When looking for a credit card, specifically an airline based credit card, I’m going to show you what you should look out for in order to find the best deal possible.  An airline credit card in my opinion is different than most cards since it has different options, rewards, etc.   Let’s take a gander at what matters when it comes to one.

How can you redeem your points?

You want to make the most out of your credit card when it comes to using it.  If you’re loyal to an airline, that’s great because you’re going to take the most advantage.  The true question is though, “How many points will you get when you make airline related purchase?”  If you don’t get more than 3 points per dollar, I don’t think you’re getting a great deal.  The points system in my opinion is the most important.

How many points for rewards?

I don’t know what you want your card for but if you want it for free airline tickets, how many points is it going to take to get your free ticket?  The industry standard is generally around 25,000 points.  If it’s anything higher, you may want to look at other cards because they will all vary and the main reason many people get a travel based card is solely based on the fact that they can redeem it for free airline tickets in the future.

Are there extra discounts with partnered vendors?

The cool thing I like about travel cards is that a lot of the major issuers like American Express, etc, will work with other companies to get discounts.  For example, you may find that one card will give you 10% off if you book with a particular car rental company.  This works out great if you book hotels, rent cars and all of that with your card.  The more vendors they partner with, the more savings that are passed onto you.

How many fees are associated with the card?

Now, when it comes to an airline based credit card, many of them are going to have annual fees but don’t let this scare you off.  If you travel a lot, the rewards are going to out-weigh the annual fee.  If you’re not a frequent traveller, you may want to look at a different card without the fees but you’ll find out that they just aren’t as good as one with an annual fee.

When looking to apply for a credit card of this nature, I would ask yourself these questions to help you get a better understanding on what kind of card you should apply for.    There are a lot of great cards out there, so do your homework and find one that works great for you.