If you fly often, an airline mile card credit offer can be a good way to save money because it lets you earn frequent flyer miles, which can save you a lot of money in the long run. The type of airline mile credit card you get depends on your preferences, needs, and loyalty, so take the time to do some thorough research and ask for advice based on these things.
Credit cards that are sponsored or made for a certain airline
Credit cards from airlines can be a good choice if you always fly with the same airline or have a strong brand loyalty to a certain airline.
Most airline credit cards are co-branded cards that are issued by the airline and a bank or other credit card issuer together. And if that airline has a hub in your city or region, it's easier and cheaper to fly with them because they may have major flights to places you want to go. Every major airline has credit cards that are sponsored by the airline. With these cards, you can earn frequent flyer miles and get perks like free airline tickets and upgrades to first class.
But because these types of airline credit card mile offers tend to have high interest rates, they are not a good choice for people who carry a balance. And remember that most airline credit cards that are co-branded and sponsored by an airline charge an annual fee.
Some airline-sponsored credit card offers include the United Airlines Mileage Signature Visa Card, the Delta American Express SkyMiles, the British Airways Visa Card, and the Citi Platinum Select American Airlines AAdvantage World MasterCard.
Bank-backed and generic airline credit cards
Bank-sponsored airline credit cards are better for people who don't live near a major airline and switch carriers often, since they let you earn miles that can be used on more than one airline.
When compared to airline-sponsored airline credit cards, bank-sponsored airline credit cards may also have lower minimum mileage requirements for travel. Most generic airline credit card offers don't have an annual fee, and they're great for people who don't have a preference for any particular airline and just want to find the cheapest discount tickets before they fly.
With generic airline credit cards, the miles you earn for purchases can't be combined with miles in a specific airline's frequent flyer programme. This makes them different from frequent flyer miles.
But if you have a generic airline credit card, you can use these miles to get benefits like free tickets on any major airline. So, generic airline credit card miles are similar to cash-back earnings that can only be used to buy an airline ticket.
The Chase Travel Plus Platinum Visa Card, the Citi PremierPass Card, the Discover Miles Card, and the Blue Sky from American Express are all examples of general airline credit card offers.
