Stop Wasting Your Money – Best Airline Card For 2024 

by Daniel | Last Updated Jun 29th, 2024

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Are you a frequent flyer looking for the perfect travel companion in your wallet?

Well you’re in the right place!

Today, I’ll be diving into an in-depth comparison of three standout airline credit cards: the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card, the United Quest Card, and the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard.

Each of these cards offers a unique blend of perks and rewards, tailored to loyalists of Delta, United, and American Airlines. Whether you’re chasing after miles, looking for exclusive travel benefits, or aiming to elevate your status, this video will help you determine which card is the ultimate match for your flying habits

From generous welcome bonuses to priority boarding, these cards promise to make your travels smoother and more rewarding. But which one truly offers the best value for your specific needs?

Well stay with me as I break down the key features, benefits, and potential drawbacks of each card, ensuring you have all the information you need to make an informed decision.

So don’t go anywhere – you’re about to discover the card that could transform your travel experience and make your adventures even more unforgettable!

https://youtu.be/Kw2ojci4CDk

Who Are These Cards Good For?

Now these airline reward credit cards do actually cater to different types of travelers.
So let’s take a closer look at each card to see which one might suit you the most.

Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card

So starting first with the most expensive card in this review is the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Amex card.And even through it has a high annual fee, it does come with some pretty valuable benefits that easily make up for it.

Delta Airlines Regulars

f you fly with Delta Airlines on a regular basis, this card is a no-brainer. It offers fantastic perks with Delta, including a complimentary Companion Certificate and travel credits.

Luxury Lovers

It is specifically Ideal for those who value premium travel experiences, as this card provides you with the ability to be  added to the Complimentary Upgrade list

Mileage Maximizers

Then travelers looking to earn a ton of Delta SkyMiles will be able to do so through their everyday spending and travel-related purchases.

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United Quest Card

So the second card on the list is the United Quest Card.
And this card sits right in the middle when it comes to cost of the annual fee.

Frequent United Flyers

It is perfect for frequent United Airlines passengers, offering 2 free checked bags on United flight and numerous United-specific perks. 

Premium Travelers

If you enjoy premium travel, this card includes benefits such as Upgrades on award tickets and Priority boarding. 

Travel Enthusiasts

And if love to travel and want to earn United miles quickly, this card is excellent due to its diverse earning structure.

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Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

So the last card on this list is the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard.
And it just so happens the be the cheapest card in review.
But don’t let that worry you as it still offers a ton of value.

American Airlines Regulars

This card is best suited for those who fly with American Airlines on a regular basis as it offers Preferred boarding and other AA-specific perks.

Mileage Maximizers

If you want to earn and maximize AAdvantage miles quickly, this card offers a broad range of options to earn miles from. 

Family Travelers

With benefits such as free checked bags for up to 4 travel companions, this card is a great choice for families who travel frequently on American Airlines.

Annual Fee And Sign-up Bonus 

Now from here, let’s take look at how valuable the sign-up bonus is and how much the annual fee will cost you each year.
This is something worth considering when choosing a new credit card, as its worth trying to get a much value as you possibly can.

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Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card

Now a nice benefit that is included with this card is the ‘TakeOff15’, benefit.
Basically this provides you with a 15% discount on Delta operated flights when you use. your own miles to book a flight.
so if you do travel quite frequently with Delta it will provide you with a decent amount of value.  

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United Quest Card

So you only have half the amount of time available to meet the spend requirement compared to the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card.

And with United miles being valued at around 1.2 cent per miles, this sign-up bonus is worth $840.

Now if you add an authorized user to your account within the first 3 months of opening the account you will then receive an additional 5,000 bonus miles. 

After 12 full months of card ownership you will then be able to get 5,000 miles back in your MileagePlus account once you take a United award flight that is booked with your miles.
And this is available to you 2 times each anniversary year.

So this card offer the ability to earn an additional 15,000 miles if you can meet the requirements. 

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Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

Now with America Airlines Advantage miles being valued at around 1.5 cents per miles, this sign-up bonus is worth about $1,000, which is pretty good consider it is the cheapest card in this review.  

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So two of the three cards offer a signup bonus of just over $1,000, which is pretty good, 

A couple of things to be aware of is the amount you will need to spend to receive the sign-up bonus and then how long you have to meet the spend requirement.

The Delta SkyMiles Platinum card has the most relaxed option, as it allows you 6 months to meet the $4,000 spend requirement.
Wheres the United Quest Card has the strictest option as it only allow you 3 months to meet the same $4,000 spend requirement.

Which Card Has The Best Miles Earning Potential?

So now we know how much each card costs on an annual basis and what they are offering as a sign-up bonus, we now need to look at the miles earning ability of each card.

This is another important factor to consider, as credit cards with higher miles earring potential will provide you quite a lot more value in the long run. 

Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card

Starting right at the top, it is possible to earn 3x miles for purchases made directly with Delta and directly at hotels. 

It is then possible to earn 2x miles at US restaurants which includes take out and delivery.
You will also earn 2x miles at US supermarkets.

Everything else will earn you 1 miles per dollar spent.

So as you can see, there is a reasonably broad range of categories that provide you the ability to earn a decent amount of miles from.
Interestingly enough, The Delta SkyMiles Platinum card has a better miles earning ability than the more expensive Delta SkyMiles Reserve card. 

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United Quest Card

Starting right at the top, if you are United MilesPlus member (which is free) it is possible to earn 8x miles on United flight.
All other purchases that are made with United will then earn 3x miles.

Hotels bookings that are booked through United hotels will earn you 4x miles.

It is then possible to earn 2x miles on pretty much all other travel that is not through United.
Along with this it is also possible to earn 2 miles on dining and on select streaming services.

Then everything else will earn you 1 miles per dollar spent.   

So as you can see, the United Quest card has a pretty impressive range of categories to earn miles from.

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Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

So basically it is possible to earn 2x miles at Restaurants, Gas stations and on eligible American Airlines purchases.
Everything else will learn you 1 mile per dollar spent. 

Which Card Has The Best Benefits And Perks?

So now that I’ve covered the annual fee, sign-up bonus and miles earning potential of each card, let’s take a look at the benefits that actually come with each card to see how they differ. 

Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card

But it’s important to know that it is only available to you once you have held the card for 1  year and then payed for the following year of card ownership.

Now if you have an eligible Delta ticket you will now be put on the Complimentary Upgrade List. 

You will also be able to get your first checked bag free of charge.
This can potentially save you quite a bit of money, as it can cost up to $70 per round trip for just one checked bag.

There is then the TakeOff 15 benefit.
This basically provides you with a 15% discount off your booking when you use your own miles to book a flight.

Then when you are flying on a Delta flight you will receive 20% back for inflight food and beverages purchases.

Now you can also receive $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem through Pay with Miles.

There is then a $150 Delta Stays Credit.

This basically allows for a $150 credit when you make a booking through Delta Stays on delta.com.

There is a $120 Resy Credit that is given to you in allotments of $10 a month offer the course of the year.

Along with this you will also receive a $120 Rideshare Credit that is also provided in $10 allotments each month.

And this can be used for services such as Uber or Lyft.

You will then have the option of receiving a $100 credit that can be used for either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.

Now an another benefit that is included with this card is the MQD Headstart.

And with this you will receive $2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year.

Along with this you will also be able to earn $1 Medallion Qualification Dollar per $20 spent on the card.

This basically helps to bring you closer to the next level of Medallion status. 

There is then access to Hertz Five Star Status, which provides you with a few nice benefits when renting a car from Hertz.

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United Quest Card

There is then $100 credit that can be used for either Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS.

Now with the United Quest card you will get both your first and second checked bags free of charge for you and one companion traveling with you on the same United reservation.
This can save you quite a lot of money, as United charges up to $40 for your first checked bag and then up to $50 for your second bag (per person).

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Now if you have MileagePlus Premier status you will be able to get Premier upgrades on award tickets for you and one companion.

You will also get Priority boarding for you and any companions that are traveling on the same reservation as you.

There is then the ability to earn back up to 10,000 miles in award flight credits each year.

This is available from your first account anniversary and will be award to you in 5,000 mile blocks for any award flights that are booked using your own miles.
And with miles being worth 1.2 cents per mile, this in itself is valued at around $120.

You will also be able to earn up to a total of 6,000 Premier qualifying points or (PQP’s) each year at a rate of 25 PQPs for every $500 that you spend.

There is then a complimentary one-year DashPass, that provides you with free deliveries and lower service fees on eligible orders.

And finally you will be able to earn 25% back on United inflight and Club premium drink purchases.

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Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

It is then possible to get your first checked bag free on domestic American Airlines flights for you and up to 4 travel companions on the same reservation. 

There is also Preferred boarding, which is a nice option to have, as it’s never fun waiting in a long line of people to board a plane. 

And finally you will get a 25% savings on inflight food and beverage purchases when flying with American Airlines.  

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So the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard doesn’t provide as much value as the other two cards, but to be fair, it is a lot cheeper on an annual basis. 

Final Thoughts

Ok so that covers just about everything you need to know about these 3 cards, and to be honest they all offer a reasonable amount of value. 
Now obviously it’s worth considering which airline you are more likely to fly with first, and then which benefits you will actually use and take advantage.

So let’s just do a quick recap and go back over each section to see how the cards compare.

Annual Fee

In terms of the annual fee the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard is the cheapest as it is free for the first year of card ownership, and then just $99 per year thereafter.  
Then the United Quest card comes in second with an annual of $250
And the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card comes in last with an annual fee of $350.

1. Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard
2. United Quest card
3. Delta SkyMiles Platinum card 

Sign-up Bonus

When it comes to the value of the sign-up bonus, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card comes out on top with a value of $1,020
Coming in second is the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard with a sign-up value of $1,000.
And coming in last is the United Quest Card with a sign-up value of $840.

1. Delta SkyMiles Platinum card
2. Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard
3. United Quest Card

Earning Miles

Now if you want to earn a ton of miles the United Quest Card has the highest miles earnings potential of all three card.
Coming in a close second is the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card.
And last but not least is the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard.  

1. United Quest Card
2. Delta SkyMiles Platinum card
3. Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

Benefits and Perks

So last but not least is benefits and perks, and at the top of the list is the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. 
This card provides quite a lot more value than both the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard and the United Quest Card.
Specifically because of the Companion Certificate.

Coming in second is the United Quest Card with a decent variety of benefits.

And in last place is the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard, mainly because to earn the $125 American Airlines Flight Discount you have to spend $20,000.

1. Delta SkyMiles Platinum card
2. United Quest Card
3. Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

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So when it comes to choosing the best travel credit card it really depends on what you are looking for in card and which benefits you will actually use.

If I were to choose one of these cards, I would personally go for the Delta SkyMies Platinum card as it provides quite a lot more value than both the United Quest Card and  the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard. 

And even though the annual fee is a fair bit more then the other cards the benefits on offer from Delta far outweigh this expense.

The $150 Delta Stays Credit, $120 Resy Credit and $120 Rideshare Credit totally make up for the annual fee.

Then the fact that you can get a Companion Certificate that allows for a main cabin domestic ,Caribbean, or Central American round trip fare is really valuable. 

Now if I had to pick card for second place I would have to go with the United Quest card.

It has a great miles earning ability from its wide range of categories making it quite a value card to have.

And the $125 annual United purchase credit helps to justify the $250 annual fee by bringing it down to just $125

So that leaves the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard as my last choice.
Now this doesn’t mean it not a good travel card, it still provides a reasonable amount of value from its miles earning potential and rather large sign-up bonus that is worth around $1,000.
I just don’t like the fact that you need to spend $20,000 to get the $125 American Airlines Flight Discount.

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Now as you may have noticed none of these cards offer access to any airport lounges, which is a bit of a bummer.
But thankfully you can use this link here to can save up to $118 off a Priority Pass Membership.

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Now if you want to learn more about the top of the range travel cards from Delta, United and American Airlines make sure to read my review here.