Understanding Airline Credit Cards

Airline credit cards are credit cards that are associated with either numerous airlines or with one specific airline. For those that frequently travel by air, airline credit cards can provide an excellent means for saving on travel expenses. At the same time, it is necessary to research a variety of airline credit cards before selecting one in order to ensure you get the best deal possible.

Benefits of Airline Credit Cards

Airline miles credit cards have a number of benefits for frequent travelers. The exact benefits and how they work can vary among airline credit cards. For the most part, however, airline credit cards use a points system. With this system, every dollar you spend is worth a certain number of points. The number of points you earn is not necessarily the same from card to card. In addition, many airline credit cards provide bonus points for making certain types of purchases, such as purchases made through the airline the card is associated with.

After earning a certain number of points, you can trade the points in for airline miles. Many airline miles credit cards will even allow you to transfer the points you earn to a frequent flyer account. In addition to receiving free or reduced travel with the points earned from airline credit cards, most offer a variety of additional travel-related benefits. For example, you might receive free upgrades with your card. Or, you might get one free ticket per year or a free companion ticket with membership. Airline credit cards also tend to provide services such as lost luggage insurance, car rental insurance, and travel accident insurance. While it is not unusual for a credit card to offer travel accident insurance, airline credit cards generally provide a greater amount of coverage.

Selecting Airline Credit Cards

If you frequently travel with a certain airline, choosing an airline credit card most likely will not be difficult. Obviously, the card you will want will be the one that coincides with the airline you utilize. If you tend to vary the airline you use, however, you should select choose one of the airline credit cards that allows more flexibility in its rewards system.

You should also pay attention to the interest rates on the airline credit cards you consider. Airline miles credit cards tend to have a higher interest rate, which equals higher finance charges if you carry a balance on your card from month to month. Therefore, you should look for the card with the lowest rate if you don't plan on paying the card off each month. You also need to consider the annual fees, which can become quite costly and negate the savings airline credit cards can provide.

Many people also forget to look at all of the benefits airline credit cards provide. Consider perks other than just the points system used by the credit card. You should also think about benefits such as purchase protection, extended warranties, auto rental insurance, and fraud protection. All of these perks can be extremely valuable and can make one card better suited to your lifestyle and needs than another.

Using Airline Credit Cards

Airline credit cards are used just like any other credit card. But, to get the most out of the card, you should use it carefully. For example, if you can only afford to spend a certain amount each month toward paying the balance on your airline credit card, be sure to only spend that amount. Otherwise, you will most likely pay a high amount in finance charges because of the high interest rate typically associated with airline credit cards.

In addition, choose your purchases carefully with airline credit cards. Often, you will get points for every purchase made with the card, but you will get additional points for specific purchases. Be sure to use your airline credit card for the purchases that count and use another credit card for those that do not. This way, you don't have to worry about accumulating a large balance on the card.