Airline Credit Cards
Airline credit cards, Airline credit card reviews and credit card application details.
If you consider applying for an
airmiles credit card, you have to ask yourself a couple of questions. Which of the products on offer will earn a ticket quickest and with fewest strings attached? Will you be able to take advantage of the benefits offered by the major airlines in your region?
In general terms, there are two types of products you can choose between:
airline-sponsored credit cards and
bank-sponsored credit cards. The first type allows card holders to focus on one airline. If the preferred airline carrier has a hub nearby or in your city, it may be controlling most major routes to potential destinations. Its use will be more economical, convenient, and efficient in most cases, and you may think of applying for the respective airline-sponsored credit card. With-bank sponsored financial products, card holders enjoy more flexibility. This is due to the fact that clients can use the miles they earn on multiple airlines instead on a single one. If there isn’t a major line in your province or territory of residence, this type of card may make for your best bet. The product may come with further advantages such as lower minimum mileage requirement for travel, compared to the airline-sponsored cards. However,
these credit cards also go with more fine print for you to read.
Airmiles credit cards come with several important advantages to consider. First, if you have to purchase an item or service, it makes sense to charge it to the card as to accumulate money for a free flight or holiday. Second, the majority of credit card providers that feature frequent-flyer airmiles offer even more discounts to card holders through their partner stores. You may look for the best deals with the help of a card comparison service. Third, many credit card companies offer a welcome bonus in the form of free airmiles for joining.
However, there are a number of disadvantages of using airmiles credit cards. First, you might be tempted into buying useless items and thus run into more debt just to accrue miles. Purchase what you need only and do your best to settle you balance in full on a monthly basis. Second, lots of people choose to transfer balances only to accrue bonus miles, but there may be a fee of about 3 percent for that. It might be wiser to opt for a zero percent
balance transfer instead. Third, there might be some additional fees, taxes, surcharges, and other hidden charges you have to pay in order to take advantage of a free flight. Look at how different plans work before joining. Fourth, many customers never collect sufficient points to get a free holiday or flight. What is worse, many more accumulate debt when trying to do so. Finally, airlmiles can be lost if unused within a period of 12 months.
Most large banks in Canada such as
Bank of Montreal,
CIBC, and
Royal Bank of Canada, together with many second tier banks offer airline credit cards.