If you love to travel, you know that the right credit card can make a big difference in your experience, from airport lounge access to travel protections.
A good travel credit card can allow you to earn rewards that you can use towards free travel.
Whether you are looking for rewards on flights, hotels, rental cars, or all of the above, we have researched and compared various travel credit cards to help you find the one that is right for you.
Best All-Around Travel Card: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review).
Best Beginner Travel Card: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review).
Best for No Annual Fee: Bilt Mastercard® (review).
1. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Best All-Around Travel Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review) delivers both everyday value with unlimited 2x miles on purchases and premium comfort through comprehensive airport lounge access for you upon enrollment. You’ll also receive $300 in annual travel credits plus 10,000 anniversary bonus miles, creating substantial ongoing value.
Welcome Bonus: bonus_miles_full
Earning Rewards: 10x miles on hotels and rental cars and 5x miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel; 2x miles on all other purchases.
Card Benefits: $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary, airport lounge access (Capital One and Priority Pass) upon enrollment, Global Entry / TSA PreCheck credit, Hertz President’s Circle elite status, primary rental car insurance, trip delay insurance, trip cancellation insurance, and cell phone protection.
Transfer Partners: Accor (2 to 1), Aeromexico, Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Choice Privileges, Emirates, Etihad, Finnair, I Prefer Hotels (1 to 2), Japan Airlines(2 to 1.5), JetBlue (5 to 3), Qantas, Qatar, Singapore KrisFlyer, TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Red, and Wyndham Rewards.
2. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Best Beginner Travel Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) is one of the most popular travel rewards cards because it offers nice welcome bonus and extra points on travel and dining, which can be transferred to airline and hotel partners or redeemed directly for travel at a rate of 1.25 cents per point through Chase Travel℠. The Sapphire Preferred also offers great travel and purchase protections for a card with a $95 annual fee.
Welcome Bonus: bonus_miles_full
Earning Rewards: 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2x points on all other travel purchases, and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Card Benefits: Ability to transfer to airline and hotel partners, 25% bonus when redeeming points through Chase Travel, $50 annual hotel stay credit via Chase Travel, 10% anniversary points bonus, no foreign transaction fees, primary rental car insurance, trip delay insurance, trip cancellation insurance, baggage delay insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty.
Transfer Partners: Aer Lingus, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways, Emirates, Air France KLM Flying Blue, Hyatt, IHG, Iberia, JetBlue, Marriott, Singapore KrisFlyer, Southwest, United, and Virgin Atlantic.
3. American Express Platinum Card®
Best for Airport Lounge Access
American Express Platinum Card® (review) offers the most comprehensive airport lounge network available, giving you access to premium Centurion Lounges plus thousands of other lounges worldwide. You can easily offset the card’s large annual fee through generous credits for Uber, hotels, digital entertainment, Resy dining, and lifestyle brands like lululemon.
Earning Points: 5x on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel®, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year; 5x points on on prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com; 1x points on all other purchases.
Card Benefits:
- Airport Lounge Access to Eligible Cardmembers: American Express Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Club (when flying Delta and limited to 10 annual visits unless you spend $75,000 in a calendar year), Priority Pass with unlimited visits, Escape Lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and select Lufthansa Lounges (when flying a Lufthansa Group airline).
- Statement Credits: You can enjoy monthly and annual statement credits (enrollment required for most benefits; terms and conditions apply) for a wide range of services and merchants, including airline fees, Uber Cash, hotel bookings, digital entertainment, Walmart+, Saks Fifth Avenue purchases, CLEAR® Plus membership, Equinox fitness club membership, and SoulCycle At-Home Bike purchases.
- Elite Status: Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Honors Gold, Hertz President’s Circle, National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive, and Avis Preferred Plus.
- Travel Benefits: Trip delay insurance, trip cancellation insurance, secondary rental car insurance, and baggage insurance plan.
- Purchase Benefits: Extended warranty, purchase protection, return protection, and cell phone protection.
Transfer Partners: Aer Lingus, AeroMexico, Air Canada Aeroplan, ANA, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Choice Privileges, Delta, Emirates, Etihad, Air France – KLM Flying Blue, Hawaiian Airlines, Hilton, Iberia, JetBlue, Marriott, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore KrisFlyer, and Virgin Atlantic.
4. Bilt Mastercard®
Best No-Annual Fee Travel Card
The Bilt Mastercard® (review) lets you earn valuable travel rewards on rent payments without fees while offering bonus points on dining and travel purchases. This no-annual-fee card stands out for its unique rent payment feature and strong travel benefits like rental car coverage and trip protection.
Earning Rewards: 5x points on Lyft; 3x points on dining; 2x points on travel purchases; 1x points on rent payments without any transaction fees up to 100,000 points per year, and 1x points on everything else. (Five transactions are required per billing cycle to earn points.)
Card Benefits: No transaction fees to pay rent and earn 1x points, primary rental car insurance, cell phone protection, trip delay and trip cancellation insurance, purchase protection, and no foreign transaction fees.
5. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Best for Business Travel
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (review) delivers premium travel benefits including extensive lounge access (access is limited to eligible card members) and valuable hotel elite status. This premium business card excels at making travel more luxurious, though you’ll need to use multiple statement credits and travel perks to maximize its value.
Welcome Bonus: bonus_miles_full
Earn Rewards: 5x points for flights, prepaid hotels booked at AmexTravel.com; 2x points per dollar for purchases up to $2 million in spending per calendar year in these categories: purchases of $5,000 or more regardless of category, U.S. cloud service and software providers, U.S. construction materials and hardware suppliers, U.S. electronics retailers, and U.S. shipping providers; and 1x points on all other eligible purchases.
Card Benefits:
- Statement Credits: You’ll earn numerous statement credits including $250 for Adobe purchases after spending $600, up to $200 for airline incidentals, up to $209 for Clear Plus membership, up to $1,150 for Dell purchases ($150 in credits plus $1,000 after spending $5,000), Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, up to $200 for Hilton purchases ($50 quarterly with required Hilton for Business membership), up to $600 for Fine Hotels & Resorts and Hotel Collection bookings ($300 biannually with minimum two-night stays required for Hotel Collection), up to $360 for Indeed hiring services ($90 quarterly), and up to $120 for wireless telephone services ($10 monthly from any U.S. provider).
- Airport Lounge Access: American Express Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Club when flying Delta (limited to 10 annual visits unless you spend $75,000 in a calendar year), Priority Pass, Escape Lounges, and Select Lufthansa Lounge when flying Lufthansa Group airlines. (Access is limited to eligible Card Members)
- Elite Status: Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, Hertz’s President’s Circle, National Emerald Club Executive, and Avis Preferred Plus.
- Other Benefits: No preset spending limit, baggage insurance plan, trip cancellation and delay insurance, secondary rental car insurance, no foreign transaction fees, extended warranty, return protection, purchase protection, and cell phone protection.
Transfer Partners: Aer Lingus, AeroMexico, Air Canada Aeroplan, ANA, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Choice Privileges, Delta, Emirates, Etihad, Air France – KLM Flying Blue, Hawaiian Airlines, Hilton, Iberia, JetBlue, Marriott, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore KrisFlyer, and Virgin Atlantic.
6. Citi Strata Premier® Card
Best for Earning Points
- 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- 3x Points for Flights, Hotels, Gas Stations, EV Charging, Supermarkets, and Restaurants. hotels, gas stations, EV charging, supermarkets, and restaurants.
- $100 Annual Hotel Credit
- $95 Annual Fee
The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card stands out for its impressive 3x points earning on everyday purchases including restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, and travel. While its redemption options might not match competitors like Chase or Amex, you’ll still get solid value through airline transfer partners and travel bookings.
Welcome Bonus: 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
Earning Points: 10x points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through the Citi Travel portal; 3x points on airfare, hotels, gas stations, EV charging, supermarkets, and restaurants.
Card Benefits: $100 annual hotel credit on bookings of $500+ through the Citi travel portal, no foreign transaction fees, trip delay insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, secondary rental car insurance, and Mastercard World Elite benefits.
7. Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Best for Travel Protection & Benefits
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® (review) offers premium travel benefits including lounge access, hotel elite status, and multiple statement credits that can offset its $795 annual fee. With bonus earnings on travel and dining purchases plus the ability to transfer points to 14 airline and hotel partners, this card delivers strong value for frequent travelers who can maximize its benefits.
Welcome Bonus: bonus_miles_full
Earning Rewards: 10x points on Hotels (excluding The Edit) and car rentals and 5x points on flights through Chase Travel after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually; 10x points on Chase Dining purchases with Ultimate Rewards; 3x points on dining at restaurants, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out; 3x points on other travel after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually; 1x points on other eligible spending.
Card Benefits: $300 annual travel credit, Priority Pass airport lounge membership with unlimited visits, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS application fee credit of up to $120 every four years, no foreign transaction fees, travel insurance (primary rental car, trip delay, trip cancellation, travel accident, lost luggage, and baggage delay), purchase protection, return protection, and extended warranty.
Transfer Partners: Aer Lingus, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways, Emirates, Air France KLM Flying Blue, Hyatt, IHG, Iberia, JetBlue, Marriott, Singapore KrisFlyer, Southwest, United, and Virgin Atlantic.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here. 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.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here. 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.
