Which airline playing cards provide the most effective precedence boarding perks?

Airline bank cards provide a wide range of flashy perks, together with welcome bonuses of tens of hundreds of miles, companion tickets price a whole bunch and even hundreds of {dollars}, entry to airport lounges and free checked luggage. One among their most basic perks, although, is about saving time reasonably than cash: precedence boarding.

This profit, included with many airline bank cards, can get you out of these lengthy gate strains in time to search out overhead house in your carry-on bag earlier than the remainder of the passengers trundle aboard.

Given the complicated boarding course of by which most airways board their passengers today, it is not straightforward to do a side-by-side comparability of playing cards from one provider to the following. Nonetheless, this record ought to provide you with a basic thought of which airline bank cards you would possibly need to carry for this particular perk.

Here is a take a look at what boarding privileges include cobranded airline bank cards, adopted by particulars on every airline that will help you perceive the nuances. Needless to say chances are you’ll must pay in your airfare (or the taxes and costs on award flights) along with your card to obtain precedence boarding.

Airline boarding teams overview

Sadly, a number of airways don’t make precedence boarding a part of their bank card advantages. The notable absentees embrace the Hawaiian Airways® World Elite Mastercard®*, JetBlue Card*, JetBlue Plus Card*, American Airways AAdvantage® MileUp®*, Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Specific Card and United Gateway℠ Card (see charges and costs).

*The knowledge for these playing cards has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.

Let’s take a look at the main points for every airline now.

Alaska Airways

Alaska Airways makes use of seven boarding teams plus preboarding for a complete of eight completely different bulletins for individuals to board the airplane.

• Preboarding: Passengers needing particular help, households with young children and active-duty army members
• Precedence boarding: Passengers touring within the first-class cabin and Atmos Titanium members
• Group A: Atmos Million Miler, Atmos Platinum and Atmos Gold elite members
• Group B: Atmos members and visitors in premium class seats
• Group C: These with Atmos Rewards bank cards
• Group D: Visitors in economic system seats within the again half of the airplane
• Group E: Visitors in economic system seats within the entrance half of the airplane
• Group F: Visitors in primary economic system (saver) seats

These with the Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature Credit score Card, Atmos Rewards Visa Signature Enterprise Card and Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Credit score Card get pleasure from precedence boarding advantages. You will board in group C, which successfully is the fourth group out of seven.

It is also vital to notice that Atmos cardholders will obtain precedence boarding on Hawaiian Airways flights starting within the fall.

Associated: Earn as much as 100,000 bonus factors towards Alaska or Hawaiian flights with new Atmos Rewards card affords

American Airways

American Airways’ mind-boggling procedures embrace 9 boarding teams plus particular preboarding choices. The excellent news: When you have one of many main American AAdvantage bank cards, it ought to get you onto the airplane early.

• Preboarding: Passengers needing particular help, akin to households touring with young children
• ConciergeKey members
• Group 1: Top notch, active-duty U.S. army with ID, AAdvantage Govt Platinum® elite members and enterprise class on two-class worldwide planes
• Group 2: AAdvantage Platinum Professional, Oneworld Emerald elite members and enterprise class on three-class worldwide planes
• Group 3: AAdvantage Platinum and Oneworld Sapphire elite members
• Group 4: AAdvantage Gold and Oneworld Ruby elite members, AirPass members, premium economic system passengers, vacationers who purchased precedence boarding, eligible company vacationers and Citi / AAdvantage Govt World Elite Mastercard members
• Group 5 (Most popular boarding): Important Cabin Further and different AAdvantage bank card holders
• Group 6: All different AAdvantage members
• Group 7 – 8: Financial system members
• Group 9: Primary economic system throughout the U.S., Canada, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean

The perfect you possibly can hope for as simply an AAdvantage cardholder is to be within the sixth boarding group out of all 11 teams. As for individuals who get onto the airplane with Group 5, they embrace members with the next bank cards:

Whereas most AAdvantage bank cards are created equal in terms of boarding, the Citi / AAdvantage Govt World Elite Mastercard will provide you with a one-group benefit over the others. That is sensible, contemplating it has a a lot greater annual price than any of the others (at $595) and in addition consists of different high-end perks like Admirals Membership entry.

Notice that you just solely have to carry one in every of these journey playing cards for the profit to use — you do not have to buy your ticket with it.

This record doesn’t embrace the Citi AAdvantage MileUp or among the different AAdvantage bank cards provided by Citi and Barclays, that are now not obtainable to new cardholders and can probably be phased out over time.

Associated: American Airways elite standing: What it’s and learn how to earn it

Delta Air Traces

Delta has 9 boarding teams, together with preboarding, which may appear complicated. Nevertheless, a Delta cobranded bank card will help you progress into the fifth group.

• Preboarding: Clients needing help or further time to board, active-duty U.S. army personnel with ID and Delta 360 members
• Zone 1: Delta One or first-class
• Zone 2: Diamond Medallion members and Delta Premium Choose prospects.
• Early boarding for patrons with automotive seats and strollers.
• Zone 3: Delta Consolation+: Passengers in Delta Consolation+ seats
• Zone 4: Sky Precedence: Platinum and Gold Medallion members, Flying Blue Platinum and Gold members, Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership Gold members, SkyTeam Elite Plus members, LATAM Cross Black Signature, Black and Platinum Elite members and WestJet Rewards Platinum and Gold Elite members
• Zone 5: Silver Medallion members, Delta Company Vacationers, Flying Blue Silver members, Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership Silver members, SkyTeam Elite members, SkyMiles Choose members, LATAM Cross Gold+ Elite, WestJet Rewards Silver Elite and Delta SkyMiles Gold, Platinum and Reserve cardmembers
• Zone 6: SkyMiles members in the primary cabin
• Zone 7: Non-SkyMiles members in the primary cabin
• Zone 8: Primary Financial system

That is a variety of teams.

Assuming you do not have SkyPriority or different elite standing and also you’re simply flying economic system, the most effective you possibly can hope for — regardless of which Delta bank card you carry — is to board with the primary group in the primary cabin. Which means you are within the fifth out of 9 boarding teams.

Whereas overhead house will probably be obtainable at that time, it is not a positive wager, contemplating all of the passengers who can board earlier than you.

Individuals with the $650-per-year (see charges and costs) Delta SkyMiles Reserve Amex do not board any sooner than these with the far-cheaper Delta SkyMiles Platinum Amex ($350 per yr; see charges and costs) and Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex ($0 introductory annual price for the primary yr, then $150; see charges and costs).

Associated: The perfect bank cards for Delta flyers

Frontier Airways

This price range provider has a cobranded bank card with Barclays that may get you onto the plane comparatively early.

Here is how Frontier’s boarding course of goes.

• Preboarding: Passengers requiring particular providers, akin to these in a wheelchair or unaccompanied minors
• Board First: Out there to prospects who buy a carry-on bag plus Elite Diamond and Elite 100K members
• Zone 1: Passengers who buy a carry-on bag or have Frontier Miles Elite Gold, Elite Platinum, Elite 20K or Elite 50K elite standing
• Courtesy Boarding: Out there to households touring with young children or these needing additional time
• Zone 2: Frontier Airways World Mastercard members and people at the back of the airplane
• Zones 3-4: The remainder of the cabin

Carrying the Frontier Airways World Mastercard from Barclays will squeeze you in at first of basic boarding — or the fifth group out of seven. This strains up with a lot of the different airways’ playing cards however would possibly find yourself being barely higher or worse, relying on what number of different passengers buy carry-ons or one of many fare-bundling choices.

Associated: Why now’s the right time to get the Frontier Airways World Mastercard

JetBlue

With the JetBlue Enterprise and JetBlue Premier Card, you will get pleasure from Group A boarding on all JetBlue-operated flights.

Listed here are JetBlue’s boarding teams:

• Preboarding: For purchasers with mobility restrictions
• Mosaic and Mint passengers
• Group A: Even Extra Area prospects and JetBlue Enterprise cardholders
• Courtesy Boarding: For lively army members and prospects touring with young children
• Normal Boarding: Teams B, C, D, E and F
• Ultimate Name: All remaining prospects

For those who hit Mosaic standing via flying or bank card spending, you progress as much as the second general boarding group and have overhead house mainly assured.

Associated: 25 cities in 11 days: How this JetBlue flyer earned 350,000 factors and 25 years of elite standing

Southwest Airways

Southwest has carried out sweeping adjustments, together with updating its boarding course of on flights working subsequent yr. Holding a Southwest bank card will provide help to get on the airplane earlier, at the moment and on flights subsequent yr.

The airline’s present boarding course of is a bit completely different from different airways. Passengers board in an ordered quantity in three essential teams, plus household boarding. For many flyers, the boarding order is set by after they verify in for the flight, so it is vital to take action as near 24 hours prematurely as doable. This course of will finish on January 26, 2026.

Here is how the present boarding course of works:

• A1-A15: Enterprise Choose passengers, those that buy upgraded boarding
• A16-A30: Different passengers who buy early check-in, verify in rapidly on the 24-hour mark and presumably A-Listing and A-Listing Most popular elite members
• Household Boarding/Energetic Navy: For households with youngsters ages 6 and underneath and lively army members
• B1-B60: The subsequent wave
• C1-C60: Take no matter seats are left if you get on the airplane

Two of Southwest’s 4 bank cards at the moment provide a shot at precedence boarding. They’re the Southwest Speedy Rewards Precedence and the Southwest Speedy Rewards Efficiency Enterprise. Amongst their advantages are 4 upgraded boardings per yr, primarily based on availability via Dec. 31, 2025.

Upgraded boardings could also be bought by way of the Southwest app or web site starting 24 hours earlier than departure or on the departure gate or ticket counter on the day of journey solely. This may be price $30-$50 per ticket, so it is a fairly precious profit for playing cards that price $229 and $299 per yr, respectively.

The Southwest Speedy Rewards Precedence earns 2,500 tier-qualifying factors for each $5,000 spent yearly. It takes 35,000 TQPs to earn A-Listing elite standing with Southwest. Relying in your flying and spending habits, carrying one in every of these playing cards may put you excessive and get you common precedence boarding advantages.

From Jan. 27, 2026, and past, Southwest may have seat assignments and new boarding teams.

Here is how the brand new boarding course of will work:

• Teams 1 and a pair of: Selection Further passengers, A-Listing Most popular members and A-Listing members and eligible bank card holders who improve to an extra-legroom seat (if obtainable inside 48 hours of departure).
• Teams 3 via 5: Selection Most popular passengers and A-Listing members who did not get an extra-legroom seat, and all Southwest cardholders.
• Teams 6 via 8: Passengers who buy a Selection fare and passengers flying on a Primary fare board final.

Associated: Southwest unveils large bank card refresh: 50% price hikes, however new seating and boarding perks

Spirit Airways

For an airline identified for a no-frills method to seat choice, carry-on luggage and printing boarding passes, possessing the Free Spirit World Elite Mastercard can take at the least among the ache out of boarding.

• Preboarding: Passengers who want particular help
• Zone 1: Passengers who bought a carry-on bag
• Zone 2: Passengers who buy Shortcut Boarding, who’ve Free Spirit Gold or Silver standing or who’ve the Free Spirit Mastercard
• Household Boarding: For these touring with young children ages 3 and underneath
• Zone 3: Normal boarding of seats in the back of the airplane
• Zone 4: Normal boarding of seats on the entrance of the airplane

Zone 2 is a little bit of a misnomer, on condition that preboarding and Zone 1 are earlier than it, so it is actually the third group out of six.

Buying carry-on luggage is frequent, so that you might need to look at half the airplane board earlier than you do. Do not forget that checked luggage are cheaper than carry-on luggage with Spirit, so predicting what number of passengers could also be in Zone 1 on any given flight is tough.

For those who actually do benefit from the bottom fares on the airline, carrying its bank card will provide you with a leg up on the remainder of the cut price hunters. However if you happen to have a tendency to buy bundles or carry-on luggage, you may not want this card.

Associated: Spirit Journey Extra Mastercard evaluation: First rate perks for Spirit frequent flyers

United Airways

United’s boarding procedures contain seven teams. Every group consists of many doable passengers and takes a singular method to boarding.

• Preboarding: Unaccompanied minors, prospects with disabilities, households with youngsters ages 2 or underneath, lively army members and United World Companies and Premier 1K elite members
• Group 1: Premier Platinum and Gold elite members, Star Alliance Gold members and passengers in United Polaris, first-class and enterprise class
• Group 2: Premier Silver elite members, Star Alliance Silver members, prospects who buy Premier Entry or precedence boarding, United Explorer Card, United Quest Card, United Membership Card, United Enterprise Card, United Membership Enterprise Card, the United Presidential Plus or the Awards Card cardholders (these final two playing cards are now not open to new prospects)
• Teams 3: Financial system and economic system plus passengers at window row seats and exit row seats
• Group 4: Financial system and economic system plus passengers in center seats
• Group 5: Financial system and economic system plus passengers in aisle seats
• Group 6: Primary economic system passengers (in eligible markets solely)

The knowledge for the United Presidential Plus and Awards playing cards has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.

If there are a number of passengers on the identical reservation seated in economic system, every traveler will get the very best relevant boarding group given to any of the vacationers throughout the reservation, besides primary economic system, which can at all times be Group 6 until you are a Premier elite member, Star Alliance Gold member or choose United cardholder.

These with the essential United Gateway Card card do not obtain any boarding or baggage privileges. United’s bank cards run the gamut of annual charges, such because the United Membership and the United Membership Enterprise Card’s annual price of $695 on the prime. Nevertheless, all cardholders get to board on the identical time.

Associated: The perfect bank cards for United Airways flyers

Backside line

Carrying an airline’s midrange or premium bank card will get you on the airplane early. Nevertheless, in today of elite standing bloating, “early” is a relative time period.

In lots of instances, you will nonetheless beat a lot of the economic system cabin passengers onto the airplane, serving to you safe overhead house in your bag. This perk alone might be not price carrying a bank card.

Nonetheless, by combining it with different advantages like free checked luggage and reductions on inflight purchases, you possibly can maximize your airline bank card to make the flying expertise that significantly better.

Associated: 5 methods to make sure you have lounge entry earlier than your subsequent flight

For charges and costs of the Delta Reserve card, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Delta SkyMiles Gold card, click on right here.