A travel credit card rewards customers with points or miles which can be redeemed for travel-related transactions like flight tickets, hotel reservations and rental vehicles. A travel credit card is necessary for those who travel frequently whether it’s for work or pleasure.
Have you ever heard of travel credit cards or rewards cards but do not know how they work? In this article we have explained all you need to know about the best travel credit cards and how they work.
Travel credit cards rewards you with points or miles for both travel and non-travel expenditures with the points or miles you have earned you pay for flight tickets and hotel reservations once you have accumulated enough points or miles. Travel credit cards works the same way as other rewards credit cards, as purchases are made; you earn currency at various rates that you can redeem for rewards.
Currencies which are commonly referred to as points or miles differ by card, for example, most airline cards reward you with miles in the carrier loyalty program, also majority of hotel credit cards and general travel cards rewards with points. And both currencies can be used to pay for travel as well as other benefits.
When you use a travel credit card to buy to flight ticket, you will typically receive a bonus in the card’s currency but the rates vary. For example, one card can give you 2 points or miles for every $1 spent on airline expenditure and another can give you 3 points or miles for every $1 spent on airline expenditure. There are several travel rewards cards that also offer points and miles for non-travel expenditure but at a reduced rate such as 1 point or miles for $1 spend on non-travel goods.
Types of Travel Credit Cards Available
There are different types of travel credit cards, they share lots of similarities but they do not exactly function the same way. The information below will guide you on some of the most common travel reward credit cards available that you can use.
1. Airline Credit Cards
This credit cards provide points that you can redeem for flights or upgrades through the airline’s loyalty program. Airline credit cards comes with additional benefits such as priority boarding and a free checked bag but in general, the greater the yearly cost, the more built-in benefits the card provides.
An example of an airline credit card is UnitedSM Explorer Card
2. Hotel Credit cards
You earn points in the loyalty program of a hotel group when you use hotel credit cards to make purchases. You can use your points to get free hotel reservation or upgrade your room depending on how much points you have accumulated.
The hotel credit card may also include benefits like a free night each year you use it or automatic elite status in their reward program.
An example of a hotel credit card is Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
3. General Travel Cards
There are several general travel credit cards that allow you to spend your points in different ways. Firstly you can earn points for ordinary purchases and bonus points for purchases in specialized categories like eating, shopping, vacation. Once your point is earned, you can use it to book flights, vacation packages, hotel reservations, rental vehicles etc. You can also transfer your points directly to airline loyalty programs and hotel with some of these cards.
An example of a generic travel card is Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
4. Flat-rate Credit Cards
Every transaction with Flat-rate travel credit card will earn you a set of number points or miles, there are no spending categories to keep track of which it easy to collect rewards. It is a straightforward card and easy to use
An example of a flat-rate travel reward card is Capital One Venture Reward Credit Card
5. Premium Travel Card
This is made for people that travel regularly and want to take advantage of extra perks. Some travels cards come with extra benefits and this cards typically have higher annual fees but the benefits is definitely worth it.
An example of Premium travel card is The Platinum Card® from American Express
Top 15 Best Travel Credit Cards
American Express Platinum Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
American Express Gold Card
Capital One VentureOne Card6. Citi Premier Card
The Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card
Ink Company Preferred Credit Card
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card
American Express Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card
Chase Sapphire Reserve
Alaska Airlines Visa® Signature credit card
Chase Sapphire Reserve
American Express Delta SkyMiles Platinum Corporate Card
American Express Business Platinum Card
Below are the review of each of these cards and their offers such as the bonus amount and also the advantages of some of these credit cards.
American Express Platinum Card
This card has the best welcome offer and one of the reasons is that, according to TPG assessment, the American Express Platinum Card welcome bonus is presently worth $2,000 and you can earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 in the first six months.
To discover whether you are eligible for a greater introductory offer of 125k points, check the CardMatch tool, this offer is subject to change at any given time.
You can earn 5 point on every dollar spent on airfare purchased directly from airlines or via Amex Travel (up to $500,000 per calendar year) and 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked via Amex Travel
Travel Advantages
Amex Platinum remains the king of luxury travel rewards despite the recent hike in the annual charge to $695.
You get as much as $200 in annual hotel statement credits for Hotel Collection bookings or Hotel or Resort with Amex Travel. You can also have up to $179 in Clear membership credits.
With Amex Platinum, there is up to $300 in annual Equinox credits ($25 statement credits every month). You can get up to $200 in Uber cash for US services
With the is travel credit card, you can gain unrivaled lounge access, instant Gold status with Hilton and Marriott and additional incentives. Enrollment is necessary so you can enjoy some other benefits.
Fee: $695 annually
Why is it worth it?
This card is included in this list of best travel credit card because of what it offers and here are some of the reasons why its worth it to pay the annual fee as you can have and use this card.
You can get $1,400 in annual credits and access to different lounge of your choice, this travel reward card is a premium travel card with amazing redemption opportunities.
One of the Membership Rewards program partners is Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, and it is the only option to book the ultra-premium SIngapore Suites using points.
You can add three authorized users for a total of $175, this is one of the benefits of using this card. You earn 5 points on every dollar spent on ticket purchased directly with the airline. Alternatively, this can also be done through Amex Travel (equivalent to a 10% return on these transactions)
How to redeem rewards on American Express Platinum Card
You can use your Membership Rewards on several ways if you have been given rewards.
Through the American Express Travel, you can use your points to book flights, hotel reservations etc. When it is used for flights, points are worth 1 cent each but when used for prepaid hotels, cruises or rental car, it is worth 0.7 cents
There are over a dozen airline and hotel partners that accept Membership Rewards points with lots of them offering a 1:1 transfer ratio. Some of the most popular airlines that accept this are Delta Airlines, British Airways, Air Canada. For hotel partners that accept Membership Rewards points are, Hilton, Marriott Bonvoy, and Choice etc.
The value of your points can be maximized by transferring them and using them for premium cabin travel. You can also use your rewards points to upgrade your travel.
Gift card redemption pay 1 cent per point, you pay 0.6 cents per point while using your points as a statement credit for a transaction. You can also make purchases using points at selected merchants like Boxed.com, Amazon, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Best Buy, etc. This option is valued 0.7 cents on every point, however, it can be worth more or less but it depends on the selection.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card
This credit card offers the best overall value. This travel credit card is mostly recommended for people that are new to earning travel rewards because it allows you earn effortlessly and the points or miles are transferable. Chase Ultimate Rewards also have a low yearly fee.
After opening your account and spending up to $4,000 on purchases within the first three months, you will earn 60,000 points. According to TPG, this bonus is worth $1,200. You get 5 points on every dollar spent on travel with Chase Ultimate Rewards also 3 miles on every dollar spent on dining, this includes delivery services, takeaway and dining out. 3 miles on every dollar on select streaming services.
3 miles on every dollar spent online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs). 2 point on every dollar spent on travel and 1 mile per dollar spent on other purchases.
Travel Benefits
Earn extra money when you travel, shop for grocery online or eat out and subscribe to certain streaming services.
A huge welcome bonus
Get a 25% bonus when redeeming for travel through Chase.
A hotel credit of $50
You can add up the points from different cards
Points can be transferred to airline and hotel partners.
It has global acceptance
You’ll be covered if your journey is canceled or delayed
Baggage delay insurance
Insurance for a rental vehicle
Assistance with travel
Invest in insurance.
Quick and efficient customer service
Fee: $95 per year
PS: You get a 25% bonus after redeeming your points for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal which makes your points worth 1.25 cents each.
What makes it worthwhile
You get a decent return on dining and travel (6% and 4% back respectively according to TPG value) on top of the substantial sign-up bonus. You also have access to some of the strongest travel coverage available from any travel rewards credit cards. If you are a frequent Lyft user, you will get a 5 times discount on your trips.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
This is one of the best premium travel credit card, it is less expensive than all its competitors and cardholders gets unrestricted access to Capital One’s premium network on lounges and 1,300+ Priority Pass lounges throughout the globe and you can invite up to two friends for free.
After activating your account and spending up to $10,000 within six months, you earn 100,000 extra miles. According to TPG, these bonus miles are worth $1,850. You will also earn as much as $200 in statement credits for holiday rentals (such as Vrbo and Airbnb) charged to your card within the first year of opening the account for a limited time
Through Capital One Travel, you can earn 10 points per dollar spent on hotel and rental cars and get 5 miles per dollar on flights. You can also get 2 miles for every dollar spent on all other qualified purchases.
Benefits for Travelers.
Yearly, cardholders will get as much as $300 in statement credits for travel bookings made through the Capital One Travel portal. If the credit is utilized fully, the yearly fee will reduce to $95.
Other Travel Advantages
Longer Warranties: Eligible purchases made with this card will extend manufacturer’s warranty
Return Protection: Purchases made that are not returnable maybe eligible for a refund
Mobile Phone Protection: Paying your phone bill using the card may give you insurance again damage or loss
TSA PreCheck or Global Fee Credit: You can get a $100 TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee credit after paying the application fee with the card.
Visa Infinite Advantage: The card comes with Visa Infinite benefits like concierge services.
They also include a $185-worth 10,000 anniversary incentive, TSA PreCheck application or Global Entry reimbursement, travel and purchases safeguard etc.
Fee: $395 per year
Why it’s worth it?
This is a must have for people that travel frequently and the yearly fee of $395 is worth it. If you travel often with your spouse, family or friends, you can add four authorized users at no extra charge. This will automatically give them access to their own lounge (as well as the chance to invite two others for free) and other benefits
It is a major money saver for people traveling in groups.
Discover it® Miles
The Discover it® Miles has the shortest introductory APR term for transfer. One of the good things with travel credit card is that on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, you will get a 0% initial APR followed by an ongoing APR of 11.99% to 22.99%.
Each dollar spent through the Discover it® Miles generates 1.5 miles. This can be used for travel or cash back at the same rate (a penny per mile).
There is no annual fee for this card
With this travel reward card, you have unlimited bonus, at the end of the year, Discover it® Miles offers you an unlimited match of all miles you have earned. For example, if you earn 35,000 miles you will receive 70,000 miles. There is no registration, minimum spending and maximum prize. It’s just Miles-for-Miles match.
You can earn 1.5x Miles per dollar you spend automatically with no annual fee.
Your Miles can be used to pay for any part of your monthly bill
You can exchange Miles for cash in any amount at any point in time.
You can also use your Miles as a statement credit for travel expenditure including airline, hotel restaurants, rideshare and petrol station, etc.
Miles never expire and they retain their value regardless of how you use them
You can use your Discover it® Miles card to pay for your flight ticket, hotel reservations, rental car etc. Discover it® Miles is accepted 99% by credit card company nationwide.
You can stop new purchases, cash advances and balance transfers by freezing your account with the mobile app or online by using the on/off button.
You can get free credit scorecard which includes your FICO® Credit Score, recent queries amount, etc.
You will get notified if your Social Security Number is discovered on any of the Dark Web
Capital One VentureOne Card
This is the best no yearly fee credit card, there are amazing offers that comes with the card. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit card miles can be transferred to airlines and hotel partners.
After creating your account with this travel credit card, within the first three months you can earn 20,000 bonus after spending $500, this bonus is worth $370 according to TPG’s estimates.
You will get a flat 1.25 miles on every dollar on all purchases which is 2.31 percent return.
There several travel advantages that come with using this travel credit card. Some of these are travel accident insurance which provides up to $250,000 in coverage for common carrier accidental death, if you lost your bag or if its stolen you can get up to $3,000 in reimbursement each trip. For warranties of three years or less will get you extended warranty of additional one year with a cap of $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per cardholder.
This card is no fee card and does not impose foreign transaction fee. However, only accounts accepted for the Visa Signature card are eligible for this benefit.
Why it’s worth it?
This is one of the best travel credit cards to have in your wallet because of its no annual fee. This card is designed to save money. There are few cards with no-annual-fee that allow you to transfer points and miles to travel partners directly. One of the things that distinguishes this card from others with the no-annual-fee is its purchase protection and no international transaction fee.
The VentureOne card earning system is closely identical to the $95-per-year card but it has a slightly lower return on everyday spending. If you expect to spend up to $7,600 on daily purchases all year round, this is the best card for you.
Citi Premier Card
Citi Premier Card has the highest rates of reward. The card has 3x earning rate available on a limited number of transactions ranging from daily to specific travel purchases. With this card you can accumulate ThankYou points easily that you can use for future travel redemptions.
After opening your account with the current signup offer, in the first three months of spending $4,000 you will earn 60,000 bonus and according to TPG, this bonus is worth $1,020. You will earn 3 points on every dollar spent on flight tickets, hotel reservations, restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations but you will earn 1 point on every dollar spent on other things.
Benefits for Travelers
Thankyou.com offer a $100 yearly hotel discount rewards on qualified reservations of $500 or more
Fee: Annual fee is $95.
Why it’s worthwhile?
Citi Thankyou points are transferable point currency; they can be transferred to over 15 airlines reward programs such as Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, Singapore KrisFlyer etc.
Redeeming Rewards on Citi Premier Card
Citi ThankYou points can be redeemed for a range of prizes including gift cards, vacation, goods etc.
Gift Cards – You can redeem your ThankYou points for gift cards at some restaurants and businesses through Citi ThankYou points program. The redemptions start from 1,000 ThankYou points for a $10 gift card.
Citi also offers Happy gift cards redemption can be used like a prepaid credit card at various shops.
Cash Prize – You can redeem Citi ThankYou points for cash from $50 at a value of half a cent per point. ThankYou points can be used for mortgage or student loan payments which are worth 1 cent per point.
Use Points to Shop – You can use Citi ThankYou points to shop in lots of ways, you can use it to purchase items at some partners like Amazon.com and Best Buy. ThankYou points can also be redeemed at retailers that accept PayPal as payment method.
Book Flight Ticket Using ThankYou.com
Citi ThankYou.com website allows you to book flight, hotel reservations, rental car and cruises. If you do not have enough ThankYou points to cover for the cost of your trip, you can use the ThankYou points to cover part of the trip. ThankYou points are worth one penny apiece when you are using the Citi Premier card to pay for your travel expenses
Transfer to Other Travel Partners – The most valuable part of the ThankYou points program is the possibility to transfer ThankYou points to airlines and redeem those points for international business transaction.
Transfer to other ThankYou Account – You can transfer as much as 100,000 points each year to another Citi ThankYou account holder but the individual who receives the points must redeem them within three months (90 days) or else they will be lost.
American Express Gold Card
This is regarded as one of the best card for dining out. With no international transaction fee, you can earn 4x on dining at restaurants, resulting in an 8% return on purchases according to TPS’s estimations.
This is the best option for long-term spending, although there are some cards that may provide better return rates on meals for a limited time.
With the American Express Gold Card, after opening your account and spending $4,000 for the first six months, you can earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points which is worth $1,200 according to TPG.
You can check out the CardMatch tool to discover if you are eligible for a 75,000 points welcome bonus, although this can change at any time.
With your Amex Gold card, you can earn 4 points on every dollar spent at restaurants, supermarkets in the United States. Also you earn 3 points on every dollar spent on flight booked directly with airline or on amextravel.com. You also earn 1 points on every dollar spent on other purchases.
What are the Benefits of the American Express Gold Card?
When you pay with your American Express Gold Card at restaurants partners such as Grubhub, Seamless, Boxed, The Cheesecake Factory, etc, you will gain as much as $120 in meals credits annually.
Also, when you link your American Express Gold Card to your Uber account, you will get as much as $120 in Uber cash credit per year which can be used on Uber trips or Uber Eats order in the United States. Enrollment is necessary for some other benefits.
Fee: $250 annually
Why its worthwhile?
The Amex Gold card outperforms its counterparts in two categories such as dining and groceries. It also performs well for booking of flight, hotel reservations etc. because you can earn 3x points on flight booked directly with airlines or through amextravel.com.
The yearly fee is $250 but if you use all the card features you can recover this money in no distant time. For example, you can earn 4 points on every dollar spent on restaurants and supermarket in the United States
Ink Company Preferred Credit Card
This is one of the best for making business purchases, with the Ink Business Preferred card you can earn lots of points if you spend your money on social media advertising and business trips.
You can earn 100,000 bonus points in the first three months if you spend up to $15,000. You will earn 3 points on every dollar spent on travel and as well as other business transactions.
You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to 11 airlines and three hotels loyalty program.
The annual fee is $95
Why it’s worthwhile?
Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 2 cents each according to TPS’s most recent point valuations. If you spend $150,000, you will get 450,000 Ultimate Rewards points and according to TPS estimates its worth $9,000.
The Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Cards
This is similar to Capital One Venture Rewards credit cards; you earn flat-rate points on all transactions. This can be used to as statement credit to cancel qualified travel purchases.
You can earn 25,000 points after spending just $1,000 in the first 3 months of account opening and there is no annual fee.
This card is the best for first time travelers on a tight budget because there is no annual fee and it’s easy to earn and redeem points.
Advantages of Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card
Cardholders have $0 liability guarantee so they cannot be held responsible for fraudulent transactions
Samsung Pay, Google Pay and Apple Pay are all compatible with the digital wallet.
You can get your monthly FICO Score for free using your mobile or banking app
You get travel emergency support, extended warranty protection, lost luggage reimbursement, auto rental collision damage, roadside dispatch, purchase security etc.
You have access to multilingual call center 24 hours a day and all year round for travel and emergency assistance services.
Other available Services includes
Medical referral assistance
Pre-trip assistance
Emergency translation service
Emergency message service
Emergency transportation assistance
Lost luggage locator service
Legal referral assistance
Emergency ticket replacement
Prescription assistance
Valuable document delivery arrangements
Chase Sapphire Reserve
This is one of the best credit cards for travel; it can be used to offset various travel expenses unlike other travel credit cards that limit credit to airline incidental fee. You can purchase flight tickets, hotels reservations, rental cars etc.
You will earn a $100 credit for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application charge once every four years.
If you spend up to $4,000 in the first three months of opening the account, you will earn 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points and according to TPG, its worth $1,000. You will also earn 10 points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and Chase Dining through the Ultimate Rewards site.
You will earn 5 points per dollar spent on flight booked through the Ultimate Rewards portals. You will 3 points for all travel and dining expenses and 1 point for everything else.
Chase Sapphire Reserve Travel Benefits
You will get Priority Pass lounge access and the tightest security protection on any credit card.
You will get a 50% redemption bonus when you use your points to pay for flights, hotels through the Chase site.
Yearly fee is $550.
Why it’s worthwhile?
This travel credit card comes with lots of benefits. With it, you can transfer your Ultimate Rewards points from other Chase credit cards and redeem them at 1.5 cent rate.
You can transfer your credit to Chase’s 11 airline partners and three hotel partners.
After $300 travel credit has been used, you will earn 3 points on every dollar on all travel purchases. According to TPG it is estimated to be 6% return in value.
Marriot Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card
This is one of the best hotel credit cards. There are up to 7,000 Marriot locations worldwide and this credit card comes with some amazing incentives for casual travels.
After creating your accounts and spending $3,000 in the first three months, you will earn 100,000 extra points. You can earn up to 17 Bonvoy points on every dollar spent on any of the 7,000 Marriot Bonvoy hotels.
With the Marriot Bonvoy Credit Card, you will earn 3 points on every dollar spent on grocery stores, petrol stations and dining in a year. On other transactions, you will earn 2 points on every dollar spent.
For frequent travelers, you will earn 15 elite-night credits that will qualify you for Marriot Bonvoy Silver Elite Membership. If you spend up to $35,000 yearly, you can earn Marriot Bonvoy Gold Elite status
Annual fee is $95.
Benefits of Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card
Silver Elite status is assigned to all cardholders and if they are charged $35,000 or more in a year, they will be upgraded to Gold Elite status.
You will receive a free stay at a Marriott hotel a year after activating your account (this is up to 35,000 points in value)
You will get a reimbursement for lost luggage for up to $3,000 per traveler.
You will get reimbursement for delayed trips, for example flight delayed for 12 hours or longer. You will also get up to $500 reimbursement for items such as food and hotel
Cardholders get access to the Visa Signature Concierge Service, this service is available 24 hours a day and they can help you with dining and hotel reservations
No international transaction fees.
Alaska Airlines Visa® Signature credit card
This is the best travel credit card for Alaska Airline points because of Alaska Airlines’s diverse network of airlines partners. You can earn 40,000 bonus miles with Alaska’s Famous Companion FareTM for $121
Spend up to $2,000 or more in the first three months of creating and activating your account to qualify for other benefits.
Earn 3 miles on every dollar spent on Alaska Airline and 1 mile on every dollar spent on other things.
There are some benefits that come with this card, like free checked bag and six guests on Alaska flights. One year after creating your account, you will get an annual Companion Fare, 50% off Alaska Lounge day ticket and 20% back on all flight purchases.
Annual fee is $75
Why it’s worthwhile?
Whether you live on the West Coast or not this is a good card to consider adding to your wallet. The alliance between Alaska Airlines and American Airline is being renewed and as the airline expands its global footprint, there are new opportunities for passengers to use the Mileage Plan program
How to Redeem Rewards on Alaska Airlines Visa® Signature credit card
Alaska Airlines is mostly recognized for its West Coast destinations but their networks include more than 100 destinations across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica and Belize.
You can plan free stopover on one-way award tickets. This is a rare feature of Mileage Plan airline awards. This bonus is not available on any other domestic airline. This free stopover can last from a day to over a year. For example, for the same price as Seattle to Los Angeles, you can fly from Seattle (SEA) to San Francisco (SFO), rest for a few days and then fly from San Francisco (SFO) to Los Angele (LAX).
Mileage Plan partner airlines qualify for free stopovers. You can fly Fiji Airways from Los Angeles (LAX) to Fiji (NAN), rest and chill for a week on the beach and then fly to Auckland, New Zealand (AKL).
As a Mileage Plan member you can redeem miles and enjoy benefits with all Oneworld partner airlines.
American Express Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card
This is one of the best for airline rewards. It is the best card for travelers who want to achieve Delta Medallion elite status while earning miles on various purchases.
There are several benefits that come with this travel credit card, although there is an annual fee but after spending $25,000 on eligible items, you will earn 10,000 Medallion Qualifications Miles. Once your card is activated you will get a $100 application fee credit for Global Entery/TSA PreCheck.
There is a yearly companion certificate for round-trip ticket for domestic flights. You get a free checked bag and priority boarding on the Elite status; with this you can reach Medallion status faster.
You will earn another 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles after spending $50,000 for the first 12 months. A Medallion Qualification Dollar waiver is available but you can only earn it after spending $25,000 a year.
The Delta SkyMilesPlatinum American Express card is perfect for frequent Delta flyers that desire a little extra help to get Medallion status with the airline
Annual fee is $250.
Redeeming Rewards on American Express Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card
It is not so user friendly when it comes to redeeming rewards. The most and convenient ways to redeem SkyMiles is through the SkyMiles Deals, during these sales, redemption rates to specific location is lower than usual.
You can use SkyMiles to buy award seats on airlines operated by other SkyTeam members because Delta is part of the SkyTeam alliance. Some of these airlines are Air France, KLM, Aeromexico, Vietnam Airlines, China Airlines, Korean Air, Alitalia, Garuda Indonesia etc.
American Express Business Platinum Card
This is the best card for business travel because you are getting a good return of 10% on some business travel expenses. There are also amazing incentives that comes with using this card; this can help you take your company travels to the next level.
You earn a Welcome Bonus of 120,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months. 5 points on every dollar spent on flight and prepaid hotel reservations booked through Amex Travel.
You will get 1.5 points on every dollar spent on eligible purchases in select business categories and eligible purchases of $5,000 or more. You will get up to $200 in annual airline fee statement credits. Once every four years, you will also get $100 in statements credits for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee.
You will get up to $179 in annual Clear Membership statement credit.
You will have access to lounge and automatic Gold status with Hilton and Marriott. When you book flights on Amex Travel and pay with points for your flights whether in part or in full, you can earn 1 million points per calendar year. You will also get 35 percent airline bonus but enrollment is necessary for other benefits.
Annual fee is $595
How to Choose a Travel Credit Card
There are lots of travel credit cards available ranging from general to airline and hotel-specific but there are factors you should consider when choosing travel credit card.
Firstly, you have to think if you are willing to pay an annual fee and some travel cards charge exorbitant annual fee of more than $500. However, some of these cards comes with several benefits but other don’t so it’s important you do your calculations before choosing a travel credit card with an annual fee that is good for you.
Another thing to consider is the type of travel you do often. If you mostly travel within the United States, then it should not matter if your credit card charges international transaction fee. However, if you travel to Mexico or Spain then you will need to take a look of how much the international transaction fee is or better still get a card that doesn’t charge an international transaction fee.
You should so take a look at the benefit you will receive. Investigate and get accurate information about which card offers rewards program that is more tailored to your purchasing habits. For example, if you dine out frequently when travel; consider the American Express Gold card that offers 4x points on dining at restaurants. If you want good rewards rates on a wide range of expenditure, then Discover It Miles is a good card to choose, it has no annual fee and offers unlimited 1.5x miles on every dollar spent.
To choose the best travel credit card, you need to compare the benefits of different cards to see the one that is better for you.
Benefits of Using a Travel Credit Card
There are benefits that come with some travel credit cards;
1. Insurance for trips delay or cancellation: Sometimes, your trip may not go as planned. When this happens and your plans change due to “qualified” causes, a card with in-built travel insurance can pay you.
2. Application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck: Some travel credit cards give as much as $100 in application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
3. Some travel credit cards incur foreign transaction fee when making purchases in other currencies when you are overseas but some don’t.
4. You can gain access to airport lounges with several premium travel credit cards. This gives cardholders the opportunity to relax before their journey
5. Insurance for baggage loss or delay: Baggage interruption coverage is sometimes included with some travel credit cards. You can get paid if your bag is lost or delayed for long period of time.
6. If you pay your application fees using your credit cards, you will earn statement credit for reimbursement.
What to look out for in a Travel Credit Card
You need to be mindful of your goals and purchasing pattern when choosing a travel credit card. Here is some information to guide you when choosing a travel credit card.
1. Lookout for International Transaction Fee: If you travel to other countries frequently, make sure that your travel credit card doesn’t incur international transaction fee
2. Lookout for Bonus Offers: Lots of travel credit cards offer new cardholder a sign-up bonus. This is an opportunity to earn huge bonus points after spending a specific amount on the card within the first few months of account activation.
3. Lookout for Annual Fee: There are some travel credit cards that include annual fee while others don’t and before you apply for a credit card, ensure you understand the annual fee and can afford it. Although travel credit cards with annual fee come with more features and benefits.
4. Lookout for Welcome Gift: Your trip can be more delightful when you get priority boarding or a complimentary welcome gift.
5. Lookout for Earning Potential: Not all travel credit cards have the same earning potentials. You have to examine each card awards points or miles and also look at the account purchase categories.
