Best Airline Credit Cards in the US: Free Bags, Fees and Miles

The best airline credit card is the one tied to the airline you fly most, because free checked bags alone can cover the annual fee. Our picks: Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select for American, United Explorer for United, Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority for Southwest and Atmos Rewards Ascent for Alaska and Hawaiian. JetBlue flyers should look at the JetBlue Plus Card. Fees, bag rules and offers below were checked on issuer and airline websites in September 2026.

Which airline credit card should you get?

Pick the card for the airline that serves your home airport and that you would choose anyway. An airline card rarely makes sense for an airline you fly once a year, because its value comes from perks you only get on that airline.

Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select

This is the lowest-cost way to get American's free checked bag for a whole family, since it covers you and up to four companions on the same domestic reservation. The $99 fee is waived for the first 12 months, and the card has no foreign transaction fee. Our product data lists a welcome offer of 50,000 or more AAdvantage miles after the minimum spend. Its drawback is that AAdvantage miles are only useful with American and its oneworld partners. Barclays also issues an American card, the AAdvantage Aviator Red, with a $99 fee from the start, a free checked bag and a welcome bonus after a single purchase and payment of the annual fee.

United Explorer Card

The Explorer's fee is $0 the first year and $150 after. United says the free first bag for you and one companion can save up to $200 per round trip. The card also includes two United Club one-time passes a year and a list of partner credits, such as United Hotels, rideshare and Instacart credits, that only add value if you already use those services. The welcome offer at the time of writing was up to 60,000 miles: 50,000 after $3,000 in purchases in the first three months and 10,000 for adding an authorized user.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority

Now that Southwest charges for checked bags, its cards matter more. The Priority card costs $229 and gives you and up to eight passengers on the same reservation a free first checked bag, provided your Rapid Rewards number is on the booking. It adds 7,500 points each account anniversary, Group 5 boarding, a preferred seat at booking and a 10,000-point boost toward the Companion Pass each year. The welcome offer at the time of writing was 60,000 points after $2,000 in purchases in the first three months. Chase also issues the Southwest Plus ($99) and Premier ($149), which are worth comparing if you do not need the Priority's extras.

Atmos Rewards Ascent

Bank of America's $95 Ascent card, formerly the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature, now works across Alaska and Hawaiian. It earns 3 points per $1 on Alaska and Hawaiian purchases and 2 per $1 on gas, EV charging, cable, streaming and local transit. The free checked bag covers you and up to six guests, but only when you pay for the flight with the card. The yearly $99 Companion Fare requires $6,000 in spending in the prior account year. The welcome offer at the time of writing was 70,000 points plus a Companion Fare after $2,500 in purchases within 90 days.

JetBlue Plus Card

Barclays' $99 JetBlue Plus earns 6 points per $1 on JetBlue, gives you and up to three companions a free first checked bag when you use the card for the booking, adds 5,000 points each anniversary and returns 10% of the points you redeem on JetBlue-operated award flights. It charges no foreign transaction fee. The welcome offer at the time of writing was 70,000 points after $1,000 in purchases and paying the annual fee within 90 days.

How much do free checked bags save?

Enough to cover most $95 to $150 fees within one or two trips for two people. Checked bag fees rose again in 2026:

• American: for tickets booked on or after April 9, 2026, the first checked bag on domestic flights is $50 at the airport or $45 if you prepay online.
• Southwest: on or after April 9, 2026, the first checked bag is $45 on US mainland travel, and $55 for a second.
• United: United says the Explorer's free bag benefit for you and one companion saves up to $200 per round trip.

To run the numbers for your own travel:

1. Count the round trips you take on that airline in a typical year.
2. Count the people on your reservation who would check a bag and are covered by the card.
3. Multiply trips x people x 2 directions x the first-bag fee.
4. Add the value of perks you would actually use, such as anniversary points or a companion fare.
5. Subtract the annual fee.

Worked example: two people take two round trips a year on American and prepay bags online at $45. That is 2 x 2 x 2 x $45 = $360 in bag fees, against the Platinum Select's $99 fee, leaving you $261 ahead before counting any miles. One solo round trip saves $90, which does not quite cover the $99 fee on its own, although the first year is fee-free.

Are airline miles worth more than flexible points?

Usually not, because airline miles can only be used with one airline and its partners, while flexible points can move to several programs or be redeemed for travel directly. That is why an airline card works best as a perks card: you hold it for the bags, boarding and companion benefits, and put most of your everyday spending on a flexible travel or cash back card. Our guide to what a point or mile is worth shows how to compare them, and our travel credit card guide covers the flexible options.

Should you pay for a premium airline card?

Only if you would use lounge access and the higher-value companion benefits often. Two examples from our reviews:

• Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite ($395): 3 points per $1 on Alaska and Hawaiian, dining and foreign purchases, lounge passes and premium companion awards that can include business class, although the top companion award requires $60,000 in yearly spending.
• Citi / AAdvantage Globe Mastercard ($350): 6 miles per $1 on AAdvantage Hotels, 3 per $1 on American, 2 per $1 at restaurants and on rides and rail, and four lounge passes a year.

United's mid and top-tier cards also rose in price: in Chase's 2025 overhaul the Quest went from $250 to $350 and the Club card to $695. At those fees, run the same break-even math using only the perks you would use, not the headline value of every credit.

What should you check before applying for an airline card?

Check how each benefit is triggered, because several require a specific booking method.

• How the free bag applies. Southwest needs your Rapid Rewards number on the reservation, while the Atmos and JetBlue cards require you to pay for the flight with the card.
• Application rules. The United and Southwest cards are issued by Chase, which is widely reported to decline applicants with five or more new cards in 24 months. See our Chase 5/24 guide.
• The fee after year one. The Platinum Select and United Explorer waive the first year only.
• The welcome offer's minimum spend. Apply only if you can meet it with purchases you would make anyway.

Delta's SkyMiles cards, issued by American Express, are not in this comparison because they are not yet in our reviewed card database.

Who should skip an airline credit card?

Skip one if you fly whichever airline is cheapest, rarely check a bag, or carry a balance from month to month. Interest at typical card rates outweighs a free bag quickly, and miles locked in one program lose value if you do not fly that airline.