Airline credit cards come in two distinct flavors. The first is the bank sponsored card. These cards offer air miles as bonuses for using their card. In its most basic form the card holder is rewarded with one air mile for every dollar spent. These are quite popular because they can be used on any number of different carriers.

The other type of air miles rewards credit cards are tied to one specific airline. The American Airlines Citibank Mastercard is an example of a credit card that is specifically tied to one airline. It is a partnership between Citibank and American Airlines and the bonus miles earned can only be used for flights on American Airlines.

Some important points to consider:

• What airlines can you fly with the most?
• What are the terms of the rewards program
• Are there any blackout dates
• Are there any fees
• What are the interest rates for carrying balances
• What, if any, other restrictions apply

When comparing air miles offers, these points will serve as an excellent guide as you review the various deals. You will immediately find that some terms are favorable to you, just as some terms will not be. Doing side by side comparisons will allow you to make an informed, intelligent decision.

To determine which type of airline credit card is right for you, you first must consider exactly what your travel needs are. The first fact to consider is what airlines have hubs located near you. You can get the greatest deal in the world but if the airport that that airline flies out of is located 100 miles from your home or business then it’s simply not going to work.

So your first consideration is what carriers have flights based in the airports that you can most easily access. When you determine this you can then consult a credit card web site to review the air miles credit cards to find which issuers offer air miles rewards and frequent flier programs for airlines that you can conveniently access.

A quality web site will have a category dedicated specifically to air miles credit cards. Our recommendation is www.find-cards-now.com. It is a secure site that offers both airline specific credit cards as well as cards that can be used on any number of airlines. Some even come with no restrictions on which airline you fly.

As we have discussed, there are a great many factors to consider when choosing airline credit cards. Carefully review the terms and conditions of each offer that interests you and be sure that the card you choose has 100% protection against fraud, theft and unauthorized use.

By Morgan Hamilton