Q: I would like to take a trip home to see my family but airline tickets are so overpriced. Are there any free flight offers from credit cards going on right now that I can signup for?

A: I totally feel your pain. It seems the days of cheap (or even reasonably priced) plane tickets are long gone. Your idea of using a credit card to get a free airline ticket is actually a smart idea. Years ago when I was going through some very tough times in my life, I would actually apply for a new airline card two or three times per year so I could make it home to see my family.

Here are 3 things you need to know to get the best free flight offers:

1. Not all free flight offers are created equal!

I once signed up for the credit card from Spirit Airlines and what a disappointment that was! They say you get free flights with a new account, but after getting my card, I discovered there was so much fine print and restrictions… the bonus miles weren’t even enough to get me one free ticket home!

So watch out – a lot of these free flight offers come with strings. Some are good deals, but most of them aren’t.

2. You typically will have to pay those pesky fees and taxes

It seems like we get nickel and dimed to death with fees these days… Airport Passenger Facility Charges… Federal Segment Fees… 9/11 Security Fee… Travel Facilities Tax. While each of these may only be a few dollars each, when you add them up, they may add around $25 to $50 onto your roundtrip ticket price, depending on how many stops/destinations you have. Whether you have a credit card free airline ticket or a regular ticket you bought, unfortunately there’s no way getting around paying these.

3. Don’t forget about the checked bag costs!

I hate how almost every airline nowadays charges for checked luggage – usually around $25 per bag, per flight (so $50 for one bag on a roundtrip). Some airlines, like Spirit, even charge you for a carry-on… how ridiculous! These costs really add up fast. So when you are looking to signup for a free flight credit card, make sure the associated airline charges low fees – or better yet, no fees – for your checked luggage. Right now, Southwest is one of the very few airlines left that gives your first bag absolutely free.

The Best Free Flight Card Offers

p.s. Remember because these are different credit cards, there’s nothing stopping you for signing up for more than one

With any of the above offers, if you use your miles/points strategically, you should have enough of them to get at least one free flight, maybe even more. The really nice thing about them is that with the free first checked bag benefit, you will also be saving yourself $25 each way ($50 roundtrip) if you have a checked bag. That almost in and of itself makes these credit card offers worth it.

After the first year is up, if you don’t think you’re getting enough value out of the card you can always cancel it before the fee kicks in for the second year. However based on my personal experience, I think you will find that these cards are good for more than just the free flight promotions For other airline and hotel offers, you can compare these top travel card offers.