What Is the Best Airline Credit Card in 2026? US Picks Compared

Short answer for the US in 2026: the best airline credit card is usually the one tied to the airline you fly most, because its free checked bag and boarding perks only work on that airline. According to each issuer at the time of writing, the United Explorer and Delta SkyMiles Gold cards cost $0 the first year and then $150, the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select costs $0 the first year and then $99, and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus costs $99. Each includes a free first checked bag. If you fly several airlines, a flexible card such as the Capital One Venture ($95) may fit better.

ShopBack US is a free app and website that gives you cash back when you shop or book at partner stores, including Expedia, Priceline and Turkish Airlines. Sign up free, open the store from ShopBack, then book and pay with your card as usual. The live rate for each store is shown on its ShopBack page.

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What is the best airline credit card?

The best airline credit card for most US travelers is the co-branded card of the airline they fly most, as long as the bag savings beat the annual fee. A free first checked bag is the perk that usually pays for the card, so start with how often you check a bag on that airline.

Use these three questions to pick:

1. Which airline do you fly most from your home airport? A United card does little if most of your trips are on Delta.
2. How many bags do you check a year? American Airlines charges $50 for a first checked bag in Main Cabin within the US, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, or $45 if paid online, per person each way, at the time of writing. Two people checking one bag each on one round trip pay $180 to $200.
3. Do you fly more than one airline? If yes, a general travel card that earns the same rate everywhere may be the better fit.

If the bag fees you would avoid are larger than the yearly fee, an airline card usually pays for itself. If they are not, a no-annual-fee card or a flexible travel card usually costs you less.

Best airline credit card 2026: fees and perks compared

According to each issuer's card page at the time of writing, here is how the main US co-branded airline cards compare on fee, bags and earn rate.

Card	Annual fee	Checked bag	Earn rate highlights
United Explorer (Chase)	$0 first year, then $150	Free first checked bag	2 United Club one-time passes a year, Group 2 priority boarding
Delta SkyMiles Gold (American Express)	$0 first year, then $150	First checked bag free	2X miles at restaurants, US supermarkets and on purchases made directly with Delta; no foreign transaction fees
Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select	$0 first year, then $99	First checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to 4 companions	2X miles at restaurants and gas stations; preferred boarding
Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus (Chase)	$99	First checked bag free	2X points on Southwest purchases; 3,000 anniversary points each year
Capital One Venture (not airline-specific)	$95	No airline bag perk	Unlimited 2X miles on every purchase; miles transfer to airline partners

A few details that change the math:

• Delta SkyMiles Gold. American Express says cardmembers who spend $10,000 in a calendar year can receive a $200 Delta Flight Credit, and the card has no foreign transaction fees.
• Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select. The free bag covers up to 4 companions on the same reservation, which matters most for families.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus. The fee applies from the first statement, and the 3,000 anniversary points each year offset part of it.
• United Explorer. Chase lists more than $500 in annual partner credits, which only add value if you already use those partners.

Which is "best" depends on your airline. None of these cards is better than another in general. A Delta card is the strong pick for a Delta flyer, and an American card for someone based at an American hub.

Best airline credit card deals in the US for 2026

The deal on an airline card is the sign-up offer plus the first-year fee waiver, and both change often, so compare them on the issuer's own page on the day you apply. At the time of writing, three of the four co-branded cards above waive the annual fee for the first year.

How to judge a card deal without getting caught out:

• Check the spending requirement. Sign-up offers usually need a set amount of spending in the first few months. Pick an offer you can meet with normal spending.
• Value the first two years, not just the first. A $0 first-year fee followed by $150 is $150 over two years. Compare that with the bag fees you would avoid over the same period.
• Read who the bag perk covers. Some cards cover only the cardholder and companions on the same reservation, and some require the ticket to be paid with the card.
• Mind the timing of big bookings. If you plan to book a large trip anyway, opening the card before you book can help you meet the spending requirement.

Expedia vs Priceline: which earns more with an airline credit card?

Usually neither earns the higher airline rate, because airline cards tend to pay their bonus rate only on purchases made directly with the airline. American Express, for example, says the Delta SkyMiles Gold earns 2X on purchases "made directly with Delta". A Delta flight booked through a booking site usually earns the card's everyday 1X rate instead.

That gives a simple split for most trips:

• Flights on your card's airline: book direct with the airline to get the higher earn rate and make sure the bag perk applies.
• Hotels, rental cars and packages: compare Expedia and Priceline, then book whichever is cheaper for your dates. Both are partner stores on ShopBack US, so go through ShopBack first.

Expedia also runs One Key, a free rewards program shared across Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo. According to Expedia, One Key members save 10% or more with Member Prices on over 100,000 hotels, and members can save up to 30% when adding a hotel to a flight. On Priceline, the ShopBack page shows separate rates by booking type, such as hotels and rental cars, so check which type your booking falls under.

Before you book a hotel, rental car or package on Expedia or Priceline, go through ShopBack first. Each store's ShopBack page lists the booking types that qualify, so check it, then pay with whichever card earns you the most on that purchase.

Expedia, Priceline and Turkish Airlines with an airline credit card

Expedia and Priceline are booking sites, while Turkish Airlines is an airline you can book directly, and all three are partner stores on ShopBack US.

• Expedia: one search for flights, hotels, cars and packages. The Expedia page on ShopBack lists rates by booking type, with hotels as a main category.
• Priceline: hotels, rental cars and flights, including Express Deals. The ShopBack page splits rates by booking type.
• Turkish Airlines: a direct airline booking. If you want Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles miles without a co-branded card, Capital One lists Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles among the transfer partners for Venture miles.

Other travel booking sites on ShopBack US include Booking.com, Trip.com, Agoda and Hotels.com.

How ShopBack lowers what you pay on travel

ShopBack works like an automatic cash discount on your online order. You go through ShopBack to the booking site, book as usual, and cash comes back to your ShopBack account once the trip is confirmed.

1. Pick your dates and compare flights and hotels.
2. Open the store from ShopBack US on the web or in the app, or sign up free first.
3. Book in the same session and pay with your travel or airline card.
4. Cash comes back after the trip is confirmed. The timeline is shown on each store's ShopBack page.

Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles. Rates differ by store and booking type, so check the live rate on the store's ShopBack page before you book.

Cashback and card rewards on the same booking

You can usually earn cashback and your credit card's rewards or bank card promo on the same purchase, because they come from different places. Your card issuer pays your miles or points, and ShopBack pays the cash back. Cashback also applies on sale prices, so a booking made during a sale can still qualify.

There are limits. Some merchant promo codes or payment methods can void cashback; the Expedia, Priceline and Turkish Airlines pages on ShopBack each say that purchases made with promo codes not featured on ShopBack do not qualify. Taxes and booking fees are also excluded. Check the merchant's terms on ShopBack before you book.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best airline credit card?

For most US travelers, the best airline credit card is the one tied to the airline you already fly most, because the free checked bag and boarding perks only work on that airline. At the time of writing, the United Explorer and Delta SkyMiles Gold cards cost $0 the first year and then $150, the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select costs $0 the first year and then $99, and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus costs $99, according to each issuer. If you fly several airlines, a flexible travel card such as the Capital One Venture ($95) may suit you better.

Is an airline credit card worth the annual fee?

It usually is if you check bags on that airline at least once or twice a year. American Airlines charges $50 for a first checked bag in Main Cabin within the US, or $45 if paid online, per person each way, at the time of writing. One round trip for two people with one bag each comes to $180 to $200 in bag fees, which is more than the $99 Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select fee after the first year.

Which airline credit card has the lowest annual fee?

Among the four co-branded cards in this guide, the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus have the lowest ongoing fee at $99 a year, according to Citi and Chase at the time of writing. The Citi card waives the fee for the first year. The United Explorer and Delta SkyMiles Gold also waive the first year, then charge $150.

Which airline credit card gives a free checked bag?

All four cards in this guide include a free first checked bag on their airline, according to each issuer at the time of writing. The Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select covers you and up to 4 companions on the same reservation on domestic American Airlines itineraries. Each card has its own rules on who is covered and how the ticket must be paid, so check the card's benefit terms.

Is an airline card or a general travel card better?

An airline card usually suits you if most of your flights are on one airline, because of the bag and boarding perks. A general travel card usually suits you if you fly different airlines. For example, Capital One says the Venture card earns unlimited 2X miles on every purchase for a $95 annual fee, and its miles can move to airline partners including Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles.

Do airline credit cards earn more when I book on Expedia or Priceline?

Usually not. Airline cards tend to pay their higher earn rate on purchases made directly with the airline; Delta's Gold card, for example, earns 2X on purchases made directly with Delta. A flight booked through a booking site usually earns the card's everyday rate instead. Booking sites can still make sense for hotels and packages, where going through ShopBack first lowers what you pay.

Is there a Turkish Airlines credit card in the US?

Turkish Airlines is not one of the co-branded US cards covered in this guide. If you want Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles miles, a flexible card can work: Capital One lists Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles among its Venture miles transfer partners. If you book Turkish Airlines flights on the airline's own site, going through ShopBack US first means you pay less on the same booking.

Can I earn cashback and credit card rewards on the same booking?

You can usually earn cashback and your credit card's rewards on the same purchase, because they come from different places. Cashback also applies on sale prices. Some merchant promo codes or payment methods can void cashback, so check the merchant's terms on ShopBack before you book.

How do sign-up offers on airline cards work?

Most airline cards offer a one-time miles or points reward after you spend a set amount in the first few months, and the size of the offer changes over time. Compare the current offer on the issuer's own page, check the spending requirement fits your normal budget, and do not overspend to reach it.

How does ShopBack lower what I pay on travel bookings?

ShopBack works like an automatic cash discount on your online order. Before you book on Expedia, Priceline or Turkish Airlines, open the store from ShopBack US, book as usual, and cash comes back once the trip is confirmed. Check the live rate on the store's ShopBack page before you book.

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Key takeaways

• The best airline credit card is usually the one for the airline you fly most; the free checked bag is what typically pays for it.
• At the time of writing: United Explorer and Delta SkyMiles Gold are $0 the first year then $150; Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select is $0 then $99; Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus is $99.
• American Airlines charges $50 ($45 online) for a first checked bag within the US per person each way, so one family trip can cover a $99 fee.
• Airline cards usually earn their higher rate only on direct airline purchases, so book flights direct and compare Expedia and Priceline for hotels and packages.
• Before you book on Expedia, Priceline or Turkish Airlines, go through ShopBack US so you pay less on the same booking.

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Related reads

Earn cashback on US travel bookings: Expedia · Priceline · Turkish Airlines · Booking.com · Trip.com · Agoda · Hotels.com

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Disclaimer

The views and recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author. Card fees, earn rates, benefits, sign-up offers and airline bag fees are set by card issuers and airlines and can change; figures in this guide were taken from each issuer's and airline's published pages at the time of writing. Card approval depends on your credit profile and the issuer's criteria. Cashback rates, qualifying booking types and terms on ShopBack US are published on each store's ShopBack page and can change, so check that page before you book.

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered professional or financial advice.