As Midtier Airline Cards Move to 3-Digit Fees, Are The Perks Worth It?

• A no-frills, $0-annual-fee option.

• A triple-digit-annual-fee premium card, packed with perks.

• And, in between, a “midtier” or “midmarket” card that’s a bit of a mix. There’s an annual fee, but it’s not several hundred dollars, and you do get a couple of meaningful perks — including free checked bags — that can often offset that more modest fee.

These middle-of-the-market cards — which until recently had annual fees hovering between $95 to $99 — have long been an option for those who want moderate travel perks, but don’t want to shell out $500 or more for a premium card. After all, a card that costs just shy of $100 a year could pay for itself with a checked-bag benefit alone.

But like so many other things, midmarket airline credit cards have gotten more expensive over the past couple of years, and several popular ones now charge around $150 annually.

An annual fee can certainly be worth paying, but is it worth paying over 50% more now? It depends on how easily you can chip away at the cost by cashing in miles and using a card’s other benefits.

You’re loyal to the airline. Airline cards typically earn higher rewards rates when you book flights through the airline directly. The cards’ other features are geared toward those airlines, too — flight credits, free checked bags, discounts on in-flight purchases, priority boarding and more.

You’ll use most of the card’s extras. When issuers have raised annual fees on certain midtier airline cards, they’ve also attempted to soften the blow by adding on some new incentives.

• The New United℠ Explorer Card bumped up its annual fee in March 2025 to $0 intro for the first year, then $150. In exchange, it began to offer new benefits including statement credits for ridesharing services, grocery delivery, rental cars, public charter flights and more. 

• The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card raised its annual fee in February 2024 to $0 intro for the first year, then $150. New perks included 15% discounts on award travel bookings, along with a $200 annual Delta flight credit when you spend $10,000, and a $100 credit per year toward hotel bookings through Delta Stays. Terms apply.

You travel often, and with one or more companions. With checked bag fees starting at $35 per flight with most airlines, two people flying together on the same reservation would spend $140 total when they each check a bag for one round-trip flight. In that case, a credit card with a $150 annual fee may not be worth it.

On the other hand, if you travel twice a year with one other person, or once a year with two other people, you’d easily offset a $150 annual fee.

You fly on multiple airlines. Airline-specific benefits make less sense when you don’t fly a certain airline most of the time. A general travel rewards credit card will give you more flexibility.

You don’t want the hassle of trying to earn numerous statement credits. Getting value out of a card’s yearly statement credits takes work. You have to know which kinds of purchases are eligible for credits and when, as some credits are issued monthly or semi-annually. Plus, you may have to spend a lot of money to get some money back, like when you have to drop a five-figure sum on a card to get an annual flight credit. If all of this stresses you out, look for a card with a simpler rewards program. Travel is supposed to be fun!

You rarely check a bag. Light packers aren’t going to get the instant savings one gets with a card’s free checked bag benefit.

If $100 is your limit for an annual fee, there are still compelling airline card options to consider, including:

You may also find that a general travel rewards credit card is a good fit, since they may offer your preferred airline as a transfer partner. Some examples: