Having an airline status comes with valuable perks and benefits that can make your travels worthwhile. You can get lounge access, seat upgrades, free checked bags, companion tickets, and more.
Before, you can only earn elite status on a certain airline by flying and spending but nowadays, some credit cards come with a complimentary elite status or at least offer members an easier path towards reaching it.
If you’re planning to earn elite status this year, here are some of the best credit cards for airline elite status.
Best for Delta Status: Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Best for AAdvantage Status: Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Best for United Club Access: United Club℠ Infinite Card
1. Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Best for Companion Tickets and Delta Status
- Earn 50,000 SkyMiles + 10,000 Medallion Qualifying Miles After $5,000 in Eligible Purchases in the First 6 Months.
- 3X SkyMiles on Delta Air Lines Purchases
- First Checked Bag Free
- Lounge Access to Delta Sky Club, Centurion Lounge, and Escape Lounges When Flying Delta
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit
- 20% Statement Credit on Delta In-Flight Purchases
- $550 Annual Fee and No Foreign Transaction Fees (Rates & Fees)
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card earns 3x SkyMiles on Delta purchases and comes with complimentary Delta Sky Club and The Centurion Lounge access, making it a stellar choice for frequent Delta flyers.
For a $550 annual fee, this premium card offers excellent Delta-specific perks, letting you earn 15,000 Medallion Qualification Miles after spending $30,000 in a calendar year to get closer to Medallion Status.
Plus, it comes with an annual companion certificate that gets you a Domestic First Class, Delta Comfort+, or Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate upon renewing your card every year.
Other outstanding travel perks include a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, a 20% savings on Delta in-flight food and drinks, a free first checked bag, complimentary upgrades, and extensive travel protections.
Why we picked this card: The Delta Reserve card comes with premium travel perks and benefits such as lounge access to Centurion Lounges and Escape Lounges, priority boarding, first-class companion tickets, and complimentary TSA Precheck and Global Entry memberships.
It’s mainly for consumers who want to have a luxurious experience when flying.
However, one of its main selling points is its status boost that allows you to earn up to 60,000 MQMs if you can spend a total of $120,000 per calendar year. It also allows you to waive your MQD requirements for Gold or Platinum status by spending $25,000 in a calendar year.
This means that cardholders spend their way towards Delta Medallion Gold status without having to take a single flight on Delta.
Reaching Gold status the traditional way normally requires 50,000 MQMs and $8,000 MQDs which requires a lot of flying.
2. Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Best Low-annual Fee Card for Earning AAdvantage Elite Status
- Earn 50,000 AAdvantage Miles for $2,500 in Purchases in the First 3 Months
- 2x Miles on American, Gas Stations, and Restaurants
- Free Checked Bag and Preferred Boarding
- 25% In-Flight Savings on Food and Drinks
- $99 Annual Fee, Waived for First 12 Months
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® is a good option for American Airlines flyers because it offers a free first checked bag on domestic flights for you and up to 4 travel companions on the same reservation, plus preferred boarding on American Airlines flights.
Plus, you earn 2 AAdvantage miles per dollar at restaurants, gas stations, and on American Airlines.
The AAdvantage Platinum card can also help you earn AAdvantage elite status because every dollar spent on the card equals one Loyalty Point.
Why we picked this card:
The AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard offers one of the most convenient and cheapest ways to earn AAdvantage elite status.
With a cheap annual fee of $99, cardholders can just spend their way towards elite status by earning unlimited Loyalty points through restaurant and gas station purchases. You’re not required to take a single flight and spend money on United Airlines.
3. Chase United Club Infinite
Best for United Club Access and Elite Status on Partner Programs
- Earn 80,000 United Miles After Spending $5,000 in the First 3 Months
- 4X Miles on United Purchases
- 2X Miles on Dining, Travel, Transit, and Rideshare
- United Club Airport Lounge Access
- IHG Platinum and Avis President’s Club Elite Status
- Free First and Second Checked Bags
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance
- $525 Annual Fee
The Chase United Club Infinite offers United Club membership for the primary cardholder if you have a same-day boarding pass for travel on United, a Star Alliance partner, or a contracted partner.
You can also bring two adults or one adult and dependent children under 21 years of age as guests.
The card also offers 4 miles per dollar spent on United purchases, 2 miles per dollar spent on travel and dining, and 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Plus, you and one companion can get your first and second checked bags free on United-operated flights when you buy the tickets with your card.
Why we picked this card:
The United Club Infinite card gives cardholders bonus Premier Qualifying Points towards reaching United Premier status. You’ll earn 500 PQPs for every $12,000 spent on the card, up to 8,000 PQPs in a calendar year.
Maximizing the bonus PQPs gets you Premier Silver status which requires 5,000 PQPs or a boost towards Premier Gold status which requires 10,000 PQPs.
Additionally, we like the United Infinite Card because it also comes with a complimentary IHG Platinum and Avis President’s Club elite status, giving cardholders more travel perks and benefits.
4. Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
Best for Admirals Club Lounge Access
- Earn 50,000 AAdvantage Miles After Spending $5,000 in the First 3 Months
- Admirals Club Lounge Membership for Cardholders and Up to 10 Authorized Users with Two Guests
- Free Checked Bag (for you and 8 travel companions)
- Priority Boarding and Priority Check-In
- Global Entry / TSA Pre-Check Credit
- $450 Annual Fee
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite MasterCard® is a great choice if you’re a frequent American Airlines flyer who wants airport lounge access.
This card features an Admirals Club membership (worth $650) that allows the primary cardholder and up to two guests with a same-day boarding pass to enter American Airlines Admirals Club lounges when flying American Airlines, a OneWorld airline (including Alaska Airlines), or JetBlue (excluding flights to Europe).
Plus, the primary cardholder enjoys access to over 50 partner lounges worldwide.
The annual fee is $450, but you can add up to 10 authorized users for free, who also enjoy Admirals Club lounge access with two guests.
If you maximize this benefit, you effectively pay only $41 per person for a yearly Admirals Club membership ($450 divided by 11 people).
5. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Best for Southwest A-List Status & Companion Pass Eligibility
- Earn 50,000 Points After Spending $1,000 in the First 3 Months.
- $75 Annual Southwest Travel Credit
- 7,500 Points on Every Cardmember Anniversary
- 3X Points on Southwest Purchases
- 2X Points on Ridesharing, Local Transit, Internet, Cable, Phone, and Select Streaming
- 4 Upgraded Boardings Per Year
- 25% Savings on In-Flight Purchases
- $149 Annual Fee
The Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is the best rewards card for Southwest flyers, earning 3x points on Southwest purchases and 2x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases, ridesharing, local transit, internet, cable, phone, and streaming services.
At $149 per year, this travel card offers a host of great perks to offset the cost, including a $75 annual Southwest travel credit, 7,500 bonus points each account anniversary, 4 upgraded boardings, and a 25% in-flight savings.
The Southwest Priority card also comes with lost luggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, secondary rental car insurance, purchase protection, and an extended warranty.
6. Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Best Mid-tier Card for Delta Status
- Earn 50,000 SkyMiles After $3,000 in Eligible Purchases in the First 6 Months
- 3X SkyMiles on Delta Purchases and Hotel Stays
- 2X SkyMiles at Restaurants and U.S. Supermarkets
- Free First Checked Bag
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit
- 20% Statement Credit on Delta In-Flight Purchases
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- $250 Annual Fee (Rates & Fees)
The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card is great for Delta loyalists, offering a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate every year upon renewing your card.
For a $250 annual fee, getting this card unlocks valuable flying benefits, including a first checked bag free that saves you up to $60 per person on a round-trip Delta flight, a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, and 20% savings on in-flight food and beverages.
You and two companions also get a discounted rate of $50 per person per visit to Delta Sky Clubs.
Plus, you can waive the MQD requirement toward Silver, Gold, or Platinum Medallion Status and earn 10,000 MQMs after making $25,000 in purchases to reach status faster.
The Delta SkyMiles Platinum card earns 3X SkyMiles on Delta purchases and hotel stays.
7. Barclays JetBlue Plus
Best for JetBlue Mosaic Status
- Earn 80,000 Bonus Points for Spending $1,000 in Purchases in the First 90 Days and Paying Annual Fee
- 6x Points on JetBlue Flights
- Free First Checked Bags for You and 3 Companions
- 5,000 Points Every Account Anniversary
- 50% In-Flight Savings
- $100 Annual Vacation Credit
- $99 Annual Fee
The Barclays JetBlue Plus earns 6x TrueBlue points on JetBlue flights and 2x points on dining and groceries, so it’s easy to accrue points faster for award flights if you’re a JetBlue loyalist.
Even if you’re an occasional traveler, you’ll likely benefit from the free checked bags for you and three companions, 5,000 TrueBlue points every anniversary, a $100 vacation credit, 50% in-flight savings on food and alcoholic beverages, and a 10% points rebate when using your TrueBlue points – all for $99 per year.
Related: Best Ways to Use JetBlue TrueBlue Points and Guide to JetBlue Mint.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.
