Best airline credit cards and perks
Cards with free checked bags, lounge access or airline credits, ranked by first-year value for a frequent flyer.
Based on $2,830/month spending: dining $400, groceries $400, hotels $300, flights $600, gas $100, streaming $30, everything else $1,000.
Rerun this ranking with your spending-
1
Chase Sapphire ReserveFrequent travelers who'll use the $300 travel credit
- Fee
- $795
- Bonus
- $1,500
- Year 1
- $2,569
- Yr 2+
- $1,069
-
2
American Express Platinum CardLounge lovers — the widest airport lounge access
- Fee
- $895
- Bonus
- $1,200
- Year 1
- $2,216
- Yr 2+
- $1,016
-
3
Capital One Venture XThe cheapest premium card with lounge access
- Fee
- $395
- Bonus
- $1,050
- Year 1
- $1,996
- Yr 2+
- $946
-
4
Citi AAdvantage Platinum SelectAmerican Airlines flyers — free first bag for you and up to 4 companions
- Fee
- $99
- Bonus
- $975
- Year 1
- $1,588
- Yr 2+
- $514
-
5
Delta SkyMiles GoldDelta flyers — a free checked bag saves $70+ per round trip
- Fee
- $150
- Bonus
- $880
- Year 1
- $1,488
- Yr 2+
- $458
-
6
United ExplorerUnited flyers — free first bag for you and a companion
- Fee
- $150
- Bonus
- $720
- Year 1
- $1,365
- Yr 2+
- $495
-
7
Wells Fargo Autograph JourneyHigh rates on hotels and flights booked direct
- Fee
- $95
- Bonus
- $600
- Year 1
- $1,346
- Yr 2+
- $746
-
8
Bank of America Premium Rewards1.5x on everything plus 2x travel and dining
- Fee
- $95
- Bonus
- $600
- Year 1
- $1,167
- Yr 2+
- $567
How we rank
Ledger adds up each card's sign-up bonus, the rewards it earns on the spending above (respecting caps), and a realistic share of its credits, then subtracts the annual fee. Points are valued at our estimates — in the calculator you can switch to cash-out (≈1¢) or transfer-partner (≈2¢) values, add the cards you already have, and see which new card adds the most.
Updated Oct 30, 2026.