Best travel cards - Find Me a Card

Best travel cards

(Last updated: September 2021)

In this article, we've compiled lists of our favorite:

General travel rewards cards
Airline rewards credit cards
Hotel rewards credit cards
Credit cards for spending abroad (when traveling outside of the U.S.)

Feel free to skip to whichever section matches the type of travel rewards card that you're looking for.

Note: The details of each offer mentioned in this article were current as of the time this article was written, but might have changed by the time you're reading this. (For example, signup bonuses tend to change every few months or so.) Therefore, make sure to double-check the card offer details on the respective credit card issuer's website before you decide to apply for any particular card.

Best rewards cards for travel in general

Definitions:

Total value per year for heavy travelers: The average value per year, for the first 5 years of having the card, of all rewards and perks that would be earned by a "heavy traveler" (i.e., someone who spends $2,500 total per month with their card, including $650/month on travel), minus any annual fees.
Total value per year for light travelers: The average value per year, for the first 5 years of having the card, of all rewards and perks that would be earned by a "light traveler" (i.e., someone who spends $500 per month on travel and nothing else with their card), minus any annual fees.
Points and miles value per year for light travelers: The average value per year, for the first 5 years of having the card, of just the points and miles rewards that would be earned by a "light traveler" (i.e., someone who spends $500 per month on travel and nothing else with their card), minus any annual fees. In other words, it excludes perks such as airport lounge access, elite status, etc.

Credit card	Summary	Signup bonus	Ongoing rewards	Annual fee	Total value per year for heavy travelers	Total value per year for light travelers	Points and miles value per year for light travelers
American Express Platinum	A high annual fee ($695), but excellent travel perks (5x on travel, annual $200 Uber credit, and many hotel perks) and a 125K points welcome bonus.	125K points (after spending $6K w/in 6 months)	Earning points: 5x points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express travel (on up to $500,000 spent per year). 5x points on hotels booked on amextravel.com. For the first 6 months: Earn 10x points at restaurants and Shop Small® U.S. merchants, on up to $25,000 in combined spending. 1x points on everything else. Elite statuses: American Express Global Lounge Collection benefits: Unlocks access to more than 1,200 airport lounges across 130 countries and counting. Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status: Includes 25% points bonus, priority late checkout, Elite phone line, complimentary enhanced internet, upgrades to enhanced rooms, and welcome gifts. Hilton Honors Gold status: Includes 80% points bonus on stays, milestone bonus, fifth night free on reward stays, two complimentary bottles of water per stay, room upgrades, breakfast, and bonus points or another welcome amenity. Uber VIP Status: Get matched with top-rated Uber drivers. Special access: American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts program: Provides the following elite-like benefits at over 1,000 luxury hotel locations: Room upgrade upon arrival (subject to availability), daily breakfast for 2 people, guaranteed 4pm late checkout, noon check-in (subject to availability), complimentary wi-fi, and a unique property amenity valued at $100 (spa or food and beverage credit). "By Invitation Only" program: Specially-curated and customized once-in-a-lifetime events exclusively for American Express Platinum and Centurion Card Members, including Additional Centurion Cards. (RSVP is required.) Annual credits: $200 for Uber: Up to $15 per month in Uber credits for U.S. rides, plus a bonus $20 in December. $100 for Saks: $100 voucher for Saks Fifth Avenue ($50 January-June and $50 July-December). $179 for CLEAR® airport security service: Up to $179 in fee credits for a CLEAR® airport security service plan. (Enrollment required; credit is a statement credit.) $200 for hotels: $200 Hotel Credit as statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel. (Enrollment Required.) $200 for airline fees: $200 in annual airline fee credits (as statement credits) for your chosen airline (Enrollment required) $240 for digital entertainment: $240 Digital Entertainment Credit which is good for up to $20 back each month on select digital subscriptions with Peacock, Audible, SiriusXM, and The New York Times.(Enrollment Required.) $300 for Equinox: $300 Equinox Credit as a $25 statement credit valid each month at Equinox, valid for Equinox All Access, Destination, or E by Equinox membership fees, or for Equinox+. (Enrollment required.)	$695	$2,995 per year	$2,056 per year	-$339 per year
American Express Delta SkyMiles Platinum	A great card for frequent Delta flyers, with a welcome bonus of $200 (after making a purchase within 3 months) plus 90K miles (after spending $3K within 3 months) and an ongoing 3x miles on Delta and hotels, but a $250 annual fee.	$200 + 90K miles (after spending $3K w/in 3 months)	3x miles on Delta purchases (Delta flights and Delta Vacations) and hotel purchases. 2x miles at restaurants and supermarkets. 1x miles on everything else. Status Boost: Earn 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, up to two times. (Note: MQMs are used to determine Medallion Status and are different from the miles you earn towards flights.) Additional MQMs: Plus, throughout 2021, earn an additional 2,500 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) each time you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Platinum Card (up to 2 times). Free checked bag: First checked bag is free. Annual companion airplane ticket: One round-trip airplane ticket per year for a travelling companion. $39 Delta Sky Club Access: Enjoy an exclusive rate of $39 per person per visit to enter the Delta Sky Club for you and up to two guests when traveling on a Delta flight. Priority boarding: Priority boarding allows you to board the plane sooner, stow your bag and settle in your seat before takeoff.	$250	$1,569 per year	$687 per year	-$84 per year
Chase United Club Infinite	A great card for United frequent flyers (4x miles at United, 2x on other travel and dining, free United Club membership, and Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection benefits), with a 75K miles signup bonus, but has a $525 annual fee.	75K miles (after spending $3K w/in 3 months)	United Club membership: Allows you (and up to 2 people you're traveling with) to access United Clubs and select Star Alliance lounges when flying United and its partners. 4x miles on United purchases. 2x miles on all other travel purchases. 2x miles on restaurant purchases. (This also includes eligible delivery services such as GrubHub, Seamless, DoorDash, and Caviar.) 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases. 25% cash back on United in-flight purchases. Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection benefits: Provides the following benefits at over 1,000 luxury hotels, resorts, lodges, and spas: Daily breakfast for two, a room upgrade (if available), early check-in and late check-out (if available), complimentary wi-fi, and a special benefit unique to each property (e.g., lunch or dinner for two, a spa treatment, waivers of golf greens fees, welcome gift, or airport transfers). Premier Access travel services: Receive preferential treatment to ease your way through the airport with priority check-in, security screening (where available), boarding and baggage handling privileges. Free first and second checked bags for you plus a travelling companion. Premier upgrades on award tickets: The primary card member who is also a MileagePlus Premier member and traveling on an award ticket can take advantage of Complimentary Premier Upgrades on United-operated flights (when available). Personal concierge service (via Visa Infinite Concierge): Find tickets to the top sports and entertainment events, make dinner reservations, and even get help sending the perfect gift. Access to United card events from Chase and United MileagePlus events.	$525 ($0 intro)	$1,472 per year	$838 per year	-$133 per year
Chase United Explorer Card	A decent card for frequent United flyers, with 2x miles on United purchases, restaurants, and hotels, as well as a 60K miles signup bonus, but also a $95 annual fee.	60K miles (after spending $3K w/in 3 months)	2x miles on United purchases, restaurants, and hotels (when purchased directly with the hotel). (Restaurant purchases include eligible delivery services such as GrubHub, Seamless, DoorDash, and Caviar.) 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases. 25% cash back on United in-flight purchases. Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection benefits: Provides the following benefits at over 1,000 luxury hotels, resorts, lodges, and spas: Daily breakfast for two, a room upgrade (if available), early check-in and late check-out (if available), complimentary wi-fi, and a special benefit unique to each property (e.g., lunch or dinner for two, a spa treatment, waivers of golf greens fees, welcome gift, or airport transfers). 2 United Club one-time passes each year for your travel. Priority boarding: The primary Cardmember and companions on the same reservation will be invited to board United-operated flights prior to general boarding. Free first checked bag for you plus one travelling companion. Premier upgrades on award tickets: The primary card member who is also a MileagePlus Premier member and traveling on an award ticket can take advantage of Complimentary Premier Upgrades on United-operated flights (when available). Personal concierge service (via Visa Signature Concierge): Visa Signature concierge service gives you access to concierges who can help with travel planning, restaurant recommendations, and event reservations. Access to United card events from Chase and United MileagePlus events.	$95 ($0 intro)	$1,295 per year	$679 per year	$53 per year
Citi Premier	A good card for spending on food and travel (3x points on restaurants, groceries, gas, airlines, and hotels), with an 80K points signup bonus, but also a $95 annual fee.	80K points (after spending $4K w/in 3 months)	3x points on restaurants, groceries, gas, airlines, and hotels. 1x on everything else. $100 Annual Hotel Savings Benefit: Enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, through thankyou.com, once per calendar year.	$95	$1,198 per year	$174 per year	$166 per year

Best cards for airline rewards

Definitions:

Total value per year for heavy air travelers: The average value per year, for the first 5 years of having the card, of all rewards and perks that would be earned by a "heavy air traveler" (i.e., someone who spends $1,500 per month on air travel with their card), minus any annual fees.
Points and miles value per year for light air travelers: The average value per year, for the first 5 years of having the card, of just the points and miles rewards that would be earned by a "light air traveler" (i.e., someone who spends $500 per month on air travel with their card), minus any annual fees. In other words, it excludes perks such as airport lounge access, elite status, etc.

Credit card	Summary	Signup bonus	Ongoing rewards	Annual fee	Total value per year for heavy air travelers	Points and miles value per year for light air travelers
American Express Platinum	A high annual fee ($695), but excellent travel perks (5x on travel, annual $200 Uber credit, and many hotel perks) and a 125K points welcome bonus.	125K points (after spending $6K w/in 6 months)	(Refer to the table in the first section of this article for a list of this card's ongoing rewards.)	$695	$1,763 per year	-$286 per year
Chase United Club Infinite	A great card for United frequent flyers (4x miles at United, 2x on other travel and dining, free United Club membership, and Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection benefits), with a 75K miles signup bonus, but has a $525 annual fee.	75K miles (after spending $3K w/in 3 months)	(Refer to the table in the first section of this article for a list of this card's ongoing rewards.)	$525 ($0 intro)	$1,549 per year	-$30 per year
Chase United Explorer Card	A decent card for frequent United flyers, with 2x miles on United purchases, restaurants, and hotels, as well as a 60K miles signup bonus, but also a $95 annual fee.	60K miles (after spending $3K w/in 3 months)	(Refer to the table in the first section of this article for a list of this card's ongoing rewards.)	$95 ($0 intro)	$1,045 per year	$61 per year
Bank of America Alaska Airlines Visa	A good card if you're an Alaska Airlines frequent flyer (3x miles, 40K miles signup bonus, and cheap companion tickets), but with a $75 annual fee.	40K miles (after spending $2K w/in 90 days)	3x miles on Alaska Airlines purchases. 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases. Get Alaska's Companion Fare every year: Each year on your account anniversary, get a companion fare from $121 ($99 plus taxes and fees from $22). Free checked bag on Alaska flights for you and up to six other guests on the same reservation.	$75	$976 per year	$120 per year
Citi Premier	A good card for spending on food and travel (3x points on restaurants, groceries, gas, airlines, and hotels), with an 80K points signup bonus, but also a $95 annual fee.	80K points (after spending $4K w/in 3 months)	(Refer to the table in the first section of this article for a list of this card's ongoing rewards.)	$95	$928 per year	$166 per year
American Express Delta SkyMiles Platinum	A great card for frequent Delta flyers, with a welcome bonus of $200 (after making a purchase within 3 months) plus 90K miles (after spending $3K within 3 months) and an ongoing 3x miles on Delta and hotels, but a $250 annual fee.	$200 + 90K miles (after spending $3K w/in 3 months)	(Refer to the table in the first section of this article for a list of this card's ongoing rewards.)	$250	$856 per year	-$70 per year

Best cards for hotel rewards

Definitions:

Total value per year for heavy hotel spenders: The average value per year, for the first 5 years of having the card, of all rewards and perks that would be earned by a "heavy air traveler" (i.e., someone who spends $1,500 per month on hotel stays with their card), minus any annual fees.
Points and cash back value per year for light hotel spenders: The average value per year, for the first 5 years of having the card, of just the points and cash back rewards that would be earned by a "light air traveler" (i.e., someone who spends $500 per month on hotel stays with their card), minus any annual fees. In other words, it excludes perks such as elite status, complimentary hotel welcome baskets, etc.

Credit card	Summary	Signup bonus	Ongoing rewards	Annual fee	Total value per year for heavy hotel spenders	Points and cash back value per year for light hotel spenders
American Express Platinum	A high annual fee ($695), but excellent travel perks (5x on travel, annual $200 Uber credit, and many hotel perks) and a 125K points welcome bonus.	125K points (after spending $6K w/in 6 months)	(Refer to the table in the first section of this article for a list of this card's ongoing rewards.)	$695	$1,688 per year	-$230 per year
Citi Premier	A good card for spending on food and travel (3x points on restaurants, groceries, gas, airlines, and hotels), with an 80K points signup bonus, but also a $95 annual fee.	80K points (after spending $4K w/in 3 months)	(Refer to the table in the first section of this article for a list of this card's ongoing rewards.)	$95	$928 per year	$166 per year
American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant	A premium card that's great for frequent Marriott guests, with a 75K points welcome bonus, great points earn rates (6x at Marriott, 3x on dining and airplane flights, and 2x on everything else), and loads of other excellent travel perks, but a high $450 annual fee.	75K points (after spending $3K w/in 3 months)	$200 in statement credits for purchases at US restaurants in your first 6 months. 6x points at Marriott Bonvoy hotels. 3x points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines. 2x points on everything else. $300 annual credit for purchases at Marriott Bonvoy hotels. Priority Pass Select membership: Rest and revive before your flight at one of the 1,000+ VIP lounges in over 500 cities worldwide. 1 free night per year: 1 free night every year after your card account anniversary. $100 Marriott Bonvoy property credit: With your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card, book direct using a special rate for a 2-night minimum stay at The Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis and get up to $100 in credit for qualifying charges. 15 elite night credits: Each calendar year you can receive 15 Elite Night Credits towards the next level of Marriott Bonvoy Elite status.	$450	$1,095 per year	-$264 per year
Chase Sapphire Reserve	An excellent travel rewards card (3x on travel and dining, $300 travel credit each year, 60K points signup bonus) with a high annual fee ($550) for people who travel a lot.	60K points (after spending $4K w/in 3 months)	Through March 2022: 10x points on Lyft rides. Complimentary Lyft Membership (for 1 year): Receive up to 15% off every car ride, plus other benefits, such as priority airport pickups, relaxed cancellations, and exclusive saving opportunities with one year of complimentary Lyft Pink, a $199 minimum value. (You or your authorized user will need to activate this benefit with a Sapphire Reserve card by March 31, 2022. Lyft Pink will be registered in the name of the cardmember who first activates the benefits.) Through December 2021: Get up to $120 back on an eligible Peloton Digital or All-Access Membership, and get full access to their workout library through the Peloton app. For the first year: Complimentary DoorDash "DashPass" membership, which offers unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on orders over $12 on qualifying food purchases. Through December 2021: Earn up to $120 in statement credits on DoorDash purchases. (That's $60 in statement credits through December 2020 and another $60 in statement credits through December 2021.) $300 credit for travel each year: Automatically receive up to $300 in statement credits as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year. (From June 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, gas station and grocery store purchases will also count toward earning your Travel Credit.) 3x points on dining (including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out). 3x points on travel (after earning your $300 annual travel credit). From November 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021: 3x points on up to $1,000 in grocery store purchases per month. (This also includes eligible pick-up and delivery services.) 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. Points are worth 50% more when you redeem them for travel (via Chase Ultimate Rewards) and/or (for at least a limited time) for statement credits in select rotating categories (via "Pay Yourself Back"). Priority Pass Select membership: Rest and revive before your flight at one of the 1,000+ VIP lounges in over 500 cities worldwide. Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection benefits: Provides the following benefits at over 1,000 luxury hotels, resorts, lodges, and spas: Daily breakfast for two, a room upgrade (if available), early check-in and late check-out (if available), complimentary wi-fi, and a special benefit unique to each property (e.g., lunch or dinner for two, a spa treatment, waivers of golf greens fees, welcome gift, or airport transfers).	$550	$873 per year	-$289 per year
Chase Sapphire Preferred	A good card for travel and dining (2x points) with a great signup bonus (100K points), but with a $95 annual fee.	100K points (after spending $4K w/in 3 months)	Through March 2022: 5x points on Lyft rides. For the first year: $50 in statement credits for groceries. For the first year: Complimentary DoorDash "DashPass" membership, which offers unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on orders over $12 on qualifying food purchases. Through December 2021: Get up to $60 back on an eligible Peloton Digital or All-Access Membership, and get full access to their workout library through the Peloton app. 2x points on restaurants and travel (hotels, air travel, and rental car). 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. Points are worth 25% more when you redeem them for travel (via Chase Ultimate Rewards) and/or (for at least a limited time) for statement credits in select rotating categories (via "Pay Yourself Back").	$250	$844 per year	$85 per year

Best cards for international traveling

When you're traveling outside of the U.S., you'll want to use a card that satisfies as many of these three criteria as possible:

Must have: No foreign transaction fees.
1. All of cards mentioned in earlier sections of this article satisfy this criteria (i.e., none of them have any foreign transaction fees).
Nice-to-have: Secure "chip and PIN" technology.
1. Our two favorite cards that have chip and PIN technology:
  1. American Express Platinum
  2. Bank of America Travel Rewards Card
2. Some other examples of cards with chip and PIN technology:
  1. Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard
  2. JetBlue Plus Card
  3. Diner's Club Premier Card
  4. Navy Federal Credit Union Visa Signature Flagship
  5. PenFed Power Cash Rewards Card
  6. Wells Fargo Propel American Express Card
Nice-to-have: And lastly, it's best to think in terms of Visa or Mastercard, rather than American Express or Discover, because while the latter two might be accepted at many places in the US, they won't necessarily be accepted while you're abroad.