Best airline credit cards of May 2024

If you frequently fly with the same airline, using the right credit card can earn you increased rewards and special perks when you travel. After all, loyalty should count for something, right?

There are dozens of airline cards on the market, and they are definitely not all created equal. In order to cut through the noise, CNBC Select analyzed a number of popular options using an average American's annual spending budget and digging into each card's perks and drawbacks to find the best of the best based on your travel habits. (See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best airline cards.)

• Best for Delta: Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
• Best for Southwest Airlines: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
• Best card for flyers not loyal to one airline: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• Best for United Airlines: United℠ Explorer Card
• Best for American Airlines: Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
• Best for JetBlue: JetBlue Plus Card
• Best for Alaska Airlines: Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card 
• Best airline card with no annual fee: American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp®

Who's this for? Delta frequent fliers who don't mind paying for perks should consider the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card. While its $350 annual fee (see rates and fees) is a tad steeper than most mid-tier airline cards, the card benefits make up the difference. You just have to be prepared to navigate the somewhat complicated world of Delta's frequent flier rewards program.

New cardmembers earn 50,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

Rewards redemptions are: 3X miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels; 2X miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets; 1X mile on all other eligible purchases. Plus, Delta offers ways to accelerate your path to Medallion Status with MQD Headstart and ways to earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Dollars (MQDs).

The difference between MQDs and bonus miles is this: Bonus miles are everyday rewards points that you can redeem for Delta airlines tickets and more. MQDs are the points you acquire in order to achieve top status as a Delta SkyMiles member. You need 25,000 MQMs to achieve Silver status (the first tier).

Beyond the welcome offer, this card offers members several perks: an annual companion travel certificate, first checked bag free on Delta flights for you and your companions on the same reservation (maximum nine waivers per reservation) and priority boarding. There's also car rental loss and damage insurance and baggage insurance plan, plus a fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.

With this card, you also receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit after you use your card on eligible Delta in-flight purchases of food, beverages and audio headsets.

Who's this for? If you frequently fly Southwest and want to reap the benefits of a loyalty membership, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is worth considering, thanks in part to the annual $75 Southwest® travel statement credit and 7,500 bonus points you earn each account anniversary.

Cardholders can earn 3X points per every $1 spent on Southwest flights. Plus, earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare, 2X points on internet, cable, phone services, select streaming as well as 1X point for all other eligible purchases.

Currently, when you sign up for this card, you can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Cardmembers can also take advantage of up to four priority boarding upgrades per calendar year, 25% rebate on in-flight purchases and no foreign transaction fees.

Who's this for: Most consumers are not loyal to one particular airline, but are just looking for the cheapest flight that best fits their schedule.

In this case, a travel credit card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card may be a perfect fit as you'll earn Chase Ultimate Rewards®, which are transferable to several domestic and international airline loyalty programs, as well as three hotel loyalty programs. And you can get a great jump forward as the card currently has a 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

What's more is the card has a modest $95 annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, comprehensive travel insurance and extensive bonus spending categories.

Who's this for? For those who prefer flying United, the United℠ Explorer Card offers a variety of impressive benefits with its rewards program.

Cardholders earn 2X miles per $1 spent on United purchases; 2X miles per $1 spent on dining (including eligible delivery services) and at hotels; 1X miles earned on every $1 spent on all other purchases. The welcome bonus allows new to cardholders to earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

It's one of the few airline travel cards that comes with some lounge access: you can take advantage of two United Club one-time passes per year for your anniversary year. That's a value of over $100 per year and helps offset some of the cost of the annual fee ($0 first year, then $95).

There are a host of nice perks for travelers: Users can get a 25% rebate back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi on board United-operated flights and on Club premium drinks when you pay with their Explorer Card, their first bag is checked for free (and for one traveling companion) and priority boarding. There's also an auto rental collision damage waiver, baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, trip cancellation/interruption insurance and trip delay reimbursement.

Perhaps the best perk offered by the United℠ Explorer Card is you can get up to $100 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years. While this is becoming a standard benefit of many travel rewards cards, it's not something frequently offered by airlines.

Who's this for? The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® offers a host of benefits for American Airlines loyalists, including a strong rewards program and welcome bonus. Cardholders earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants, and on eligible American Airlines purchases, and 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases.

New cardmembers can earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage^® bonus miles after spending $2,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. High spenders can also take advantage of a $125 American Airlines credit when you spend $20,000 within the first year (you must renew your card to qualify).

As a card member, you get your first checked bag free (along with 4 guests on the same reservation), preferred boarding and a 25% rebate on in-flight food and beverage purchases.

While there is no 0% introductory APR period, the first year's $99 annual fee is waived. There are no foreign transaction fees.

Who's this for? Holders of the JetBlue Plus Card cardholders earn the highest rewards rate on airline purchases compared to the other cards on this list. Earn 6X points for every $1 spent on eligible JetBlue purchases, 2X points at restaurants and eligible grocery stores and 1X points on everything else. What gives this card a leg up on other airlines is you get a 10% rebate on all the TrueBlue points you redeem. So if you redeem 20,000 TrueBlue points for a qualifying flight, you'll get 2,000 points back.

The card also comes with a welcome bonus: For a limited time, spend $1,000 in the first 90 days and pay the $99 annual fee and you'll earn 70,000 points. After you spend $50,000 in the first year, you can qualify for TrueBlue Mosaic status, which comes with a number of perks, including no fees for changing or canceling a reservation, early boarding and one complimentary alcoholic beverage per flight.

Cardholders also receive 5,000 bonus points on their card account anniversary, 50% off in-flight purchases and an annual $100 statement credit after you purchase a JetBlue vacation package of $100 or more.

Who's this for: While Alaska is geographically far from the continental U.S., Alaska Airlines has a wide array of flights throughout the country. And with the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card, you can save on your next flight with its benefits.

When you're approved for the card, you can earn 50,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ from $121 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $22) and a $100 statement credit after you make $2,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.

These miles are extremely valuable as you can also book American Airlines flights using Alaska miles right on the Alaska website. Additionally, the card gives you free checked bags for yourself and up to six guests on the same reservation. Plus, you'll get another companion certificate every time you renew the card and make qualifying purchases.

The card has a modest $75 annual fee.

Who's this for: The American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® is a solid choice for someone looking for a no annual fee credit card that earns airline miles. To start, you can earn a welcome offer of 10,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles and a $50 statement credit after $500 in purchases within the first three months of account opening.

As you spend on the card, you will earn: 2X miles per $1 spent on American Airlines flights and at grocery stores and earn 1X mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.

While card is limited in its benefits, it can make a great addition to someone's wallet who wants to earn American Airlines miles without any pesky annual fee. American Airline miles are good for domestic travel, as you can use them to book flights on American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and JetBlue.

When you're looking for an airline rewards credit card, consider the additional travel perks that best suit your needs — whether it's free checked bags for you and your companions, lounge access, in-flight food and beverage discounts or priority boarding. You'll also be able to earn free flights with the miles you get from spending on the card. Many cards offer multiple perks, so decide what's most important to you before making a choice.

In addition, if you're based in a city that is dominated by one airline (for example, Atlanta is a major hub for Delta Air Lines), having a credit card attached to that airline could be useful. For instance, the free checked bag benefit could save you hundreds of dollars a year — even if you don't travel too often.

If you're not loyal to a specific airline, you might want to take a look at our list of the best travel credit cards, which provides alternative cards that offer competitive rewards rates on broader travel purchases, such as hotels and cruises, in addition to airfare. These cards offer travel insurance, more flexibility and often allow points to be transferred to frequent flyer programs of your choice.

Whether you travel once or twice per year, or you're an avid flyer, an airline credit card can help you save on each part of your travels. From paying for your flight to checked bag fees and even ordering food onboard, each of these cards can save you money along your travels.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best airline credit cards.

To determine which airline cards will put the most money back in your pocket, CNBC Select evaluated dozens of popular rewards credit cards offered by major banks, financial companies and credit unions that allow anyone to join and offer bonus rewards on airline-related purchases. We compared each card on a range of features, including travel rewards (points and miles), annual fee, welcome bonus, introductory and standard APR, one-time perks, annual perks, redemption rates, as well as factors such as required credit and customer reviews when available.

CNBC Select teamed up with location intelligence firm Esri. The company's data development team provided the most up-to-date and comprehensive consumer spending data based on the 2019 Consumer Expenditure Surveys from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. You can read more about their methodology here.

Esri's data team created a sample annual budget of approximately $22,126 in retail spending. The budget includes six main categories: groceries ($5,174), gas ($2,218), dining out ($3,675), travel ($2,244), utilities ($4,862) and general purchases ($3,953). General purchases include items such as housekeeping supplies, clothing, personal care products, prescription drugs and vitamins, and other vehicle expenses. Select used this budget to compare cards that reward specific purchases and estimate how many rewards the average consumer might earn.

We then estimated how much the average consumer could earn in rewards (in the case of airlines cards, it's usually "points" or "miles") over the course of a year, two years and five years, assuming they would attempt to maximize their rewards potential by earning all welcome bonuses offered and using the card for all applicable purchases.

Our final picks are weighted heavily toward the highest five-year returns, since it's generally wise to hold onto a credit card for years. This method also avoids giving an unfair advantage to cards with large welcome bonuses.

While the five-year estimates we've included are derived from a budget similar to the average American's spending, you may earn a higher or lower return depending on your travel habits.

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Information about the Alaska Airlines Visa Credit Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, click here.