Best credit cards for economy-class flyers: Maximize your miles, minimize your fees

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

First-class and business-class seats and top-tier elite status can be worth thousands of dollars if you travel all the time. But what about the masses who aren’t traveling often, travel on their employer’s dime or don’t have a flexible schedule? Don’t worry, there are plenty of affordable travel credit cards that are great for frequent economy flyers.

Flying economy is a great way to stretch your miles. And if you’re booking a trip for the whole family, it might be your only option. So, let’s take a look at the best credit cards for flyers in the back of the plane.

The best credit cards for economy-class flyers

• United℠ Explorer Card (see rates and fees): Best for United Airlines flyers
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card: Best for long-haul economy flights
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees): Best for American Airlines flyers
• Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card: Best for travelers living on the West Coast
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (see rates and fees): Best for short-haul flights
• JetBlue Plus Card: Best for flyers living in the Northeast

The information for the JetBlue Plus Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Comparing the best credit cards for economy-class flyers

United Explorer Card

Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

According to TPG’s May 2025 valuations, this welcome offer is worth $810.

Annual fee: $150, $0 introductory annual fee for the first year

Key benefits: This card comes with a free first checked bag for up to two people, priority boarding and 25% back on United inflight purchases. But it also has some unique perks that are not common for a mid-tier card. You’ll get two, one-time United Club lounge passes per account year and an application fee statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.

In addition, cardholders earn the following partner credits worth more than $400: up to $100 travel statement credit toward United Hotels purchases, up to $60 in statement credits toward purchases with ride-hailing services (up to $5 a month), up to $50 in statement credits fro the United TravelBank cash after eligible Avis or Budget rental car purchases, up to $120 in statement credits for Instacart  (up to $10 per month) and up to $100 in statement credits for JSX purchases. The ride-hailing credit requires activation each year.

Why I chose this card: I found this card to be special for infrequent economy-class flyers because its perks are similar to what we see with entry-level United Premier Silver elite status. The best of these perks is the extra award seats you’ll have access to. It’s not common to see this many statement credits on a mid-tier card, either.

Best of all, wherever your travels take you, rest assured you’ll be protected with a wide range of travel insurance and have no foreign transaction fees. From my perspective, travel protections with Chase-issued credit cards tend to be the best.

To learn more, check out our full review of the United Explorer Card.

Apply here: United Explorer Card

Related: Why I’m actually not upset about the United Explorer’s changes

Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card

Welcome offer: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.

According to TPG’s May 2025 valuations, this welcome offer is worth $600.

Annual fee: $150, $0 introductory annual fee for the first year

Key benefits: This card comes with a free checked bag and priority boarding (Zone 5) for the cardmember and up to eight traveling companions. You’ll also get 20% back on inflight purchases, a $200 Delta flight credit after spending $10,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year and a $100 statement credit toward Delta Stays purchases. Enrollment is required for select benefits; terms apply.

Why I chose this card: I find this card to be the right entry point into the SkyMiles program because it offers the basics that economy flyers are looking for, unlike the lackluster Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card or the over-the-top Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, which is geared toward premium flyers.

The Delta SkyMiles Gold is a solid mid-tier card that provides a 15% discount on award tickets, a useful perk for economy flyers looking to maximize their miles. Delta flight sales can include domestic flights starting at 8,000 miles round-trip and decent international award sales. I’ve seen flights for as little as 20,000 miles round-trip (plus taxes and fees) to Europe and 12,000 miles round-trip to the Caribbean.

To learn more, check out our full review of the Delta SkyMiles Gold.

Apply here: Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex

Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

Welcome bonus: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,500 within the first three months from account opening.

According to TPG’s May 2025 valuations, this welcome offer is worth $825.

Annual fee: $99, $0 introductory annual fee for the first year

Key benefits: This card comes with preferred boarding (Group 5), plus a free first checked bag for the cardholder and up to four companions traveling on the same reservation. You’ll also receive a 25% discount on inflight food and beverages when you pay with your card. On top of that, you can earn a $125 American Airlines flight discount certificate after spending $20,000 on the card in an account year.

Why I chose this card: This was my first cobranded airline credit card and it still holds a place in my wallet 10 years later. If you’re a beginner or infrequent flyer, the $595 annual fee Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees) is overkill. You’re essentially paying six times more for Admirals Club access and to earn 4 miles per dollar spent on American Airlines purchases.

Despite flying with American Airlines often and earning elite status, I have found the AAdvantage Platinum Select to be a more suitable and no-frills choice to keep costs low while still enjoying benefits like priority boarding and a free checked bag. Even the American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card does not offer these benefits.

The information for the AAdvantage MileUp card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The AAdvantage Platinum Select is a decent everyday card as it offers 2 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines, restaurant and gas station purchases. It’s a decent way to build up your miles and Loyalty Points toward elite status throughout the year. Cardholders earn 1 Loyalty Point for every AAdvantage mile they earn.

To learn more, check out our full review of the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard.

Apply here: Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card

Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus miles and Alaska’s Companion Fare from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $3,000 within the first 90 days from account opening. Plus, receive a 30% flight discount code for a qualifying future flight upon account opening.

According to TPG’s May 2025 valuations, the miles in this welcome offer are worth $900.

Annual fee: $95

Key benefits: You’ll get a free checked bag (on Alaska Airlines flights) for the cardholder and up to six companions. You’ll also receive $100 off an Alaska Lounge+ membership and 20% back on eligible inflight purchases when you pay with your card.

The best benefit on this card is its single-use Companion Fare, which allows you to bring a guest on any Alaska Airlines-operated domestic economy flight for just $99 plus taxes and fees.

You’ll get a Companion Fare every year you keep the card as long as you spend at least $6,000 in an account year, making this one of the best companion fare benefits available outside of the Southwest Airlines Companion Pass. For a frequent economy flyer, Alaska has an impressive route network that continues to grow, so it shouldn’t be hard to utilize this card’s perks.

Why I chose this card: Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan has a distance-based chart, which includes some good redemption opportunities. Short-haul Alaska award tickets (such as from Los Angeles to San Francisco) start at just 4,500 miles each way. International flights on partner airlines can offer good value as well, with flights to Asia Pacific starting at 30,000 miles one-way.

With Alaska’s acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, we can expect more routes and redemption opportunities to Hawaii, a valuable proposition as cash fares during peak travel months can be quite costly. I have always found value in Alaska MileagePlan thanks to its impressive award chart, and the best way to take advantage of it is by earning Alaska miles through a cobranded credit card.

To learn more, check out our full review of the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature.

Apply here: Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card

Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card

Welcome bonus: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

According to TPG’s May 2025 valuations, this welcome offer is worth $650.

Annual fee: $149

Key benefits: If you’re a regular economy flyer, chances are you’re a big Southwest Airlines fan. Despite the recent changes with Southwest, cardholders will still have the ability to bring one free checked bag. In addition, you’ll receive 25% off inflight purchases and earn tier qualifying points toward A-List status.

This card comes with a $75 Southwest credit each year (valid for tickets and much more), 7,500 bonus points (worth $98 according to TPG’s May 2025 valuations) and four upgraded boardings (worth $30 to $50 each). 

Why I chose this card: Compared to the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (see rates and fees) and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, the Southwest Priority card offers solid benefits for frequent flyers. For a $149 annual fee, you receive elitelike perks such as upgraded boardings, anniversary bonus points and a $75 annual travel credit that effectively drops the annual fee to $74.

The information for the Southwest Premier card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

As an economy flyer, Southwest is often a great option. The Southwest Priority card can help alleviate Southwest’s unfavorable changes to keep your trip as smooth and painless as possible.

To learn more, check out our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card.

Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card

JetBlue Plus Card

Welcome bonus: Earn 70,000 points after spending $1,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days.

According to TPG’s May 2025 valuations, this welcome offer is worth $945.

Annual fee: $99

Key benefits: You and up to three companions will get your first checked bag free when you purchase your JetBlue fare with your card. Plus, inflight purchases made with the card will earn 50% back as a statement credit. Every year, you’ll get 5,000 bonus points on your cardmember anniversary (worth $68 according to TPG’s May 2025 valuations) and an annual $100 statement credit on JetBlue vacation purchases of $100 or more that you make with your card.

A fan-favorite perk is a 10% rebate on JetBlue award redemptions. You’ll get your points rebate after you complete the flight, and there’s no maximum amount of points you can earn back.

Why I chose this card: JetBlue is the cream of the crop of economy class with exceptional legroom, unlimited snacks and free Wi-Fi. It also operates a loyalty program similar to Southwest’s, so you’ll enjoy no blackout dates for award flights. Conveniently, the points price is tied to the cash price.

Compared to the no-annual-fee JetBlue Card, the JetBlue Plus is worth its annual fee thanks to its free checked bag for you and up to three companions and higher earning rates on JetBlue purchases.

The JetBlue Plus card also trumps the hefty JetBlue Premier Card with its $499 annual fee, since the JetBlue Premier’s only additional benefits include Group A boarding and a $300 statement credit on Paisly purchases. You won’t get substantial benefit from paying so much more for the JetBlue Premier versus the JetBlue Plus.

The information for the JetBlue Card and JetBlue Premier Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

To learn more, check out our full review of the JetBlue Plus Card.

How I chose the best credit cards for economy-class flyers

When choosing the best credit cards for economy-class flyers, I focused more on the cards’ ongoing benefits and each loyalty program’s value for economy redemptions than I did on the cards’ welcome bonuses (which can vary). I also limited our selection to cards with lower annual fees or perks that could outweigh the annual fee, even if you only travel occasionally.

This way, you still get to enjoy the card’s perks without feeling the burden of a high annual fee. Plus, you don’t have to worry about maximizing the extra, and perhaps unnecessary for you, perks of a premium cobranded airline credit card.

Bottom line

Economy-class travel is a great way to take a modest miles or points balance and transform it into a dream vacation. Besides being cheaper to book, economy awards are much easier to find. So, they are better if your travel dates aren’t flexible. And if you’re traveling with a large group or family, you’ll have much better luck securing awards on the same flight if you’re booking economy.

But just because you’re traveling in economy doesn’t mean you need to board last or pay baggage fees. There are plenty of airline credit cards with benefits that mirror entry-level elite status, like free checked bags and priority boarding.

With perks like award ticket discounts, airport lounge passes and travel-related statement credits, sometimes all you need is a lower-annual-fee airline card instead of a top-tier premium one.

Related: The best credit cards with annual fees under $100

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex, click here.