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February is prime time for vacation planning, so we’ve gathered the best airline credit card bonuses and companion fare offers to help get you started. These three travel rewards cards provide solid benefits and value relative to their annual fees.
If you already have an airline rewards card, you’re not alone. One in four U.S. households has one, according to a recent polling study by Airlines for America. Their research also found that in 2022, a whopping 63% of all frequent flyer points or miles earned by consumers came from airline credit cards.
What are the best airline credit card bonuses?
Here is a summary of three cards that will give new cardholders a solid boost in frequent flyer points or miles. Each card also comes with a free or discounted companion fare and other perks.
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Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Apply here for Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card
This card has a stellar intro offer. New cardholders earn a free companion pass, good through 2/28/2025. Also, earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. That’s a value of $450 when redeemed for travel. Southwest flights aren’t limited to U.S. destinations; you can save your travel rewards for flights to Costa Rica, Aruba, Mexico and other getaways south of the U.S. border. Get the skinny on this card and two related cards in our article on the Southwest companion pass and bonus offer.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold credit card
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® Card
Apply here for Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Credit Card
The card recently increased its welcome offer. For a limited time, new cardholders get a free companion pass and 70,000 Bonus Miles after spending $3,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days of opening the account. According to Bankrate, Alaska Air Miles are worth about 1.1 cents each, so the bonus miles are worth about $770. This card offers three points for every dollar spent on Alaska Airlines travel, two points on gas, cable, streaming and local transit, and one point on all other purchases. For more details, read our article detailing the Alaska Airlines credit card.
How do the cards’ perks and fees compare?
All three cards offer solid miles bonuses to new cardholders, though the Southwest Priority card’s bonus is the lowest. Your decision to sign up for one card over another may be based on which airline you use most frequently and whether you need access to a wide variety of partner airlines.
Hot tip: if you already hold a Chase, Bank of America or American Express Card, it’s worth considering an airline card by the same issuer. In some cases, you may be able to share or transfer the points or miles from one card to another.
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What additional perks do the cards offer?
Although all three cards promote introductory offers with companion fares, the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature card is the only one to provide a companion fare every card anniversary. However, Alaska Airlines is facing some serious challenges that may make you pause before hitching your vacation strategy to its frequent flyer program. Yesterday Alaska Airline’s flight attendants voted overwhelmingly to go on strike and about a month ago a door plug of a Boeing Max plane detached during an Alaska Airlines flight.
Hot tip: Check out our reviews of the other airline credit card tiers offered by the Southwest Airlines or Delta SkyMiles cards. You may find a card with annual fees and perks that are better for you than the cards profiled here.
(Image credit: Future)
What are the card rates and fees?
All three cards have similar annual fees, though the Delta SkyMiles Gold does not charge a fee for the first year.
(Image credit: Future)
Airline cards dos and don’ts
As with any rewards credit card, be sure to weigh these benefits against fees and make sure you understand how to use the card effectively. That said, the top annual fee of $150 should be easily offset if you travel enough to benefit from card perks.
Reward credit cards are great if you use them wisely. However, always pay them off in full and on time each month to avoid interest, which can dwarf the gain. And don’t spend any more than usual to meet the required spending amount for a given offer.
If this is your first foray into credit cards, or you just want a refresher, make sure you know how to choose a credit card. And ensure you are familiar with what counts as a good credit score.
