It amazes me that more people haven’t heard of the Citi PremierPass Elite Card. Perhaps Citi hasn’t done a very good job marketing the card? Or maybe it just isn’t pretty enough? I don’t know what the deal is, but if you love to fly and you haven’t heard of this card, you’re missing out. I happen to think it’s one of the best airline rewards cards out there for someone with good credit who travels often and is willing to pay a reasonable annual fee. It makes me smile every time I use it. Here’s why.

I purchased two airline tickets a few weeks ago for a total of $500. My wife and I were flying from coast to coast, so the round trip mileage was about 5,000 miles each. Since we purchased the tickets with our Citi PremierPass Elite Card, we earned 10,500 points in our Citi ThankYou Network rewards program (10,000 miles flown + $500 spent). We also received 10,000 miles in our individual frequent flier accounts. How awesome is that? In addition, during the trip we received 2 points for every dollar we spent at gas stations, supermarkets, and drugstores, plus we earned 1 point for every dollar we spent on all other purchases. Believe me, the points rack up fast with this card. And unlike other airline rewards cards that make it next to impossible to redeem your points, PremierPass points can be redeemed on any airline with no blackout dates.

This airline rewards card also offers a complimentary companion ticket when you buy a qualifying ticket though Spirit Incentives, a travel agency used by Citi. You call them up, tell them what flight you need, and then they search the internet for the best price. If the base fare is more than $299, you qualify for a free companion ticket. That’s right, the beloved ‘twofer’. I have used this service several times, and it really is a superb deal. I don’t know of any other credit issuer that offers a comparable reward.

If my infatuation with accruing miles and points bored you above, here’s a brief summary of the cards benefits:

1. Earn 1 point for every mile you or someone else flies on any airline
2. Earn 2 points for every dollar you spend at gas stations, supermarkets, and drugstores. Earn 1 point for every other dollar you spend.
3. Get a free companion ticket when you buy a qualifying ticket.
4. Points never expire, and you can use them on any airline with no blackout dates. The ThankYou Network has other goodies you can redeem points for as well.

Do you have personal experience using airline rewards cards ? If so, we would love to hear your opinion too!