sciconf

I might be spending $3k on a card - thought of Southwest - believe i get 1:1
I also have the Chase Biz Ink no fee card, Chase Freedom, Citi AA (hard to redeem) and Costco card (this gives cash back - so no good).

Which card is better for travel within US?

baroqen

This is probably going to be a difficult question to answer without a little more information. I think the biggest question is... what airlines fly the routes you need at the price you pay?

I'd personally say Southwest, but if your Southwest doesn't fly to the places you want to go then that's pointless. Can you achieve the companion pass? Is it even useful for you? Or maybe you prefer ULCC and Frontier is actually your speed. Maybe you live by a UA hub and typically have checked bags, then you'd probably want a UA card for the free checked baggage (but you still wouldn't want to pay for your flights with a UA card!)

Then you have the flexible currency cards with either 3x or 5x points on airfare. Each of these have their own pros and cons. Depending on your spending and other patterns a CSR, Citi Prestige, or Amex Platinum might be your best choice.

moe8555

If that $3000 in spend is on multiple flights with a single airline with which you have no status (i.e. no free checked bags), the airline card might be best for you.

Otherwise, go with a 2% free cashback card with that level of spend.

zack14

with only 3k of spending, you won't get much travel rewards. just get a 2% cashback card

tmiw

OP may get some value from certain benefits that are offered by some of the premium cards, however (such as lounge access or primary CDW for rental cars). Not to mention that $3K is a significant chunk of the typical signup bonus if getting a new card is a possibility.

baroqen

The Citi DoubleCash will earn you 2x TYP. This is perhaps a hybrid option to earn 2x on "everyday" spend with the ability to also turn it into miles at a later point.

mia

I edited the thread title to replace "local" with "domestic USA". I think "local" travel would mean transit, taxis, rideshare services, etc, rather than any airline.