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Airline credit cards can be a valuable tool in a traveler's pocket. Oftentimes, these cards come with benefits like free checked bags, discounts on in-flight purchases, elevated earnings on your spending, and more. If you fly semi-regularly, having one of these cards could bring enough benefits to outweigh any annual fee that comes with the card.
However, we know that you may not want to fork over a huge chunk of change for an airline card's annual fee, even if there are solid benefits. With that in mind, we've compiled a list of our favorite cards with annual fees under $100. One of them even offers no annual fee for the first year.
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Overview of the Best Airline Credit Cards With Annual Fees Below $100
| Card Name | Annual Fee | Welcome Offer | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card | $95 | Earn 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. | Travel to and from Ireland using Avios. |
| Aeroplan® Credit Card | $95 | Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. | Automatic elite status and low-cost Star Alliance redemptions. |
| Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card | $95 | Earn 60,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) with this offer. To qualify, make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account. Additionally, receive a 30% flight discount code for a qualifying future flight after opening your new account. | Valuable Companion Fare and unique bonus categories. |
| British Airways Visa Signature® Card | $95 | Earn 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. | Credits toward award taxes and fees plus earning a ticket to bring a friend or 50% off an award booking. |
| Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® | $99, waived for first 12 months | Earn 60,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.. | Earning Loyalty Points toward elite status with credit card purchases. |
| Iberia Visa Signature® Card | $95 | Earn 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. | Discounts on Iberia flights and an award sweet spot between the U.S. and Europe. |
| JetBlue Plus Card | $99 | Earn 70,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days and payment of the annual fee. | Anniversary bonus points and big discounts on inflight purchases. |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card | $99 | Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | Anniversary bonus points, EarlyBird Check-Ins, and working toward the Companion Pass. |
Let's look at the details for each card so you can decide which one may be a good fit for you and your travels.
The 8 Best Airline Credit Cards With Annual Fees Under $100
Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card
Highlights of the Aer Lingus Visa include bonus earnings across Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, and LEVEL plus earning a Companion Ticket (good for 12 months) after $30,000 of purchases on your card within a calendar year. Another perk is that you can transfer Avios freely and instantly across the Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways, Iberia, and British Airways programs to access the best redemption at hand when you want to use your rewards.
- 3X Avios per $1 spent on purchases with Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, and LEVEL
- 2X Avios per $1 spent on hotel accommodations
- 1X Avios for every $1 spent on all other purchases
Related: Aer Lingus Visa full review
Aeroplan® Credit Card
Holding the Aeroplan Card gives you a healthy stash of Aeroplan points to book flights with Air Canada or its 50 airline partners. The Aeroplan loyalty program tends to fly under the radar; however, it has many sweet spots and is not only for Canadians or people visiting Canada. Aeroplan Card benefits include automatic elite status, a path to spending toward higher status tiers, your first checked bag free, preferred pricing on award bookings, a credit for your Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee every four years, and other travel protections. These benefits more than make up for the small $95 annual fee.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points
- Earn 75K bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
- $95 Annual Fee
- Redeem points for both international and domestic flights with the Aeroplan® Credit Card.
- Fly to another continent and travel the world with the Aeroplan® Credit Card.
- Earn 3X points for each dollar spent at grocery stores, on dining at restaurants, and Air Canada directly. Earn 1X point for each dollar spent on all other purchases.
- 500 bonus points for every $2,000 you spend in a calendar month - up to 1,500 points per month.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 3x points directly with Air Canada
- 3x points on dining, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- 3x points at grocery stores
- 1x point on all other purchases
Related: Aeroplan Card full review
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card
The Alaska Visa Card offers free checked bags, priority boarding, and 20% back on inflight purchases on Alaska Airlines. It also includes Alaska's famous Companion Fare — which costs $99 plus taxes and fees starting at $23 — every account anniversary if you spend $6,000 or more on the card in the previous cardholder year. Alaska miles are harder to come by — with considerably fewer transfer partners than other programs — but the value of Alaska miles can't be understated.
- LIMITED TIME ONLINE OFFER-60,000 Bonus Miles + a 30% Flight Discount Code!
- Receive a 30% flight discount code for a qualifying future flight after opening your new account. Additionally, earn 60,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after making $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
- Get Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) each account anniversary after you spend $6,000 or more on purchases within the prior anniversary year. Valid on all Alaska Airlines flights booked on alaskaair.com.
- Earn unlimited 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases. Earn unlimited 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share) purchases. And earn unlimited 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases. And, your miles don't expire on active accounts.
- Earn a 10% rewards bonus on all miles earned from card purchases if you have an eligible Bank of America® account.
- Free checked bag and enjoy priority boarding for you and up to 6 guests on the same reservation, when you pay for your flight with your card - Also available for authorized users when they book a reservation too!
- With oneworld® Alliance member airlines and Alaska's Global Partners, Alaska has expanded their global reach to over 1,000 destinations worldwide bringing more airline partners and more ways to earn and redeem miles.
- Plus, no foreign transaction fees and a low $95 annual fee.
- This online only offer may not be available elsewhere if you leave this page. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
- Earn unlimited 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases
- Earn unlimited 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging stations, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share) purchases
- Earn unlimited 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other eligible purchases
Related: Alaska Visa Card full review
British Airways Visa Signature® Card
British Airways is known for charging hefty fuel surcharges, but if you have the British Airways Visa Card, you can get up to $200 in rebates (per booking, up to three times a year) to cover award taxes and fees. This benefit alone can justify the annual fee. The card also has no foreign transaction fees and all of the travel benefits of a Visa Signature card — things like baggage delay insurance, purchase protection, lost luggage reimbursement, and extended warranty protection. In addition to the card benefits, the British Airways Executive Club program offers unique booking opportunities with dozens of partner airlines and uses a distance-based award chart, so short hops and positioning flights can be a steal.
- Earn 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
- Earn 3 Avios per $1 spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, and LEVEL.
- Earn 2 Avios per $1 spent on hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel.
- 10% off British Airways flights starting in the US when you book through the website provided in your welcome materials.
- Every calendar year you make $30,000 in purchases on your British Airways Visa card, you'll earn a Travel Together Ticket good for two years.
- Pay no foreign transaction fees when you travel abroad.
- Simply tap to pay with your contactless British Airways Visa Signature Card. Just look for the contactless symbol at checkout. It's fast, easy and secure!
- Member FDIC
- 3X Avios per $1 spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, and LEVEL
- 2X Avios per $1 spent on hotel accommodations
- 1X Avios for every $1 spent on all other purchases
Related: British Airways Visa Card full review
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
A standout feature of Citi's AA Platinum Select is that the first checked bag is free for the cardholder and up to four other people traveling on the same reservation. Given that checked bags now cost $40 on American Airlines, this could save you up to $200 per trip. This benefit alone makes up for the annual fee. On top of that, cardholders receive a 25% discount on in-flight food and beverage purchases and preferred boarding for the cardholder and up to four companions traveling together. American Airlines miles are incredibly valuable, thanks to some great sweet spots and 21 airline travel partners. You'll also earn Loyalty Points toward elite status with purchases on your card.
With these perks, it's easy to justify the annual fee of $99, waived for first 12 months.
- Free checked bags for you and up to 4 companions on domestic itineraries
- Priority boarding to help you win the race for overhead bin space
- A 25% discount on inflight food, beverage, and Wi-Fi purchases
- Earn 2X miles for every $1 spent at restaurants
- Earn 2X miles for every $1 spent at gas stations
- Earn 2X miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
- Earn 1X mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases
Related: Citi AA Platinum Select full review
Iberia Visa Signature® Card
Like its British Airways and Aer Lingus counterparts, the Iberia Visa also earns Avios that you can move freely across the programs. Unique perks on this card include a 10% discount when booking at Iberia.com/Chase10, earning a $1,000 discount voucher toward two tickets on the same flight (earned after $30,000 of purchases on your card in a calendar year), and one of the best sweet spots in travel. You can redeem as few as 34,000 Iberia Avios for one-way business-class awards between the U.S. and Europe.
- 3X Avios per $1 spent on purchases with Iberia, British Airways, Aer Lingus, and LEVEL
- 2X Avios per $1 spent on hotel accommodations
- 1X Avios for every $1 spent on all other purchases
Related: Iberia Visa full review
JetBlue Plus Card
The JetBlue Plus Card offers TrueBlue points that are easy to redeem, given that they're pegged to the cash price of tickets, have no blackout dates, and can be used for any seat on the plane. As a cardholder, you'll get a free checked bag for you and up to three companions on your reservation, 5,000 bonus points on each account anniversary. Additional benefits include 50% off inflight purchases, Points Payback, and spending credits for JetBlue Vacations bookings
Related: Comparing JetBlue Credit Cards
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
While it doesn't offer quite as many perks as other airline cards, the Southwest Premier Card is a great option for people who love Southwest Rapid Rewards — especially those whose goal is earning a Companion Pass. Additional benefits include two EarlyBird check-ins per year, a 25% discount on in-flight purchases, 6,000-anniversary miles, and no foreign transaction fees. We love Southwest points and the sweet spots that can be found — especially for families.
- 3X points per $1 spent on all Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on all Rapid Rewards® Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
- 2X points per $1 spent on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Related: Southwest Premier Card full review
Bottom Line
If you're averse to high annual fees but still want a great airline card, you have options. Check out the benefits on each to decide which is the right fit for you. And with such low annual fees, you may even want to grab more than one.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Aeroplan® Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
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