Still a work in progress, but I'd love to hear feedback, corrections, and additions to this list before I publish it on the main site.
Checked Baggage:American Express Delta Gold Consumer Card (Free for one year, then $95/year): 1 free bag for cardholder and up to 9 traveling companions.
American Express Delta Platinum Consumer Card ($150/year): 1 free bag for cardholder and up to 8 traveling companions.
American Express Delta Reserve Consumer Card ($450/year): 1 free bag for cardholder and up to 8 traveling companions.
American Express Delta Gold Business Card (Free for one year, then $95/year): 1 free bag for cardholder and up to 8 traveling companions.
Chase Continental OnePass Plus Mastercard (Free for one year, then $95/year): 1 free bag for cardholder and 1 traveling companion.
Chase United Mileage Plus Explorer Visa (Free for one year, then $95/year): 1 free bag for cardholder and 1 traveling companion.
Chase Continental Presidential Plus ($395/year): 2 free bags for cardholder and 1 traveling companion.
Citi Executive AAdvantage Card ($450/year): 1 free bag for cardholder and up to 8 traveling companions.
Companion Certificates:American Express Delta Gold Consumer Card: Annual $99 coach companion certificate upon renewal
American Express Delta Platinum Consumer Card: Annual free coach companion certificate upon renewal.
American Express Delta Reserve Consumer Card: Annual free coach or first class companion certificate upon renewal.
American Express Delta Gold Business Card: Annual $99 coach companion certificate upon renewal.
BOFA Alaska Airlines ($75/year): Annual $99 coach or first class companion certificate.
Chase British Airways ($95/year): Get a companion certificate valid in any class on pair or award tickets when you spend $30,000 in a calendar year. Companion does have to pay heavy fuel surcharges and taxes.
Foreign Exchange Fees Waived:These are the cards to use when outside the US.American Express Platinum Consumer Charge Card ($450/year)American Express Platinum Business Charge Card ($450/year)Chase Sapphire Preferred (Free for one year, then $95/year)Chase Hyatt Visa Signature ($75/year)Chase British AirwaysChase Priority Club (Free for one year, then $49/year)Chase Continental Presidential PlusCiti Executive AAdvantage CardElite Status:American Express Starwood Consumer Card (Free for one year, then $65/year): Get 2 stays and 5 nights towards elite status. Spend $30,000 in a calendar year for gold status.
American Express Starwood Business Card (Free for one year, then $65/year): Get 2 stays and 5 nights towards elite status. Spend $30,000 in a calendar year for gold status.
American Express Platinum Consumer Charge Card: Get Starwood Gold status for having the card as well as status with various car rental agencies.
American Express Platinum Business Charge Card: Get Starwood Gold status for having the card as well as status with various car rental agencies.
American Express Delta Platinum Consumer Card: Earn 5,000 medallion qualifying miles after your first purchase. Earn 15,000 medallion qualifying miles when you spend $25,000 in a calendar year. Earn another 15,000 medallion qualifying miles when you spend $50,000 in a calendar year.
American Express Delta Reserve Consumer Card: Earn 10,000 medallion qualifying miles after your first purchase. Earn 15,000 medallion qualifying miles for yourself or gift to someone else when you spend $30,000 in a calendar year. Earn another 15,000 medallion qualifying miles for yourself or gift to someone else when you spend $60,000 in a calendar year.
American Express Hilton Surpass ($75/year): Silver status for as long as you are a cardholder. Gold status for one year. Gold status for spending $20,000 in a calendar year. Diamond status for spending $40,000 in a calendar year.
Chase Hyatt Visa Signature: Platinum status (with free internet, upgrades, and bonus points) for as long as you are a cardholder. (Extra bonuses apply for existing Hyatt elites)
Chase Priority Club: Gold status (doesn't do too much besides 10% bonus on stays) for as long as you are a cardholder)
Chase Continental Presidential Plus: Earn 1,000 flexible elite qualifying miles for every $5,000 in purchases. (Effective 2012 you will be limited to applying 75,000 flexible elite qualifying miles per year and starting in 2012 flexible elite qualifying miles will expire at the end of the 4th calendar year from when they were earned)
Citi Executive AAdvantage Card: Earn 10,000 elite qualifying miles when you spend $40,000 in a calendar year, plus all miles count towards million miler lifetime elite status for at least the first year that you are a cardholder.
Citibank Hilton HHonors (No annual fee): Silver status (with upgrades, bonus points, and discounted multi-night award stays) for as long as you are a cardholder.
Global Entry Fee Credit:Get a statement credit equal to the $100 cost of applying for a 5 year membership for expedited immigration via a kiosk.
American Express Platinum Consumer Charge CardAmerican Express Platinum Business Charge CardIn-Flight Discounts:
Chase Continental OnePass Plus Mastercard and
Chase Continental Presidential Plus: $2 off any in-flight drink or LiveTV purchase.
American Express Delta Gold Consumer Card,
American Express Delta Platinum Consumer Card,
American Express Delta Reserve Consumer Card,
American Express Delta Gold Business Card: Receive a 20% statement credit on in-flight purchases of food, alcoholic beverages, movies, television shows, video games and audio headsets.
Lost Item Insurance:Most cards cover items that are stolen or damaged within 90 days of purchase. These cards even cover lost items within 90 days without the need for a police report:
American Express Platinum Consumer Charge CardAmerican Express Platinum Business Charge CardLounge Access:American Express Platinum Consumer Charge Card: Access to American Airlines AAdmirals Club when flying American, Delta SkyClub when flying Delta, and USAirways lounge regardless of the airline you are flying on. You may bring your spouse and children or 2 guests into these lounges for free.
You also receive Priority Pass which gives free access to the cardholder to hundreds of lounges worldwide.
You can also get a Regus membership for free access to Regus office lounges worldwide.
American Express Platinum Business Charge Card: Access to American Airlines AAdmirals Club when flying American, Delta Sky Club when flying Delta, and USAirways Club even when not flying. You may bring your spouse and children or 2 guests into these lounges for free.
You also receive Priority Pass which gives free access to the cardholder to hundreds of lounges worldwide.
You can also get a Regus membership for free access to Regus office lounges worldwide.
American Express Delta Reserve Consumer Card: Access to Delta Sky Club even when not flying. You may bring your spouse and children or 2 guests into the club for free.
Citi Executive AAdvantage Card: Access to American Airlines AAdmirals Club even when not flying. You may bring your spouse and children or 2 guests into the club for free.
Chase Continental Presidential Plus: Access to United Clubs and many partner Star Alliance lounges even when not flying. You may bring your spouse and children or 2 guests into the club for free. You may also obtain gate passes for you and your guests to go past security and into the club.
Mileage Transfers At Favorable Ratios:These cards allow to transfer into multiple different mileage programs whenever you need to, and at 1:1 or better ratios.Membership Rewards offers instant transfers to numerous airlines and hotels.American Express Gold Charge Consumer Card ($125/year)American Express Premier Rewards Gold Charge Consumer Card (Free for one year, then $175/year)American Express Open Gold Charge Business Card (Free for one year, then $175/year)American Express Platinum Consumer Charge CardAmerican Express Platinum Business Charge CardStarwood Starpoints offers transfers to dozens of airlines at a 20K:25K or even 20K:50K ratio with no fees.American Express Starwood Consumer CardAmerican Express Starwood Business Card:
Chase Ultimate Rewards offers transfers into multiple airline and hotel programs with no fees.Chase Sapphire PreferredChase Ink Bold Business Charge Card (Free for one year, then $95/year)Non-expiring miles.Chase Continental OnePass Plus Mastercard,
Chase United Mileage Plus Explorer Visa, and
Chase Continental Presidential Plus: Cardholder's United/Continental miles will not expire.
Primary Car Rental CDW Insurance:Chase Continental OnePass Plus Mastercard,
Chase United Mileage Plus Explorer Visa, and
Chase Continental Presidential Plus: Free primary CDW collision insurance so that even if you get into an accident the credit card will cover the damage to your rental car without having to file a claim with your insurance company like with most credit cards.
Priority Boarding (To have space for your carry-ons in the overhead bins!):American Express Delta Gold Consumer Card,
American Express Delta Platinum Consumer Card,
American Express Delta Reserve Consumer Card,
American Express Delta Gold Business Card: Receive Zone 2 Priority Boarding for the cardholder and up to 8 traveling companions on Delta flights.
Chase Continental OnePass Plus Mastercard,
Chase United Mileage Plus Explorer Visa, and
Chase Continental Presidential Plus: Board before the general public on Continental and United flights.
Renewal Bonuses:You get these bonuses every year upon card renewal.American Express Delta Gold Consumer Card: $99 coach companion certificate.
American Express Delta Platinum Consumer Card: Free coach companion certificate.
American Express Delta Reserve Consumer Card: Free coach or first class companion certificate.
American Express Delta Gold Business Card: $99 coach companion certificate.
BOFA Alaska Airlines: Annual $99 coach or first class companion certificate.
Chase Continental OnePass Plus Mastercard: 2 United Club Passes ($100 value)
Chase Hyatt Visa Signature: 1 free night (up to category 4)
Chase Southwest Visa Signature ($69/year): 3,000 points (good for up to $57 of flights).
Chase Priority Club: 1 free night.
Chase United Mileage Plus Explorer Visa: 2 United Club Passes ($100 value)
Return Protection:These cards allow you to return items to the credit card if the store you bought them at won't take it back. Return limit is $300 per item except for Sapphire Preferred which allows for $500.
American Express Starwood Consumer CardAmerican Express Starwood Business CardAmerican Express Gold Charge Consumer CardAmerican Express Premier Rewards Gold Charge Consumer CardAmerican Express Open Gold Charge Business CardAmerican Express Platinum Consumer Charge CardAmerican Express Platinum Business Charge CardChase Continental OnePass Plus MastercardChase Continental Presidential PlusChase Sapphire PreferredChase United Mileage Plus Explorer VisaSpending Category Bonuses:Most airline cards offer double miles for purchases on that airline and aren't included in this list.
American Express Blue Cash (No annual fee): 3% cash back at supermarkets, 2% cash back at gas stations and department stores.
American Express Blue Cash Preferred ($75/year): 6% cash back at supermarkets, 3% cash back at gas stations and department stores.
American Express Costco Card (No annual fee with paid Costco membership): 3% cash back on gas and restaurants, 2% on travel.
American Express Premier Rewards Gold Charge Consumer Card: Double points on gas and groceries. Triple points on airfare.
American Express Open Gold Charge Business Card: 3 points for every dollar spent on airfare, 2 points for every dollar spent on gas, advertising, or shipping.
15,000 bonus points for spending $30,000 in a calendar year.
Open Savings for up to 10% cash back at merchants like Hyatt, Airtran, Hertz, Fedex, HP, OfficeMax, Marriott, Barnes and Noble, and more on top of Membership Rewards points.
American Express Platinum Business Charge Card: Open Savings for up to 10% cash back at merchants like Hyatt, Airtran, Hertz, Fedex, HP, OfficeMax, Marriott, Barnes and Noble, and more on top of Membership Rewards points.
American Express Starwood Business Card: Open Savings for up to 10% cash back at merchants like Hyatt, Airtran, Hertz, Fedex, HP, OfficeMax, Marriott, Barnes and Noble, and more on top of Starpoints.
American Express Simply Cash Business Card (No annual fee): 5% cash back on wireless and office supplies, 3% cash back on gas.
Open Savings for up to 10% cash back at merchants like Hyatt, Airtran, Hertz, Fedex, HP, OfficeMax, Marriott, Barnes and Noble, and more on top of cash back.
Chase Continental OnePass Plus Mastercard: 10,000 bonus points for spending $25,000 in a calendar year.
Chase Freedom (No annual fee): Rotating 5% spending categories. 10% bonus points if you also have a Chase checking account. 10 bonus points for every transaction made if you also have a Chase checking account.
Chase Sapphire Preferred: 1.07 points per dollar for all purchases, 2.14 points per dollar on flights, hotels, car rentals, and dining (Charges made in airports, with travel agencies, at caterers, and on timeshares, trains, buses, taxis/limos, ferries, bridges, tolls, and parking also all qualify for 2.14 points!), 3.21 points per dollar for booking airfare and hotels through the Chase booking tool.
Chase United Mileage Plus Explorer Visa: 10,000 bonus points for spending $25,000 in a calendar year.
Chase Ink Classic Business Card (No annual fee): 5 points per dollar on wireless, landline, cable services, and office supplies, 2 points per dollar on gas and lodging.
Chase Ink Bold Business Charge Card: 7,500 bonus points for spending $25,000 annually, additional 15,000 bonus points for spending $50,000, additional 25,000 bonus points for spending $100,000 annually.
Discover More (No annual fee): Rotating 5% spending categories.
Travel Credit:American Express Platinum Consumer Charge Card: $200 credit to spend every calendar year on the airline of your choice.
American Express Platinum Business Charge Card: $200 credit to spend every calendar year on the airline of your choice.
American Express Blue Sky Preferred ($75/year): $100 credit to spend every calendar year on the airline of your choice.
Upgrades On Award Tickets:
Chase Continental OnePass Plus Mastercard,
Chase United Mileage Plus Explorer Visa, and
Chase Continental Presidential Plus: Elite cardholders are eligible for upgrades on award tickets when flying on upgrade eligible Continental and United flights.
World Mastercards With CDW Coverage In Israel:Citibank AAdvantage World Mastercard0% APR:Citibank Simplicity (No annual fee): 18 months 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers plus no late fees and no annual fee.