Many airline and credit card companies are trying to attract consumers with offers like free airline tickets or mileage points that are enough to claim free tickets. So, what you need to be aware of when signing up for these types of cards?

There are 2 types of airline mile credit cards: Airline-sponsored mileage credit cards - they focus on single airlines. These cards require you to choose one particular carrier. If you always the same airline for traveling, it makes sense to sign up for a card with the airline of your choice. Since you are using only one airline, it makes it much quicker to accumulate points than other rewards cards. And most of these cards don't require annual fees. But keep in mind that, you can only redeem the points for traveling via the same airline. If you don't think you use one particular airline enough, avoid airline-sponsored cards, choose bank-based cards instead.

Another one is bank-sponsored mileage credit cards. They offer more flexibility when you need to try which airline to join. Many good benefits come with bank-based airline mile cards. Some banks offers you free companion tickets when you sign up a new card, but you need to purchase a ticket at a regular price. Another good news is that you can redeem those mileage points for car rentals and hotel stays. These bank-based cards let you keep the unused mileage for up to 3 years. After 3-year period, any used points or mileage will expired, and you need to start accumulating mileages again. Another downside is that they typically require a small annual fee. Regular APRs for bank-sponsored cards are higher than airline-sponsored cards. (I don't think APRs make any difference if you always pay in full).

So, what's best airline credit card to apply? It really comes down to your traveling habits. If you travel a lot, use the same airline and pick an airline-based card. If you want maximum flexibility and don't mind pay $75 annual fee, go for the bank-based cards.

	Card Category: All Business Charge Foreign Poor Credit Pre-Paid Regular Reward - Airline Reward - Auto Reward - Cash Reward - Finance Reward - Gas Reward - Hotel Reward - Retail Reward - Sports Reward - Travel Reward - Other All Reward Cards Secured Student Intro APR: All 0.0% 1.9% or Less 2.9% or Less 3.9% or Less 4.9% or Less 5.9% or Less 6.9% or Less 7.9% or Less 8.9% or Less 9.9% or Less Time Period: All 3 Months or More 4 Months or More 5 Months of More 6 Months or More 7 Months or More 8 Months or More 9 Months or More APR (Purch.): All Less Than 6% Less Than 7% Less Than 8% Less Than 9% Less Than 10% Less Than 11% Less Than 12% Less Than 13% Less Than 14% Less Than 15% Less Than 16% Less Than 17% Less Than 18% Less Than 19% Less Than 20% Less Than 21% Less Than 22% Less Than 23% Less Than 24% Less Than 25% Annual Fee: All $0 $10 or Less $20 or Less $30 or Less $40 or Less $50 or Less $60 or Less $70 or Less $80 or Less $90 or Less $100 or Less $110 or Less $120 or Less $130 or Less $140 or Less $150 or Less

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