The American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp card offers the rare ability to earn frequent flyer miles, all with no annual fee. But with few perks — and other American Airlines cards to choose from — it would be wise to consider all your options.

For the occasional American Airlines flyer looking to wade into the world of starter travel rewards cards, the AAdvantage® MileUp card may fit the bill. You’ll get a 25% discount on eligible American Airlines purchases such as in-flight food and beverage purchases (but not wifi) when on flights operated by American Airlines.

For a no-annual-fee card, the AAdvantage MileUp card offers a decent array of bonus categories.

You’ll earn double miles on two spending categories: 2X AAdvantage miles at grocery stores (including grocery delivery services) and 2X AAdvantage miles on eligible American Airlines purchases, along with 1X AAdvantage miles on all other eligible purchases.

Earns bonus points for spend in the following bonus categories:

For occasional travelers that fly American Airlines and are looking to earn miles with the airline, then the AAdvantage® MileUp card could be a solid option.

And while you might not think about this card if you are already an American Airlines elite traveler, you may find the bonus categories more beneficial than the $99 fee Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite MasterCard since you already have the additional benefits like free checked bags and priority boarding via your status.

This beginner-friendly card, with no annual fee, is ideal for those who don’t travel often enough to justify a more expensive, premium card.

The AAdvantage® MileUp also has a competitive 2X bonus category rate at grocery stores (including grocery delivery services) and eligible American Airlines purchases.

And remember, all base miles earned via spend on this card count as Loyalty Points towards AAdvantage® status.

In addition, you’ll get 25% off inflight food and beverage purchases and there’s no mileage cap on the card. American Airlines miles can be used on over 1,000 worldwide destinations, as you can use them for American Airlines, American Eagle and any Oneworld alliance or non-alliance partner airlines.

However, there are some significant downsides to consider as well. While this is an airline-specific card, the MileUp card doesn’t include many airline perks, such as a free checked bag perk or preferred boarding. In addition, there’s a relatively modest welcome bonus and the card charges a foreign transaction fee (so you won’t want to use this card abroad).

And if you do fly American Airlines (and Oneworld partner airlines or JetBlue) more than a couple of times per year, but are not elite already, there are some better options out there, including those from American Airlines. That includes the mid-tier Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard, offering the first checked bag free, and the premium Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard, offering Admirals Club lounge access.