Best Cards to Book the 10xTravel Antarctica Group Trip

If you haven’t already heard, penguins are about to learn a whole lot about the world of points and miles. Well, that might be a by-product, but what is definitely happening is that the 10xTravel team is organizing a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Antarctica set for 2027.

The goal is to have a boat chartered exclusively for the 10xTravel community. There will be 178 spaces up for grabs, but with more than 1,800 of you having already expressed interest in the trip, it’s likely to sell out fast once booking goes live.

We’ve already confirmed that the cost of the trip will code as travel, and with the flights to (and some lodging in) Argentina being the only part of the trip you’ll be able to redeem points for, it’s the perfect opportunity to earn a new card’s welcome offer.

With that in mind, here’s an overview of the best cards to use to pay for the 2027 10xTravel Antarctica trip.

Antarctica Trip at a Glance

You can view the details of this trip on our Antarctica trip booking site, but here are some key points:

• The trip will run from Feb. 24 to March 5, 2027.
• The voyage will last for 10 days to 11 nights.
• A twin cabin will cost around $9,990 to $12,990 per person.
• A triple cabin will cost around $7,990 to $9,990 per person.
• There will be early-bird and pay-in-full promotions offering exclusive savings and perks for those who book early and/or pay in full.
• Payment plans will also be available (25% deposit followed by another 25% after six months with the remaining balance due 90 days before departure).
• Children must be 10 years old to participate—kids aged between 10 and 14 will receive a reduced rate.
• We will fly into Argentina—this is the only part of the trip for which you can use points.
• The cost of the hotel in Ushuaia is included in the trip price.

For the sake of simplicity, we can say that the trip costs an average of $10,490 per person. That means you could either put that spend on a single new credit card to earn its welcome offer and benefit from the pay-in-full promotion, or you could split it across two or more credit cards to earn multiple welcome offers.

Alternatively, if you’re looking to earn spend-based card perks or elite status, putting the cost of the trip toward earning these perks offers a lucrative return on your spending.

Let’s now look at the best cards to use to book the 2027 10xTravel Antarctica trip.

Best Cards to Book the 10xTravel Antarctica Group Trip

Here’s a selection of the best credit cards you can use to book the 10xTravel Antarctica trip.

We’ve based our selection on cards that earn flexible rewards as well as those that offer lucrative welcome offers, robust travel insurance perks and strong rewards on travel expenditure.

The Platinum Card® from American Express

The Platinum Card® from American Express is the juggernaut of travel rewards cards and offers a robust selection of perks that makes it the perfect companion for Antarctica, for an annual fee of $895 (see rates and fees).

It offers the following bonus spending categories:

• 5X points on eligible flights booked with American Express Travel® or directly with the airline (on up to $500,000 in charges per calendar year, 1X points thereafter)
• 5X points on eligible prepaid hotel reservations when booked with American Express Travel®
• 1X points on all other purchases

While you won’t earn an elevated rate of points on travel purchases made outside of Amex Travel, such as the Antarctica trip, the card offers a lucrative welcome offer that you can earn through charging the cost of the trip to your card.

You can then transfer these points to Amex’s airline loyalty partners to book your award fares to Argentina.

For instance, some lucrative partners for booking award travel to Argentina include All Nippon Airways (ANA) Mileage Club, Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Delta SkyMiles, Etihad Guest, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

In addition to its lucrative welcome offer, the Amex Platinum comes with numerous perks, including the following travel benefits:

• Access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection® for eligible card members, with 1,550+ lounges across 140 countries
• Complimentary Avis Preferred®, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards® and National Car Rental® Emerald Club status
  No foreign transaction fees
• Up to $600 annual hotel statement credit on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection (a minimum two-night stay is required) bookings through American Express Travel®
• $100 experience credit toward eligible charges with every booking of two or more nights with The Hotel Collection. Eligible charges vary by property.
• Benefits when staying with properties in the Fine Hotels + Resorts® Program
• Statement credits toward a CLEAR Plus membership
• Annual airline incidental fee credit of up to $200, issued as statement credits
• Statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee
• Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite and Hilton Honors Gold status

When flying to Argentina, you can take advantage of complimentary access to The American Express Global Lounge Collection. For instance, not only can you enjoy access to hundreds of lounges nationwide before your departure, but you also can access the American Express Centurion Lounge in Buenos Aires Ezeiza Airport (EZE).

The Amex Platinum also ensures that you stay protected while abroad, offering the following coverage for your trip to Antarctica:

• Trip delay insurance
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• Car rental loss and damage waiver
• Cell phone protection
• Baggage insurance

Overall, the Amex Platinum offers a lot more than its $895 annual fee (see rates and fees) in return value, making it the perfect companion for the frequent traveller and a solid choice for paying for your trip to Antarctica.

American Express® Gold Card

The American Express® Gold Card offers a competitive welcome offer, numerous transfer partners and ongoing cardholder value, all for a $325 annual fee (see rates and fees).

It offers the following bonus spending categories:

• 4X points at restaurants worldwide on up to $50,000 in spending (1X points thereafter)
• 4X points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 in spending (1X points thereafter)
• 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel®
• 2X points on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel purchases booked through American Express Travel®
• 1X points on all other purchases

While you won’t earn an elevated points multiplier on the cost of the Antarctica trip itself, the card offers a lucrative welcome offer that you can earn through charging the cost of the trip to your card.

You can then transfer these points to Amex’s airline partners to cover the cost of your airfare to Argentina using points, reducing your out of pocket costs.

The Amex Gold’s everyday earning rates also offer significant earning potential on everyday expenses such as restaurants and U.S. supermarkets.

The card also offers numerous statement credits and perks, including a $100 credit toward eligible charges with every booking of two nights or more through American Express Travel with The Hotel Collection. Eligible charges vary by property.

So if you’re after a card that offers strong ongoing value, robust transfer partners and a mid-tier annual fee, the Amex Gold card is a solid choice for making the Antarctica trip a reality.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a strong contender for the trip to Antarctica.

It offers the following bonus spending categories:

• 10X miles on car rentals and hotels booked through Capital One’s travel booking site
• 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One’s travel booking site
• 2X miles on all other purchases

That means you can earn 2X miles per dollar spent on the cost of the Antarctica trip. If we assume an average cost of $10,490 per person, that works out to 20,990 Capital One Miles earned per person. So once you’ve charged enough to this card to earn its welcome offer, you’ll continue to enjoy 2X miles on the rest of the trip cost.

The Venture X also offers the following perks:

• Complimentary access to Capital One, Plaza Premium Group and Priority Pass Select lounges for you and up to two guests
• Complimentary Hertz President’s Circle® status
• $300 statement credit for travel purchases made through Capital One’s travel booking site
• 10,000 bonus miles (equivalent to $100 worth of travel redemptions) every account anniversary year
• Statement credit toward a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee, every four years
• No foreign transaction fees

That means you’ll be able to benefit from Priority Pass and Capital One Lounge access on your trip to Argentina as well as speed through security screening and immigration back in the U.S., thanks to Global Entry membership.

You’ll also be able to transfer your miles earned to any of Capital One’s 15+ transfer partners, allowing you to cover the flights to Argentina using your miles. These partners include airline loyalty programs such as Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Etihad Guest, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (via Virgin Red).

Overall, for an annual fee of $395, the Capital One Venture X card offers premium rewards for a mid-range price, making it an affordable yet luxury option for travelling to Antarctica in style.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers a lucrative welcome offer, strong earning rates and access to 15+ transfer partners, all for a $95 annual fee.

It earns the following rates on spending:

• 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
• 2X miles on all other purchases

Just like its premium-card sibling, the Venture Rewards card earns a baseline rate of 2X miles on all non-bonus category spending. That makes it the perfect card for covering the cost of the Antarctica trip, earning you an average of 20,990 miles per person (excluding miles earned from the welcome offer).

The Venture Rewards card also offers the following perks:

• Statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees, every four years
• No foreign transaction fees
• Complimentary Hertz Five Star® status

With no foreign transaction fees, you can continue using your card while abroad to allow you to earn a flat rate of 2X miles per dollar spent on any purchase.

You’ll still have access to Capital One’s full list of 15+ transfer partners, allowing your miles to cover airfare to and from Argentina.

So if you want strong earning rates and solid transfer partners without paying a large annual fee, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a great option.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers more than $2,700 worth of annual cardholder perks, a lucrative welcome offer and robust bonus spending categories. So while its annual fee of $795 might seem steep, it’s a reliable companion for your trip to Antarctica.

It earns the following rates on bonus category spending:

• 8X points per dollar spent on all purchases made through Chase Travel℠, including purchases with The Edit℠ (after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases)
• 5X points per dollar spent on purchases with Lyft (through Sept. 30, 2027)
• 4X points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline and on hotels booked directly with the hotel (after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases)
• 3X points per dollar spent on dining purchases worldwide, including takeout and eligible delivery services
• 1X points per dollar spent on all other purchases

You won’t be able to earn an elevated rate on the cost of the Antarctica trip. However, you can use a good chunk of the trip’s cost to earn you the Sapphire Reserve’s competitive welcome offer.

You can then redeem these points with any of Chase’s partners to book your award flights to Argentina, including Air Canada Aeroplan and United MileagePlus for Star Alliance flights, and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Air France-KLM Flying Blue for SkyTeam flights.

The Sapphire Reserve offers numerous perks, including the following travel perks:

• $300 annual travel statement credit
• Up to $500 annual statement credit for stays with The Edit℠ issued in semi-annual up to $250 increments (minimum stay of two nights required). Plus, you’ll receive complimentary benefits, such as a $100 property credit, daily breakfast for two, room upgrades and more (subject to availability).
• Statement credit every four years toward Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or Nexus membership application fees
• Complimentary IHG® One Rewards Platinum Elite Status (through Dec. 31, 2027)
• Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership
• Spend $75,000 with your card within a calendar year and receive: Complimentary IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite Status for the remainder of the calendar year plus the following year; $250 credit for The Shops at Chase; $500 Southwest Airlines Chase Travel℠ credit; Complimentary Southwest Airlines A-List status for the remainder of the calendar year plus the following year.

With the help of these perks, you’ll enjoy expedited security screening and immigration, thanks to Global Entry membership, as well as access to Priority Pass and Chase Sapphire Lounges by The Club—the perfect package for making the journey to and from Antarctica much more comfortable. You also can use its $300 annual travel credit toward a range of trip-related purchases.

Similarly, the Sapphire Reserve includes the most comprehensive range of travel insurance perks of any credit card, including emergency evacuation and transportation insurance and emergency medical and dental benefit—two crucial travel protections when travelling somewhere as remote as Antarctica. The card offers the following travel protection perks:

• Auto rental coverage
• Baggage delay insurance
• Lost luggage reimbursement
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• Trip delay reimbursement
• Travel accident insurance
• Emergency evacuation and transportation insurance
• Emergency medical and dental benefit

So while the Sapphire Reserve’s annual fee is undoubtedly high, the potential to receive double or triple back in cardholder value, all while enjoying comprehensive protection while travelling, makes it a strong contender to keep in your wallet for your trip down south.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

When it comes to paying for the trip to Antarctica, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of your best bets. It offers simple yet lucrative perks and robust travel protections for a reasonable fee of $95 per year.

The Sapphire Preferred offers the following bonus spending categories:

• 5X points per dollar spent on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠ (excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the annual $50 hotel credit)
• 5X points per dollar spent on Lyft rides (through Sept. 30, 2027)
• 3X points per dollar spent on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out
• 3X points per dollar spent on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
• 3X points on select streaming services
• 2X points per dollar spent on all other travel purchases
• 1X points per dollar spent on all other purchases

These rates mean that after you’ve earned the card’s welcome offer, any additional cost of the Antarctica trip will earn you 2X points per dollar spent. If we assume an average trip price of $10,490 per person, that’s 20,980 Ultimate Rewards points per person.

Combined with the Sapphire Preferred’s lucrative welcome offer, you could easily earn enough points on this Antarctica trip to cover round-trip business-class award flights for your next vacation.

The card also earns 3X points on dining worldwide, and the 2X points on travel includes hotel stays and ground transportation. So for any additional days you spend in Argentina, you can rest assured that dining, hotel and transportation costs will earn you a lucrative rate of return—free of foreign transaction fees.

You can transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to Chase’s full list of partners, enabling you to use points earned now to cover your flights to Argentina.

Similarly, just like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, the Sapphire Preferred keeps you protected abroad with the following travel protection perks:

• Auto rental coverage
• Baggage delay insurance
• Lost luggage reimbursement
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• Trip delay reimbursement
• Travel accident insurance

So if you’re looking for a card that offers a solid rewards rate, lucrative redemption options and a reasonable annual fee of $95, look no further than the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.

Citi Strata Premier® Card

The Citi Strata Premier® Card offers a lucrative welcome offer combined with a robust list of transfer partners that make getting to Argentina on points easy.

The Strata Premier offers the following earning rates:

• 10X points on hotels, rental cars and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
• 3X points on purchases at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, EV charging stations, hotels and on air travel
• 1X points on all other purchases

While you won’t earn an elevated rate on the cost of the Antarctica trip, you can still use the trip to earn the card’s welcome offer. Likewise, you’ll benefit from 3X points on restaurants and hotel spending with zero foreign transaction fees if you plan to stay for a few extra days in Argentina.

The card also offers $100 off a hotel stay worth $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, through CitiTravel.com, every calendar year.

One of the main benefits of the Citi Strata Premier is that you can transfer your points to its numerous airline partners to book award flights to Argentina. Among these, some of the best airline programs include American Airlines AAdvantage, Avianca LifeMiles, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Etihad Guest and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

This way, you can cover the cost of the trip upfront and use your Citi ThankYou Points to cover the flights.

For an annual fee of $95, the Citi Strata Premier offers solid value for both the Antarctica trip and for day-to-day expenses, thanks to its bonus spending categories.

Alternative Cards to Consider

While the cards above offer a solid mix of valuable welcome offers, lucrative transfer partners and robust travel protections, combining them with other cards or paying with a completely different credit card may have its purpose in certain cases.

Here are some alternative strategies and cards to consider.

Earn on Every Dollar Spent

Some of the cards above don’t directly earn an elevated rewards rate on travel purchases. In this case, one way to maximize your spending is to split the cost of the Antarctica trip across more than one card. You could do this to earn two or more welcome offers across multiple cards, either for yourself or as part of a two-player mode strategy.

Alternatively, you could charge part of the trip to a new card to earn its welcome offer, and the rest of the trip to an existing card to benefit from an elevated rewards rate.

For example, you could pair the Chase Sapphire Reserve or the Chase Sapphire Preferred with the Chase Freedom Unlimited®. This way, you could earn 1.5X points on the remaining cost of the trip and pool your points with your Chase Sapphire card so that you can transfer them to Chase’s hotel and airline partners.

Earn Toward Perks and Status

If you’re flush with points, you may want to put the cost of the Antarctica trip toward earning specific cardholder perks. The cost of the trip could be the difference between earning these perks or missing the threshold by a few thousand bucks.

Some examples include:

• Reaching $15,000 in total expenditure to receive a free night award on the World of Hyatt Credit Card, the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful® Credit Card or the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
• Reaching $20,000 in spending with the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card to earn IHG Gold Elite status or $20,000 with the Hilton Honors American Express Card to earn Hilton Honors Gold status.
• Reaching $35,000 in spending with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card to earn Gold Elite status or $40,000 with the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card to earn Diamond Elite status.
• Receiving United Club℠ All Access membership after spending $50,000 with your New United Club℠ Card.
• Receiving unlimited Delta Sky Club access plus four one-time-use guest passes by charging $75,000 to your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card.
• Receiving a $99 Companion Fare™ (plus taxes and fees from $23) after you charge $6,000 to your Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® Card within the prior anniversary year.

These are just a few of the minimum spend-based perks that the Antarctica trip could help unlock for you.

Do I Need a Separate Travel Insurance Policy?

While credit cards like the Amex Platinum and the Chase Sapphire Reserve provide a robust suite of travel protections, it’s important to remember that you’re headed to one of the most remote destinations in the world. Antarctica is a different ballgame compared to a long weekend in Europe, and even premium card protections may not be enough on their own.

Here’s what you can typically count on from your credit card’s built-in insurance (depending on which card you hold):

• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• Trip delay reimbursement
• Lost or delayed baggage coverage
• Car rental loss and damage waiver
• Emergency medical and evacuation coverage

That said, here are areas where it’s wise to consider a separate comprehensive travel insurance policy:

• Medical evacuation in Antarctica. Evacuations from the Antarctic Peninsula can run into the six figures, and not all card policies provide coverage that’s sufficient for such extreme cases. Look for a standalone policy that specifically includes medical evacuation from remote destinations.
• Primary medical coverage abroad. Credit card coverage is usually secondary, meaning it kicks in only after other insurance. A dedicated travel insurance plan ensures you’re protected if your primary health insurance excludes international care.
• Coverage for pre-existing conditions. Most cards don’t account for this, while many travel insurance policies allow you to add it.
• Extended trip coverage. Some card protections apply only to trips up to a certain length. If you’re extending your South America travel before or after Antarctica, a separate policy ensures you’re covered for the entire time.
• Adventure sports coverage. Since some insurers exclude activities like kayaking, ice trekking or Zodiac boat excursions, check whether these are covered or if you can add them on.

Your credit card protections provide a strong safety net for typical travel hiccups, but Antarctica is far from typical. For peace of mind, it’s worth buying a comprehensive travel insurance policy in addition to using a premium credit card to book your trip.

Pay Your Way to Points and Penguins

If Antarctica is on your bucket list, now’s the time to make sure you’re prepared—have your strategy, know which card(s) you’ll use and be ready to pounce when reservations open.

We’ll be sharing full booking details soon, including promotions, payment plan information and exact pricing.

This is set to be the ultimate adventure for the 10xTravel community to date, so don’t miss your chance to be a part of it.