What is the downside to an airline credit card?

The main negative aspect of airline credit cards is the lack of redemption options. Since you'll only earn a single frequent flyer currency, you can only redeem miles with that specific airline and its partners.



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Airline credit cards come with carrier-specific perks that you can't match with a general travel card. These vary by card but may include priority boarding, seat upgrades, discounts on in-flight refreshments and a waiver of certain restrictions on budget fares.

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The Best Airline Credit Cards
  • JetBlue Plus Card: Best For JetBlue Benefits.
  • Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card: Best Mid-Priced Delta Card.
  • Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: Best for Southwest Airlines Benefits.
  • Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®: Best For American Airlines.


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Make sure to use a credit card for any travel bookings. You'll shield yourself from personal liability due to fraudulent activity and be able to easily file a chargeback if your airline, hotel, or other companies go out of business and a refund is not issued.

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Mastercard is better for international travel than Visa because Mastercard is accepted in more countries and territories (over 210) than Visa (200). Both are widely accepted nearly everywhere you're likely to travel, though, and each network supports credit cards that are excellent for traveling abroad.

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Having a diverse group of credit cards lets you earn different types of rewards with a wider variety of purchases. If carrying multiple airline credit cards means giving up on cards with non-travel benefits, you might want to stick with the one airline credit card.

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How to Find Cheap Flights in 2023: The Ultimate Guide
  • Pick your destination and dates based on price.
  • Use the best flight search sites to find cheap flights.
  • Find the cheapest place to fly with the Google Flights Explore Map.
  • Be flexible—even by a few days—to save more on flights.


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The bad news is that a travel credit card might not be a smart move if you've never had a credit card before. Regardless, there are some other steps you can take to start building your credit and your cache of points toward almost-free flights and hotel stays.

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You need 6,000 to 20,000 miles for a free one-way flight, depending on how far you're flying, which airline you're using and the dates of your travel. A one-way international flight will usually cost 35,000-50,000+ miles. Airline miles and points are generally worth around 1 cent each, but their value can vary.

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