Kiplinger Readers' Choice Awards 2024: Airline Credit Card Rewards Programs

About the Kiplinger Readers’ Choice Awards

The Kiplinger Readers’ Choice Awards aim to recognize and celebrate the best products and services in the personal finance arena. We asked you, our Kiplinger community, to help us name the products and services you think have delivered excellent value in the past year.

The survey results, which we’re sharing here in our second annual Readers’ Choice Awards, offer valuable insight into which providers shine when it comes to your everyday interactions and experiences with them. Our Awards recognize excellence in everything from credit cards, banks and brokers to insurers, tax software and financial apps.  For each category, we’ve listed an overall winner that earned the highest score. We’ve also highlighted other products and services that earned above-average scores for various criteria we asked readers to assess.

By voting, our community has helped us form our guide to the very best financial products. These are the products and companies that you think stand out from the crowd.

Kiplinger Readers' Choice Awards: Airline Credit Card Rewards Programs

Each of the airlines below earned top marks from our readers for their credit card programs. Airline cards provide miles or points for purchases, which passengers can put toward flights, upgrades or related travel perks.

OVERALL WINNER: Alaska Airlines Visa Signature

Outstanding for:

• Customer service
• Most recommended
• Overall satisfaction

What sets the Alaska Airlines credit card ($95 annual fee) apart from most other travel cards is the annual Free Companion Fare. It allows you to purchase one round-trip coach companion fare on Alaska Airlines for a flat rate of $99 plus fees (starting at $23, for a total price starting at $122). Get three points for every dollar spent on Alaska Airlines travel; two points on gas, cable, select streaming services and local transit; and one point on all other purchases. 

Other card perks include free checked bags and the chance to travel with your pet in the cabin (for a $100 fee). As one respondent wrote, it is “just a really fine all-around card that affords discounts in-flight, a luggage allowance and a companion pass.”

JetBlue Cards

Outstanding for:

• Customer service
• Most recommended
• Overall satisfaction

Barclays issues two tiers of JetBlue cards: the JetBlue World Mastercard and the JetBlue Plus World Elite Mastercard ($99 annual fee). Both cards offer JetBlue TrueBlue points on every purchase, with variations in the number of miles offered per dollar in different categories. 

The Plus card comes with a 10% bonus on points redeemed for JetBlue flights, 5,000 bonus points each year, and a free first checked bag for the primary traveler and up to three travel companions on one reservation.

Southwest Airlines cards 

Outstanding for:

• Customer service
• Most recommended
• Overall satisfaction

The Rapid Rewards credit cards from Southwest Airlines, issued by Chase, get plaudits from readers for offering ample perks. Of the Priority card ($149 annual fee), one respondent wrote, “I love the fact that you get four priority boardings per year and a $75 flight credit yearly, essentially cutting the actual yearly fee in half.” 

Other Priority card benefits include a bonus of 7,500 Rapid Rewards points on each yearly anniversary of card membership and 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year. (A Companion Pass allows you to fly with one person free of airline charges each time you purchase or redeem points for a flight.)

Southwest’s other credit cards include the Plus card ($69 annual fee) and the Premier card ($99).

Delta Air Lines cards

Outstanding for:

• Customer service

Delta offers four consumer credit cards issued by American Express: Delta SkyMiles Blue, Gold ($150 annual fee, waived the first year), Platinum ($350) and Reserve ($650). All of the cards offer Delta SkyMiles on every purchase, with variations in the number of miles offered per dollar in different categories. 

The Platinum and Reserve cards also offer reimbursement of the application fee for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, as well as a companion certificate for a round-trip flight each year you renew the card, among other perks.

Kiplinger Readers' Choice Awards Categories

• Wealth Managers
• Donor Advised Funds
• Cash Back Credit Cards
• Travel Rewards Credit Cards
• Hotel Rewards Credit Card Programs
• National Banks
• Internet Banks
• Full-Service Brokers
• Tax Software
• Auto Insurance Companies
• Homeowners Insurance Companies 
• Peer-to-Peer Payment Services