You might want to answer these two questions if getting an airline credit card is anywhere in your plans:

1. Do the benefits extend to the largest airline in my area?

2. Which airline credit card will give me quick benefits?

Airline-Sponsored Credit Card vs. Bank-Sponsored Credit Card

If you apply for a credit card that is sponsored by an airline, you will be able to use the credit card on that particular airline only. If you are a frequent traveler and you tend to travel to destinations where the bulk of the destination routes are managed by the airline, having a credit card by that airline will make your traveling very convenient, efficient and economical for you.

On the other hand, a bank-sponsored credit card offers more independence for you, the traveler. If you travel a lot, you can use your accumulated air miles on any airline of your choice, not just on one particular airline. A credit card sponsored by a bank is especially useful when no major airline within your area controls majority of destination routes. Another benefit of using a bank-sponsored credit card is that it has a lower minimum air miles requirement. With an airline-sponsored credit card, you have to meet a higher amount of airlines before you can use them. However, you need to be cautious when using a bank-sponsored credit card because it typically has a lot of hidden clauses.

Membership and Annual Fees

Credit cards have varying membership and annual fees. The fee is usually dependent on the type of credit card. Standard, gold and platinum air miles credit cards are the general types of cards being offered by the major credit card companies. Keep in mind, though, that the higher the credit limit (as in the case of gold and platinum credit cards), the higher the membership and annual fees.

You will frequently find many major credit card companies offering introductory air miles card with 0% interest. This is a marketing strategy credit card companies to attract sign up. The 0% interest is temporary and the interest rate will increase down the line. If you are concerned about high interest rates then do not apply for an air miles credit card.

In addition, majority of air miles credit cards will only allow you to claim a free or discounted trip after you have accumulated a minimum amount of air miles that they have set. Before signing up with anything, and in this case with a credit card company, be sure to read the fine print. Read it again if necessary. You need to be aware and understand the terms before you sign on the dotted line.

Rewards When You Travel

Air miles cards can be a very valuable thing to have, but only if you are a frequent traveler. An air miles card works like a regular credit card but with perks. You can use your air miles credit card to purchase goods and services and get reward points in, which you can redeem for air miles. You can use the air miles you have accumulated to get free or discounted trips to any destination.

Airline-sponsored credit cards also offer bonus air miles at selected stores or certain travel destinations. In general, you would get bonus air miles when you sign up for either an airline-sponsored or a bank-sponsored credit card.

Disadvantages of Air Miles Cards

While having an air miles card has a lot of benefits to offer a frequent traveler, it also has a few disadvantages. For one, this type of credit card tends to have a much higher interest rate than regular credit cards. If you leave the balance unpaid each month, the interest can quickly accumulate, which would make paying off your entire debt a little more difficult to accomplish.

Another disadvantage of having an air mile credit card is that you may fall into the temptation of making unnecessary purchases just so you could accumulate rewards that you can exchange for air mile points. Keep in mind that you should use your air miles credit card responsibly in order to enjoy the benefits that come with it.

For more information on airline and air miles credit cards try visiting http://www.bestonlinecreditcardoffers.com, a website that specializes in providing credit card offers, tips, advice and resources to include information on secured credit cards.