IndiaAIFounders — Which airline credit cards offer the best priority boarding perks?

Airline credit cards offer a variety of value-added perks, including companion tickets worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars, access to airport lounges and free checked bags. But one oft-advertised benefit is about convenience rather than savings: priority boarding.

This benefit, included with many airline credit cards, can get you to at least the middle of those long gate lines in time to find overhead space for your carry-on bag before the rest of the passengers trundle aboard.

Here's a look at what boarding privileges come with cobranded airline credit cards, followed by details on each airline to help you understand the nuances.

Airline boarding groups overviewAirlineCardsBoarding privileges*Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines<ul> <li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/6951?pid=6951&name=Atmos%E2%84%A2%20Rewards%20Ascent%20Visa%20Signature%C2%AE%20credit%20card&issuer=Bank%20of%20America" target="_blank">Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card</a></li> <li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/10987?pid=10987&name=Atmos%E2%84%A2%20Rewards%20Summit%20Visa%20Infinite%C2%AE%20credit%20card&issuer=Bank%20of%20America" target="_blank">Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® credit card</a></li> <li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/6338?pid=6338&name=Atmos%E2%84%A2%20Rewards%20Visa%20Signature%C2%AE%20Business%20Card&issuer=Bank%20of%20America" target="_blank">Atmos™ Rewards Visa Signature® Business Card</a></li> </ul>Group C, when you book with your card (4th of 7 groups)  American Airlines<ul> <li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/11203?pid=11203&name=Citi%C2%AE%20%2F%20AAdvantage%C2%AE%20Executive%20World%20Legend%20Mastercard%C2%AE&issuer=Citi" target="_blank">Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Legend Mastercard®</a> (see <a href="/tc/11203?pid=11203&name=Citi%C2%AE%20%2F%20AAdvantage%C2%AE%20Executive%20World%20Legend%20Mastercard%C2%AE&data-testid=ratesFees" target="_blank">rates and fees</a>)</li> </ul><ul> <li>Group 4 of 9 (officially)</li> <li>But 8 out of 13 (effectively)</li> </ul>American Airlines<ul> <li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/22146206?pid=22146206&name=Citi%C2%AE%20%2F%20AAdvantage%20Business%E2%84%A2%20World%20Elite%20Mastercard%C2%AE&issuer=Citi" target="_blank">Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard®</a> (see <a href="/tc/22146206?pid=22146206&name=Citi%C2%AE%20%2F%20AAdvantage%20Business%E2%84%A2%20World%20Elite%20Mastercard%C2%AE&data-testid=ratesFees" target="_blank">rates and fees</a>)</li> <li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/11024?pid=11024&name=Citi%C2%AE%20%2F%20AAdvantage%C2%AE%20Globe%E2%84%A2%20Mastercard%C2%AE&issuer=Citi" target="_blank">Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard®</a> (see <a href="/tc/11024?pid=11024&name=Citi%C2%AE%20%2F%20AAdvantage%C2%AE%20Globe%E2%84%A2%20Mastercard%C2%AE&data-testid=ratesFees" target="_blank">rates and fees</a>)</li> <li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/11232?pid=11232&name=Citi%C2%AE%20%2F%20AAdvantage%C2%AE%20Platinum%20Select%C2%AE%20World%20Elite%20Mastercard%C2%AE&issuer=Citi" target="_blank">Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®</a> (see <a href="/tc/11232?pid=11232&name=Citi%C2%AE%20%2F%20AAdvantage%C2%AE%20Platinum%20Select%C2%AE%20World%20Elite%20Mastercard%C2%AE&data-testid=ratesFees" target="_blank">rates and fees</a>)</li> </ul><ul> <li>Group 5 of 9 (officially)</li> <li>9 out of 13 (effectively)</li> </ul>Delta Air Lines<ul> <li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/22034414?pid=22034414&name=Delta%20SkyMiles%C2%AE%20Gold%20American%20Express%20Card&issuer=American%20Express" target="_blank">Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card</a></li> <li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/7838?pid=7838&name=Delta%20SkyMiles%C2%AE%20Gold%20Business%20American%20Express%20Card&issuer=American%20Express" target="_blank">Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card</a></li> <li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/220310483?pid=220310483&name=Delta%20SkyMiles%C2%AE%20Platinum%20American%20Express%20Card&issuer=American%20Express" target="_blank">Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card</a></li> <li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/7839?pid=7839&name=Delta%20SkyMiles%C2%AE%20Platinum%20Business%20American%20Express%20Card&issuer=American%20Express" target="_blank">Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card</a></li> <li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/6573?pid=6573&name=Delta%20SkyMiles%C2%AE%20Reserve%20American%20Express%20Card&issuer=American%20Express" target="_blank">Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card</a></li> <li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/7840?pid=7840&name=Delta%20SkyMiles%C2%AE%20Reserve%20Business%20American%20Express%20Card&issuer=American%20Express" target="_blank">Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card</a></li> </ul>Zone 5 of 9 (but effectively 6 out of 10)Frontier Airlines<ul> <li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/reviews/frontier-world-mastercard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Frontier Airlines World Mastercard®</a>**</li> </ul>Group 4 of 7JetBlue<ul> <li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/reviews/100k-sign-up-bonus-free-employee-cards-jetblue-business-card-review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JetBlue Business Card</a>**</li> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/reviews/jetblue-premier-card-review/">JetBlue Premier Card</a>**</li> </ul>Group 3 out of 8Southwest Airlines<ul> <li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/6703?pid=6703&name=Southwest%C2%AE%20Rapid%20Rewards%C2%AE%20Performance%20Business%20Credit%20Card&issuer=Chase" target="_blank">Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card</a> (see <a href="/tc/6703?pid=6703&name=Southwest%C2%AE%20Rapid%20Rewards%C2%AE%20Performance%20Business%20Credit%20Card&data-testid=ratesFees" target="_blank">rates and fees</a>)</li> <li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/22125792?pid=22125792&name=Southwest%20Rapid%20Rewards%C2%AE%20Plus%20Credit%20Card&issuer=Chase" target="_blank">Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card</a> (see <a href="/tc/22125792?pid=22125792&name=Southwest%20Rapid%20Rewards%C2%AE%20Plus%20Credit%20Card&data-testid=ratesFees" target="_blank">rates and fees</a>)</li> <li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/6157?pid=6157&name=Southwest%C2%AE%20Rapid%20Rewards%C2%AE%20Premier%20Business%20Credit%20Card&issuer=Chase" target="_blank">Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card</a> (see <a href="/tc/6157?pid=6157&name=Southwest%C2%AE%20Rapid%20Rewards%C2%AE%20Premier%20Business%20Credit%20Card&data-testid=ratesFees" target="_blank">rates and fees</a>)</li> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/reviews/southwest-rapid-rewards-premier-card-review/">Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card</a>**</li> <li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/6269?pid=6269&name=Southwest%20Rapid%20Rewards%C2%AE%20Priority%20Credit%20Card&issuer=Chase" target="_blank">Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card</a> (see <a href="/tc/6269?pid=6269&name=Southwest%20Rapid%20Rewards%C2%AE%20Priority%20Credit%20Card&data-testid=ratesFees" target="_blank">rates and fees</a>)</li> </ul><ul> <li>Group 5 of 8 officially (but effectively 8 out of 11)</li> </ul>United Airlines<ul> <li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/6874?pid=6874&name=United%E2%84%A0%20Business%20Card&issuer=Chase" target="_blank">United℠ Business Card</a> (see <a href="/tc/6874?pid=6874&name=United%E2%84%A0%20Business%20Card&data-testid=ratesFees" target="_blank">rates and fees</a>)</li> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/reviews/united-club-business-card-review/">United Club℠ Business Card</a>**</li> <li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/6976?pid=6976&name=United%20Club%E2%84%A0%20Card&issuer=Chase" target="_blank">United Club℠ Card</a> (see <a href="/tc/6976?pid=6976&name=United%20Club%E2%84%A0%20Card&data-testid=ratesFees" target="_blank">rates and fees</a>)</li> <li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/22035884?pid=22035884&name=United%E2%84%A0%20Explorer%20Card&issuer=Chase" target="_blank">United℠ Explorer Card</a> (see <a href="/tc/22035884?pid=22035884&name=United%E2%84%A0%20Explorer%20Card&data-testid=ratesFees" target="_blank">rates and fees</a>)</li> <li><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/oc/7752?pid=7752&name=United%20Quest%E2%84%A0%20Card&issuer=Chase" target="_blank">United Quest℠ Card</a> (see <a href="/tc/7752?pid=7752&name=United%20Quest%E2%84%A0%20Card&data-testid=ratesFees" target="_blank">rates and fees</a>)</li> </ul>Group 2 of 6 officially (effectively 3 out of 7)

*For the purposes of boarding group order, we are not including preboarding as its own specially designated grouping.

Unfortunately, several airlines do not make priority boarding part of their credit card benefits. These generally include no-annual-fee cards and a select few mid-tier cards. Make sure to check your card's guide to benefits for more information.

**The information for these cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

How to ensure you receive priority boarding

For the vast majority of cobranded airline credit cards, you don't need to use your card to purchase your flight — whether you're paying cash or just covering taxes and fees on an award ticket — to receive priority boarding. Instead, the benefit is tied to your frequent flyer account.

As long as your loyalty number is attached to your reservation (and to any eligible companions on the same booking), you should receive the appropriate boarding group automatically.

There are a couple of exceptions:

With Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, you'll need to pay for your flight with your cobranded Atmos credit card to receive priority boarding benefits

Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines offers preboarding for folks needing a little more time, plus seven additional distinct boarding groups.

DANYAL AHMED/THE POINTS GUY

Preboarding: Passengers who need help or extra time to board
Priority boarding: Passengers traveling in the first-class cabin and Atmos Titanium members
Group A: Atmos Million Miler, Atmos Platinum and Atmos Gold elite members, families with small children and active-duty military members
Group B: Atmos Silver members and guests in premium class seats
Group C: Those with Atmos Rewards credit cards who book their flight with an Atmos Rewards Visa credit card
Group D: Guests in Main seats in the back half of the plane
Group E: Guests in Main seats in the front half of the plane
Group F: Guests in Saver seats

As you can see, Atmos cardholders who do not hold elite status board with group C, the fourth out of seven formal groups. The other thing to note is that they must purchase their flight with their card to receive priority boarding, so just holding an Atmos credit card is not enough to enjoy priority boarding privileges.

Related: Why the Atmos Rewards Summit was our favorite new personal credit card last year

American Airlines

American Airlines' boarding procedure includes nine boarding groups plus special preboarding options. The good news is that if you have one of the major American AAdvantage credit cards, it should get you onto the plane early.

BENJI STAWSKI/THE POINTS GUY

Here's a breakdown of American Airlines' boarding order and groupings:

Preboarding: Passengers needing special assistance
ConciergeKey members
First: First class on domestic flights and Flagship First on international flights
Business: Business class on domestic flights and Flagship Business two-class international planes
Family boarding: Families with children under two years old
Group 1: AAdvantage Executive Platinum elite members and active-duty U.S. military with valid military I.D.
Group 2: AAdvantage Platinum Pro and Oneworld Emerald elite members
Group 3: AAdvantage Platinum and Oneworld Sapphire elite members
Group 4: AAdvantage Gold and Oneworld Ruby elite members, AirPass members, premium economy passengers, travelers who bought priority boarding and Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Legend Mastercard members
Group 5 (Preferred boarding): Main Cabin Extra (excluding Basic Economy), AAdvantage members with at least 15,000 Loyalty Points, AAdvantage Business Select travelers and other AAdvantage credit card holders (excluding American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card cardholders)
Group 6: All other AAdvantage members
Groups 7-8: Economy passengers
Group 9: Basic economy passengers (within the U.S., Canada, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean)

The information for the AAdvantage MileUp card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The best you can hope for as just an AAdvantage cardholder without elite status is to be in the eighth boarding group out of all 13 groups. As for those who get onto the plane with Group 5 (the ninth boarding group in reality), they include members with the following credit cards:

AAdvantage Business Mastercard
AAdvantage Globe Mastercard
AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard

While most AAdvantage credit cards are created equal when it comes to boarding, the AAdvantage Executive Mastercard will give you a one-group advantage over the others.

Note that you only have to hold one of these travel cards for the benefit to apply — you don't have to purchase your ticket with it.

Related: American Airlines elite status: What it is and how to earn it

Delta Air Lines

Delta has eight official boarding groups, excluding preboarding, but actually nine if you count a non-numbered group for families with strollers. Delta cobranded credit card can help you move into Zone 5.

SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

Here's how Delta's boarding order works:

- - Preboarding: Customers needing assistance or additional time to board and active-duty U.S. military personnel with ID
  - Zone 1: Delta One and Delta First passengers
  - Zone 2: Delta 360 members, Diamond Medallion members and Delta Premium Select customers
  - Early boarding for customers with car seats and strollers
  - Zone 3: Delta Comfort customers
  - Zone 4: 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, Delta SkyMiles cardmembers (Gold, Platinum and Reserve Amex), Flying Blue Silver members, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Silver members, SkyTeam Elite members, SkyMiles Select members, LATAM Pass Gold+ Elite and WestJet Rewards Silver Elite members
  - Zone 6: SkyMiles members in the main cabin
  - Zone 7: Non-SkyMiles members in the main cabin
  - Zone 8: Basic Economy

Assuming you don't have SkyPriority or other elite status and you're just flying economy, the best you can hope for as a Delta cardmember is to board before the first group in the main cabin.

While overhead space will likely be available at that point, it's not a sure bet, considering all the passengers who can board before you.

Related: The best credit cards for Delta flyers

Frontier Airlines

This budget carrier has a cobranded credit card with Barclays that will get you onto the aircraft relatively early.

ARTUR WIDAK/NURPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

Here's how Frontier's boarding process goes.

- - Preboarding: Customers with disabilities, active-duty U.S. military, families with children under 2 years old and Frontier Miles Elite Diamond members
  - Group 1: Frontier Miles Elite Platinum and Gold members and customers who purchased a Business Bundle, Premium Bundle or Board First service
  - Group 2: Frontier Miles Elite Silver and Frontier Miles members who purchased a carry-on bag or an Economy Bundle
  - Group 3: All other customers who purchased a carry-on bag or an Economy Bundle
  - Group 4: Frontier Airlines World Mastercard members, Frontier Miles Elite Silver members and customers who purchased priority boarding or premium or exit row seats
  - Group 5: Frontier Miles members
  - Groups 6 and 7: The rest of the cabin who booked Basic fares

Carrying the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard from Barclays will squeeze you in at the start of general boarding — or the fourth group out of seven. This lines up with most other airlines' cards, but might be slightly better or worse, depending on how many other passengers purchase carry-ons or one of the fare-bundling options.

Related: Why now is the perfect time to get the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard

JetBlue

With the JetBlue Business and JetBlue Premier Card, you'll receive Group 3 boarding on all JetBlue-operated flights.

ALBERTO RIVA/THE POINTS GUY

Here are JetBlue's boarding groups:

- - Preboarding: For customers with disabiliti

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