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[A369]Airline Mile Credit Cards

by Robert Alan, Rob

Many potential cardholders are confused about the differences between the variety of airline miles credit cards available today. Miles credit cards can be divided into two mostly neat categories: airline-specific cards and generic cards. Each set has its own advantages, but it's often advisable for a frequent traveler to go with a specific card, and a less-frequent traveler to go with a generic card, in order to minimize interest fees and to maximize earned mileage of the former, and in the latter case to have the flexibility to search for the least expensive flights while still earning rewards.

Anyone who's ever considered getting an airline mileage credit card has probably balked, at least once, at the massive number of options out there. Additionally confusing is the dual terminology at work in the airline industry: there are frequent-flier miles, yes, but how do those relate to miles credit cards? And where do "points" come in to the equation? It's a bewildering array of terms, few of whose definitions are readily available, and the lack of clear explanations cause many people to just give up on mileage cards altogether. Which is a shame, because mileage cards--assuming that they're properly and carefully used--can be an easy way to save money on travel expenses, up to and including free flights around the globe.

Most of the differences between the varieties of miles credit cards boil down to two basic categories: airline-specific mileage cards and generic mileage cards. The airline-specific mileage cards allow you to accrue mileage that often applies directly to a specific airline's frequent flier program mileage (for example, American Airlines' AAdvantage Cards from Citi apply miles directly to your AAdvantage account, one mile for every dollar spent), miles which can then be turned around into actual airline seats and in some cases a discount or outright free travel. The advantage of these is that occasionally flights can be cheaper through a "loyalty" miles card than without. JetBlue, in particular, offers the standard deal of about 25,000 Award Dollars (points) for one plane ticket, but offers a 3:1 point to dollars ratio when making travel arrangements exclusively with JetBlue, which is an extremely good deal in the mileage card world, assuming that you fly JetBlue on an exclusive basis.

The generic mileage cards, by contrast, allow you to redeem your miles on whatever airline you choose (assuming that they participate in that mileage card's specific rewards program.) You won't usually find loyalty deals here, but there are some additional benefits. For one, in some cases a generic mileage card can offer the cardholder a much wider array of hotels to stay at to accrue additional mileage points (another key in the miles credit card world.)

Knowing a little bit about the airline dynamics in your region is also helpful in making your decision, such as the predominate carrier in your region and the availability of domestic and international flights from your local airports. Even still, it may be a difficult choice. To help make that decision, consider the following. As a rule (and there are exceptions), airline-specific cards generally will charge cardholders a pretty hefty annual fee and tend to have a higher ongoing APR. Generic miles credit cards typically won't stick you with an annual fee but also tend to have higher ongoing APR's than traditional non-reward credit card offers.

So really, to ask which mileage card is right for you is to ask how frequently you travel, and how many travel expenses will start to show up on your budget. If you do a great deal of traveling, consider an airline-specific card. The annual fee is fixed, and as long as you pay down your balances every month, should not be much of a consideration because of the benefits that you will derive from the reward program. But if you're a more infrequent traveler, go for the generic mileage card and shop around to find the best flight from whatever airline offers it. Chances are that if you take just one or two flights a year, the generic card offer is the better bet for you. You can plan ahead to find some excellent discount flights in advance while enjoying all of the potential travel rewards that airline miles credit cards have to offer.

1. What benefits are available from the largest airline in my area?

2. Which airline credit card would let me reap the greatest benefits quickly?

A credit card sponsored by an airline usually only allows you to collect points to use on that specific airline. That will be convenient, efficient and economical for you if that particular airline controls the majority of the destination routes from your area. On the other hand bank sponsored credit cards allow you more freedom, in that the bonus point you earn on them, could usually be used on a wide range of airlines. If there's no dominant airline in your area, then a bank credit card will be more beneficial to you. Something else to consider is that a bank credit card will often require a lower number of air miles before you can use them for travel. However, use extreme caution in reading the fine print on a bank sponsored credit card.

Air miles credit cards can be very beneficial to those that travel frequently for business. With these types of credit cards you accumulate rewards in the form of points that can be redeemed for air miles. Simply use your credit card to purchase your airline ticket, and all the other necessary goods and services, and you'll be able to collect a lot of miles. With airline credit cards you usually get extra points for paying for your airline ticket with the credit card. You can then use the air miles to get future free or discounted trips to the destination of your choice. As an added incentive, airline credit cards often offer bonus air miles at selected stores, or on specific travel destinations. Usually, both airline and bank sponsored cards give bonus air miles when you sign with their company.

Just about every major credit card company have different levels of air miles credit card offers, something like standard, gold and platinum. Airlines and air miles credit cards usually have a membership or annual fee that varies greatly depending on the type of credit card. Which means that the better the option and benefits to you, the higher the fee would be. You can get a high credit limit with gold or platinum credit card, but of course the membership and annual fees will also be higher and these add up quickly.

You can very often get introductory offers for 0% APR air miles credit cards. They do that simply because they want your credit card business. But those interest rates go up quickly after the introductory period, so if interest rates are of concern to you, an air miles credit card might not be the right choice for you, since the interest rates tend to be very high. Many air miles credit cards also have a minimum number of miles that have to accumulate before you receive a free or discounted trip. Be sure to read the fine print and make sure that you understand all of the stipulations.

There are some disadvantages to having an air miles credit card. As we mentioned earlier, these credit cards usually have much higher interest rates than standard credit cards, which can add up quickly if you don't pay off the entire balance each month. And unfortunately it is always tempting to use the air miles credit card for unnecessary purchases in order to accumulate points to be exchanged for air miles. As with all credit cards, air miles credit cards have to be used responsibly in order for the cardholder to reap the benefits.

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Both Robert Alan & Margaret Phillips are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Robert Alan has sinced written about articles on various topics from Credit Cards, Business Credit Cards and Credit Cards. Robert Alan recommends that you visit CreditCardAssist.com for more information on the best available.. Robert Alan's top article generates over 110000 views. to your Favourites.

Margaret Phillips has sinced written about articles on various topics from Airline Credit Cards. . Margaret Phillips's top article generates over 720 views. to your Favourites.