Summary Welcome bonuses are a key factor in evaluating airline-cobranded credit cards for value. Standard cards offer lower annual fees, average signup bonuses, and inflight benefits. Premium cards provide luxury benefits and high fees, but also offer hefty welcome bonuses with substantial miles.

When one is deciding whether to apply for and open a new account with an airline-cobranded credit card , there are undoubtedly numerous different considerations. Across the board, airline-cobranded credit cards can be an excellent value and will offer you impressive rewards for spending that you would likely be doing anyway. However, there are dozens of different credit cards on the market, and even individual airlines will often have complete commercial lineups with multiple award categories and ultra-premium cards.

Furthermore, navigating annual fees can also be challenging, as one of the most important considerations for one opening a new credit card is whether they will be able to recoup the investment in their annual fee. Welcome bonuses are one of the first places to look to gauge whether you will be able to recoup the upfront costs of investing in an airline-cobranded credit card. The welcome bonus (also referred to as a sign-on bonus) is typically offered as a one-time benefit in the form of bonus miles, elite status points, or some other reward.

To achieve these bonuses, a cardholder will typically need to clear a spending threshold within the first few months, a number whic.