round-trip ticket per person.

Cons

• You cannot transfer miles to any other loyalty programs.
• Despite being a premium card, it’s harder to earn Medallion Status without the Status Boost and Medallion Qualification Dollar Waiver its pricier Delta siblings offer.

Pros

• Combined with Southwest’s two free eligible checked bags the card’s two free Southwest EarlyBird Check-Ins per year (a $30+ value) and 25 percent back on inflight purchases perks can save you more on airline incidental fees than the average starter travel card.
• The value of 3,000-point bonus each year on your account anniversary almost covers the card’s annual fee on its own.

Cons

• Your flight rewards can only be redeemed with Southwest and cannot be transferred due to Southwest’s lack of airline partners.
• International travel options are fairly limited with Southwest airlines.