What Cards Are The 10xTravel Team Looking At?

Note: All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by 10xTravel.

New cards are always exciting. Wanderlust gets even harder to fight off when you’ve got a healthy stash of points and you’re just itching to use them to go somewhere.

Many members of the 10xTravel staff haven’t opened a new card in awhile, but we’re feeling the need to apply for new cards so we can start watching our points wallets surge.

Take a look below at what cards we’re looking at opening in the near future.

Anya Kartashova

I’m always on the hunt for American Airlines AAdvantage miles. In the past, I’ve redeemed them to fly Qatar Qsuites and American Airlines to fly to the Caribbean. Recently, I booked two economy tickets to Montevideo, Uruguay, and I need to pad my stash of AAdvantage miles again.

Because I don’t use Bilt Rewards, which offers the only decent way to transfer points to the program, the second method of getting these miles is by opening American Airlines co-branded cards. Luckily, several options of obtaining AAdvantage miles exist.

The first card I’m considering applying for is the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard®. I’d held this card before, but it’s been more than 48 months since I received its welcome bonus, so I’m finally eligible for it again. Additionally, it’s a business card, which doesn’t contribute to the 5/24 card count with Chase.

The second card is the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®. It’s also been long enough since I held this card, meaning I can get the offer again. I just want to wait until the bonus is high enough because I’d have to wait another four years again before I can reapply.

I don’t have exact use for the AAdvantage miles yet, but they always come in handy when you least expect it. For example, the last batch of American Airlines miles that I’d earned with the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® were gone within a month of earning them.

However, I’ve found the miles to be the most useful for flights between the U.S. and Caribbean islands. The cash prices on some of these routes are quite high, meaning the AAdvantage miles can offer a lot of value on flights to places like Antigua, Jamaica and Saint Kitts.

Travis Cormier

For 2024, I’m looking to boost some of my airline miles. Last year I earned a good number of transferable miles but ended up depleting a number of my airline miles. I’m certainly not complaining about that! The airline miles have helped me get business class flights to Australia, New Zealand, Europe and back next year.

While I certainly have the option of transferring my flexible points to airline miles, I do enjoy having a small stash of airline miles to work with. I redeemed about 300,000 United miles and 225,000 American Airlines miles in 2023, and am working nearly from the ground up.

The first card that I’m looking at is the United Quest℠ Card. Being based in Houston, I fly United a lot, plus I’m starting to find a lot more value from United miles. The Quest card comes with some compelling benefits which would give me some extra value with my domestic or short-haul travels.

After the United Quest℠ Card, I’m looking at … the United℠ Explorer Card. It’s another opportunity to help build up my stash of United miles. I’ve opened all of the other United cards in the past 24 months, so I’m not eligible for them. But later in the year I may consider reapplying for them.

After United cards, I’m looking at opening some AAdvantage earning cards. I love AAdvantage miles, and maybe I have a soft spot since I’ve been using them since day one in my points and miles journey. But having redeemed so many last year has me itching to add more to the arsenal. Like Anya, I don’t use Bilt rewards so I’m looking at a number of the same cards that she is to help me earn some more AAdvantage miles.

Finally, the last cards that are top of mind right now are the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Venture X Business. Capital One is a love/hate relationship for me – I love their points but they hate to approve me for new cards. I’m hoping to have a more improved working relationship with them in 2024, as I’ve depleted all of my Venture Miles that I have built up so far.

I’ve got most of all of my travel booked for 2024, so I’m starting to think about 2025 and beyond. Which sounds absurd, yet here I am. While I’ve only got one trip on my immediate radar for 2025, I’m looking to build some diverse options for booking it because it won’t be the easiest and will require some flexibility on my end.

Anna Zaks

I started this hobby many years ago and I am still constantly on the lookout for new cards and new welcome offers. When people ask if this hobby is sustainable long-term, my answer is always an emphatic yes. Sometimes I feel like my head is spinning with all the possibilities. Between the targeted offers for new cards, the publicly available new card offers and the spending offers on my current cards, I am constantly thinking about ways to maximize my spending.

The card I am looking forward to in 2024 is the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. I’ve never had a Capital One card before because for some reason Capital One hates me, but, as the saying goes, hope springs eternal. So keep your fingers crossed!

I also want to get another card for my P2 in the near future. I think it’s going to be the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card. I go through Ultimate Rewards like water because I am constantly transferring them to United and Hyatt, so earning more of this valuable currency is always on my radar.

And speaking of United, United Quest℠ Card is also a very distinct possibility. I fly United often enough and can certainly use the benefits, which would help offset the annual fee.

I’ve had the United℠ Explorer Card for a few years and Chase keeps sending me targeted spending offers that make using the card on a regular basis a very attractive proposition. If I am earning 2 United miles per dollar, I am happy. Earning new welcome bonuses is certainly a more lucrative proposition, but when I am in between new cards, I make sure to always max out these spending offers.

Lovan Edwards

After I came back from Japan and realized that economy was not going to cut it for international long-haul flights (which is what my current travel focus is), I knew I needed points, and lots of ‘em. I had used the majority of my American Express Membership Rewards to book ANA first class for my wife and I, and I didn’t have much Ultimate Rewards to fall back on either.

I started out by boarding the Chase Ink train; I opened four and my P2 opened three. We also both got Citi® / AAdvantage® personal and business cards as well as Barclays AAdvantage® Aviator® personal and business cards. We both got American Express® Business Gold Cards and I opened The Business Platinum Card® from American Express as well. My wife got a Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card but I was denied.

For next year I’ll be taking things a little bit slower. We’re both almost eligible to reapply for a Chase Sapphire card, so the plan is to get a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, and ride the Ink train ’til we get escorted out. I am also looking to add a hotel co-branded card. I have my eye on the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card since it comes with Hilton Diamond, their top status.

Emily Jaeckel

My resolution for 2024 is to convince Capital One to approve me for even one of their credit cards. I’d love to start earning Capital One Venture miles, but so far in my points and miles journey, they haven’t been too willing to approve me. I’m hoping that because my velocity has slowed down over the past year that 2024 might be the year to build my relationship with Capital One.

I’d also like to focus on replenishing my Chase Ultimate Rewards. I used a lot of them this past year to fly my P2 and myself in business class for the first time on a trip to Lisbon and Paris, so my balance is looking a bit low. This likely means targeting some more Chase Ink cards for both me and my P2.

Another option I’m eyeing is the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express. This is a great card to have because it earns 2X on all purchases up to $50,000 each year and has no annual fee (rates & fees). I’d love to have this one to make good use of when we are in between meeting the minimum spend on welcome offers, but whether or not that happens will depend on whether I can make it out of Amex pop-up jail.