Airlines partner with credit card companies and have made credit card revenue a substantial part of their business strategy. Having an airline branded credit card is a key part of our travel points strategy. Depending on the airline and credit card, the worth may come from perks rather than points. In many cases, we will need to pair credit cards to get the most value. Before we develop a strategy, you need to analyze your preferences about how you fly.
Your Flight Preferences
- How often do you fly?
- Do you prefer a specific airline or are you a free agent?
- Is your priority using points for economy travel or maximizing comfort during travel.
For an airline credit card strategy to work, you need to at travel by air a few times a year on average. If you rarely travel by air, a general travel card makes more sense. The other questions are about your priorities when choosing to fly. Casual flyers will often pick flights by price and are often free agents meaning they will pick whichever airline gets them there cheapest. This group also benefits from using a general travel card; however, they may still want to pair it with a branded airline credit card if they find they often pick between a few airlines. Free agents who travel often may target branded credit cards that are lower in annual fees but provide travel perks such as free luggage. Those who prefer a specific airline and who travel often or prefer comfort will be best by choosing the high-end branded credit cards.
On the posts related to Airline Credit Card Strategy, we will look at specific airlines and analyze every card they offer so that you can confidently pick the one that fits your situation. The critical essence of the credit card travel game is knowing what you are wanting to achieve.