Airline Credit Card Questions
Is the airline credit card still in its heyday? I think not. These cards became popular many years ago because they allowed budget travelers to earn frequent flyer miles from everyday purchases like groceries and oil changes. But airline frequent flyer miles have become increasingly difficult to use as a budget travel tool. Many of us like to shop multiple airlines for a good deal, pay for those bargains in cash, and then use travel rewards to book hotels or car rentals. A bank-based travel rewards credit card works quite well in that scenario. What is best for you? There is no blanket answer. You must look at your own patterns of spending and travel. You must ask yourself if being tied to one carrier through an airline credit card is best.
For us, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Visa card has been perfect. We live near Nashville, TN and have grandchildren in Texas and Florida and driving to spend time with them at birthdays etc is not always a viable option. We charge everything on our SWA Visa card (insurance, utilities when possible, cruises/travel and all other purchases etc.) and easily earn 4 free round trips a year. We also use the vouchers to bring the grandchildren here during the summer. Between enjoying our grandchildren and getting to ports for cruises, our SWA Visa has been very rewarding for us.
I use both a Southwest and United card. I find that United’s point system is much easier to follow and it is clear how many miles are earned for monthly purchases. I keep Southwest as a backup and secondary airline card. The downfall can be the fact that if you can’t plan months in advance, you may get shut out of a seat. I am locked into a school calendar and find that it is very difficult to find those elusive seats during times I have off. I try to plan accordingly and during times when I have off.