Best Travel Credit Cards

Discover the Power of Travel Credit Cards

General travel credit cards are a key part of any points and miles strategy.

But what do we mean by general travel credit cards?

General travel credit cards are those issued by banks that earn bank points. Cards such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, The Platinum Card® from American Express and the Citi Strata PremierSM Card are all examples of general travel credit cards. These differ from what are known as co-branded credit cards that earn points with a specific hotel or airline loyalty program, issued in conjunction with a bank.

You’ll find travel credit cards issued by most major U.S. banks. While American Express, Chase, Capital One and Citi are the most common, many other banks offer their own cards.

Travel credit cards come in broad categories with generous rewards and extensive benefits.

On the low end, you’ll get cards that earn points without any additional benefits, but have no annual fee. Meanwhile, some premium travel credit cards offer everything from airport lounge access to travel insurance, but with annual fees running as high as $695 per year. And of course, there are also cards with a more moderate balance between annual fees and perks.

Travel credit cards often come with a welcome offer, although some cards without an annual fee may not have a welcome offer. Generally, the higher the annual fee, the greater the welcome offer will be. That said, certain cards with a more moderate annual fee may come with a higher welcome offer than certain premium cards with a higher annual fee.

While general travel credit cards are often some of the best options out there, there are two types of travel cards that you should really know about. It’s crucial to understand the difference between these two types of cards to ensure you’re earning the right type of points to fund your future travels with.

The Two Types of Travel Cards: General Travel Rewards Cards vs. Co-Branded Credit Cards

The two types of travel credit cards to be aware of are those that earn a transferable rewards currency vs. those that earn a non-transferable rewards currency.

Most people are in pursuit of the first type of travel credit cards: those that earn transferable points. These points can be redeemed in one of two ways.

First, you can redeem transferable credit card points directly through the issuing bank’s travel portal at a fixed value. Typically, you’ll receive a value of 1 to 1.5 cents per point, depending on the card you hold, the card issuer’s portal and what you’re purchasing. This means that a flight costing $100 would require anywhere from about 6,700 points up to 10,000 points.

The second way you can redeem transferable points is implied by the name: You can transfer them to travel partners. Often, transferring your points to travel partners will give you the biggest bang for your buck.

By transferring your points to airline and hotel partners, you can often get a much higher redemption value than the 1 to 1.5 cents per point you’d get through a bank’s travel portal—think more like 10 to 15 cents per point, in some cases. This not only enables the value of your points to go further but also gives you greater flexibility when trying to piece together a points and miles funded vacation.

The number of transfer partners varies from one card issuer to the next. Some card issuer’s have more than 20 airline and hotel partners, while others have just a handful.

However, because of airline alliances, you can transfer your points beyond your card issuer’s standard list of transfer partners. For example, if your card issuer offers British Airways as a partner airline, you’ll be able to make award bookings with any Oneworld alliance member. Sometimes, you’ll get even more value by booking award flights with an alliance partner using the award chart of a different airline.

As an example, both American Airlines and British Airways are members of the Oneworld alliance. American prices its award flights dynamically, meaning that when cash prices run high during periods of high demand (during the holidays, for instance) the number of miles required to make an award booking will also be much higher. However, when booking award flights with another airline through British Airways, you’ll benefit from British Airways’ distance-based partner award chart.

This means you can save potentially thousands of miles by booking an American Airlines award flight through British Airways, particularly during periods of high demand.

This ability to leverage the partner award chart of one airline to book cheaper award flights with another airline is a benefit available exclusively to cards that earn transferable points. And considering this can save you tens of thousands of miles in some cases—in other words, the difference between being able to fly business vs. economy class—this makes cards that earn transferable points highly favorable.

The second type of travel credit cards have their use, but typically aren’t as desirable as transferable points cards. These cards are known as co-branded airline or hotel travel credit cards.

These cards limit you to redeeming your points (or miles) for redemptions with the specific airline or hotel. They typically don’t have any transfer partners or have a limited range of transfer partners with poor transfer ratios. This means the value of each point is fixed, so you can’t get outsized value by using transfer partners.

This key difference is why you’ll see people talking more about transferable points currencies such as Chase Ultimate Rewards or Citi ThankYou Points rather than United MileagePlus points or Delta SkyMiles.

That said, co-branded airline and hotel travel credit cards do have a place in certain points and miles strategies. Some of the best airline credit cards and best hotel credit cards can unlock complimentary status, free night rewards, annual companion certificates and more, making them valuable for their perks rather than their rewards currency.

General Travel Rewards Cards Without Transfer Partners

Within the category of general travel rewards cards, you also have two subcategories, only one of which we’ve mentioned so far: general travel rewards cards with transferable points vs. those with non-transferable points.

When we talk of general travel rewards cards that earn non-transferable points, this is typically because the card issuer doesn’t have any airline or hotel transfer partners.

Bank of America and U.S. Bank credit cards are examples of these types of cards.

For cards that earn non-transferable points, you can usually redeem your points either as cash back in the form of a statement credit or for award bookings through the card issuer’s portal at a fixed redemption rate (typically 1 cent per point). So while you still have the flexibility to use your points for award bookings with various hotels and airlines, you won’t be able to benefit from lucrative redemption rates and outsized value through leveraging partner award charts.

While these cards are less valuable than those that earn transferable points, they can still play an important role in a credit card strategy, especially if they enable you to earn points on purchases you wouldn’t otherwise earn rewards on.

Unpack the Key Features of Travel Credit Cards

The best travel credit cards come with an array of benefits that make every aspect of your vacation better.

Let’s run through some of the main perks seen on rewards credit cards for travel.

Maximize Your Rewards on Every Journey

Every travel rewards credit card comes with bonus spending categories.

Purchases in these categories earn you a higher rate of points or miles per dollar spent, compared to other spending categories (i.e. non-bonus spending categories).

For instance, a card might earn 5X points per dollar spent on travel purchases and 3X points per dollar spent on global dining purchases.

That means an $800 airfare paid with your card would net you 4,000 points and a $100 family meal at a restaurant would earn you 300 points.

Non-bonus spending categories typically earn 1X points per dollar spent, although some cards offer an elevated points multiplier on non-bonus category spending.

By using a rewards credit card that has a high points multiplier on travel in this instance, you could earn 4,000 points on that $800 airfare instead of just 800 points. The rewards can be even greater. For example, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns 10X miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, meaning you’d earn 8,000 miles on an $800 hotel stay.

Likewise, bonus spending categories such as dining and transit can help you earn additional points and miles on those other typical vacation expenses, whether it’s a family dinner or a taxi ride.

Similarly, many top travel cards enable you to earn points and miles on everyday spending such as grocery shopping, streaming services, gas and EV charging stations.

These cards allow you to leverage your everyday spending to earn a return in the form of points and miles.

The beauty of top travel credit cards is that they earn you points on money you would’ve spent anyway, meaning it’s a win-win situation. You can then redeem these points and miles toward award flights and hotel stays.

Escape the Chaos With Airport Lounge Access

The best travel cards and business credit cards for travel often come with airport lounge access benefits.

This can be anything from a certain number of free visits to specific lounge networks every year or complimentary annual membership with an airport lounge chain.

Airport lounges enable you to escape the chaos of the main terminal in exchange for quiet work spaces, complimentary food and beverages and comfortable, spacious seating.

Many travel credit cards offer complimentary Priority Pass SelectTM membership, which allows access to more than 1,500 lounges worldwide. You’ll need to enroll in Priority Pass separately, charge the membership fee to your eligible card and then have it reimbursed as a statement credit.

Certain card issuers also offer access to their own lounge networks, such as Capital One Lounges and American Express Centurion Lounges.

Some of the best travel credit cards offer complimentary access to multiple lounge networks. The Platinum Card from American Express is an example of this, offering access to The American Express Global Lounge Collection, including Lufthansa lounges, Delta SkyClub, Priority Pass, Plaza Premium Group, Centurion Lounges and Escape Lounges.

Considering that you’d typically need to pay a high one-day pass rate, annual membership fee, fly Business Class or have elite airline status to access these lounges, airport lounge access perks are incredibly valuable.

These perks alone can offset even the greatest of annual fees on travel credit cards.

Travel with Peace of Mind: Comprehensive Insurance Coverage

An often overlooked perk of the best travel credit cards is travel insurance.

Many of the top travel cards come with a comprehensive range of insurance perks. This can include:

• Auto rental collision damage waiver
• Baggage delay reimbursement
• Lost baggage insurance
• Trip delay reimbursement
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• Travel accident insurance
• Common carrier insurance
• Cell phone protection

Typically, all you need to do to receive coverage is use your card to pay for the activity, good or service you want insured.

For example, to benefit from baggage delay reimbursement, lost baggage insurance, trip delay reimbursement or trip cancellation and interruption insurance, you’ll need to charge the entire common carrier fare and baggage fees to your card. For auto rental collision damage waiver insurance, you’ll need to decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver and cover the cost using your card.

Credit cards with travel insurance perks can save you hundreds—if not thousands—of dollars, as you often won’t need to take out a separate insurance plan. Likewise, you won’t need to worry about the cost of insurance premiums.

Say Goodbye to Foreign Transaction Fees

The top travel cards also come free of foreign transaction fees.

While a 3% fee might not sound like much, foreign transaction fees can add up.

If you spent $3,000 while abroad on vacation, that would cost you $90 in fees—which would be much better spent on an evening meal or holiday excursion.

Almost all travel credit cards are free of foreign transaction fees, saving you money and allowing you to continue earning points on your spending while abroad. That way, you’ll be able to maximize the card’s bonus spending categories, whether you’re at home or abroad.

Finding Your Perfect Travel Companion

Many people get a trip in mind and focus on earning specific points to build that trip. This leads them to opening co-branded credit cards instead of general travel credit cards. This can have unfortunate and unintended consequences related to the success of your trip.

What if you’re collecting United miles to fly to Thailand, but when you go to book your flights, there’s no availability? Or maybe you’ve collected a year’s worth of Hilton points to stay at the Conrad Koh Samui, only for the hotel to be sold out?

If you’ve collected United and Hilton points exclusively, you’d be pretty much out of luck. If, instead, you’ve collected Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards points, you’d be able to transfer to other airline and hotel partners, salvaging your trip without breaking a sweat.

This one example illustrates the biggest advantage of points earned from general travel credit cards. You get the flexibility to use different partners to help you accomplish your travel goals. Likewise, it demonstrates the importance of thinking ahead in terms of your travel goals and spending habits when selecting a credit card.

When deciding on a new credit card to apply for, you want to begin by considering your travel goals and spending habits. You can use some of the following questions to get going:

• Where are you planning on traveling to in the near future?
• Which airlines and hotels will help you get there?
• Which cards offer these airlines and hotels as transfer partners?
• How does your monthly expenditure look—what makes up the largest portion of your spending?
• Which card offers bonus spending categories that best align with your spending habits?

These questions will help narrow down your card choices, making the decision process easier.

From the cards you’ve then selected, you’ll want to analyze the additional cardholder perks offered by each one. As tempting as it is, you want to avoid getting enticed by glamorous perks you’ll never use. For instance, as nice as it may sound, complimentary elite status with Avis means nothing if you never rent a car. Instead, you want to focus on cards that offer the greatest number of perks that you’ll actually be able to use.

But what about those pesky annual fees?

If you select a card based on the criteria above—in other words, one with transfer partners that align with your travel goals, bonus spending categories that match your spending habits and perks you’ll actually use—the rest will fall into place. Sure, an annual fee of $695 might sound like a lot. But when you can make use of the $1,500 worth of cardholder perks (not to mention the bonus spending categories), it suddenly isn’t so big anymore.

That’s all to say, as long as you’re getting a greater return in cardholder perks than it costs you in annual fees, it’s worth holding the card.

For this reason, the annual fee should be the least part of the equation.

It’s still important to do the math and see if it’ll be possible to offset the annual fee on a prospective card. It’s easy to do this.

If a card has an annual fee of $95 but offers $200 worth of statement credit perks, you could offset its annual fee by $105 each year (assuming you used all of its credits).

Alternatively, you can work out how much you’d need to spend to offset the annual fee through leveraging its bonus spending categories.

For instance, if a card has an annual fee of $95 and a bonus spending category that earns 5X points per dollar spent, you’d need to spend $1,900 to break even on the annual fee, assuming a redemption rate of 1 cent per point ($95 ÷ 0.01 = 9,500 points, then 9,500 points ÷ 5 = $1,900). Of course, you can adjust the calculation based on the redemption value of points, the annual fee and the points multiplier used.

By calculating this and comparing it to your own annual expenditure, you can work out whether you’ll be able to offset the card’s annual fee and whether it makes more sense to hold the annual fee version of a card vs. the $0 annual fee version of the card.

For example, if a $0 annual fee card earned 3X points in the same bonus category that its annual fee sibling card earned 5X points in, spending $1,900 would earn you 5,700 points on the $0 annual fee card and 9,500 points on the annual fee card. However, if you didn’t spend more than $1,900 on the card, you’d be better off with the $0 annual fee version, as those 5,700 points are all a net gain compared to the 9,500 points which simply allow you to break even on the $95 annual fee.

This is where having an overview of your spending habits is key to selecting a card.

Explore Top Travel Credit Cards

Let’s face it—there really isn’t one overall best travel credit card. Some people will make an argument for this card or that card, but choosing even two cards per category as the “best” travel cards is impossible.

An easier task is choosing the best travel card in certain categories. Keep in mind that there may be some co-branded cards that are competitive in each category, but you can find those over in our other “best card” articles to get an idea of what co-branded cards are competitive.

The reason these co-branded cards aren’t included here is that we want to focus on the best general travel cards, as a great co-branded credit card is really only great for one particular airline or hotel group. It simply wouldn’t make sense to say that it’s one of the best travel cards for hotels when it is only the best card for one hotel group.

With that said, let’s look at the best general travel credit cards across four categories: hotels, flights, travel insurance coverage and lounge access.

Best Travel Cards for Hotels

When it comes to choosing the best travel cards for hotels, a few questions come to mind. Does the travel card have quality hotel transfer partners, and what extra hotel benefits come with the card?

One of the benefits that helps differentiate some cards over others is the ability to earn hotel status simply by having the card. This may be a small benefit, but it’s enough to help push some cards ahead of others.

Best Premium Travel Credit Card for Hotels: The Platinum Card® from American Express

The Platinum Card from American Express offers access to some of the best hotel loyalty programs with a flexible rewards structure, for an annual fee of $695 (see rates & fees).

You can transfer your Membership Rewards points to hotel partners, including Marriott BonvoyTM (1:3), Hilton Honors (1:2) and Radisson Rewards (1:3), keeping you highly flexible when it comes to award bookings.

The Amex Platinum earns 5X points per dollar spent on prepaid hotel bookings made through American Express Travel, giving you a lucrative return on your spending.

The Platinum Card also comes with complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status, unlocking extra benefits at both properties.

You’ll enjoy up to $200 back in annual statement credits on prepaid bookings with the Fine Hotels + Resorts® program or The Hotel Collection (minimum stay of two nights required) made through American Express Travel. Each booking includes complimentary benefits, from room upgrades to a complimentary credit valued at $100 to use towards eligible charges, such as food and beverage, spa or other on-property charges.

Card features of the Amex Platinum include:

• 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
• Up to $200 hotel credit on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings for stays of a minimum of two nights, through amextravel.com
• Up to $155 Walmart+ statement credit, given in $12.95 monthly statement credits, plus applicable taxes
• Up to $240 digital entertainment credit, issued in $20 monthly statement credits for eligible purchases on Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, The Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times (enrollment required)
• Up to $300 Equinox credit, given in the form of statement credits
• Up to $199 per year in statement credits toward a CLEAR® Plus membership
• Up to $200 airline incidental fee credits, given in the form of statement credits (applies to one selected eligible airline)
• Up to $200 Uber Cash, issued in increments of $15 per month with a bonus $20 in December. To receive this benefit you must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App and your eligible Amex Platinum Card must be a method of payment on your Uber account. The Amex Benefit may only be used in the United States.
• Access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, with 1,400+ lounges across 140 countries (including Airspace Lounge, The Centurion Lounge, Delta Sky Club, Escape Lounges, Lufthansa Business and Senator Lounges, Plaza Premium and Priority Pass Select)
• Access to the American Express International Airline Program
• Access to the Fine Hotels and Resort Collection for bookings made through American Express Travel
• Either a $120 statement credit every four years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck application fee (when applying through a TSA official enrollment provider), when charged to your Platinum card
• Complimentary premium status for numerous car rental companies (enrollment required)
• Marriott Bonvoy Gold and Hilton Honors Gold elite status (enrollment required)
• No foreign transaction fees

Best Value Travel Credit Card for Hotels: American Express® Green Card

The American Express® Green Card offers outsized value for an annual fee of $150.

Just like the Amex Platinum, you’ll have access to Amex’s full range of hotel transfer partners, including Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors and Radisson Rewards.

This card earns 3X points on hotels and offers a range of other bonus spending categories.

The Green Card also includes:

• 3X points on travel purchases
• 3X points on restaurant purchases worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the US
• 3X points on transit purchases
• 1X points on all other purchases
• $199 CLEAR® Plus annual statement credit
• $100 LoungeBuddy annual statement credit
• No foreign transaction fees
• Trip delay insurance of up to $300 per trip for delays of 12 hours or more
• Auto rental loss and damage insurance up to $50,000 in secondary coverage
• Baggage insurance plan with coverage of up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and $500 for checked baggage. For New York state residents, an aggregate limit of $10,000 applies for all covered persons per trip.

Best Business Travel Credit Card for Hotels: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers small business owners flexibility when it comes to hotel bookings, for an annual fee of $95.

It earns 3X points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent (1X points thereafter) in combined purchases across a number of categories, one of them being travel, which includes hotel spending.

You can transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio to hotel partners including IHG® One Rewards Club, Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt.

The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card also includes:

• 3X points on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases (per account anniversary year) in the following categories: shipping purchases, advertising purchases made with search engines and social media sites, internet, cable, phone services and travel
• 1X points on all other purchases
• Points redeemed for 25% more value through travel purchased via Chase Travel℠
• 5X points on Lyft rides (until March 2025)
• Ability to issue employee cards and set spending limits at no additional cost
• Zero foreign transaction fees
• Travel and purchase protections

Best No Annual Fee Travel Credit Card for Hotels: The Amex EveryDay® Card

Note that this card is no longer available for new applicants.

The Amex EveryDay® Card offers opportunities for lucrative hotel partner transfers for a $0 annual fee.

This card earns Membership Rewards points on everyday spending which you can use toward hotel award bookings with Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors and Radisson Rewards.

You’ll also earn 2X points per dollar spent for purchases made through AmexTravel.com, allowing you to earn a competitive rate of return on hotel bookings.

You can boost your earnings by 20% if you use your card a total of 20 or more times within a billing period.

The Amex EveryDay Card also offers:

• 2X points at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (1X points thereafter)
• 1X points on all other purchases

Best Travel Cards for Flights

The main consideration when choosing the best travel card for flights is a wide variety of transfer partners. Being able to book flights with all three major alliances—Star, Oneworld and SkyTeam—plus a few unique airlines really elevates some cards over others.

Additionally, your flights are the point in your travel that is most likely to be impacted by weather. Flights are also the point where your luggage is most likely to be lost, damaged or delayed. That’s why a card with quality travel and baggage insurance helps differentiate between the good and the best travel cards for flights.

Best Premium Travel Card for Flights: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Once again, The Platinum Card from American Express takes center stage as the best premium travel card for flights.

You can transfer your Membership Rewards points to any of Amex’s 18 airline partners, including members from all three alliances.

The Amex Platinum card offers a $200 annual flight credit toward incidental charges with one qualifying airline (enrollment required).

When you book flights directly or through AmexTravel.com you’ll earn 5X points per dollar spent on up to $500,000 per calendar year (1X points thereafter).

Best Value Travel Card for Flights: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers outsized value for its annual fee of $95 when it comes to flight redemptions.

You can transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to any of Chase’s 11 airline partners, including members from all three alliances, at 1:1 transfer ratios.

You’ll also earn 5X points on travel purchases, including flights, booked through Chase Travel℠ (excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 annual hotel credit).

The Sapphire Preferred Card offers the following:

• Transfer points to 14 airline and hotel transfer partners at a 1:1 ratio
• Hotel stays purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards are eligible for a $50 statement credit every account anniversary year.
• 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards (excluding hotel purchases qualifying for the $50 annual hotel credit)
• 2X points on all other travel purchases
• 3X points on dining, including eligible takeout, delivery services and dining out
• 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs)
• 3X points on select streaming services
• 1X points on all other purchases
• 25% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards
• A bonus point boost equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year, each account anniversary year
• Up to $200 value in partner benefits with Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart and Peloton

Best Business Travel Card for Flights: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

For small business owners wanting the best flight card, look no further than The Business Platinum Card® from American Express.

You can transfer your Membership Rewards points to any of Amex’s 18 airline partners, including members from all three alliances.

Just like the consumer card equivalent, the Business Platinum card offers a $200 annual flight credit toward incidental charges with one qualifying airline (enrollment required).

When you book flights directly or through AmexTravel.com you’ll earn 5X points per dollar spent on up to $500,000 per calendar year (1X points thereafter).

For an annual fee of $695 (see rates & fees), you can enjoy premium benefits when flying.

The Business Platinum Card also includes:

• 5X points on prepaid hotels and flights booked through amextravel.com
• 1.5X points on key business categories (U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software and cloud system providers, and shipping providers) as well as on eligible purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else (on up to $2 million in purchases per calendar year; 1X points thereafter)
• 1X points on all other purchases
• Up to $400 statement credit for Dell technology purchases, given in semi-annual $200 statement credits (enrollment required)
• Up to $360 statement credit for Indeed purchases, given in quarterly statement credits of $90
• Up to $150 statement credit for eligible annual prepaid business plan purchases with Adobe on Creative Cloud for teams or Acrobat Pro DC with e-sign for teams
• $120 statement credit for U.S. wireless telephone service provider purchases, given in monthly statement credits of $10
• Complimentary access to The American Express Global Lounge Collection
• Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy™ Gold Elite Status (enrollment required)
• Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Elite Status (enrollment required)
• Access to benefits with the Fine Hotels + Resorts Program
• $200 statement credit toward incidental fees with one qualifying airline
• $199 statement credit toward CLEAR® Plus membership fees
• Either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your American Express Card. Card
• Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Premium rental car privileges (enrollment required)
• No foreign transaction fees

Best No Annual Fee Travel Card for Flights: Bilt Mastercard

The Bilt Mastercard® offers lucrative opportunities for flights with a $0 annual fee (see rates & fees).

Bilt has up to 13 airline partners, including members of all three alliances, to whom you can transfer your Bilt Points at a 1:1 ratio.

The Bilt card earns 2X points on travel purchases, including flights, allowing you to earn a return on cash fares.

The Bilt Mastercard also includes:

• 3X points on dining
• 2X points on travel
• 1X points per dollar spent on rent (up to 100,000 points per year)
• Double point earnings on rent day excluding on rental payments—you’ll need to use the card at least five times within a billing cycle to earn points (see rewards & benefits)
• No foreign transaction fees
• Travel insurances including trip delay reimbursement and trip cancellation and interruption protection

Best Credit Cards for Travel Insurance

If a card with comprehensive travel insurance is your top priority, there are many cards to choose from. Chase has the best travel insurance benefits of all card providers, so you’ll want to focus mainly on Chase cards.

Best Premium Travel Card for Insurance: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers the most comprehensive insurance perk package of any credit card, for an annual fee of $550.

You’ll enjoy protection under the following insurance perks:

• Auto rental collision damage waiver: Primary coverage of up to $75,000
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Up to $10,000 per covered person and $20,000 per covered trip
• Trip delay reimbursement: Up to $500 per ticket for delays of six hours or more
• Travel accident insurance: Up to $1,000,000
• Emergency medical and dental benefit: Up to $2,500 with a $50 deductible. You may be eligible for an additional benefit of up to $75 per day for a maximum of five days toward the cost of a hotel room.
• Emergency evacuation and transport: Up to $100,000
• Baggage delay insurance: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of five days for baggage delays of six hours or more
• Lost luggage reimbursement: Up to $3,000 each for checked baggage and carry-on baggage per covered person per trip with a $500 sublimit for jewelry and watches and a second sublimit of $500 for cameras and other electronic equipment

As long as you meet the eligibility requirements, such as charging necessary expenses to your card, you’ll receive protection with high coverage limits, avoiding the need to take out separate third-party insurance plans.

The Sapphire Reserve offers the following benefits:

• $300 annual statement credit for travel purchases
• 10X points on car rentals and hotels (excluding The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection) when purchased through Chase Travel℠ (after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually)
• 10X points on Chase Dining purchases with Ultimate Rewards
• 5X points on flights when purchased through Chase Travel℠ (after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually)
• 3X points on dining at restaurants, including eligible takeout, delivery services and dining out
• 3X points on all other travel purchases (after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually)
• 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠
• Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership as well as access to Chase Sapphire Lounges by The Club with free entry for up to two guests
• Up to $120 in statement credits for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus membership application fee
• No foreign transaction fees
• 1:1 point transfers with up to 14 airline and hotel loyalty programs

Best Value Travel Card for Insurance: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

For an annual fee of $95, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers almost identical insurance perks as its sibling card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

It includes the following insurance perks:

• Auto rental collision damage waiver: Up to the actual cash value of the car
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Up to $10,000 per covered person and $20,000 per covered trip
• Trip delay reimbursement: Up to $500 per ticket for delays of 12 hours or more
• Baggage delay insurance: Up to $100 per day for a maximum of five days for baggage delays of six hours or more
• Lost luggage reimbursement: Up to $3,000 each for checked baggage and carry-on baggage per covered person per trip with a $500 sublimit for jewelry and watches and a second sublimit of $500 for cameras and other electronic equipment
• Travel accident insurance: Up to $500,000

The coverage limits are slightly lower for travel accident insurance and the auto rental collision damage waiver compared to the Sapphire Reserve, and the minimum delay period to qualify for trip delay reimbursement is 12 hours instead of just six. Emergency evacuation insurance and the medical and dental benefit coverage are also excluded from the Sapphire Preferred Card.

Nevertheless, it remains a solid choice of card to ensure you’re protected while traveling.

Best Business Travel Card for Insurance: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Despite the offerings of Chase credit cards, The Business Platinum Card from American Express offers the best insurance coverage of any card for small business owners.

You’ll receive protection in the following ways:

• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Up to $10,000 per covered trip and $20,000 per card per 12 month period
• Trip delay reimbursement: Up to $500 per covered trip that is delayed for more than 6 hours with a maximum of two claims per eligible card per 12 month period
• Baggage insurance plan: Up to $2,000 for checked baggage and up to a combined maximum of $3,000 for checked and carry-on baggage. The coverage is also subject to a $3,000 aggregate limit per covered trip. For New York State residents, a $2,000 per bag limit for each covered person applies with a $10,000 aggregate maximum for all covered persons per covered trip.
• Car rental loss and damage insurance: Secondary coverage of up to $75,000
• Cell phone protection: Up to $800 per claim with a $50 deductible per claim and a maximum of two claims per 12 month period

The Business Platinum is the perfect way small business owners can enjoy protection while benefiting from luxury cardholder perks.

Best No Fee Travel Card for Insurance: Chase Freedom Flex® Credit Card

For a $0 annual fee, the Chase Freedom Flex® Credit Card offers comprehensive travel insurance perks.

You’ll receive protection under the following insurance benefits:

Auto rental collision damage waiver: Secondary coverage in the U.S. and primary coverage abroad up to the actual cash value of the car
Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Up to $1,500 per covered person with a maximum total of $6,000 per trip
Cell phone protection: Up to $800 per claim with a $50 deductible and a maximum of two claims per 12 month period with an aggregate maximum of $1,000

If you don’t want to pay an annual fee but still want to benefit from travel insurance coverage, the Freedom Flex is the perfect card.

The Freedom Flex comes with the following benefits:

• 5% cash back on up to $1,500 on combined purchases in bonus categories every quarter you activate them
• 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM
• 3% cash back on dining including takeout and drug stores
• 1% cash back on all other purchases
• Partner perks with DoorDash, Instacart and Lyft

Best Credit Cards for Lounge Access

If you fly at least a few times per year, a card with lounge access can end up saving you money and increase the luxury of the experience.

Many top travel cards offer lounge access perks, whether it’s access to one lounge network or multiple lounge networks.

Let’s look at the best credit cards for lounge access.

Best Premium Travel Card for Lounge Access: The Platinum Card® from American Express

It’s no surprise that The Platinum Card from American Express is the best card when it comes to lounge access.

You’ll enjoy complimentary access to The American Express Global Lounge Collection. That includes access to:

• Delta SkyClub
• Centurion Lounges
• Escape Lounges
• Lufthansa lounges
• Plaza Premium Group
• Priority Pass

In many cases, you can take up to two guests free of charge with you, depending on the specific lounge’s policy.

Best Value Travel Card for Lounge Access: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

For a lower annual fee of $395, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers complimentary Priority Pass Select membership.

You’ll need to enroll in this benefit and pay using your Venture X Card to receive your complimentary Priority Pass member card, after which you can access over 1,500 airport lounges worldwide.

If you can’t stomach the annual fee on the Amex Platinum, the Venture X offers unlimited Priority Pass lounge access for a significantly lower annual fee.

The Venture X Card’s features include:

• 10X miles on rental cars and hotels when booked through Capital One Travel
• 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
• 2X miles on all other purchases
• Complimentary access for Priority Pass Select, Capital One and Plaza Premium Group lounges (enrollment required) (applies to you, authorized users and up to two guests)
• Up to $300 annual statement credit when booking travel through Capital One Travel
• No foreign transaction fees
• 10,000 bonus miles every year on your account anniversary
• $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck statement credit, every four years

Best Business Travel Card for Lounge Access: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Just like its consumer card sibling, The Business Platinum Card from American Express offers unparalleled lounge access, perfect for small business owners.

That includes all lounges in The American Express Global Lounge Collection.

If you can make use of the card’s perks, the Business Platinum can be well worth its annual fee.

Best No Annual Fee Travel Card for Lounge Access: U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card currently has a $0 intro annual fee, which increases to $95 after the first year of card membership. However, effective from Sept. 9, 2024, this will change to a fixed annual fee of $0.

The U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card is one of the only $0 annual fee cards to offer any sort of lounge access.

As a cardholder, you’ll be able to enjoy up to four complimentary visits to Priority Pass Select lounges every year.

For a $0 annual fee, this is a hugely valuable offering that can make the airport experience much more luxurious.

The Altitude Connect Visa Signature offers the following benefits:

• 5X points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center
• 4X points on travel, gas stations and EV charging stations through Sept. 8 (effective Sept. 9, 2024 4X points on the first $1,000 spent per quarter in combined purchases)
• 2X points at grocery stores, on grocery delivery, dining and streaming services (discount stores/supercenters and wholesale clubs excluded effective Sept. 9)
• 1X points on all other eligible purchases
• No foreign transaction fees
• $30 annual statement credit for streaming service purchases, including Netflix, Apple TV+ and Spotify®
• Four annual complimentary visits to Priority Pass Select™ lounges
• $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee every four years

Embark on Your Next Adventure With the Perfect Travel Credit Card

Overall, travel credit cards that earn transferable points tend to be more valuable than co-branded cards that earn points with just one loyalty program. The flexibility you gain from transferable points gives you many more options when planning your next vacation, making award bookings far easier and more likely to be successful.

There are many additional benefits that come with general travel rewards credit cards. From lounge access to travel insurance, there are plenty of great options out there to make your next vacation more luxurious and cheaper.

FAQs

I know exactly what hotel I want to stay at. Should I still get transferable points instead of hotel points?

Most likely, yes. The flexibility you get with travel points gives you the option to stay elsewhere in case the hotel doesn’t have any availability. That being said, there’s no reason why you can’t collect both so that you have the transferable points as a backup option.

How do I know if I should book through a bank’s travel portal or transfer to an airline?

The easiest way to know if you should book through a bank’s travel portal or transfer to an airline is to simply compare both. If the flight costs 45,000 points in the portal, but 60,000 points with a transfer partner you should go ahead and book in the portal.

Can I use travel points to book trips for someone else?

Absolutely! When booking via a bank’s travel portal, you can book a flight for someone else, or put their name on a hotel reservation.

This isn’t necessarily the case with transfer partners. Some restrict who you can book flights for. Check with the transfer partner you’re planning to use before you transfer the points.

Can I transfer points from a hotel or airline program to a bank program?

No, transfers only go one way: from banks to loyalty programs. Once you’ve transferred your points from the bank, you cannot get them back.

Which transferable points are the best?

This completely varies based on your needs. Having a good understanding of the various transfer partners will help you decide which are the best to collect for your next trip.

I’m new to points and miles, which travel card should I open up first?

When it comes to travel cards, you should start with Chase. Chase has the heaviest restrictions on their applications, such as the Chase 5/24 rule.

In rare cases, it can make sense to start with other cards, but generally Chase should be your first go to.

Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.