The Very Best Travel Credit Cards

How would you like to get paid to travel around the world? The idea seems too good to be true, but it’s not. When you take out a travel credit card, you can earn points toward free airfare and hotel stays worldwide. Just think of all the places you could visit if your next flight didn’t cost you anything! This article will tell you all about how these travel credit cards work and what kinds of perks are available to help you pick the one that’s best for your budget and needs.

Things To Consider

When you’re shopping around for a new credit card, you should keep a few things in mind that’ll influence your decision. Things like a sign-on bonus, apr, annual fee, reward potential, and more. Some cards offer perks such as free checked bags or waived foreign transaction fees. It’s important to consider what benefits are most important to you before signing up for a new card.

First, you’ll want to consider your credit score. The lower your score, the higher your interest rate will be, and vice versa. That’s why it’s important to check your credit score before applying for a new card to avoid any unwanted surprises down the road. Not only can it affect your interest, but it can also affect if you’re even able to get approved for the credit card. There are many different options for rewards, so it’s best to do some research beforehand and see which ones would work best for you. For example, some may want cash back, while others may want points or miles.

Second is your spending habits. If you travel frequently, then travel reward credit cards might be the best option since they usually come with perks such as no foreign transaction fees and increase rewards rates at hotels and airlines.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

This card comes with a sign-up bonus of 60,000 points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in your first three months from account opening. That’s $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. With it, you can earn 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases worldwide.

All of this, with an annual fee of just $95, is generally accepted for those with excellent or good credit scores. It’s a no-brainer why this card is on almost all the best travel credit cards list. The downside to the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is the high-interest rates. However, if you plan to pay off your balance each month, that may not be as much of a concern.

Capital One VentureOne X Rewards Card

If you’re looking for a solid rewards card, look no further than Capital One VentureOne X Rewards Card. This is ideal for those who want to reap some rewards on their daily purchases without charging interest. The VentureOne Rewards card offers 2x points on all purchases and has a sign-up bonus worth up $750 in travel. It also offers 10X miles per dollar on hotels, airfare, and select hotel bookings through Capital One’s online booking portal.

You’ll earn 10,000 bonus miles each year, unlimited access to over 1,400 airport lounges, $100 credit for TSA PreCheck, and much more. These perks come with an annual fee of $395, which is lower than many others offering similar perks. The only downside customers have is the lack of travel partners in their network.

United Club Infinite Card

The United Club Infinite Card has many perks that one would want in a travel credit card but comes with one fairly substantial downside: a $525 annual fee. This means that for most people, it’s only worth considering if you frequently use United Airlines flights and lounges.

Some popular perks are no foreign transaction fee, united club membership, and two free checked bags. When you sign up, you’ll earn 100,000 bonus miles on top of the 4 miles per $1 spent on United and 2 miles per $1 on all other travel purchases.

With no foreign transaction fees and excellent rewards program, this is a great card to consider if you spend a lot of time traveling domestically or internationally with United Airlines or its partners. But at $525/year, it may not be worth it unless you fly enough to offset that high annual fee.

Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express

For 150,000 Hilton points (redeemable for free nights at any property in their global portfolio), cardholders get automatic Diamond status; 14x points on Hilton purchases; a free weekend night at a hotel or resort in their portfolio each year upon account anniversary; and a credit of $250 per calendar year toward airline incidental fees. With an annual fee of $450, it is one of the more expensive travel cards. But given its generous rewards, it’s well worth considering.

Hilton Honors is a handful of hotel rewards programs that credit card analysts have highly rated. This card offers a sign-up bonus of 150,000 points when you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new account within three months of opening. Points can be redeemed for free nights at any Hilton property in their global portfolio, so there’s no need to worry about blackout dates or staying at hotels that might not appeal to you.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

The Chase Sapphire Reserve Visa is a game-changer for travel credit cards. Not only does it earn you 3 points on all travel and dining purchases, but it comes with an annual $550 credit to cover fees on travel purchases (which can be applied to airlines, hotels, rental cars, or Amtrak). This is on top of 10x points when purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Points can transfer 1:1 to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs and access to 1,300+ airport lounges. The biggest complaint comes with the high annual fee of $550, but depending on how much you spend and travel, that fee can easily be offset.