Summary
- The AAdvantage Executive card offers 100,000 miles with $10,000 spent in 3 months.
- Alaska Airlines card: 60,000 bonus miles with $3,000 spending, $95 annual fee.
- The Avios Visa Signature card offers 80,000 miles with $5,000 spent in 3 months.
As of 2024, airline credit cards are becoming increasingly numerous, with almost every major airline offering a complete lineup of cards best suited to serve the needs of different consumers. One key way carriers attempt to differentiate themselves from the competition is by offering a sign-up bonus.
These sign-up bonuses, or welcome offers as they are known in the industry, offer one-time bonuses to entice passengers to open a credit card account. Such rewards can range from a small amount on low-fee cards to enough miles to get you to and from almost any global destination, easily justifying the first few years of annual fees.
As a result, passengers have learned to examine the different sign-up bonuses offered across the industry and select a card best suited to meet their individual needs. In this article, we will examine which of summer 2024’s most popular credit cards offer you the healthiest sign-on rewards.
1
AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard
Offered through: Citibank
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Category: |
Specification: |
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Total bonus miles: |
100,000 |
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Minimum spending requirement: |
$10,000 in 3 months |
The Executive World Elite Mastercard sits at the very top of American’s commercial lineup, with an extensive array of perks made available for an annual fee of $595. This card’s benefits include a complete membership to the Admirals’ Club, American’s premium lounge, free checked bags, an enhanced airport experience, and much more.
The card’s reward schedule is also rather generous. It offers cardholders an additional 4 miles per $1 spent on American Airlines flights (in addition to what they already get from flying), alongside bonus miles awarded for hotel and car rental expenditures. According to Citibank, the card also offers a loyalty point bonus, allowing cardholders to rise through the ranks of American’s elite status system.
Regarding welcome bonuses, American’s top card goes beyond all others, offering new cardholders an impressive 100,000 bonus miles. However, be ready to spend heavily to earn these miles, not just on the hefty annual fee but also on the $10,000 in purchases required within three months to earn the bonus.
2
Alaska Airlines Credit Card
Offered through: Bank of America
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Category: |
Specification: |
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Total bonus miles: |
60,000 |
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Minimum spending requirement: |
$3,000 in 3 months |
The Alaska Airlines credit card is a favorite of airline loyalists and travel enthusiasts alike. It offers generous reward terms for a relatively low annual fee of $95. The card is targeted towards commuters, with a rewards schedule offering double miles for gas and other local transit expenditures.
Photo: VDB Photos | Shutterstock
Furthermore, because of the card’s low annual fee, one can accrue 60,000 bonus miles quickly with the carrier’s generous sign-up bonus, which only requires a relatively low minimum expenditure of $3,000 over 3 months. The card also comes with an additional welcome bonus: the carrier’s famous companion fare, which allows passengers to book a ticket for a traveling companion for a low price of $99, in addition to the applicable taxes and fees.
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3
Avios Visa Signature Credit Cards
Offered through: Chase Bank
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Category: |
Specification: |
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Total bonus miles: |
80,000 |
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Minimum spending requirement: |
$5,000 in 3 months |
The International Airlines Group (IAG) offers three cobranded credit cards to consumers in the US market via banking partner Chase, each offering an impressive slate of benefits. These three cards, cobranded through Aer Lingus, British Airways, and Iberia, offer customers the opportunity to earn Avios (the miles awarded by IAG’s loyalty program) with different kinds of purchases in the United States.
The 80,000 Avios the card offers is undoubtedly a top-notch bonus and can certainly get you to and from Europe. Considering the modest annual fee of $95, the minimum spending requirement of $5,000 is rather reasonable by industry standards.
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4
Qatar Airways Privilege Club Infinite Visa Card
Offered through: Cardless
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Category: |
Specification: |
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Total bonus miles: |
50,000 |
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Minimum spending requirement: |
$5,000 in 90 days |
The recently launched Qatar Airways Privilege Club Infinite card offers an impressive array of benefits that will definitely justify the $499 annual fee. For starters, new cardholders will be offered 50,000 Avios as a welcome bonus, with the first 25,000 being paid out instantly and the rest only coming after minimum spending requirements are met.
Photo: rafapress | Shutterstock
But the new cardmember benefits offered by the card are not limited to just Avios, with 150 status-earning Qpoints also on offer. Furthermore, new cardmembers will be offered Qatar Airways gold and oneworld sapphire status.
5
United Club Infinite Card
Offered through: Chase Bank
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Category: |
Specification: |
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Total bonus miles: |
80,000 |
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Minimum spending requirement: |
$5,000 in 3 months |
The most premium of United Airlines’ cobranded credit card offerings is best known for offering access to the carrier’s lounge system, the primary factor leading to a hefty $525 annual fee. Nonetheless, the card does offer numerous other benefits, one of which is a healthy welcome bonus.
Photo: Chase Bank
New cardholders can access 80,000 MileagePlus bonus miles to travel almost anywhere in the United States roundtrip. The card’s minimum spending requirement is also fairly standard compared to other industry offerings.
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Do you use any of these cards?
Which of these welcome bonuses do you believe offers the best value? Let us know in the comments!