you might need an airline card.

There’s a lot of hype around bank branded credit cards.

• Capital One Venture X.

• American Express Platinum.

And it’s easy to vilify airline cards and say they’re not worth it.

(I’ve said this a lot, actually).

But airline cards can provide exceptional value.

We’ll discuss why & how today.

airline credit cards ✈️

Here’s the argument against airline cards:

With bank cards you earn flexible points that can be transferred directly to airlines. Why would I get a Delta card when I can earn Amex points and transfer 1:1 to Delta?

Good point, other Colin.

It’s true, for most people, bank cards with flexible points are the best option.

However, they can be quite limiting.

Here’s the problem:

Say you Googled what the best credit card is and decided to get the Capital One Venture X.

Great, now you have 100k points and you’re ready to take your first trip.

Best case scenario, there’s a direct flight with Delta, American, United, and JetBlue to your destination.

Well, you can’t transfer Capital One miles to any of those airline.

But Colin, you taught me about partner airlines?!

 Yes grasshopper, I did.

Theoretically, you could book American flights through British Airways, Delta flights to Virgin Atlantic, and United flights through Air Canada or Avianca.

(No way to book JetBlue flights).

However, availability may be quite limited.

Airlines only release a certain amount of partner award seats.

So when you book through a partner airline, you’ve got a lower chance of actually finding a flight.

An airline card fixes this.

You earn points with the airline you like or that makes the most sense for you.

You can easily redeem those points for the exact flight you want.

I’d get an airline card if:

• You fly the same airline/route often.

• You live in a major hub for a certain airline.

• You travel with very specific dates & no flexibility.

• You’re interested in earning elite status with an airline.

I’m not saying this is the cheapest way to get domestic flights, but it’s the easiest (with points).

For some people, getting an airline card and sticking with it makes a lot of sense.

But here’s something crazy:

Because of big recent news, one of my favorite bank cards transfers to the best domestic airline program.

That’s right, you can now transfer Amex points to Alaska Airlines.

(You can book American flights through Alaska, remember?)

So here’s my recommendation:

• If you live in American hub.

• If you live in a small town.

Get this Amex card and use it for CHEAP American airlines flights booked through Alaska.

The best part?

You’re still earning a flexible currency!

And you Delta fans?

If you live in a hub, I’d get this Delta card - it’s got a great deal going on right now.

Hope this helps friends.

Happy Tuesday,

Colin.