I don't spend a lot of money, so I don't even know if any card would really be a good fit. Jet Blue True Blue seems like one of my better options. Are there any better ones out there for me? out of these, it seems like the best one: http://www.frequentflier.com/card-air2.htm

Welcome to Flyertalk.

We repaired the link in your post to point to a page that will open, but it displays a list of credit cards. Which specific card were you trying to reference?

In your circumstances, cards that award the bonus for first purchase are always worth looking at so long as the airline flies from your airport to where you want to go. Chase's Southwest card is a first purchase card, http://www.mychasecreditcards.com/southwest/julymedia, but you'll have to decide whether it fits your travel plans.

The current Chase CO offer is also a first purchase card, but given the circumstances you outline, probably only a 25K card for you: http://www9.chasecreditcards.com/con...MSC=IQ31047633.

If you are under 21 you will either need to prove income or get a co-signer. If you are over 21 but still a student and with a low income and low spend, I would not go for an airline card at all. It will take way too long to earn a reward and its value will be eroded by any annual fees.

Get a no annual fee cash back card. Just MHO.

mtvU Visa...

Can be redeemed as a 5% rebate toward student loans.

1 TYP on other spending categories = 1% toward student loans.

EDIT: Some people see 1 TYP = 1 cent student loan redemption, some see 1 TYP = roughly 0.8 cents... so it's minimum of about 4% on the target categories.

or the citi forward student.. similar to mtvU without having MTV on the card.

I'd rather piggy back off this thread rather than create a new one, but I have a similar question with a bit more requirements though.

I'm currently AA Gold through the place where I intern at, and am going abroad for 5 months starting in September. What card would you recommend I get? I currently have the MTVu one but that will charge FTF and I plan on using my CC more so than my debit (because that will charge FTF and a conversion fee). I've had my current CC for 2 1/2 years and have paid the full balance each billing cycle so I should have an okay credit score...would any of the AA Citi cards be worth it for me? Thanks.

The Citi AA cards are good (I have a Visa personal and a business card) but have foreign transaction fees. The Chase BA card does not have those fees. As AA and BA are both part of OneWorld, you've got a reasonable chance to use the BA miles you'd earn (at 1.25 miles per dollar as compared with 1:1 with the AA cards) on domestic AA flights.

Wonder if you could get approved for the Capital One Venture card? Would get you a flat 2% back as a rebate to apply toward any travel costs and doesn't have FTF (as far as I know).

This might be the best option, depending on how you want to use miles.

I was looking at the Capital One line of cards...I should probably check my credit score to see where I'd land. I know for a fact I'd qualify for their student cards which I saw also don't have FTFs, but am not sure how their rewards program are.

The Venture card is a flat 2% cash back; you earn 2 "Venture miles" per $ and can then redeem the "miles" as 1 mile = 1 cent toward ANY travel purchase. You charge the travel to your card then "redeem" as a statement credit against each specific charge.

The question is, could you earn better than a 2% rate of return from any of the true airline miles cards? For most people, the answer is no. Thus many of us carry a 2% back card for most purchases and use branded airline/hotel cards for only the "bonus" categories. (For example, I use a UA card for groceries and airfare.)

When you add FTF to the mix, it's almost impossible to earn a better return with any of these cards.

You might be able to do it with one of the hotel cards... Marriott and Hyatt have no FTF. I've personally evaluated the Marriott card; if you redeem for a travel package you can earn more than 2% on their bonus categories (airfare, dining, rental cars, Marriott hotels)... but you'd need to use the card for years to get close to a travel package just from credit card spending.

As a student, with a relatively "fresh" credit report, I'd lean toward just getting a Venture card and starting there. After you've returned, you'll have a fuller credit history and can move toward specialty cards and/or "churn" for signup bonuses.

If you can't qualify, there are plenty of 1% back, no FTF CapOne cards for dodgy credit.