What is the best airline credit card with no annual fee?

The best airline credit card with no annual fee is The New United Gateway℠ Card. It offers 2 miles per $1 spent with United, 2 miles per $1 spent on gas station purchases, local transit and commuting, and 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases. New cardholders also get an initial bonus of 30,000 miles for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months, and there’s no foreign transaction fee.

Best Airline Credit Cards with No Annual Fee

How to Make the Most of Airline Credit Cards with No Annual Fee

To get the most out of an airline credit card with no annual fee, you need to:

• Use the card to pay for flights, dining, groceries, or other rewards categories where your airline card offers bonus miles (but don’t overspend just to earn rewards).
• Take advantage of any secondary perks your card offers, such as free checked bags and discounted in-flight purchases.
• Pay your bill in full every month, as the interest charges on airline credit cards can quickly negate any rewards you earn if you carry a balance from month to month.
• Redeem rewards for travel, as travel redemptions often yield higher reward values than gift cards or cash back.

Airline credit cards with no annual fee are not for everybody, though. Some people are actually better off with a card that charges a fee because paying a fee can unlock better rewards and benefits such as airport lounge access. The tradeoff is worth it if you fly frequently enough and spend a lot overall.

It’s also worth noting that there aren’t too many airline credit cards with no annual fee to choose from. You might want to consider general-purpose travel rewards cards as well if you want more of a selection. For example, if you want to redeem for flights on any airline or any other travel expenses, the Wells Fargo Autograph® Card is a good option. It gives 1 - 3 points per $1 spent, and points are worth around 1 cent on average, according to our research. Plus, the Wells Fargo Autograph Card has a $0 annual fee.

From what I can tell, true "airline" cards with no annual fee mostly stink. But if you MUST have one:

• Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select (first year fee waived)
• United Gateway (basic but okay if you fly United)
• Delta Blue (meh 2x on Delta)
  

It kind of depends on which airline you like most. Each airline usually has one no annual fee/low annual fee option. 
If you want something more versatile, Capital One VentureOne is good. But if I were you, I’d just pay to get the original Venture. The extra rewards pay for themselves.

Honestly, most no-annual - fee airline cards aren’t very good. The Citi AAdvantage MileUp isn't terrible if you fly American a lot - 2x miles at grocery stores and gas stations, plus no foreign fees.

 But you'll get way better value from a general travel card like the Wells Fargo Autograph (3x on flights, no fee).

I'm not sure if there are any. I know the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard has its fee waived for the first year, but then it's $99.

Discover it Miles is definitely one of the best. 1.5 miles per dollar in purchases, and no annual fee, what's not to love?