Introduction
People who rack up considerable travel miles can be able to save a lot of money, by using frequent flyer credit cards. Airline credit card holders can be able to enjoy benefits like frequent flyer miles, redeemable points as well as discounts on hotels. Here are some tips to consider before you apply for a frequent flyer credit card.
Step 1
Airline credit cards are best suited for individuals who travel frequently, either for work or for leisure. Cardholders can rack up additional frequently flyer miles, as well as earn discounts on hotels and build up reward points which you can spend on future vacations or gift cards. Travelers can apply for frequent flyer cards either directly from an airline or from major credit card companies.
Step 2
The reward points you will accumulate on your airline credit card will be determined by your spending habits. The more you spend on the card, the more points you will earn. However, this should not be used as an excuse to go on a spending spree, but rather to use to the card when it makes sense. Besides paying for your airline tickets, using your frequent flyer credit card to process your purchases at a supermarket or to pay your utility bills can make a huge difference in the number of bonus miles you will accumulate over time.
Step 3
The best airline credit cards are normally available to those individuals with a good credit history. If you plan to use your travel card on business trips, then the interest rate charged on your credit card should not be a big determinant on your choice of card. This is because you should be able to payback the balances owed each month, once you have been reimbursed for your expenses. If on the other hand you are not likely to be reimbursed for your travel expenses quickly, then you should take into consideration the interest rate charged on your travel card and the grace period stipulated for repayments, to avoid accumulating high credit costs.
Step 4
Some airline credit cards will charge a high interest rate or high annual fee in order to provide the best rewards. Make sure to maintain a realistic point of view of how you intend to use your travel credit card and whether you will be able to consistently pay off your debts on time.
Step 5
In addition to performing a comparison of the annual fees and interest rates charged on airline credit cards, you should also compare the terms and conditions pegged on different frequent flyer credit cards. The main idea is to compare how quickly you will earn miles on the various travel reward card offerings. Some travel reward cards will offer 1 mile for every dollar you spend, while others will go up to 1.25 miles for every dollar.
Tips
Many airline travel cards are also tied to hotels, which will allow you to earn points for free hotel nights or redeemable points for other travel related expenses. Try to estimate how much you plan on spending, to see which card will reward you with the most airline miles for the amounts you spend.
Sources and Citations
You can get airline credit card offers online, or you can check with your preferred airline or major credit card companies.
