Airline Incidental Credits

Airline incidental credits reimburse you for qualifying airline purchases beyond base airfare. Premium travel cards typically offer $100-$200 per year in automatic statement credits when you make eligible purchases from your selected airline.

These purchases typically trigger airline incidental credits:

• •Checked bag fees
• •Seat selection and upgrades
• •In-flight food and beverages
• •In-flight WiFi
• •Same-day flight changes (fee portion only)
• •Pet travel fees
• •Lounge day passes
• •Taxes and fees on award tickets are usually included

• •Base airfare and taxes on paid tickets
• •Gift cards (most issuers have blocked these)
• •Travel insurance purchased separately
• •Partner airline purchases (must be billed by your selected airline)
• •Third-party booking sites (purchase directly from airline)
• •Annual fee credits or vouchers from the airline

Credits typically reset on January 1st (calendar year), not your card anniversary date. Your airline selection is usually locked for the entire calendar year, so choose wisely.

⚠️ Use it or lose it: Unused credits do NOT roll over to the next year. If you have $50 remaining on December 15th, spend it or lose it.

Setup

• •Select your airline early in January for maximum flexibility
• •Choose an airline you actually fly (not just for gift card tricks)
• •Check if enrollment is required through your issuer portal

Spending Strategy

• •Book seat selection at check-in (reliable trigger)
• •Purchase in-flight WiFi and food on your selected airline
• •Keep individual purchases under $100 when possible
• •Multiple smaller purchases often process more reliably

Tracking

• •Credits typically post within 2-4 weeks
• •Check your statement for statement credits
• •Track your remaining credit balance in your issuer app

• •Wrong airline: Purchases must be billed by your selected airline
• •Gift cards no longer work with most issuers
• •Credits are calendar year, not card anniversary
• •You can't change your selected airline mid-year
• •Booking through third parties (Expedia, etc.) won't trigger credits
• •Credits may take 2-4 weeks to post—don't panic if not immediate