Airline credit cards offer more than just the ability to earn miles for free flights—they can help you unlock a range of valuable travel perks and rewards. To make the most of your airline credit card, you’ll need to be strategic about how you earn and redeem your miles.

1. Choose a Card That Matches Your Spending Habits

To maximize rewards, it’s important to choose an airline credit card that aligns with your spending patterns. Some cards offer higher rewards on specific categories like travel or dining, while others provide more general rewards.

• Example: The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card offers 2x miles on dining, 2x miles on U.S. supermarkets, and 2x miles on Delta purchases. If you frequently dine out or buy groceries, this card allows you to double your miles on everyday purchases while still earning rewards for your flights. For someone who regularly spends in these categories, the extra miles can accumulate quickly, leading to faster redemptions for free flights or seat upgrades.

If you tend to spend more on travel in general, rather than just flights with a specific airline, a card like the United℠ Explorer Card might be a better fit. It offers 2x miles not only on United purchases but also on hotel stays and dining, giving you more opportunities to earn miles outside of your airline purchases.

2. Take Advantage of Sign-Up Bonuses

Many airline credit cards offer large sign-up bonuses that can kick-start your miles balance. To maximize these bonuses, aim to meet the spending requirement within the promotional period (typically the first 3 to 6 months).

• Example: The United℠ Explorer Card currently offers 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 within the first 3 months of account opening. This is a significant amount of miles, often worth enough for a round-trip domestic flight. By strategically using the card for large purchases or recurring expenses during this time, you can easily meet the spending requirement and enjoy the free flight.

Similarly, the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card offers 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months. Those points can go a long way toward booking a free flight, especially since Southwest offers flexible redemption options with no blackout dates.

3. Use Your Card for Airline-Related Purchases

Most airline credit cards offer elevated miles for purchases made directly with the airline. To maximize this, always use your airline card when booking flights, purchasing seat upgrades, or making in-flight purchases.

• Example: The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card earns 2x miles on purchases made directly with Delta. If you frequently fly with Delta and regularly upgrade your seat or purchase in-flight snacks, those 2x miles can add up quickly. For instance, if you spend $1,000 a year on Delta flights and in-flight purchases, you’d earn 2,000 miles just from those transactions—on top of any miles earned from the flight itself.

Similarly, with the United℠ Explorer Card, you can earn 2x miles on United flights, seat upgrades, and other travel-related purchases, which boosts your mileage accumulation every time you fly.

4. Redeem Miles Strategically

How you redeem your miles can make a big difference in the value you get from your airline credit card. Be strategic about using your miles for high-value redemptions, such as international flights or upgrades, rather than small or low-value bookings.

• Example: Let’s say you’ve earned 50,000 miles with the United℠ Explorer Card. You could redeem those miles for a round-trip domestic flight, which might typically cost 25,000-30,000 miles, leaving you with leftover miles. However, if you save your miles for an international trip, where award flights tend to have higher cash prices, you could get much more value from your miles. For instance, a round-trip flight to Europe might cost around 60,000 miles, but the cash price could be $1,000 or more, offering a significantly better value per mile.

If you’re a Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card holder, you can take advantage of Southwest’s Companion Pass if you earn enough points in a year. This benefit allows you to bring a companion for free on any flight you book with Southwest, dramatically increasing the value of your points and overall travel savings.