What Cards Are Friendliest to Frequent Fliers?

FOR millions of travelers, credit card reward programs are the best way to score free airline tickets and hotel rooms. But with credit card issuers and travel companies ratcheting up the competition for customers in recent months – for instance, JetBlue recently rolled out a new card with American Express – how do you know which card in your wallet is worth reaching for?

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“All of these cards have pros and cons, and the trick is to figure out, based on your own travel and consumption behavior, how they work in your case,” Mr. Winship said.

International travelers who want upgrades and free seats, for instance, should consider the United Mileage Plus Platinum Visa Signature card, issued by Chase Manhattan Bank. According to Mr. Winship, it is one of the few cards for which miles count toward elite status.

Mr. Winship said that miles that qualify for elite status are only awarded for actually flying. “Elite status, after all, is a way of rewarding the airline’s best customers, not the credit card issuer’s best customers,” he said. In all other respects, though, a mile earned by flying United has the same value as a mile earned by charging purchases to the airline’s card.

Otherwise, travelers should consider a card that is affiliated with an airline that serves their favorite foreign destinations. On this front, the American Express Delta SkyPoints card has garnered praise from advocacy groups like Consumers Union. Unlike many other airline-specific cards, the card does not impose blackout dates. (It also offers double points for many purchases.) And Delta SkyMiles members can transfer their miles to programs within the nine-member SkyTeam Alliance, including KLM, Air France and Aeromxico, among others, and trade points for ticket discounts.

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For occasional travelers who want a free domestic ticket every few years, the Starwood American Express card is a good option, since it can yield fairly quick awards for those who use it for routine purchases and intermittent trips. The card only offers a 4,000-point sign-up bonus, but it is free for the first year and $30 thereafter, and includes 6,000 bonus points for Starwood hotel stays. When cardholders reach the 20,000-point level, the company adds 5,000 points when you convert the points to miles, which means they are then in the range of a domestic ticket on most airlines.

The JetBlue Card from American Express is also worth considering, since its mileage awards start at a relatively low threshold – 20,000 “Award Dollars” versus 25,000 points for most others – and since it has a comparatively low annual fee ($40). And the airline offers double Award Dollars for tickets bought with the card, as well as many entertainment and dining purchases.

Another solid option for this group is the Orbitz Platinum MasterCard, which offers two points for each dollar spent on air travel on Orbitz.com, the online travel agency, and with every 10,000 points earned, cardholders receive $100 off air fare bought on Orbitz using their card. The Citibank PremierPass card, which has no annual fee, is another good choice.

Credit card issuers and travel suppliers are fighting more aggressively for consumers who use loyalty cards, analysts and executives said, because typical loyalty program members spend a lot of money and pay off their debts. So with airline profits scarce, it is not surprising that some carriers have been offering better deals.

For example, in May, Continental’s World MasterCard, which is issued by Chase Manhattan Bank, began offering new cardholders a 5 percent discount on fares they buy on Continental.com during the first year. In addition, the company now offers an enrollment bonus of 15,000 miles, compared with 10,000 miles for the Platinum.

“It’s a very aggressive industry right now,” said Wade Amerson, who manages Continental Airlines’ credit card partnerships. Mr. Winship’s Web site, FrequentFlier.com, has charts that allow visitors to compare offers on airline- and hotel-related cards, and provides details about bank-specific cards that yield travel rewards.

Subtleties are important. For instance, those who sign up for United’s card can use their miles to book flights on any of the Star Alliance members, which include US Airways and many international carriers.

Each of the major airlines has such an alliance, but there are limits to watch for. Since British Airways and American Airlines compete on trans-Atlantic routes, for instance, consumers with American’s World MasterCard or the British Airways Visa Signature card cannot switch over to the other carrier when booking those routes.

And even if you sign up for an airline-related card, you still have to enroll in the company’s frequent-flier program to reap all the benefits. If you buy a trans-Atlantic flight on British Airways using its branded Visa card, and you’re a member of the airline’s Executive Club frequent-flier program, the airline will credit your frequent-flier account for the trip after you’ve paid for it as well as for the amount charged on the card. If you’re not an Executive Club member, you will only receive credit for the $800 or so you spent on the ticket and you will have lost the chance for a shortcut to a free trip.