16 best travel credit cards: Upgrade and elevate your next trip

At the same time, each card has its own set of rewards rates, intro bonuses, annual fees and other terms, so take your time picking one that aligns well with your travel and spending habits. We reviewed over 50 travel credit cards to help you find the ones that take flight and those that are best left on the ground. Learn more about our methodology.

Best premium card: Capital One Venture X Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers rich rewards and travel perks, and unlike many other premium travel credit cards, the Venture X doesn’t make you jump through many hoops to earn back the cost of its steep annual fee.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Intro bonus

Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening

Annual Fee	$395
Purchase APR	19.99%–29.99% variable
Foreign Transaction Fee	None

View offer

at Cardratings.com

Our Take

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card includes valuable travel benefits, like complimentary lounge access and travel protections, with an annual fee that’s up to $300 less than competitors. You’ll earn up to 10x miles, which can be redeemed for travel, statement credits or transfer to 15+ airline and hotel partners.

Rewards

Rewards Rates

• 10X 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 5X 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
• 2X 2x miles on everyday purchases

Other benefits

Other benefits

• Travel protections including car rental insurance, trip cancellation/interruption and travel delay protection
• Consumer protections including extended warranty and return protection

View offer

at Cardratings.com

Why we like it: In addition to a Capital One Travel credit and bonus miles each year, you’ll also get complimentary access to a number of airport lounge networks with more than 1,300 locations around the world. 

The card also offers ultimate flexibility when it comes to redeeming your rewards for travel. You can book with miles through Capital One Travel, or if you want more options, you can use your card to pay for travel-related expenses and request a statement credit. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can even transfer your rewards to various frequent flyer and hotel rewards programs and potentially get more value from your miles.

For more details, check out our Capital One Venture X review.

Capital One Rewards 

The Capital One Miles program offers more redemption flexibility than most other travel rewards programs. While you can use the card issuer’s travel portal, it can be more convenient to simply book travel with your preferred provider and request a statement credit. 

Capital One also offers a list of transfer partners, but it skews toward international airlines, making it hard for anyone but points and miles enthusiasts to find great redemptions. That said, if you’re willing to put in the work, partners such as Flying Blue can provide great value. 

Unfortunately, non-travel options aren’t as valuable. If you want cash back, for instance, you’ll get just 0.5 cents per mile compared to the standard 1 cent per mile for travel redemptions. Gift card redemptions typically give you 0.8 cents per mile in value.

Your miles don’t expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing.

Capital One transfer partners

All of the card issuer’s airline and hotel loyalty program partners offer a 1:1 transfer ratio except otherwise noted:

• Accor Live Limitless (2:1 ratio)
• Aeromexico Club Premier
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
• Avianca LifeMiles
• British Airways Executive Club
• Choice Privileges
• Emirates Skywards
• Etihad Guest
• EVA Air Infinity MileageLands (4:3 ratio)
• Finnair Plus
• Flying Blue
• Qantas Frequent Flyer
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• TAP Miles&Go
• Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
• Virgin Red
• Wyndham Rewards

Venture X Lounge access

The card offers access to more than 1,300 airport lounges around the world for you and up to two guests. Authorized users will also enjoy this perk with no additional annual fee. Lounge networks include:

• Capital One Lounges
• Plaza Premium Group 
• Priority Pass

Capital One Venture X Card benefits 

• Up to $300 back annually for bookings made through Capital One Travel
• 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary 
• Get unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ airport lounges, including Capital One Lounges and our Partner Lounge Network
• Application fee credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years
• No fee for authorized users
• Exclusive access to events and restaurant reservations through Capital One Entertainment and Capital One Dining
• Primary auto rental collision damage waiver
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• Trip delay reimbursement
• Lost luggage reimbursement
• Travel accident insurance
• Cell phone protection
• Purchase security
• Extended warranty coverage
• Return protection

Best flat-rate rewards card: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Travel rewards can get complicated, which is why the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and its straightforward approach feels like a breath of fresh air.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Intro Bonus

Earn 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first cardholder year - that's equal to $1,000 in travel.

Annual fee	$95
Regular APR	19.99%–29.99% variable

View offer

at Cardratings.com

Rewards

Reward Rates

• 5xEarn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 2x Earn 2x miles on every purchase

Card details

• The Venture offers travel accident insurance, rental car coverage, extended warranty protection, exclusive access to events through Capital One Dining and Capital One Entertainment

View offer

at Cardratings.com

Why we like it:

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers a high, flat rewards rate on your everyday spending, so you don’t need to keep track of different bonus rewards categories. It also offers extra miles on select travel booked through the Capital One Travel platform.

You can redeem your miles by booking travel through Capital One Travel or by using your card to pay for travel on your own and request a statement credit. Alternatively, you can transfer your miles to airline and hotel rewards program partners for more dynamic redemptions. The card also comes with complimentary Hertz Five Star status, which lets you skip the rental counter and get access to a wider selection of vehicles. When you use it to pay the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, Capital One will reimburse you.

For more detail check out our Capital One Venture review.

Capital One Rewards 

With Capital One Miles, you’ll have the flexibility to redeem your miles through the card issuer’s travel portal or by booking travel on your own and requesting a statement credit. The card issuer also offers access to several transfer partners, though it’s mostly international airlines. 

In addition to travel, you can also redeem your rewards for cash back, gift cards, online shopping and experiences, among others. However, you may not get as much value with these choices. Instead of the 1 cent per mile you’ll get with travel, cash back gives you just 0.5 cents per. Gift cards, on the other hand, typically give you 0.8 cents per mile in value.

Miles don’t expire while your account remains open and in good standing.

Capital One Venture Card benefits 

• Application fee credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years
• Hertz Five Star status
• Exclusive access to events and restaurant reservations through Capital One Entertainment and Capital One Dining
• Auto rental collision damage waiver
• Travel accident insurance
• Extended warranty coverage

Best mid-level card: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

If you’re looking for a way to maximize your travel rewards without paying a steep annual fee, look no further than the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Intro bonus

60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Annual fee	$95
Regular APR	21.49%–28.49% variable

Learn More

at Cardratings.com

Our Take

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers an impressive welcome bonus, bonus value on travel redemptions and several transfer partners. If you’re looking for luxury travel perks, however, the card may leave you wanting more.

Rewards

Rewards Rates

• 5x5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠ (excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit)
• 3x3x points on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
• 2x2x points on travel purchases not booked through Chase
• 1x1x points on other purchases
• 5x5x points on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025 (that's 3x points in addition to the 2x points you already earn on travel)

Card details

• • Additional perks: $50 annual hotel credit, trip cancelation/interruption insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver, complimentary Doordash and Instacart+ membership along with quarterly Instacart+ credits

• • Foreign transaction fee: None

Learn More

at Cardratings.com

Why we like it: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers an impressive welcome bonus and several opportunities to earn bonus points on your everyday spending. Annual perks include a $50 credit toward hotel stays booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards, a 10% points bonus on your spending throughout the year and benefits with partners like Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, and Peloton.

The card offers flexible redemption options, including cash back, but you’ll get 25% more value if you use your points to book travel through Chase. Alternatively, you can transfer your rewards to one of the card issuer’s airline or hotel rewards program partners and potentially squeeze more value out of your points. 

For more info, check out our Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card review.

Chase Ultimate Rewards

The Chase Ultimate Rewards program is arguably the most versatile credit card rewards programs on the market, and the Chase Sapphire Preferred allows you to unlock most of its potential. 

For starters, you can redeem your Ultimate Rewards points in many different ways, including travel, cash back, gift cards, online shopping and more. And unlike some other travel credit cards, you won’t be penalized with a subpar redemption value for using your points for cash instead of travel expenses.

That said, some redemptions, including shopping online with Amazon.com or PayPal, may give you a reduced redemption rate. 

Even with that flexibility, though, travel is still the best way to make the most of your rewards. The Sapphire Preferred gives you 25% more value on travel redemptions through Chase Travel, which includes flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, tours and other activities. 

Also, note that Chase allows you to combine points earned with different Ultimate Rewards credit cards, giving you more opportunities to maximize your rewards. For example, you could pair the Sapphire Preferred with the Chase Freedom Flex℠ or the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, both of which offer great rewards rates on different spending categories. 

But those cards don’t give you access to transfer partners or the 25% bonus on travel redemptions, so moving your points earned with either card to the Sapphire Preferred gives you that access. 

Points don’t expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing.

Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners

The Sapphire Preferred offers access to 14 airline and hotel loyalty transfer partners, all at a 1:1 ratio. 

Chase’s list of partners includes a few domestic airlines, as well as the World of Hyatt program, which is a popular one among points and miles hobbyists for its high-value redemptions. Options include:

• Aer Lingus AerClub
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• British Airways Executive Club
• Emirates Skywards
• Flying Blue Air France/KLM
• Iberia Plus
• IHG Rewards Club
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Marriott Bonvoy
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
• United MileagePlus
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• World of Hyatt

Card benefits 

• Up to $50 in statement credits each year toward hotel stays booked through Chase Travel
• 5x points on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025 (that's 3x points in addition to the 2x points you already earn on travel)
• Earn 5 points per dollar on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $150, up to 25,000 points total through March 31, 2025
• Complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• Baggage delay insurance
• Trip delay reimbursement
• Primary auto rental collision damage waiver
• Purchase protection
• Extended warranty protection

Best for lounge access: The Platinum Card® from American Express 

The Platinum Card® from American Express charges an annual fee that some will find hard to stomach. But if you’re a frequent flyer, it may well become your favorite travel companion.

The Platinum Card® from American Express

See Rates and Fees

Intro bonus

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of card membership

Annual Fee	$695
Purchase APR	See Pay Over Time APR
Foreign Transaction Fee	None

View Offer

at Bankrate

Our take

The Platinum Card® from American Express looks impressive when you pull it out of your wallet. Beyond good looks, the card grants access to a wide range of airport lounges and offers valuable credits and benefits, but you have to be willing to work it to get the most out of the perks.

Rewards

Reward Rates

• 5XEarn 5x Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year)
• 5XEarn 5x Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel
• 1XEarn 1x points on other eligible purchases

Other benefits

Other benefits

• Travel benefits including hotel and car rental chain statuses, car rental insurance, trip cancellation/interruption and travel delay protection
• Consumer protections including extended warranty and return protection

View offer at Bankrate

at Bankrate

Why we like it: The Amex Platinum card offers access to more airport lounge networks than any other credit card. At larger airports, you may even have your pick among several lounge options. 

The card also comes packed with more than $1,000 in annual travel and lifestyle credits, elite status with select hotel and car rental rewards programs and many other perks that touch just about every aspect of your travel experience. 

The card’s rewards program isn’t as strong as our other top choices, with a low rewards rate on everyday spending and less-than-stellar redemption rates, even on most travel options. However, savvy travel rewards enthusiasts can make the most of their rewards through transfers to partner airline and hotel rewards programs.

For more info, check out the Amex Platinum review.

Amex Membership Rewards

The American Express Membership Rewards program offers a lot of flexibility and redemption options. However, the value of your points are limited if you redeem them directly with the card issuer.

Redemption options include travel, statement credits, gift cards and online shopping. In most cases, however, you’ll get between 0.5 and 0.85 cents per point. The main exceptions are flights and Fine Hotels & Resorts stays, both of which give you 1 cent per point. If you want to estimate your value for different options, Amex provides a handy points calculator you can play around with.

You can also transfer your rewards to one of the card issuer’s many airline and hotel loyalty program partners—and this is often the best way to use your points to maximize their value. 

Keep in mind, though, that the card issuer charges an excise tax offset fee on points transfers—something other rewards programs don’t require. The fee is $0.0006 per point transferred, with a $99 maximum. If you want, you can use points to cover the fee, albeit with a shoddy redemption value.

If you have multiple credit cards that earn Membership Rewards points, your rewards will be automatically pooled for you, so you don’t have to worry about manually combining them. Points don’t expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing.

Amex transfer partners

Amex offers access to 21 transfer partners, more than most similar rewards programs. Like others, though, it heavily skews toward international airlines, albeit with some key domestic options. You’ll get a 1:1 transfer ratio with each partner unless otherwise noted:

• Aer Lingus AerClub
• AeroMexico Rewards (1:1.6)
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• Air France/KLM Flying Blue
• ANA Mileage Club
• Avianca LifeMiles
• British Airways Executive Club
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
• Choice Privileges
• Delta SkyMiles
• Emirates Skywards
• Etihad Guest
• Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles
• Hilton Honors (1:2)
• Iberia Plus
• JetBlue TrueBlue (5:4)
• Marriott Bonvoy
• Qantas Frequent Flyer
• Qatar Airways Privilege Club
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Amex Platinum Lounge Access

The Platinum Card provides complimentary access to more airport lounge networks than any other credit card that’s publicly available. Both the primary cardholder and authorized users ($195 annual fee for each) will get access to the following networks:

• The Centurion Lounge
• Priority Pass 
• Escape Lounges
• Lufthansa Lounge
• Plaza Premium 
• Delta Sky Club 

Keep in mind, though, that you can only access Delta Sky Club lounges if you’re flying on a Delta-operated flight. Guest policies and costs vary depending on the lounge network.

Card benefits 

• Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your card
• Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card® (minimum 2-night stay required)
• Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal (enrollment required)
• Get up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only (Terms Apply)
• Up to $100 per year in credits toward Saks Fifth Avenue purchases
• Up to $155 per year in credits toward an auto-renewing monthly Walmart+ membership
• Get up to $189 back per year on a CLEAR® Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®
• $100 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 Platinum Card®
• Gold elite status with Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors
• Car rental privileges with Avis, Hertz and National Car Rental
• Complimentary ShopRunner membership
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• Trip delay insurance
• Auto rental collision damage waiver
• Purchase protection
• Extended warranty coverage
• Return protection

Best premium airline card: Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card offers premium perks for the most frequent of Delta flyers. However, its steep annual fee is likely a deal-breaker for more casual travelers who aren’t loyal to Delta.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

See Rates and Fees

Intro Bonus

Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership

Annual fee	$650
Regular APR	20.99%–29.99% variable

View offer

at Bankrate

Our take

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is a superb card choice for habitual Delta flyers who see value in receiving access to airport lounges and who can leverage the companion certificate to get a second ticket at a low price for your traveling partner. The card includes a few Delta related fringe benefits as well as premium travel and purchase protections.

Rewards

Reward Rates

• 3xEarn 3X Miles on Delta purchases
• 1xEarn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.

Card details

• 15% discount on Delta award flights
• Travel protections including accident insurance, rental car coverage, trip cancellation and delay insurance
• Consumer protections including cell phone insurance, extended warranty, purchase and return protection

View offer

at Bankrate

Why we like it: The Delta SkyMiles Reserve card offers several premium perks. For starters, you’ll get complimentary access to multiple airport lounge networks when you fly Delta. 

You’ll also get a flexible companion certificate each year. Other flight-related perks include a 15% discount on award tickets, complimentary seat upgrades, free checked bags, cash back on inflight purchases and more. 

You’ll also get perks that touch on other aspects of your trip experience, such as statement credits for hotel accommodations booked through Delta Stays, Hertz President’s Circle status and statement credits toward rideshare purchases and restaurant reservations. 

Learn more about the card in our Delta Reserve Amex review.

Delta SkyMiles

The Delta SkyMiles rewards program allows you to earn miles when you fly Delta or more than 20 partner airlines. You can also rack up rewards with other partners, including Starbucks and Lyft, or through the SkyMiles Dining and SkyMiles Shopping programs. 

The best way to use your SkyMiles is typically for award flights with the airline and its partners—you’ll have access to more than a thousand destinations around the world. Alternatively, you can use your miles for the following:

• Seat upgrades
• Checked baggage fees
• Delta Vacations packages
• Delta Stays accommodations
• Culinary and travel experiences
• Magazine subscriptions

If you’re a frequent Delta flyer, you may be able to earn elite status with the airline, which comes with a host of other perks. Depending on which tier you qualify for, benefits may include bonus miles on Delta purchases, complimentary seat upgrades, Delta travel vouchers, fee waivers, priority check-in and boarding and more. Delta SkyMiles don’t expire. 

Delta Reserve Companion Pass

The card’s annual companion certificate could save you hundreds of dollars when flying with a plus-one. The certificate is good for a seat in first class, Delta Comfort+ or the main cabin on domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights.

Keep in mind, though, that you need to pay cash for your ticket to use the companion pass. You’ll also need to pay the companion ticket’s taxes and fees, which can be as much as $80 for domestic flights and $250 for international flights. If you cancel the flight after booking, you won’t get a new companion certificate for future use. 

Delta Reserve Lounge Access

The Delta Reserve card offers access to three airport lounge networks, including the Delta Sky Club lounge, the Centurion Lounge and Escape Lounges. The downside is that you have to be flying on a Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight to get that access. 

Other premium airline cards that offer lounge access typically don’t restrict access to flights on a single airline.

That said, if you have the Delta Reserve, you’re likely loyal to the airline, so it might not be too much of an issue most of the time.

Card benefits 

• Complimentary access to Delta Sky Club, Centurion Lounge and Escape Lounges locations when flying Delta.
• Annual companion certificate
• Complimentary upgrades with priority over other Medallion members with the same elite status level
• 15% off award travel on Delta that is booked with miles
• First checked bag free for you and eight others on your reservation
• 20% back on inflight purchases
• Up to $200 Delta Stays statement credit
• Hertz President’s Circle status
• Up to $120 for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers each year
• Up to $240 at U.S. Resy restaurants each year
• Receive $2,500 Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs) each year, plus $1 MQD for every $10 you spend
• Application fee credit toward Global Entry every four years or TSA PreCheck every 4.5 years
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• Trip delay insurance
• Baggage insurance plan
• Car rental loss and damage insurance
• Purchase protection 
• Extended warranty coverage
• Return protection
• Complimentary ShopRunner membership

Best mid-level airline card: United℠ Explorer Card

If you like the idea of enjoying rewards and perks with an airline rather than general travel rewards and benefits, you can’t go wrong with the United℠ Explorer Card.

United℠ Explorer Card

Intro bonus

Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open

Annual fee	$0 introductory annual fee for the first year (then $95)
Regular APR	21.99%–28.99% variable APR

Learn More

at Cardratings.com

Our take

For frequent United Airline flyers, the United℠ Explorer Card offers useful perks—like a free first checked bag, priority boarding and TSA PreCheck statement credit. Plus, cardholders get essential travel protections like lost luggage reimbursement and trip cancellation insurance.

Rewards

Rewards Rates

• 2x2x miles on dining (including eligible delivery services), hotel stays, and United® purchases (including tickets, inflight food, beverages and Wi-Fi, Economy Plus® and more)
• 1x1x miles on all other purchases

Card details

• United perks: 25% back on in-flight purchases checked bag benefit, expanded Saver award ticket availability
• Travel perks: TSA/Global Entry credit, trip cancellation and interruption protection
• Foreign transaction fee: None

Learn More

at Cardratings.com

Why we like it: The card offers a sizable welcome bonus and a few different bonus rewards categories. With a strong domestic and international presence, you’ll have plenty of options when it comes to redeeming your miles for award flights.

You’ll get some standard airline card benefits, such as a free checked bag for you and a companion, priority boarding, and a discount on select inflight purchases. But you’ll also get some perks that most mid-tier airline cards don’t offer, including expanded access to Saver award tickets, premier upgrade eligibility on award tickets, two one-time passes to the United Club lounge each year, and an application fee credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. 

For more info check out our United Explorer review.

United MileagePlus

Earning United MileagePlus miles gives you access to more than 1,000 destinations around the world, with a strong domestic and international footprint. You can earn miles by flying with United and its Star Alliance partners, as well as on purchases through United Hotels, MileagePlus Shopping and the MileagePlus X app.  

Other partners that offer United miles include Avis, Budget, select cruise lines, Marriott, IHG and Villas of Distinction.

The best way to use your MileagePlus miles is to book flights with United and its partners. If you don’t have enough miles to cover a full ticket, you can combine miles and cash. Other redemption options include:

• Seat upgrades
• Checked baggage fees
• Inflight Wi-Fi, food and beverages
• United Club membership
• TSA PreCheck membership fee
• United Hotels accommodations
• Rental cars with Avis and Budget
• Cruise bookings
• Shopping, including Apple products, magazine subscriptions, gift cards and more

If you earn Premier elite status with the airline, you could enjoy a variety of benefits based on which tier you qualify for. Examples include free checked baggage, complimentary seat upgrades, priority boarding, bonus miles on United purchases and more. 

Once you earn United MileagePlus miles, they’ll never expire. 

Card benefits 

• Two United Club one-time passes each year
• Free checked bag for you and one companion
• Earn 25 Premier qualifying points (PQPs) for every $500 you spend, up to 1,000 PQPs each year
• Premier upgrades on award tickets when available
• Priority boarding
• 25% back on inflight and Club premium drink purchases
• Application fee credit toward Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS every four years
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• Trip delay reimbursement
• Baggage delay insurance
• Lost luggage reimbursement
• Primary auto rental collision damage waiver
• Purchase protection 
• Extended warranty protection

Best premium hotel card: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is your gateway to elite hotel perks that you can’t get with any other hotel credit card.

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

Intro Bonus

Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the card within your first 6 months of card membership (Offer ends 7/31/2024).

Annual fee	$550
Regular APR	20.99%–29.99% variable

Our Take

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card offers solid rewards rates, hundreds of dollars worth of annual benefits, and VIP treatment with the hotel program’s top elite status tier. That said, the card has lost some of its luster after an October 2023 revamp.

Rewards

Reward Rates

• 14xEarn 14X points per dollar on Hilton stays
• 7xEarn 7X points per dollar on airfare, car rentals and restaurants
• 3xEarn 3X points per dollar on other purchases
• All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by Fortune Recommends™.

Card details

• Travel perks including CLEAR membership, accident insurance, rental car coverage, trip cancellation and delay insurance
• Consumer protections including cell phone insurance, extended warranty, purchase and return protection

Why we like it: The card offers some impressive rewards, particularly on Hilton purchases. But what makes the card really shine is its perks. 

For starters, you’ll get complimentary Diamond elite status, which is the highest status tier in the Hilton Honors program. Benefits include a 100% bonus points bonus on Hilton stays, space-available room upgrades, executive lounge access, premium WiFi and a 48-hour room guarantee, among others.

You’ll also get an annual free night reward good for most Hilton properties worldwide, plus annual credits for Hilton Resort stays and flight purchases, elite rental car status, property credits and more. 

Learn more by reading our Hilton Honors Aspire review.

Hilton Honors 

The Hilton Honors program lets you rack up points on hotel stays, Lyft rides, eligible dining purchases and points promotions. 

The best way to use your points is to book free stays at more than 7,000 Hilton properties around the world—you can even use a combination of points and cash if necessary. Other redemption options include:

• Concerts, dining, sporting events and other experiences
• Lyft rides
• Rental cars with Alamo, National and Enterprise
• Amazon.com and other online shopping portal purchases
• Transfers to airline partners

Note that Hilton Honors points can expire if your account remains inactive—no earning or redeeming—for 24 months.

Hilton Honors program tiers

The Hilton Honors program has three elite status tiers that provide a range of benefits when you stay at Hilton hotels and resorts. With the Hilton Aspire Card, you’ll get automatic Diamond status. However, if you don’t have the card, you can earn the lowest tier with just 10 nights, 4 stays or 25,000 base points. 

Depending on which tier you reach, your benefits will vary. Examples include a fifth night free on award stays, bonus points on Hilton purchases, spa discounts, food and beverage credits, room upgrades and more.

Hilton Aspire free night

The card offers a free reward night every year on your anniversary, plus the chance to earn two more when you spend $30,000 and $60,000 in a calendar year, respectively.

While there are some excluded properties, there are no restrictions based on the point value of the stay like you’ll find with other hotel credit cards. 

Card benefits

• Free night reward each year, plus a chance to earn two more with credit card spending
• Up to $400 Hilton Resorts credit
• Up to $200 each year in flight credits
• Up to $100 luxury on-property credit on eligible stays
• $189 each year toward a CLEAR Plus membership
• Complimentary Hilton Diamond status
• Complimentary National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• Trip delay insurance
• Baggage insurance plan
• Car rental loss and damage insurance
• Purchase protection
• Extended warranty coverage
• Return protection

Best for hotel loyalists: IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card

If you want to focus your efforts on earning free hotel stays, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card offers an impressive array of benefits.

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card

Intro bonus

Earn 5 Free Nights after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Annual fee	$99
Regular APR	21.49%–28.49% variable

Learn More

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Our Take

The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card may command a $99 annual fee (which is $99 more than its baby brother, the IHG One Rewards Traveler) but it piles on the perks and benefits to compensate. With 5 Free Nights welcome bonus (after meeting the minimum spending requirement), instant Platinum Elite status (granting free upgrades/early check-in), up to 10X on IHG purchases, an automatic free anniversary night, and $150 in travel credits it’s virtually impossible not to glean $99 worth of value from this card.  That said, its IHG One Rewards points are really only good towards future IHG stays and upgrades so it’s no good as a general-use travel card. And if you’d rather not have yet-another annual fee to worry about—regardless of value—the Traveler card is a better fit.  But if you’re even considering staying at an IHG property this year (Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza etc.), the IHG One Rewards Premier card is a must-have.

Rewards

Rewards Rates

• 10x10X on IHG purchases 
• 5xEarn 5X points on travel, gas stations, and restaurants
• 3xEarn 3X points on all other purchases

Card details

• • Additional perks: $50 annual United credit, TSA/Global Entry rebate, trip cancelation/interruption insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver, purchase protection, ability to spend to Diamond status

• • Foreign transaction fee: None

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Why we like it: If you want to focus your efforts on earning free hotel stays, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card offers an impressive array of benefits. The card makes it easy to earn points quickly, though it also requires a lot of points to get free stays with IHG. 

Where it really shines, though, is in its perks, which offer value that far outweighs the card’s modest annual fee. You’ll get a free night reward each year worth up to 40,000 points, plus a $100 statement credit and 10,000 bonus points if you spend $20,000 in a calendar year. When you stay at IHG hotels, you’ll enjoy Platinum Elite status, which includes perks like the fourth night free on award bookings, reward night discounts, complimentary upgrades, and a welcome amenity. You’ll also get an application fee credit toward Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS.

Learn more: To learn more, see our IHG Premier review. To see all of the IHG options check our list of the best credit cards for IHG, or if you’re loyal to a different chain check out our list of the best credit cards for hotels.

The card makes it easy to earn points quickly, though it also requires a lot of points to get free stays with IHG. 

Where it really shines, though, is in its perks, which offer value that far outweighs the card’s modest annual fee. You’ll get certificate for a rewards night each year on your card anniversary, plus a $100 statement credit and 10,000 bonus points each anniversary year in which you spend $20,000 on purchases. 

When you stay at IHG hotels, you’ll enjoy Platinum Elite status, which includes perks like the fourth night free on award bookings, reward night discounts, complimentary upgrades, and a welcome amenity. You’ll also get an application fee credit toward Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS.

Read our IHG One Rewards Premier Card review to get more details.

IHG One Rewards

With the IHG One Rewards program, you can earn free hotel stays at more than 6,000 hotels around the world. You can earn points when you book hotel stays, book flights with an eligible airline partner, take advantage of member promotions and more.

When you’re ready to redeem, your best bet is to book award stays with IHG—the program even allows you to mix points and cash. Other redemption options include:

• Experiences and tours
• VIP event tickets and experiences
• Gift cards
• Merchandise
• Magazine subscriptions
• Movies and eBooks
• Transfers to airline partners

As an elite member, your points will never expire. But if you cancel your card and no longer have elite status, points will expire after 12 months of account inactivity. 

IHG One Rewards program tiers

IHG offers four elite status tiers. While you’ll get Platinum status with the IHG One Rewards Premier Card, you could get bumped up to Diamond status—the program’s highest level—with enough qualified nights or points.

All status tiers give you bonus points on IHG stays, as well as special member rates and promotions and late checkout. With higher tiers, however, you may also enjoy complimentary room upgrades, a welcome amenity, early check-in, guaranteed room availability and more.

Card benefits

• Get a certificate for a rewards night each year on your card anniversary worth up to 40,000 points
• Fourth night free on award stays of four or more consecutive nights
• Automatic Platinum elite status
• Early access to reward night sales
• Earn a $100 statement credit and 10,000 bonus points each anniversary year in which you spend $20,000 on purchases
• Application fee credit toward Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS every four years
• Up to $50 in United Airlines TravelBank Cash each year when you link your card
• Complimentary one-year DoorDash DashPass membership when you activate by December 31, 2024
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• Baggage delay insurance
• Lost luggage reimbursement
• Purchase protection

Best for credit building: Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card

If you’re looking to build or rebuild, you’ll be hard-pressed to get approved for a true travel credit card. However, the Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card can be a solid alternative until you have the chance to establish a good credit score.

Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card

Who is this card good for?

The Capital One Quicksilver Secured card is good for those who are rebuilding from poor or fair credit and want a card that earns rewards with no foreign transaction fee.

Annual fee	$0
APR	29.99% variable
Security deposit	$200–$1,000 to $3,000 (depending on your creditworthiness)

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