Credit Cards to Get You Where You Need to Go

By Karolyn Castaldo on April 12, 2012

When choosing a school, many students worry about the extra expense that is added when attending an out of state university, especially when their commute to school will definitely entail a flight. Whether you are fronting the money for your education on your own or your parents are helping out, flying necessitates a great deal of extra cash to be paid in order to receive your education. But fear not, there are many credit cards for people like you!

Photo from Flickr.com by Sean MacEntee

Though they are not necessarily student-specific, airlines like Delta, Southwest, United and American all offer credit cards, which accumulate points or miles that can be put towards your flights. So, whether you or your parents open the account, you can use these points towards flights of your own to get you to and from school. There are also many cards which are independent but partner with different airlines to offer you the best deals.

These airlines also give benefits when you open your account. Most will fly your first bag free or give you any number of points with your first month, but it seems that Southwest offers the best options. When you open your account, you receive one free flight automatically, up to two bags that are under 50 pounds fly free every flight and you receive 3,000 points on your account anniversary every year.  Their points can also be redeemed for participating hotels, international travel, and even gift cards. The amount of flights you can earn is unlimited, meaning that for every dollar you spend on your card, you receive two Southwest Rapid Rewards points. Also, you can change your flight any time without a fee, meaning that you can cancel or simply substitute for another flight without any hassle.

Now, you’re wondering how you can afford a credit card while you’re in college. Simple. There are many things that you buy without realizing it. Whether it is your weekly trip to the grocery store, a night out on the town with your friends or the gas for your car, you spend far more money than you think and it adds up quickly. Though you might not be earning points left and right, you will be steadily increasing the amount of points you earn and it could get you a flight in a decent amount of time. Linking your account with your parents also helps because then the charges from both of your cards will be accumulated into the same points or flyer miles account. Then, even if your parents want to use the points to visit you, they will be adding up much faster and you will be receiving more flights in no time.

Not flying to school? There are many travel-based cards which help you save on gas and hotel rooms as well. For more information, check out http://www.creditcards.com/airline-miles.php , where you can look up student cards and airline specific cards, compare prices and deals, and apply all in the same place. Do not let financial issues get in the way of going to the college of your dreams!

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