Which airline credit cards provide the best priority boarding benefits?

Airline credit cards offer a wide range of enticing perks, from massive sign-up bonuses and valuable companion tickets to airport lounge access and complimentary checked bags. However, one of the most practical advantages they offer is priority boarding, a time-saving benefit.

This perk, available with many airline credit cards, helps you skip the long lines at the gate and ensures you have access to overhead storage space for your carry-on before the rest of the passengers board.

With the variety of boarding procedures that airlines use today, it's difficult to make a direct comparison of benefits between carriers. Nonetheless, this guide will provide an overview of the top airline credit cards offering priority boarding privileges.

Take a closer look at the boarding benefits of co-branded airline credit cards, along with detailed information on each airline, to help you understand the differences and nuances of their offerings.

An Overview of Airline Boarding Groups

Sadly, many airlines do not offer priority boarding as part of their credit card perks. Some notable exclusions are the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®*, JetBlue Card*, American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp®*, Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card, and the United Gateway℠ Card.

*The information provided for these cards has been independently gathered by Dinogo. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the card issuers.

Now, let's dive into the specifics for each airline.

Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines operates a boarding process with six groups plus preboarding, resulting in seven distinct announcements for passengers to board.

• Preboarding: Available for passengers requiring special assistance, families with young children, and active-duty military personnel
• Priority boarding: Reserved for first-class passengers and MVP Gold 100K members
• Group A: Mileage Plan Million Miler, MVP Gold 75K, and MVP Gold elite members
• Group B: Mileage Plan MVP members and premium-class guests
• Group C: Alaska Airlines credit cardholders
• Group D: Economy passengers seated in the rear section of the plane
• Group E: Economy passengers seated in the front section of the plane
• Group F: Passengers in basic economy (saver) seats

Cardholders of the Alaska Airlines Visa and Alaska Airlines Business cards enjoy priority boarding privileges.

American Airlines

American Airlines has an extensive boarding process, featuring nine groups along with special preboarding options. The good news is that holding one of the major American AAdvantage credit cards can grant you early boarding.

• Preboarding: For passengers needing special assistance, including families with young children
• ConciergeKey members
• Group 1: First class, active-duty U.S. military with ID, AAdvantage Executive Platinum elite members, and business class on two-class international flights
• Group 2: AAdvantage Platinum Pro, Oneworld Emerald elite members, and business class on three-class international flights
• Group 3: AAdvantage Platinum and Oneworld Sapphire elite members
• Group 4: AAdvantage Gold and Oneworld Ruby elite members, AirPass members, premium economy passengers, those who purchase priority boarding, eligible corporate travelers, and Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard members
• Group 5 (Preferred boarding): Main Cabin Extra and AAdvantage credit cardholders
• Group 6: All other AAdvantage members
• Group 7-8: Economy passengers
• Group 9: Basic economy passengers traveling within the U.S., Canada, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean

As an AAdvantage credit cardholder, the best you can expect is boarding in Group 6 out of 11 groups. However, those with Group 5 priority boarding include cardholders of the following credit cards:

• Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard
• Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard®
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® American Express® Card
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Visa Signature
• AAdvantage Aviator Silver Mastercard
• AAdvantage Aviator Red Mastercard
• AAdvantage Aviator Business Mastercard

Although most AAdvantage credit cards offer similar boarding benefits, the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard gives you a slight edge with one extra boarding group. This is justified by its higher annual fee ($595) and exclusive perks like Admirals Club access.

Remember, you only need to hold one of these travel cards to enjoy the benefit—purchasing your ticket with the card is not required.

This list does not include the Citi AAdvantage MileUp card or other AAdvantage credit cards offered by Citi and Barclays that are no longer available to new applicants and are expected to be discontinued.

The details for the AA Platinum Select Amex and AA Platinum Select Visa Signature cards have been independently gathered by Dinogo. These card details have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Delta Air Lines

Delta Airlines features nine boarding zones, including preboarding, which can be a bit overwhelming. However, holding a Delta co-branded credit card can boost your chances, getting you into the fifth zone.

• Preboarding: Available for passengers requiring assistance, active-duty U.S. military personnel with ID, and Delta 360 members
• Zone 1: Delta One or first class
• Zone 2: Diamond Medallion members and Delta Premium Select customers
• Early boarding for families with car seats and strollers
• Zone 3: Delta Comfort+: Passengers in Delta Comfort+ seats
• Zone 4: Sky Priority: Platinum and Gold Medallion members, Flying Blue Platinum and Gold members, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold members, SkyTeam Elite Plus members, LATAM Pass Black Signature, Black and Platinum Elite members, and WestJet Rewards Platinum and Gold Elite members
• Zone 5: Silver Medallion members, Delta Corporate Travelers, Flying Blue Silver members, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Silver members, SkyTeam Elite members, SkyMiles Select members, LATAM Pass Gold+ Elite, WestJet Rewards Silver Elite members, and Delta SkyMiles Gold, Platinum, and Reserve cardholders
• Zone 6: SkyMiles members in the main cabin
• Zone 7: Non-SkyMiles members in the main cabin
• Zone 8: Basic Economy

That's a lot of different zones.

If you're flying economy without SkyPriority or elite status, your best option—regardless of which Delta credit card you hold—is to board with the first group in the main cabin. This puts you in the fifth of nine boarding groups. While overhead storage may still be available, it isn't guaranteed due to the earlier boarders.

Holders of the $650 per year Delta SkyMiles Reserve Amex (see rates and fees) don't board any sooner than those with the more affordable Delta SkyMiles Platinum Amex ($350 annually; see rates and fees) or the Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex ($0 introductory fee for the first year, then $150 annually; see rates and fees).

Frontier Airlines

This budget-friendly airline offers a co-branded credit card through Barclays that allows you to board the plane earlier than most passengers.

Here's an overview of Frontier's boarding process.

• Preboarding: For passengers needing special assistance, such as those using a wheelchair or unaccompanied minors
• Board First: Available for those who buy a carry-on bag, as well as Elite Diamond and Elite 100K members
• Zone 1: Passengers who purchase a carry-on bag or have Frontier Miles Elite Gold, Elite Platinum, Elite 20K, or Elite 50K status
• Courtesy Boarding: Offered to families with young children or passengers requiring extra time
• Zone 2: Frontier Airlines World Mastercard holders and those seated in the rear of the plane
• Zones 3-4: The remaining passengers in the cabin

Holding the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard from Barclays places you at the front of the general boarding process, which is the fifth group out of seven. This is similar to many other airline credit cards, though it may vary slightly depending on how many passengers opt for carry-ons or bundled fare options.

JetBlue

With the JetBlue Business card, you'll be granted Group A boarding on all JetBlue-operated flights.

Here are the boarding groups for JetBlue:

• Preboarding: For customers who require mobility assistance
• Mosaic and Mint passengers
• Group A: Even More Space passengers and JetBlue Business cardholders
• Courtesy Boarding: For active military personnel and families traveling with young children
• General Boarding: Groups B, C, D, E, and F
• Final Call: Remaining passengers

Achieving Mosaic status through flights or credit card spending will land you in the second boarding group, with a good chance of securing overhead bin space.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest's credit card benefits differ from most other airlines. Instead of priority boarding, the focus is on earning points towards the Companion Pass, anniversary bonuses, and qualifying credits for A-List elite status, along with the perk of waived ticket change fees and two free checked bags.

Southwest's boarding process is unique, with passengers boarding in three main groups, plus a separate family boarding. For most travelers, the boarding order is based on when they check in, so it’s crucial to check in as close to the 24-hour mark as possible.

Here's an overview of how the boarding process works:

• A1-A15: Business Select passengers and those who purchase upgraded boarding
• A16-A30: Passengers who buy early check-in, check in promptly at the 24-hour window, and possibly A-List and A-List Preferred members
• Family Boarding/Active Military: For families with children aged 6 and under and active-duty military personnel
• B1-B60: The next group of passengers
• C1-C60: Passengers who board last and choose from the remaining available seats

Two of Southwest’s credit cards offer priority boarding: the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority and Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business cards. These cards come with the benefit of four upgraded boardings per year, subject to availability.

Upgraded boardings can be purchased through the Southwest app or website starting 24 hours before departure, or at the gate or ticket counter on the day of travel. The cost is usually around $30-$50 per ticket, making it a valuable benefit for cards with an annual fee of $149 and $199, respectively.

Both the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Cards earn 1,500 tier-qualifying points for every $5,000 spent annually. You need 35,000 TQPs to achieve A-List elite status with Southwest. Depending on your travel and spending habits, carrying one of these cards could help you reach that threshold and enjoy regular priority boarding benefits.

The information for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier has been collected independently by Dinogo. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Spirit Airlines

While Spirit Airlines is known for its no-frills approach to seat selection, carry-on bags, and boarding passes, owning the Free Spirit World Elite Mastercard can make the boarding process a little more comfortable.

• Preboarding: For passengers who require special assistance
• Zone 1: Passengers who have purchased a carry-on bag
• Zone 2: Passengers who buy Shortcut Boarding, hold Free Spirit Gold or Silver status, or possess the Free Spirit Mastercard
• Family Boarding: For families with children aged 3 and under
• Zone 3: General boarding for passengers seated at the back of the plane
• Zone 4: General boarding for passengers seated at the front of the plane

Zone 2 is somewhat misleading, as preboarding and Zone 1 occur before it, making it effectively the third boarding group out of six.

Since many passengers tend to buy carry-on bags, you may find yourself watching the majority of the plane board before you. Remember that Spirit charges less for checked bags than for carry-ons, so predicting how many will be in Zone 1 can be tricky.

If you're taking full advantage of Spirit's lowest fares, carrying their credit card can give you a competitive edge over other budget-conscious travelers. However, if you tend to buy bundles or carry-on bags, you may not need the card.

United Airlines

United's boarding process involves seven distinct groups, each with specific passenger categories and a unique boarding sequence.

• Preboarding: For unaccompanied minors, passengers with disabilities, families with children aged 2 or under, active military members, and United Global Services or Premier 1K elite members
• Group 1: Premier Platinum and Gold elite members, Star Alliance Gold members, and passengers in United Polaris, first class, or business class
• Group 2: Premier Silver elite members, Star Alliance Silver members, passengers who buy Premier Access or priority boarding, and holders of the United Explorer Card, United Club Infinite Card, United Business Card, United Club Business Card, United Quest Card, Presidential Plus Card, or the Awards Card (note: the last two are no longer available to new customers)
• Group 3: Economy and Economy Plus passengers seated in window or exit row seats
• Group 4: Economy and Economy Plus passengers in middle seats
• Group 5: Economy and Economy Plus passengers in aisle seats
• Group 6: Basic Economy passengers (only in eligible markets)

If multiple passengers are on the same reservation in economy, each person will board according to the highest priority group assigned to any of the travelers, except for basic economy passengers, who will always board in Group 6.

Holders of the basic United Gateway card do not enjoy any special boarding or baggage benefits. United's range of credit cards includes options with varying annual fees, such as the $525 fee for the United Club Infinite Card and the $450 fee for the United Club Business Card. Despite this, all cardholders board at the same time.

The details for the United Club Business, United Presidential Plus, and Awards cards have been compiled independently by Dinogo. The information on this page has not been verified or provided by the card issuer.

Bottom line

Owning a midrange or premium credit card from an airline can help you board earlier. However, with the rise in elite status tiers, 'early' boarding has become somewhat relative.

In most cases, you'll still board before the majority of economy passengers, which could help you find overhead bin space for your carry-on. But this benefit alone might not justify carrying the card.

By pairing your airline credit card with perks like free checked bags and discounts on in-flight purchases, you can enhance your travel experience and get the most value out of your card.