Brett's Top 5 Travel Credit Cards
A strategically chosen travel rewards credit card is one of the best tools for making your travel goals a reality. We've hand-picked what we think are the 5 best credit cards for travel currently on the market.
Please use credit responsibly. If you carry credit card debt or find it tough to control your spending, please consider putting off the accumulation of points and miles at this time.
The Reviews
With the current offer, you'll have at least 83,000 miles after earning the sign-up bonus (75,000 from the sign-up bonus + an additional 8,000 from spending), which we value at a minimum of $830 — but potentially much, much more!
And the value doesn't end with the sign-up bonus. This card provides seemingly endless perks worth well more than the annual fee for the right kind of traveler.
Valuable Benefits:
- $300 annual credit for travel booked through Capital One Travel portal
- 10,000 mile anniversary bonus (worth at least $100) every year
- 10 miles per dollar on hotels & rental cars, 5 miles per dollar on flights via Capital One Travel
- Access 1300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge and Priority Pass
- Up to $120 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Hertz President's Circle® status
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver and travel protections
- No foreign transaction fees
If you combine the benefits with the sign-up bonus, the value could easily exceed $1,750, or $1,355 after deducting the annual fee.
With the current offer, you'll have at least 64,000 points after earning the sign-up bonus, which we value at at least $750.
One of the best things about this card is the limitless redemption options:
for statement credits or gift cards — other options are way more valuable.
for booking through Chase Travel℠ with a 25% points bonus.
for booking international flights through travel partners like United Airlines.
United Airlines allows you to book one-way flights from the U.S. to Europe starting at 30,000 points. The sign-up bonus could literally pay for a round-trip flight to Europe — worth approximately $1,295!
Valuable Benefits:
- 25% bonus when using points to book travel through Chase Travel℠
- $50 annual Ultimate Rewards hotel credit
- 5 points per dollar on travel through Chase Travel℠
- 10% points bonus on annual purchases each cardmember anniversary
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver and travel protections
- No foreign transaction fees
With the current offer, you'll have at least 83,000 miles after the sign-up bonus (75,000 from the sign-up bonus + an additional 8,000 from spending), valued at more than $830.
All the miles redemption options of the Venture X at a much lower annual fee — perfect for travelers who don't need the premium benefits.
for gift cards or paying back non-travel expenses — miles value is cut in half.
for booking through Capital One's travel portal.
for covering travel purchases on the card and transferring to partners.
Transfer to Avianca and fly New York to Zurich for just 16,500 miles — meaning you could fly to Switzerland 5 times from one sign-up bonus! Or transfer to Turkish Airlines and fly business class for 45,000 miles.
Valuable Benefits:
- Up to $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Unlimited 2 miles per dollar on every purchase (5x via Capital One Travel)
- Two complimentary visits per year to Capital One Lounge or Plaza Premium Lounges
- No foreign transaction fees
With the current offer, you'll have at least 54,500 points after earning the sign-up bonus, which we value at $545.
This card is best for beginners because the points are so easy to redeem — simply login, choose statement credit, enter your points, and you're done!
for flights and hotels — another card could be more valuable.
for travel expenses like Airbnb, trains, and rental cars.
for groceries, restaurants, and other incidentals — Bank of America lets you reimburse any expense, not just travel!
Valuable Benefits:
- Up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Up to $100 in airline incidental credits each year
- Unlimited 2 points per dollar on travel & dining, 1.5 on everything else
- No foreign transaction fees
With the current offer, you'll have at least 98,000 points after earning the sign-up bonus, which we value at at least $1,200.
If you're a business owner or freelancer with expenses high enough to reach the minimum spending requirement, this card will catapult travel rewards earning faster than a rocket ship!
Transfers to travel partners offer the best redemptions, and the sign-up bonus could provide a $2,875 value — potentially grabbing you 2 round-trip flights between the U.S. & Europe!
Valuable Benefits:
- 25% bonus when using points to book through Chase Travel℠ (98,000 points = $1,125)
- 3 points per dollar on up to $150,000 in select categories (shipping, advertising, internet, cable, phone, travel)
- No foreign transaction fees
Opinions expressed here are ours (Aplins in the Alps) alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post. All information about the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Ink Business Preferred credit cards has been collected independently by Aplins in the Alps.
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