Best Cards For U.S. Domestic Flights

Why do we love this card? The points, of course. Look at that lump of points you get with the sign-up bonus, making the Companion Pass that much more accessible. This card offers 4 upgraded boarding passes, putting you in class A1-A15. That’s helpful because Southwest doesn’t assign seats. You also get 9,000 anniversary bonus points and in-flight wi-fi credits, plus all the great things that come standard with Southwest, like 2 free checked bags and no fee for changing or canceling your flight. The annual fee is higher on this card at $199, and the minimum spending requirement is $5,000/3 months. But when you get this card with another one of Southwest’s personal cards -- and meet your required spending at the beginning of the year -- you’re looking at almost 2 years of Companion Pass status.

It’s no secret that Southwest is one of the best ways to travel domestically. But which Southwest card is best for you? If you’re going for the Companion Pass, this is a great card in combination with another Southwest Business Card. But mind the wording: With Southwest restrictions, you can't have 2 personal Southwest cards at the same time. What sets this one apart? It’s a little bit more, shall we say... priority? Even though the annual fee is a little higher, this card comes with a $75 annual Southwest travel credit; a 7,500-point anniversary bonus; 4 Upgraded Boardings per year; and 20% in-flight savings.

JetBlue is another fun domestic option. They offer 6x earnings on JetBlue flights, free checked bag, complimentary assigned seats, the most legroom among U.S. airlines in economy, free DirecTV and free Wi-Fi ... just to name a few. Also, something JetBlue offers that we’ve found to be extremely useful: The pooling of points, meaning you can combine points with family and/or friends, up to other 6 TrueBlue members, making everyone’s points 100% redeemable through the pool (if the “Pool leader” allows access). We love JetBlue because it’s family friendly, comfortable and super easy to pool and use their points.

What sets the Chase Sapphire cards apart from any other card? The option to book trips through the Chase portal, increasing the value by either 25% or 50% -- depending on if you get the Preferred or Reserve card. Another reason we really like Ultimate Rewards for domestic travel is the 1.1 ratio when you transfer points to airlines like Southwest, JetBlue or United. With the transfer time being instantaneous, it’s super easy to find a great fare, then transfer and book all in a matter of minutes. Ultimate Rewards are so great for flexibility, simplicity and value, making the Sapphire cards an obvious choice.

Redeeming Delta flights is exciting because Delta uses an award pricing system that fluctuates based on the current cash price of tickets. This works out great because there are no blackout dates -- and the value of the miles are pretty consistent. The real excitement comes when Delta does a flash sale and offers domestic award seats round-trip from 10,000 SkyMiles. This card has first checked bag free for you and up to 8 companions, saving $30 each way. There is priority boarding and 20% in-flight savings (not including Wi-Fi). Overall, it’s great for domestic routes, especially if you catch one of their flash sales. The Platinum also includes an annual companion pass for U.S. domestic flights. Delta cards will move up these rankings when they have a special offer.

United is a great option for international as well as domestic. The biggest draw if you’re flying inside the U.S.? We love their 5,000 miles one-way domestic flight options. So if you grab the 60,000-welcome bonus, you’d have enough points for up to 12 domestic tickets. Great point redemption value, coupled with a free checked bag for you and one companion, makes this card a winner. You also get priority boarding and 25% in-flight savings. So whether you’re going from NYC to LAX -- or if you’re just hopping on a plane for a quick day trip to some place close -- this card offers plenty of perks that make for a very comfortable voyage.

If you aren’t loyal to a particular airline, this is a great domestic option for you. You get a hefty sign-up bonus, and the transfer rate is 1:1 on great airline options like Delta, Hawaiian Airlines and JetBlue. This is a higher annual fee card but comes with a lot of little extras that will help you travel like a pro. There is a monthly $15 Uber credit; $200 annual airline credit; and Centurion Lounge access for you and 2 guests -- making your layover a luxury experience. We’re not huge fans of annual fees. But this is one of those cards you might want to renew every year for the perks alone.

Because this card is a general one and not attached to any particular airline, redemption is made super easy. You can pick your tickets and just use your miles to erase the charge on your card. That means if you’re a mighty hunter for great deals, then you could be looking at some very rewarding trips with this one credit card. The miles rack up with a generous 2x miles per $1 on every single purchase, every single day. Along with the points, you still get things like TSA/Global Entry credit, secondary car rental insurance and travel accident insurance. But we love this card because the ease of redemption.