Going has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Going and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses, and recommendations are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of all of the card offers that appear on this page are from advertisers; compensation may affect how and where the cards appear on the site; and Going does not include all card companies are all available card offers.
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The best travel credit cards bring you closer to your next trip by making your everyday spending more rewarding.
I’m sharing with you some insight from my brilliant colleagues here at Going about how they use their own favorite travel rewards cards. Real advice from real people? It’s more helpful than you think!
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Best Overall
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Annual fee: annual_fees
Foreign transaction fee: foreign_transaction_fee
Earning rate:
- Earn 5X points per dollar spent on travel purchased through Chase Travel(SM).
- Earn 3X points per dollar spent on online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), dining at restaurants (including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out).
- Earn 3X select streaming services.
- Earn 2X points per dollar spent on all other eligible travel purchases (like airline tickets and hotel bills).
- Earn 1X point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Welcome offer: bonus_miles_full
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Low annual fee
- Great transfer partners -- Virgin Atlantic, FlyBlue and Air Canada are some of my favorite Chase transfer partners
- Offers several types of travel protections, including car rental insurance
Cons:
- Doesn't come with airline perks like lounge access or free checked bag
- Doesn't include credits for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry
Our take
Chase points can be very valuable when you transfer them to airline partners. Plus the card offers travel insurance protections, for a low annual fee.
Who it's best for
Read our review.
Why it’s in my wallet
“I’ve had the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card for almost four years. Most often, I transfer the points to my hotel loyalty programs—Hyatt, Marriott, and IHG. The card has been clutch with accruing points and transferring them out!”
— Bisola, Product Designer @ Going
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Best travel credit card for beginners
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Annual fee: annual_fees
Foreign transaction fee: foreign_transaction_fee
Earning rate:
- 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day.
- 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
Welcome offer: bonus_miles_full
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
- Low annual fee
- Flat 2x earning structure
Cons:
- Capital One transfer partners do not include a domestic airline
- No bonus categories
Our take
The generous welcome offer on the card can help you get a head start on earning a free flight for your next trip.
Who it's best for
Read our review.
Why it’s in my wallet
"I just got the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card for the welcome offer and the good general spend benefits!"
— Rob, Director of Member Success @ Going
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Best for business travel
card_name
Annual fee: annual_fees
Foreign transaction fee: foreign_transaction_fee
Earning rate:
- 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in the following categories each account anniversary:
- Shipping
- Ads on social media or search engines
- Internet, cable, and phone services
- Travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Welcome offer: bonus_miles_full
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Points can be redeemed with transfer partners
- Comparatively low annual fee
- Bonus categories for common business expenses make earning points easy
Cons:
- Chase offers several no-annual-fee business cards that may earn at a higher rate, depending on spending category
- No travel credits, like Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
- Subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule
Our take
For a low annual fee, you have the ability to earn bonus points on common business expenses and redeem those points for travel through Chase’s network of transfer partners.
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Annual fee: annual_fees
Foreign transaction fee: foreign_transaction_fee
Earning rate:
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets.
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels.
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Welcome offer: bonus_miles_full
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Low annual fee
- Earns bonus points in three spending categories
- Big welcome offer
Cons:
- JetBlue is the only domestic airline that is a transfer partner
- The travel bonus category limited to hotels and airlines: Other card
Our take
While other travel credit cards might earn bonus points on one or two of these bonus categories, the Citi Strata Premier® Card is the rare card that earns bonus points in gas, groceries, and travel.
Who it's best for
Learn more about the Citi Premier Card.
The Platinum Card® from American Express: Best for lounge access
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Annual fee: annual_fees(See Rates and Fees)
Foreign transaction fee: foreign_transaction_fee
Earning rate:
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
- Earn 1 X Membership Rewards® Points on all other eligible purchases.
- Terms apply.
Welcome offer: bonus_miles_full
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Great welcome offer
- Tons of travel perks included
- Access to Centurion lounges
Cons:
- Very high annual fee
- Some statement credits can be difficult to use
- Low points earning rate
- To bring a guest to the Centurion Lounge, you need to spend $75,000 on the card the year before
Our take
If you can stomach the annual fee, the card offers a host of great travel benefits to enjoy.
Who it's best for
Read our review.
Why it's in my wallet
“The Platinum Card® from American Express (See Rates and Fees; terms apply) has made my layovers insanely more entertaining because I have access to airport lounges, where I can have a snack, a drink, and even shower before a long flight. In New York, we even scheduled massages and went to a speakeasy!
I even added my entire family as authorized users for a small fee that gives them the same access to lounges. What a special way to treat my parents when they fly now!”
— Rob, Director of Member Success @ Going
The Bilt Mastercard: Best travel card with no annual fee
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Annual fee: annual_fees
Foreign transaction fee: foreign_transaction_fee
Earning rate:
If you make at least five transactions with your Bilt card each statement period, you will earn:
- 1X points per dollar on rent (up to 100,000 points each calendar year)
- 2X points per dollar on travel
- 3X points per dollar on dining
- 1X point per dollar on other purchases
- Earn double points on the first of each month (excluding rent, up to 1,000 bonus points)
Pros and cons
Pros:
- No annual fee card with travel partners
- Earn rewards on rent payments
- Extremely valuable travel rewards points currency
Cons:
- No signup bonus
- To earn points, you must use the card at least five times each statement period.
- May not be as valuable if you are not a renter
Our take
The Bilt Mastercard is the rare travel credit card that charges no annual fee, yet offers a wide range of excellent transfer partners.
Who it's best for
Read our review.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Best premium travel rewards credit card
card_name
Annual fee: annual_fees
Foreign transaction fee: foreign_transaction_fee
Earning rate:
- 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day.
- 10 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
- 5 Miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel.
Welcome offer: bonus_miles_full
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Lower annual fee than most luxury travel credit cards
- Includes Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit
- Includes access to Priority Pass lounges
Cons:
- Earns the same 2x miles per dollar on everyday spending as does its sibling card, the Capital One Venture
- Capital One Lounges are limited to only three airports currently
- Travel credit can only be used in the Capital One Travel portal
Our take
For a premium travel credit card, its annual fee is a bargain—comparatively speaking. Plus, the $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel portal, makes it even more palatable.
Who it's best for
Read our review.
Why it's in my wallet
“I love the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card because it pretty much pays for itself with the $300 travel credit and 10,000 bonus points on your card member anniversary. I also love that I can easily transfer points from my Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card to the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. And of course, the Capital One Lounge in Dallas-Fort Worth is top tier!”
— Lanie, Associate Product Operations Specialist @ Going
American Express® Gold Card: Best for food lovers
card_name
Annual fee: annual_fees(See Rates and Fees)
Foreign transaction fee: foreign_transaction_fee
Earning rate:
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards(R) points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards(R) points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards(R) points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards(R) points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards(R) point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Welcome offer: bonus_miles_full
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Great welcome offer for American Express Membership Rewards points
- Excellent bonus earning rates
Cons:
- No travel credits like CLEAR Plus or TSA PreCheck
- No lounge access
- High annual fee
Our take
This card is points-earning workhorse, especially if you love to eat.
card_name
Annual fee: annual_fees
Foreign transaction fee: foreign_transaction_fee
Earning rate:
- Earn 5x total points on flights when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually
- Earn 10x total points on hotels (excluding The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection) and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually.
- Earn 3x points on dining at restaurants, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out.
- Earn 3x points on other travel worldwide after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually.
- Earn 1x point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Welcome offer: bonus_miles_full
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Generous, very flexible annual $300 travel credit
- Highly valuable points currency with great suite of airline and hotel transfer partners
- Bonus categories in travel and dining
Cons:
- High annual fee
- Earns similar bonus rates to its younger sibling, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Our take
The benefits that this card offers easily can make up for the high annual fee.
Who it's best for
Read our review.
AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®: Best airline card
- Annual fee: $99
- Welcome bonus: Earn 50,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after making your first purchase and paying the $99 annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days.
- Rewards: Earn 2X AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases. Earn 1X AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Foreign transaction fee: None
Pros:
- Welcome bonus is easy to earn
- First checked bag free
Cons:
- $99 annual fee
- Must spend $20,000 to earn the companion pass
Who it’s best for:
Among domestic airline co-branded credit cards with an annual fee under $100, the American Airlines AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® stands apart for its easy-to-earn welcome offer. To earn 50,000 bonus miles all you have to do is make one purchase and pay that and the $99 annual fee in full. Like other airline co-branded cards, this card gets you one free checked bag and preferred boarding.
Learn more about the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®.
How do travel credit cards work?
Travel credit cards reward you for the purchases you make on everyday expenses. You’ll earn points each time you use the card to make eligible purchases, but you’ll earn more points if you spend on the card’s bonus categories. For example, the American Express Gold Card (see rates and fees) allows you to earn 4X points on restaurants worldwide. That means if you spent $100 on a meal out, you’d earn 400 points to redeem for travel.
Travel credit cards enable you to earn points or miles on purchases that you can redeem for travel, but specific cards reward you in different ways. You can either earn transferable credit card points from a general-purpose travel credit card or miles or hotel points from an airline or hotel credit card.
General travel credit cards
General travel credit cards allow you to earn points that you can transfer to a wide range of airlines and hotels. You could transfer some of your points to one airline partner, then a few months later transfer more points to a different airline partner, and then transfer points to a hotel partner.
Currency: Transferable credit card points
Example: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Who it’s best for: Travelers who fly or stay with multiple airlines and hotels
Co-branded airline or hotel cards
These cards earn airline miles or hotel points that can only be used with the specific airline or hotel. Depending on how premium the card may be, the card may also give you additional perks like a free checked bag, priority boarding, airport lounge access, a leg up on elite status, or a free night’s stay at a hotel’s property. The benefits and points earned are often limited to using with that airline or hotel chain.
Currency: Airline miles or hotel points
Example: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card
Who it’s best for: Travelers who are loyal to a specific airline or a hotel.
Business travel credit cards
Business travel credit cards can be either general-purpose travel credit cards, earning flexible travel points, or co-branded with an airline or a hotel. Perks and earning rates tend to vary depending on the annual fee the business card charges. Of course, to be eligible for business travel credit card, you’d need to be a small business owner, freelancer, or entrepreneur.
Currency: Either transferrable credit card points, airline miles, or hotel points
Example: The Business Platinum Card from American Express
Who it’s best for: Business owners or entrepreneurs who want to earn travel rewards on their business spending
How to compare travel credit cards
Welcome offer
The welcome offer is the most fun part of opening a new credit card. After spending a certain amount on your new card within a predetermined amount of time, you’ll receive a treasure trove of tens of thousands of bonus points or miles. Earning a card’s welcome offer can help you get a free flight—or pretty close to one!
Earnings rate
After you’ve earned the welcome offer on your card, the card’s earning rate will help you continue to earn points or miles in the long term. Your spending habits should help guide your choice of cards.
Do you spend a lot on groceries? Consider the American Express Gold Card.
Are you a renter? With the Bilt Mastercard, you could earn points on your rent.
Points, miles, or cash back
Even before you look at a card’s welcome offer, you should decide what type of travel points you want to earn. If you are looking to book a bucket trip to Tokyo or Rome, you might be better off getting a general-purpose travel credit card because it will give you a wider range of airline partners to transfer your points.
On the other hand, if you are a Delta diehard or Marriott manic, a credit card with that brand could help get you a shortcut to elite status and a bunch of other benefits to use when you frequent that hotel or airline.
Annual fee
In addition to the credit card’s welcome offer and earning rates, the credit card’s annual fee is one of the most important deciding factors. While there are some travel credit cards with no annual fee, those that offer higher earning rates and more travel protections tend to have annual fees in the ballpark of $95. Cards offering premium benefits, like airport lounge access and travel statement credits, often carry annual fees of $395 or higher.
Foreign transaction fee
You’ll want to confirm that the card you’re considering does not charge a foreign transaction fee—it is a travel credit card, after all. Foreign transaction fees tend to be around 3% of each transaction, so if you’re traveling internationally for a week, that can add up fast. When you use a card that offers no foreign transaction fee, you’ll simply be charged that day’s exchange rate for your purchases—no extra fees.
Lounge access
Higher-end general-purpose travel credit cards also commonly offer lounge access to their respective network of airport lounges: For example, the Platinum Card® from American Express gets you access to the American Express Centurion Lounges; the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Card each offer access to their issuers’ lounges, respectively.
You’ll also want to check if the card you’re eyeing allows you to enroll in Priority Pass Select™, a membership program that grants you access to a wider network of airport lounges worldwide.
*Note: Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 15 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter. Once all 15 Visits have been used, Eligible Card Members may purchase additional Delta Sky Club Visits (including Grab and Go) at a per-Visit rate of $50 per person using the Card.
Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
TSA PreCheck and Global Entry are two different Trusted Traveler Programs that provide travelers with expedited security screening or customs processing. To be eligible, you’ll need to apply online through the US Customs and Border Patrol and pay the application fee. Over two dozen travel credit cards offer statement credit that would reimburse for this fee. Check out our picks for the best cards that offer TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.
Elite status
Airline elite status used to be earned by the number of miles you flew, but now, it is largely determined by the amount of dollars you spend with an airline. The transition is a bummer for those who love to do mileage runs, but the good news is that airline credit cards offer a shortcut toward earning elite status.
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Travel insurance
Sometimes, shift happens in the overhead bins. Things happen in life, too, where you may need to cancel a trip due to illness, natural disaster, or personal emergency, or a trip may be delayed because of circumstances out of your control.
When these things happen, a credit card with travel cancellation insurance may allow you to recoup your costs, while trip delay insurance may reimburse you for essential expenses like food or lodging. And, some cards offer baggage delay or lost baggage insurance. Just make sure to read your card’s terms and conditions carefully before filing a claim: Many require you to have made the original purchase on your card to qualify.
How to choose a travel credit card
Now that you know what features to look for in a travel card, here are some questions and tips to keep in mind when you are picking one.
Evaluating general-purpose travel credit card
When picking a general-purpose travel credit card, make sure to consider the following:
- Transfer partners: Who are the airline partners, and can you redeem your points for good value?
- Travel portal statement credit: Does the card issuer give you statement credit or perks toward booking through your card’s travel portal?
- Travel perks: Does the card make travel more relaxing by giving you statement credit for Trusted Traveler programs or airport lounge access?
- Travel insurance protections: Does the card offer trip delay insurance? What about primary insurance on rental cars?
Evaluating airline credit cards
When picking an airline credit card look for the following:
- Companion fares: Does the card offer a perk that lets you earn a companion pass and travel with a partner at a reduced rate?
- Earning rates: Airline cards usually offer the highest bonus rates on spending with their airline, but what, if any, other bonus spending categories does it offer?
- Elite status bonuses: Does the card help you earn elite status with the airline quicker?
- Priority boarding: If the card gives you this perk, you might be able to grab that overhead space first. Could that be you?
- Free checked baggage: How many other persons on your reservation can also get a free checked bag?
- Award ticket discounts or extra access to award seats: Delta offers eligible cardholders a 15% discount when booking with SkyMiles, while United offers select cardholders expanded access to saver award seats.
- Airport lounge access: Does the card offer you access to one airline’s lounge network?
- Complimentary in-flight Wi-Fi
Evaluating hotel credit cards
When looking for a hotel credit card, pay attention to these things:
- Elite status: Does the card offer you elite status with the hotel chain? You can generally expect cards with higher annual fees to give you higher tiers of status.
- Earning rates: Hotel cards tend to earn bonus rates on hotel purchases, but what other bonus spending categories does it offer?
- Free night certificate: Does the card offer you a certificate for a free night’s stay each card anniversary? Some cards allow you to earn additional free night certificates based on spending or nights stayed at properties.
- Early check-in and late check-out: Many hotel credit cards offer this benefit.
- Room upgrades or extra perks: More elite cards offer complimentary room upgrades or complimentary services like a free breakfast or spa credit.
Pros and cons of travel credit cards
Pros
- Big welcome offers can you get close to a free flight
- Travel perks like lounge access can make flying more comfortable
- Extra benefits like travel insurance or trusted traveler programs
- Can earn points for travel on everyday spending
- No foreign transaction fees
- Can offer free checked bag or elite status
Cons
- High annual fees
- High ongoing APRs
- Limited value for points outside of transferring to airline or hotel partners
- Cash-back rewards are simpler to redeem and understand
- Points and miles could expire or lose value over time
- Transferring to partners can be confusing or complicated
Remember: Your credit card should suit your lifestyle
It’s easy to get caught up in the glitz and glamor of a fancy credit card, but you shouldn’t have to drastically alter your own spending habits and lifestyle to take advantage of everything your card offers. If you find yourself working too hard to utilize a benefit or to redeem a credit that a card offers, it may not be a fit for you.
You can usually “product change” the card, i.e. convert it into another credit card within that same “card family” that better suits your needs.
Frequently asked questions
Are travel credit cards worth it?
What is the difference between points and miles on a credit card?
What credit score do I need to get a travel credit card?
How much are points and miles worth on a travel credit card?
How we chose our picks
When making our picks, we gave a lot of weight to cards with standout welcome offers—the treasure trove of points a card issuer rewards you with for signing up for a new card and meeting the minimum spending requirements in time. The card’s bonus rewards categories also mattered a lot to us, since this is a card you’ll have long after the earning the welcome offer. We also factored in the card’s annual fee, its transfer partners, and additional benefits like free checked baggage, Global Entry credits, or lounge access.
Going has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Going and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses, and recommendations are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of all of the card offers that appear on this page are from advertisers; compensation may affect how and where the cards appear on the site; and Going does not include all card companies are all available card offers.
See Rates and Fees for the card_name
See Rates and Fees for the card_name
See Rates and Fees for the card_name
See Rates and Fees for the card_name
Published December 15, 2023
Last updated September 10, 2024
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