Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard

Ranked #10 on our Best Airline Credit Cards list, this card earns its $99 annual fee mostly through baggage: first and second checked bags free for the cardmember on eligible Hawaiian and Alaska operated flights booked with the card. Layered on top are a $100 companion discount for a Hawaii to North America roundtrip each anniversary, a one-time 50% off companion discount, and a 50,000-mile bonus after just $2,000 in three months, which is a notably low bar for a bonus that size. Earning is modest by comparison: the 3x rate applies only to Hawaiian Airlines purchases, with 2x on gas, dining, and groceries and 1x on everything else. There's also 15 months of 0% intro APR on balance transfers, unusual for an airline card, though the regular rate then sits between 20.24% and 29.99%. Fly to Hawaii once or twice a year and the bag and companion perks cover the fee comfortably; fly there rarely and nothing else on the card will.