If you travel a lot, you can save yourself a ton of money just by using the right credit card. Some
of the very best credit card rewards come in the form of trip miles or travel reward points. They
can be redeemed for reduced (or even free) flights, hotel stays, rental cars, and other travel
perks.
The most rewarding travel-focused credit cards come with hefty annual fees. However, these
fees are pretty easy to recoup (and surpass) if you’re a frequent flier of any kind. There are also
plenty of credit cards with airline miles and no annual fees, though.
If you only go away once every couple of years, you might be better off with a cash back
rewards credit card. On the other hand, if you absolutely love to travel (and do it often), these
are the best airline travel rewards credit cards you can apply for.
Capital One Venture X Rewards
The Venture X Rewards is Capital One’s premium travel card. It comes with a premium price tag
too, as the annual fee is $395. However, you’ll soon come to learn that the very best rewards all
come with similar (and higher) fees.
The welcome bonus alone is worth 75,000 miles (approximately $750 in value), which you can
unlock by spending $4,000 in the first three months. You’ll also get $300 in annual statement
credits for booking travel through Capital One Travel. There’s a 10,000 mile ($100 value)
anniversary bonus that you receive every year. And we haven’t even talked about how you earn
miles with regular spending.
You’ll get unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, and
5X on flights. All other purchases will net you 2X miles. You’ll also get access to premium airport
lounges at over 1,400 travel locations.
For even better rewards, consider the Sapphire Reserve card instead. The annual fee jumps up
to $550, but it’s arguably well worth it. There’s a $300 annual travel credit that is incredibly
flexible, an 80,000 point welcome bonus, and a ton of other fantastic travel perks. It does
require a top tier credit score, though,
In short, frequent travelers will be able to earn back the annual fee – and much more – with
ease.
Chase Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve
When it comes to travel rewards credit cards with an annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred
card is one of the cheapest. At only $95 a year, you still earn plenty of rewards towards your
next vacation.
There’s a 60,000 welcome bonus (worth $750) for spending $4,000 in the first three months.
After that, you’ll earn 5X miles on travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3X on dining, and 2X
on all other travel purchases.
Citi Premier Card
The Citi Premier Card is another strong candidate for anyone seeking better travel rewards. For
a $95 annual fee, you’ll get a bunch of excellent perks.
To start, there’s an 80,000 point welcome bonus ($800 value) for spending $4,000 in the first
three months. Then you’ll receive 3X points at restaurants and supermarkets, 2X points on gas,
flights, and hotels, and 1X points on everything else.
The points can transfer to 15 different airline programs, giving you a lot of freedom in your
travels. In addition, there’s an annual $100 hotel credit for bookings of more than $500. That’s
your annual fee paid for, without even trying.
Ink Business Preferred from Chase
The Ink Business Preferred credit card is, obviously, geared towards business travelers. It
requires significant spending to earn top rewards, but many small or medium-sized businesses
should be able to achieve them with relative ease.
There’s a 100,000 point bonus offer (up to $1,250 value), but you have to spend $15,000 in the
first three months. Beyond that, you earn 3X points on travel and certain business categories
(up to $150,000 annually). You’ll earn 1X points on all other spending, with no annual limit.
The card does come with a modest $95 annual fee, but you can easily earn that back quickly.
The Ink Business Preferred card also comes with a score of protections for travelers – fraud
insurance, rental car insurance, cell phone protection, and trip delay/cancellation insurance.
United Club Infinite Card from Chase
This card is specifically geared towards travelers who fly frequently with United Airlines. With no
annual fee in the first year and 50,000 bonus welcome miles (if you meet $3,000 in spending
goals in the first three months), there’s a lot to like about the United Club Infinite Card.
You’ll earn 2 miles per dollar spent on dining, hotels, and United purchases. There’s a $100
credit towards Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or Nexus fees, to make getting through customs a
breeze. You’ll get 25% cash back on travel expenses purchased through United – food and
drink in United lounges or in-flight WiFi. You also won’t have to pay to check your first bag. That
alone could save you $140 every roundtrip flight.
Platinum Card from American Express
If you want to travel in luxury (and can afford to do so), then the Platinum Card from American
Express is the best credit card to own. It has an extremely high annual fee of $695, which can
be hard to swallow for mere average travelers. If you’re jet-setting around the globe though, the
rewards can more than offset that cost.
To start, there’s a 125,000 welcome bonus that is valued around $2,500. You’ll earn 5X points
on flights booked directly through airlines or via American Express Travel. The 5X point also
applies to prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel.
There are a ton of additional credits that you can earn. You can get $20 a month back for
payments made to certain streaming services ($240 a year). There’s a $200 annual credit for
fees related to checking your bags at the airport. There’s another $200 in Uber and Uber Eats
credits. You do have to pay attention to make sure you’re taking full advantage of the Platinum
Card. However, if you make the effort to do so, the perks are certainly worth the annual fee.