Airline Credit Cards Compared — United States

A co-branded airline card makes sense when you fly one carrier enough that free checked bags and priority boarding pay for the fee on their own. One free bag each way for a family of four can run around $140 a round trip, so two trips a year covers a $95 fee twice over. The downside is lock-in: your miles are stuck in one program, award seats can be scarce, and devaluations happen without warning. Skip an airline card if you fly whoever's cheapest; a transferable-points card keeps your options open. Verify the bag policy, fee, and any companion-fare terms with the airline, since these change.

4 cards to compare side by side