It’s easier than you think to leverage your credit card rewards to snag award flights and upgrades using miles and points. That said, be sure to have your credit house in order before you start earning rewards because the interest rates and fees will outweigh what you earn in rewards on a monthly balance. The right card for you is based on your goals and circumstances. Always do the math for your personal spending and consider how you would use the benefits before applying for a new card. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card changed the game in the travel rewards space and is not only our best travel card, it’s among the best cards on the market in any category. The points are easy to earn and simple to redeem, the card comes with a bevy of benefits and the credits can easily make the annual fee worthwhile. Just make sure you value using your rewards for travel. Rewards: Earn 2 miles per dollar on all eligible purchases, 5 miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel and 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars when booking via Capital One Travel. Welcome Offer: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. Annual Fee: $395 Other Benefits and Drawbacks: The annual fee may give you pause, but the card comes with up to a $300 annual travel statement credit for bookings through the Capital One Portal and a 10,000 point anniversary bonus worth $100 in travel. A Priority Pass membership also provides value, giving you access to more than 1,300 lounges worldwide. Venture Miles are easy to redeem as they can either be applied towards travel purchases or transferred to travel partners. The main downside to the Venture X is a lack of domestic transfer partners, meaning that points will take a bit more knowledge to redeem than American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card [ jump to details ] Travelers looking to dip their toe in the water will appreciate the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card as a place to start. It carries a mid-range annual fee but packs in everything you need. Cardholders earn valuable Ultimate Rewards points for access to transfer partners or for easy, no-strings-attached redemptions in the Chase travel portal. There’s no foreign transaction fee and a wide selection of travel insurance. Rewards: Earn 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per dollar on all other travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. Welcome Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Annual Fee: $95 Other Benefits and Drawbacks: Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed through Chase’s travel portal or using the Pay Yourself Back option for 1.25 cents each or transferred to Chase’s airline and hotel transfer partners, like United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt, at a 1:1 ratio. The card also offers a $50 hotel credit when booked through the Ultimate Rewards portal and a 10% anniversary points boost. This means that if you spend $10,000 on the card, you’ll earn an additional 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points when renewing your card.
Chase Sapphire Reserve® [ jump to details ] The Chase Sapphire Reserve® makes our list of best travel rewards cards for many reasons. While it does charge a high annual fee, it earns valuable rewards at a solid rate with transfer partners that cover redemption options all over the world. There’s also best-in-market travel insurance benefits and no foreign transaction fee. As a Visa card, it’s also widely accepted worldwide. If you travel at least a couple times per year, this card deserves serious consideration. Rewards: Earn 5 points per dollar on flights and 10 points per dollar on hotels and car rentals when purchasing travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3 points per dollar on other travel and dining and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases. Welcome Offer: 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening Annual Fee: $550 Other Benefits and Drawbacks: Chase Ultimate Rewards® points earned with the Sapphire Reserve and redeemed for travel through the Chase travel portal or the Pay Yourself Back feature are worth 1.5 cents each or points can be transferred at a 1:1 ratio to Chase’s travel partners. Cardholders can also make up for a chunk of the annual fee with the $300 annual travel credit, a Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership and up to a $100 credit to cover your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee, all of which make far-flung travel easier to bear.
United Club℠ Infinite Card [ jump to details ] As a general rule, if you’re looking for an airline-specific card, you’ll want to get a card with the airline you fly the most. In terms of the airline card that offers the best earnings potential, valuable points and additional useful benefits including lounge access, the United Club℠ Infinite Card comes out ahead. Rewards: Earn 4 miles per dollar on United® purchases, 2 miles per dollar on all other travel, on dining including eligible delivery services and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases. Welcome Offer: 100,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening Annual Fee: $525 Other Benefits and Drawbacks: The most prominent benefit of the United Club Card is access to United Club airport lounges and other Star Alliance Gold lounges. You’ll also benefit from two free checked bags for yourself and another person traveling on the same reservation, Premier Access, 25% back on in-flight purchases, expanded access to award flights and Premier Upgrades on award tickets if you have status. Other travel protections and benefits are also included.
Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express * [ jump to details ] In addition to earning points at a relatively quick rate, the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express* also offers complimentary top-tier Hilton Honors Diamond status. Other Hilton benefits include a weekend night award annually and up to $250 in resort statement credits each year. Rewards: Earn 14 Hilton Honors bonus points at participating hotels or resorts within the Hilton Portfolio, 7 points per dollar on eligible purchases for flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel, car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies and U.S. restaurants and 3 points per dollar on other eligible purchases. Welcome Offer: 150,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of opening an account Annual Fee: $450 Other Benefits and Drawbacks: While the Hilton Aspire card earns more points per dollar than some other cards on this list, hotel points are generally not as valuable as airline miles or flexible rewards points. That said, the Hilton Aspire Card packs in the benefits. In addition to hotel perks, cardholders also receive a complimentary Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership with enrollment and up to $250 in airline fee statement credits for incidental purchases at an eligible airline you select each year.
The World of Hyatt Credit Card [ jump to details ] Travelers that love Hyatt love Hyatt. While The World of Hyatt Credit Card isn’t necessarily the best way to earn Hyatt points, between the annual free night and the ability to spend towards status it is a good option for people who frequent Hyatt hotels. Rewards: Earn 9 points total per dollar spent at Hyatt - 4 bonus points per dollar spent at Hyatt hotels and 5 base points per dollar from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member. Earn 2 bonus points per dollar spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships and 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases. Welcome Offer: 30,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 more bonus points by earning 2 bonus points total per dollar spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 bonus point, on up to $15,000 spent Annual Fee: $95 Other Benefits and Drawbacks: In addition to the ability to earn points in a wide range of categories, The World of Hyatt Credit Card offers cardholders a free hotel night valid at Category 1 to 4 Hyatt hotels each cardmember anniversary year and the ability to earn a second one after spending $15,000 on the card in a calendar year. Depending on how much you spend on non-Hyatt travel purchases and at restaurants, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® could offer you the ability to earn more Hyatt points in a year because Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio.
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card [ jump to details ] If you’re looking for the card that packs in the most Delta benefits, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (Terms apply. See rates & fees) may be for you. Its most notable benefit is access to Delta SkyClub lounges when you travel on a Delta flight. Rewards: Earn 3 miles per dollar on Delta purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases. Welcome Offer: 50,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after spending $5,000 in purchases the first 6 months Annual Fee: $550 Other Benefits and Drawbacks: The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card does not offer great earning rates but if you’re looking for benefits while flying Delta, it’s hard to beat. You’ll have access to Delta SkyClubs—plus two annual one-time passes for guests—along with free checked bags and priority boarding. Plus, you can earn Medallion® Qualifying Miles when spending $30,000 or more on your card in a calendar year.
Bilt World Elite Mastercard® [ jump to details ] The Bilt World Elite Mastercard® offers a unique opportunity to earn rewards on rent without paying processing fees, but it has value for anyone seeking transferable points without an annual fee. This new card is impressive enough to stand as a travel card on its own even if you don’t pay rent. Rewards: Earn 1 point per dollar on rent payments with no fees (on up to 50,000 points each calendar year), 2 points per dollar on travel (when booked through the Bilt Travel Portal or directly with an airline, hotel, car rental or cruise company), 3 points per dollar on dining and 1 points per dollar on all other purchases. Welcome Offer: This card does not offer a welcome bonus Annual Fee: $0 Other Benefits and Drawbacks: The Bilt card has a few limitations—you’ll only earn points when making at least five transactions per statement period and earnings on rent are capped at 50,000 points per year—but it’s otherwise a strong card. Bilt points are transferable to a number of valuable transfer partners including Hyatt and American Airlines or you can redeem through their travel portal where points are worth 1.25 cents each. You can also save your points towards a down payment on a home if you decide travel takes a back bench to homeownership.
United℠ Explorer Card [ jump to details ] Besides the baggage and boarding benefits you would expect from most airline cards, the United℠ Explorer Card opens up more opportunities when it comes to redeeming your miles. United opens up award space just for cardholders that you can take advantage of, giving a unique value to this card over other airline’s cards. Rewards: Earn 2 miles per dollar on dining including eligible delivery services, hotel stays and United® purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases. Welcome Offer: 60,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening Annual Fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 Other Benefits and Drawbacks: The United℠ Explorer Card offers travel protections including trip cancellation and interruption coverage, trip delay coverage, lost and damaged baggage coverage, car rental insurance coverage and up to $100 in credit toward application fees for trusted traveler programs.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card * [ jump to details ] If you only stay in Hilton properties periodically, but you still want Hilton benefits and more points on paid stays, consider the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card*. This card offers fewer perks than the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express* in exchange for a much lower annual fee, but you can still earn a generous welcome bonus and a surprising level of benefits. Rewards: Earn 12 Hilton Honors bonus points per dollar on eligible purchases at participating hotels or resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 6 points per dollar on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations and 3 points per dollar for other eligible purchases. Welcome Offer: 130,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 in purchases in the first 3 months of card membership Annual Fee: $95 Other Benefits and Drawbacks: Despite being a toned-down version of the Aspire card, you’ll get perks including automatic Hilton Gold status, a free night award when you spend $15,000 on your card within a calendar year and no foreign transaction fees. Interestingly, the Surpass card comes with 10 passes into Priority Pass airport lounges each year once enrolled. If you fly once or twice a year with a family, the value of a couple of lounge visits could easily help offset the annual fee even without all of the other benefits.
JetBlue Plus Card * [ jump to details ] JetBlue has two advantages for families over other airlines: it travels to destinations families tend to go to (coughFloridacough) and its TrueBlue program offers family pooling. The JetBlue Plus Card* also offers a checked bag benefit and bumped-up earnings on dining and groceries. Rewards: Earn 6 points per dollar on eligible JetBlue purchases, 2 points per dollar at restaurants and eligible grocery stores and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. Welcome Offer: 40,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days Annual Fee: $99 Other Benefits and Drawbacks: If you regularly fly JetBlue, the Plus card is hard to beat. The card offers a 10% rebate on points redemptions and a 5,000 points anniversary bonus. You can also earn Mosaic status with $50,000 annual spending. However, the TrueBlue program has its own limitations: International flight redemptions are limited and since award prices are tied to cash ticket prices, some reward flights can feel like pie in the sky.
United Quest℠ Card [ jump to details ] The United Quest℠ Card is a midrange United card: it’s a bit pricer than the Explorer card, but not nearly as much as the United Club Infinite Card. But with a $125 annual credit on United purchases, two 5,000 MileagePlus credits earned annually after your first cardmember anniversary (see offer for details) valid for eligible flight redemptions and two free checked bags when flying United, the Quest could be just right for you. Rewards: Earn 3 miles per dollar on United® purchases, 2 miles per dollar on dining, select streaming services and all other travel and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases. Welcome Bonus: 80,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months Annual Fee: $250 Other Benefits and Drawbacks: In addition to offering extra travel benefits, the Quest card is also a better option for earning miles than the cheaper Explorer card. You’ll earn miles at an elevated rate and can also earn 500 Premier qualifying points (PQP) for every $12,000 in net purchases (including purchases made by authorized users) up to a maximum of 3,000 PQP in a calendar year. Effective January 1, 2023, this limit increases to 6,000 PQP.
American Express® Gold Card [ jump to details ] Some cards offer bonuses on dining, some on groceries, but you can earn bonus points on basically anything you put in your mouth with the American Express® Gold Card (Terms apply. See rates & fees). This is an appealing option for anyone who wants to redeem travel rewards but doesn’t spend enough on flights or hotels to require elevated earning categories on travel itself. Rewards: Earn 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1 point per dollar), 3 Membership Rewards® points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express travel and 1 point per dollar on other eligible purchases. Welcome Offer: 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 6 months of card membership Annual Fee: $250 Other Benefits and Drawbacks: Although this card earns Membership Rewards, which are great for travel, it doesn’t pack travel specific benefits. Instead, it includes monthly credits, some requiring enrollment, that are great for more common expenses, such as Uber Cash and dining credits valid at GrubHub (including Seamless) and more. For someone who wants to transform everyday expenses into a vacation, this card seamlessly blends the experience.
The Platinum Card® from American Express [ jump to details ] If you’re looking for a giant welcome bonus to get things started, The Platinum Card® from American Express (terms apply, see rates & fees) might be for you. After meeting initial spending requirements, you’ll earn valuable Membership Rewards points redeemable toward travel and other options. The downside is it carries the largest annual fee on our list. Rewards: Earn 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year, 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel and 1 point per dollar on other eligible purchases. Welcome Offer: 80,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 on purchases on the card in the first 6 months of card membership Annual Fee: $695 Other Benefits and Drawbacks: The Amex Platinum has become a luxury coupon book of sorts and the benefits can easily offset the annual fee and then some—as long as you use them. Many of the perks are very specifically applied and may also require enrollment. Examples include annual statement credits toward Uber, Saks Fifth Avenue, digital entertainment, select hotel stays and airline incidental fees. Lounge access to more than 1,200 locations worldwide will also appeal to travelers.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card * [ jump to details ] The U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card* is the Minneapolis-based bank’s premium travel card, offering robust rewards and perks for those who want to squeeze the most value out of their earnings and get some extras to boot. The key distinction for this card is the elevated earnings rate for mobile wallet purchases. Rewards earned on this card can be redeemed at 50% more value when used for eligible travel. Rewards: Earn 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center, 3 points per dollar on eligible travel purchases and mobile wallet spending and 1 point per dollar on all other eligible net purchases. Welcome Offer: 50,000 points worth $750 on travel after spending $4,500 in the first 90 days of account opening Annual Fee: $400 Other Benefits and Drawbacks: For the premium price, it lacks travel transfer partners and limits airport lounge access. It does, however, come with an annual travel and dining redemption credit of up to $325, which could take some of the sting out of the cost of ownership.
Credit One Bank Wander® Card [ jump to details ] If your credit score isn’t quite ready for a premium travel card, take a look at the Credit One Bank Wander® Card. The card earns at exceptionally high rates on travel purchases and there’s no foreign transaction fee. Sadly, the card isn’t perfect: you’ll miss out on fancy extras like airport lounge access or the ability to transfer points to other programs. Rewards: Earn 10 points per dollar on eligible hotels and car rentals booked through the Credit One Bank travel partner, 5 points per dollar on eligible travel, dining and gas and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. Welcome Bonus: 10,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on eligible purchases in the first 90 days which can be redeemed for a $100 statement credit, gift cards, or travel Annual Fee: $95 Other Benefits and Drawbacks: Don’t be fooled by this mostly no-frills card. The earning rates alone will have you traveling in no time. The card is also well-suited to simultaneously work on improving your credit, with options to choose your own due date and track your credit score. Eventually, this could lead you to even more card options in the future.
I hope these choices help you in making the best choice for your needs.
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