Best Travel Credit Cards of 2024 | Compared & Reviewed

Understanding travel credit cards

What is a travel credit card?

A travel credit card is a specific type of reward credit card that lets you earn points, miles, or other travel rewards on eligible purchases.

Many rewards-earning travel cards also have specific perks like elite status with airline or hotel loyalty programs, annual travel credits, tier-qualifying bonus miles, airport security benefits, airport lounge membership, and more.

General travel cards vs. co-branded cards

Travel reward cards tend to fall into one of two categories: general travel cards and co-branded cards.

General travel cards

These cards give more flexible rewards. They let you redeem points or miles toward flights, hotel bookings, rental cars, and even cash back. This freedom allows you to book with different airlines or hotels if you aren’t loyal to a particular chain.

Co-branded airline or hotel cards

These cards let you earn points or miles that can be redeemed towards brand-specific rewards. If you’re loyal to a specific airline or hotel chain, they can reward you well for staying with them.

Types of travel rewards credit cards

There are quite a few types, and they all work differently. Before you choose a travel card for your wallet, understand the different options and how credit cards work.

Transferable-rewards credit cards

Flexible travel rewards credit cards typically let users redeem their rewards in several ways. For example, you may be able to use your points directly for travel bookings through a portal or for fixed-value travel statement credits. However, many of these cards also let users transfer their points to a select number of airline and hotel partners.

Transferable rewards include Capital One Miles, Chase Travel (previously Chase Ultimate Rewards), and American Express Membership Rewards.

Editor’s pick: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Fixed-value credit cards

Some credit cards let you earn rewards in the form of points/miles or cash back. These cards often have a fixed value when redeemed, but some may have different values based on redemption type. For example, you may be able to redeem 1 point for 1.5 cents if you use it towards travel but may only be able to redeem 1 point for 1 cent when turned into cash back.

Editor’s pick: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (See our detailed comparison of Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Capital One Venture and Capital One Venture vs Venture X).

Airline-specific credit cards

Airline-branded credit cards let users earn airline miles with a specific frequent flyer program, like Delta Air Lines cards, Southwest Airlines cards, and United Airlines cards. In some cases, users also get airline perks just for being a cardholder, such as:

• Priority boarding: Airline cardholders can often board the plane earlier than most people, giving you time to grab a seat and get your bag into the overhead bin.
• Free checked bags: Many airline cards allow cardholders to check a bag or two for free, including for at least one travel companion. This can save a lot of money over time. Some cards, like the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, allow one free checked bag for you and up to 8 traveling companions on the same reservation!
• Discounts on in-flight purchases: This could give you 20-25% off in-flight purchases, like beverages, wifi, and snacks.
• Airport lounge access: Some top-of-the-line airline cards offer complimentary airport lounge access, where you can score free food and a comfortable place to relax. Some mid-range cards offer discounted rates for airport lounge access, others don’t offer any access at all.

Editor’s pick: Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (See our detailed comparison of Delta Reserve vs. Amex Platinum).

Hotel-specific credit cards

Hotel-branded credit cards offer hotel-specific benefits such as elite hotel status or annual hotel credits you can use. When you use a hotel co-branded credit card for spending, you’ll earn hotel loyalty points and may qualify for some pretty neat perks like:

• Free Night Awards: Some hotel cards, like some of the Marriott branded credit cards, offer an automatic free night each year, some gift you one after spending a certain amount, and others give you one after booking a set amount of nights (I.e. fourth night free when booking 4 consecutive nights).
• Room upgrades: Several cards offer automatic room upgrades when available.
• Freebies: You may qualify for free or discounted meals or amenities with your hotel credit card.
• Early check-ins or late check-outs: You may be able to check out a bit later than the standard 10 or 11 am, or check in earlier than the standard 3 or 4 pm, giving you more flexibility with your stay.

Editor’s pick: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

Business travel credit cards

Business travel rewards cards can be helpful for people who tend to travel for work and want to keep their personal and business expenses on separate accounts. Travel business credit cards tend to be similar to their consumer card counterparts but may have different earning categories, annual fees, and travel perks.

Editor’s pick: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

How travel rewards work

When you earn travel rewards with a credit card, how they work depends on the type of points or miles you’ve accrued. Either way, you’ll likely get the most “bang for your buck” by redeeming your earnings for travel.

How do credit card airline miles work?

Airline miles can be used to book free flights or upgrades to a premium cabin, whereas hotel points can be used for free hotel stays, vacation packages, or room upgrades. Instead of buying trips through comparison sites, some cards reward you with extra points when you buy flights through their travel portals which you can redeem later for other trips.

How do credit card points work?

With flexible travel rewards points, you tend to get more options than miles-based cards. For example, flexible programs like American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Travel, and Capital One Travel let you redeem your rewards for travel through a portal, transfers to airline and hotel partners, merchandise, gift cards, and more.

How much are travel points worth?

Although the value of travel points varies based on the specific card and the value of transfer partners, these are the average estimated values of travel points with top rewards programs:

How do travel credit card portals work?

The top issuers have their own cardholder-exclusive “travel portals” for members to redeem points. Some even incentivize this process by offering extra points, bonus miles, or perks if you book travel directly through their portal.

For booking flights, this is often a great option as it allows you to rack up extra points or miles. For hotel bookings, unless you have a hotel-branded card, it can be a bit riskier as they often don’t allow you to use elite-status benefits or credits through the portal.

Although the incentive to earn extra points by booking through a portal can be very enticing, check on other booking sites to see if you’re getting the best deal. Some cards give extra points for booking directly with airlines rather than solely through a portal, allowing flexibility in finding deals.

Pros and cons of travel credit cards

Benefits of travel credit cards

Travel reward cards can provide benefits that other rewards cards may not. Avid travelers can likely take advantage of many of these perks to make their travel experience even better. Note that the benefits a travel card offers vary based on the card, but these are a few of the perks you may get:

• Elite status
  Some credit cards, especially co-branded cards, offer automatic elite status with their affiliated company. This can entitle you to premium benefits like room upgrades, lounge access, airline seat upgrades, and more. For example, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card automatically gives Platinum Elite status for the entire time you’re an IHG Premier cardholder.
• Travel insurance
  Many credit cards with travel rewards offer some form of travel insurance as a part of being a cardholder. Whether this is rental car insurance, baggage loss insurance, trip delay protection, trip cancelation protection, or even travel medical insurance, you can travel with an added level of protection and peace of mind.
• TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or CLEAR® Plus credits
  Top travel credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, The Platinum Card® from American Express, and the Capital One Venture Rewards Card offer credits every 4 years that can be used to pay for a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry membership, and some even offer credits that can be used toward CLEAR® Plus. Not sure the difference between the three? Check out our guides on CLEAR vs. TSA PreCheck and Global Entry vs. TSA PreCheck.
• High-value statement credits
  Although many of the best travel cards have high annual fees, many also have high-value statement credits that can help make the cost worth it. For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers a $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases you make each year.
• In-flight discounts
  Airline credit cards, like American Express Delta credit cards, often allow cardholders to get a nice discount (Delta cards offer 20% back in the form of a statement credit) on in-flight purchases so you can feel better about buying those notoriously overpriced airplane foods and beverages.
• Airport lounge access
  Often, only the top cards offer complimentary airport lounge access, but even some low-annual-fee cards will give you access to the lounge for a small fee. If you have a long layover between flights, airport lounge access can make your experience much more comfortable. Many of these lounges offer complimentary or discounted food and beverages, so you don’t have to worry about finding a meal at the airport.

Who should get a travel card?

A travel card can benefit anyone who travels even semi-frequently, with some low or no-annual-fee cards still offering elevated rewards on travel purchases.
If you fall into one or more of the three categories below and don’t already have a travel credit card, you should consider applying for one soon.

How to compare and pick a travel credit card

Before you decide on a card, you’ll want to consider some factors to help you compare your options.

Are you going to be traveling abroad?

Foreign transaction fees and international acceptance: Make sure your card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees if you often travel abroad or plan to. Additionally, some cards aren’t as widely accepted overseas, like Discover and American Express cards.

If you frequently travel internationally, you may be more in luck with a Chase credit card or Capital One credit card since they are Visa or Mastercard branded, both of which are widely accepted outside of the U.S.

How to make the most of your travel credit card

Most premium, top-of-the-line travel rewards cards also come with pricey annual fees. To maximize your rewards, here are a few tips:

• Plan for the sign-up bonus
  Although the best travel credit cards come with high annual fees, they also tend to have generous sign-up bonuses that often require you to spend a few thousand dollars in a few months to earn. Make sure this is realistic for you to accomplish.
• Join hotel or airline loyalty programs
  If you choose a co-branded hotel or airline card, join their associated loyalty program to earn the most you can with your card.
• Redeem (and earn) your points wisely
  You’ll likely get more value from your points if you redeem them towards travel, but this varies depending on your card. Make sure you know how to earn the most points, based on the card you get.
• Take advantage of statement credits
  Many cards offer statement credits you can use towards specific purchases. Make sure these credits are valuable to you, personally, and be sure you know how to use them.

How we chose our best travel credit cards

To find the best travel cards right now, we looked for cards that offer bonus points in popular categories, generous sign-up bonuses worth several hundred dollars or more, premium travel perks, and insurance protections.

Although many include generous travel insurance that may cover trip cancellations and interruptions, travel delays, and lost or delayed baggage, it may not be enough for everyone and every trip you take. For example, seniors typically require higher premiums than the travel insurance included in your card. In that case, we recommend purchasing additional and more specific senior travel insurance.

Are travel credit cards worth it?

Travel reward credit cards are worth it even if you don’t take trips very often. Depending on how much value you can get out of a card, the annual fee of a premium card may or may not be worth it, so consider your spending habits before choosing a card.

Luckily for the average spender, some cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card only charge a $95 annual fee while still offering valuable benefits.

Alternatives to travel credit cards

• Did you decide that a travel credit card isn’t right for you but you still want to earn rewards? See our choices of the best rewards credit cards and best cash-back credit cards.
• Looking to consolidate a debt? See our picks for the best 0% APR credit cards and the best balance transfer credit cards.
• Are you a college student looking to build your credit? Check out our guide to the best student credit cards!
• Not sure what type of card you want? Browse through our picks for the best credit cards overall.