Best Travel Credit Cards

*All information about the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard has been collected independently by CreditCards.com. The issuer did not provide the content, nor is it responsible for its accuracy.

A guide to choosing the best travel credit card

A travel rewards credit card lets you earn points or miles to redeem at airlines, hotels, restaurants or other service providers. The best travel credit cards also offer additional benefits, like a free checked bag, travel credits, airport lounge passes and certain travel insurance. They typically tout lucrative sign-up bonuses – extra points or miles you can earn by spending a certain amount of money in a set time period – that are sometimes the equivalent of a free hotel night or hundreds of dollars toward airfare. These points, miles and benefits can go a long way toward covering the cost of that dream vacation you’ve been putting off due to the ongoing pandemic. With travel set to rebound following the nationwide vaccine rollout, we take a look at:

• Is it worth it to get a travel credit card in 2021?
• Comparing the best travel credit cards of 2021
• Editor’s picks: Best travel credit card details
• How do travel credit cards work?
• How to choose a travel credit card
• Which type of travel card is right for you?
• What the travel experts say: What is the most surprising travel credit card benefit?
• Research methodology

Is it worth it to get a travel credit card in 2021?

You don’t need to travel to accumulate travel rewards. Many of the best travel credit cards allow you to earn points and miles on the purchases you make every day, like groceries. So while travel is still limited, your ability to earn points and miles for a post-pandemic vacay is not.

Bottom line

If you’re waiting for travel restrictions to loosen, you might as well be earning points and miles in the meantime – particularly if you plan to travel frequently post-pandemic.

Comparing the best travel credit cards of 2021

Editor’s picks: Best travel credit card details

Best for international travel: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Why we picked it: The Venture Rewards card comes with no foreign transaction fee – perfect for sightseeing in London when you feel ready. It also offers more than 15+ travel partners, including Air France/KLM and Etihad Airways.

Pros: This general-purpose travel card is a solid, straightforward product, offering excellent rewards benefits. The card’s credit of up to $100 toward the cost of Global Entry or TSA Precheck stands out. You won’t have to pay hundreds in an annual fee for a chance to skip U.S. immigration and customs lines or breeze through airport security without fumbling with your shoes, belt or laptop.

Cons: Sadly, this card doesn’t have a 0% intro APR offer for purchases or balance transfers. Also, the $95 annual fee isn’t waived the first year.

Best for travel insurance: American Express® Gold Card

Why we picked it: Trips with common carriers that are booked with your Gold card are covered for baggage insurance. That means if your bags are lost or stolen, you’ll be reimbursed for up to $1,250 for carry-on bags and $500 for checked bags. The Gold card also covers car rental insurance in the case of damage or theft.

Pros: Traveling foodies, rejoice – the 4X at restaurants apply worldwide. You’ll also earn 4X points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year, then one point per dollar) and 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com.

Cons: The annual fee is $250, pricier than the annual fees charged by most travel credit cards but not as high as the annual fees of luxury cards. Unless food is a significant portion of your spending, you’ll probably get more value from a different travel card.

Best for sign-up bonus: Citi Premier® Card

Why we picked it: Earn 60,000 points after a $4,000 spend within the first 3 months with this card, which is worth $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.

Pros: Earn mightily at restaurants, supermarkets and gas stations, as well as on air travel and at hotels at the rate of 3X points. It’s 1X points on all other purchases. Also, points don’t expire, and there’s no limit to the number of points you can earn.

Cons: The Citi Premier has a $95 annual fee and it isn’t waived the first year.

Best for travel rewards: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Why we picked it: Ease of redemption is one important, yet often overlooked element of travel credit cards. With the Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card, you won’t have to jump through any hoops when redeeming your rewards. Instead of having to book your travel through the Bank of America portal or directly with airlines, you can redeem your points for any travel and dining purchases made on your credit card within the last 12 months. That includes third-party sites.

Pros: This card rewards general purchases at a rate of 1.5X points, making it a great card for the occasional traveler. Since there’s no annual fee, you can watch your points pile up as you make purchases without worrying about making up the cost of the annual fee. When it comes time for a vacation, you’ll have a nice reserve of points to put toward your trip. Also, Bank of America Preferred Rewards members can get a 25% to 75% boost on rewards earnings.

Cons: This is a great option for someone who wants to make their everyday purchases work to their advantage and use their rewards to fund travel. But if you’re a big traveler, you can find a card that rewards your travel purchases at a higher rate. The one exception is if you’re at least a Platinum Preferred Rewards Member. If you’re able to qualify for the 50% boost in rewards or higher, you’ll be earning 1.5X points, plus an additional 50%, making your flat rate effectively 2.25X points (1.5 x 50% = .75, totaling 2.25).

Best for travel credits: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Why we picked it: The Platinum Card’s travel credits are unparalleled – earn up to a $100 fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck, as well as up to $200 in annual Uber credits (that’s up to $15 a month plus a $20 bonus in December).

Pros: You can also earn annual credits of up to $100 each year on Saks Fifth Avenue purchases (enrollment required), complimentary benefits with an average total value of $550 with Fine Hotels & Resorts and a rich welcome offer in the first year.

Cons: The $550 annual fee might take your breath away when compared to other travel credit cards’ annual fees, although if you use the credits of The Platinum Card, you will more than recoup the cost.

Best for miles redemption: Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

Why we picked it: Unlike some travel rewards programs that have earned the stigma of being overly complicated, the VentureOne makes it easy to redeem your miles. There are no blackout dates, expiration dates or mile limits. You can also redeem miles in any amount and transfer to a number of travel partners.

Pros: A rewards rate of 1.25X miles on every purchase isn’t the flashiest offer, but if you’re using your card frequently, you’ll earn miles consistently and without much thought. The sign-up bonus is also decent: 20,000 miles if you spend $500 in the first 3 months of opening an account.

Cons: Capital One’s current list of transfer partners doesn’t include any large U.S. airlines, so the miles aren’t quite as flexible as Chase Ultimate Rewards points, for example.

Best for no annual fee: Discover it® Miles

Why we picked it: The Discover it® Miles offers many of the same perks as high-end travel cards, but without the annual fee. You can redeem your rewards at any time without fear of blackout dates, expiration dates or mile limits.

Pros: All purchases earn 1.5X miles, which is a fairly average offer. But Discover sweetens the deal by matching all the miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. When it comes time to redeem your miles, you have a wide range of options. Redemption options include airfare, hotels, travel packages, eligible transit and car rentals.

Cons: Discover it Miles only matches the miles earned in your first year, so your earning potential takes a big dip after that. You should also consider the fact that you can’t transfer miles to any airline frequent-flyer programs, which limits any possibility of miles boosts in that way.

Best for airline rewards: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

Why we picked it: Earn 125,000 points in a year and you can score one of the most coveted perks in all of travel rewards: the Southwest Companion Pass. This pass lets you bring a companion with you on any Southwest flight you purchase with cash or points for up to the next 2 years for free (minus taxes and fees). Our Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card review breaks down some strategies for earning the pass, including via credit card spend, sign-up bonus, pairing with a Southwest business card and referring a friend.

Pros: With a competitive sign-up bonus, this card also offers 2X points for Southwest purchases, as well as partner hotel and car rental purchases. The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus has no blackout dates and no seat restrictions. And while long a great domestic carrier, Southwest is increasingly expanding to go abroad.

Cons: Sadly, the anniversary bonus of 3,000 points is lower than the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card’s bonus, and there’s an annual fee of $69 that isn’t waived the first year.

Best travel card during the pandemic: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Why we picked it: In an attempt to make the Sapphire Reserve more appealing during the pandemic, Chase is allowing you to earn 3X points on grocery store purchases from 11/1/20 to 4/30/21 for up to $1,000 a month. Also, gas and groceries can count toward the $300 travel credit until Dec. 31, 2021. Finally, you can earn 50% more when redeeming grocery, dining and home improvement purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards, as well as contributions to select charities through 4/20/21.

Pros: This card comes with a wealth of travel perks and rewards categories, including up to a $100 Global Entry/TSA Precheck credit every 4 years. After spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of opening an account, you’ll earn 60,000 points, which is worth $900 when redeemed for travel, groceries, select charities or home improvement purchases in the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal.

Cons: With the new non-travel rewards features, this card has a lot to offer, but the annual fee of $550 might give pause, and it’s not waived the first year.

Best for intro offer: Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card

Why we picked it: The welcome bonus of 50,000 online bonus points (after you make $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening) is worth getting excited about – that’s a value of $500.

Pros: This card is packed with perks designed to make your travel experience more enjoyable. Cardholders get up to $100 annually in airline incidental statement credits, which will automatically be applied to your card statement for qualifying purchases like baggage fees and seat upgrades. Frequent travelers will also enjoy earning unlimited 2X points on travel and dining purchases. Plus, you can earn 2X points on grocery store purchases (through 12/31/21), and 1.5X points on all other purchases. Even better, if you’re a qualifying Bank of America Preferred Rewards member, you get a 25% to 75% boost on your rewards.

Cons: The Preferred Rewards member bonus is broken into 3 tiers, based on how much money you have in a qualifying Bank of America® or Merrill® account. The first tier starts at $20,000 and offers a 25% boost to your rewards earnings. The highest tier, which offers a 75% bonus, is reserved for those with $100,000 in a qualifying Bank of America or Merrill® account. This rewards boost feature is valuable, but only if you meet the requirements. Read more about the Bank of America Preferred Rewards Program for full eligibility requirements.

Best introductory airline card: American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Card

Why we picked it: There certainly are airline cards with better sign-up bonuses and rewards rates, but the lack of an annual fee makes this a great starter airline card. Those who spend modestly and travel occasionally will appreciate the low spend threshold for the sign-up bonus: Spend just $500 within the first 3 months of opening an account and you’ll earn 10,000 miles and a $50 statement credit.

Pros: In addition to 2X miles on eligible American Airlines purchases, you’ll also get the same rate at grocery stores, which adds tremendously to the earning potential for the average consumer. All other purchases earn 1X miles.

Cons: Be aware that the AAdvantage® travel program does have some limitations. You may run into blackout dates, limited seating for award bookings and restrictive routing requirements.

Best for hotel stays: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card

Why we picked it: Now’s the time to apply for this generous hotel rewards card, which recently upped its sign-up bonus: For a limited time, new cardholders can earn a whopping 100,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in their first 3 months from account opening. You also get a free hotel night every year on your card member anniversary (valued up to 35,000 points), good for 12 months.

Pros: Cardholders earn 6X points at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels and 2X points on all other purchases. They also enjoy a bevy of other Marriott benefits, including free in-room Wi-Fi, late checkout and a fifth night free on any rewards stay of 5 consecutive nights or longer.

Cons: The rewards apply to Marriott hotels, so if you don’t frequent the brand, you’ll be better served by a different hotel credit card. The card carries a $95 annual fee, so make sure you spend and travel enough to recoup that charge. (See our full Marriot Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card review.)

How do travel credit cards work?

Like other rewards cards, travel cards reward you for using the card by granting you points or miles for purchases made. That’s where the similarities end.

Travel cards vary widely in which categories earn the most points. While some reward for non-travel categories like groceries, others are so specific that they primarily reward for using a specific brand. There may be blackout dates, but there also may be perks like free first checked bag.

All credit cards allow you to carry a balance to the next month, but that’s inadvisable with a travel card because you may get stuck with interest charges, which can negate your rewards earned. Also, although foreign transaction fees are rare with travel cards, annual fees are common, so make sure that’s something you can live with.

How to choose a travel credit card

You’ve decided to pursue a travel credit card to earn travel rewards. Where to start? Answer these questions and you’ll get closer to the right decision.

• Do I want to avoid an annual fee? Some travel cards offer no annual fee, but an annual fee isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If you are an occasional traveler, a card with no annual fee is likely best for you. But if you seek certain perks or rich rewards, do the math to see if a card with an annual fee is worthwhile – you want to be able to recoup more than the cost of the annual fee.
• Am I loyal to a specific travel brand? If there is a particular hotel or airline brand that you use often, cards that co-brand with that company may be worth your while. Otherwise, go with a card that rewards a wide variety of categories and brands.
• How often will I travel? If you plan to travel often or if there are travel perks you are likely to use, the right travel card can earn you rewards and save you money. Don’t be afraid of high annual fees if perks are a must for you.
• Am I planning a big trip? If you have a major trip planned, look closely at the card’s sign-up bonus, because the right one can help you earn rewards you can redeem for that trip or part of that trip.
• Will I travel overseas? While most travel cards waive foreign transaction fees, some are not widely accepted in other parts of the world. Pay attention to the network that the card participates in (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express), and where they are accepted.
• How much are the points or miles worth? Points or miles valuation vary by issuer, partner or, even, by the method you choose to redeem. Read the fine print to understand what your rewards will be worth and how best to maximize their value.

Travel insurance

With the presence of a pandemic, travel insurance is no longer a perk but a necessity. A number of credit cards, particularly travel cards, offer everything from trip delay insurance to protection for lost baggage. We have a number of favorites, including Chase Sapphire Reserve for coverage amounts and The Platinum Card from American Express for a range of benefits. Here are top types of travel insurance.

• Travel cancellation/interruption
• Lost baggage or baggage delay
• Trip delay
• Emergency travel and assistance
• Emergency evacuation and transportation

Which type of travel credit card is best for you?

Travel cards come in a few different flavors, including general-purpose travel cards and co-branded travel cards. Here, we look at the pluses and minuses of key types of travel cards.

General travel credit cards

What is a general travel credit card?

A general travel card is a product that will typically offer more flexibility on travel redemption than the co-branded travel cards, but sometimes that’s at a cost.

How does a general travel credit card work?

While some general travel cards simply post all manner of travel for you to redeem through a statement credit, others offer boosted rewards when redeeming for travel through an issuer-specific portal, such as the Citi ThankYou program. These cards will also often have partnerships with select airlines and hotel brands.

Who are general travel cards best for?

If you need flexibility in choice of airlines and hotel brands or you are a last-minute booker, then a general travel card is probably the best option, because they typically partner with a variety of brands and blackout dates are often not a problem with these cards.

Advantages and disadvantages of general travel credit cards

Airline credit cards

What is an airline credit card?

An airline credit card, also called a co-branded card, is a product that partners a bank with an airline and encourages loyalty through rewards earned by favoring the brand.

How does an airline credit card work?

Typically, you earn boosted miles by spending on specific items, such as plane tickets, in-flight purchases, and sometimes such expenditures as restaurants, gas stations and even grocery stores. Heads up that redemption values can be at a lower rate when you choose to redeem for merchandise, donations to charities or gift cards. Instead, opt for redeeming for flights and other airline-specific purchases.

Who are airline credit cards best for?

If you are loyal to a specific brand or you live near a hub of a specific airline, airline cards can be a good choice. Also, if you enjoy the idea of looking for ways to max on your rewards and redemptions, these cards can get you what you are looking for. Finally, there are unique benefits to many of these cards.

Advantages and disadvantages of airline credit cards

Hotel credit cards

What is a hotel credit card?

Like an airline card, a hotel credit card encourages loyalty to a specific hotel brand, whether through using a favored credit card or choosing the brand’s properties for stays.

How does a hotel credit card work?

With a hotel card, you can enjoy specific perks for staying at that brand’s locations while earning points for making purchases. In exchange, you can enjoy free nights and other benefits with your award points.

Who are general hotel credit cards best for?

Like airline cards, a hotel card best serves the cardholder who favors that brand or travels to a certain area. The reason is two-fold: You get better deals on your points and perks specific to the chain and you can then redeem the points you’ve earned at the brand you’ve chosen.

Advantages and disadvantages of hotel credit cards

Expert opinion: What is the most surprising travel credit card benefit?

Cellphone protection

“The most rewarding benefit I have found on a travel credit card is cellphone protection. It came in handy when I needed a new phone because of an accident while traveling. This little-known perk saved me $10.99 a month since I do not have to pay for insurance through my service provider.”

Corritta Lewis
Itz a family thing
Editor’s pick: American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Concierge service

“One of the most underrated and rarely used perks (that) a lot of the premium credit cards have is a concierge service. This can come in handy in a number of ways, but most importantly, I’ve found them a wonderful resource for when you’re in need of something urgent. As an example, we had a group of people who rented a small bus to take us to a football game that never showed. We ended up calling American Express Concierge Service the last minute, who had a bus there inside of an hour.”

R.J. Weiss
The Ways to Wealth
Editor’s pick: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Priority Pass

“The most surprising benefit I received on a travel credit card was the Priority Pass membership that came with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. I got this card early in 2016, a year before I traveled full-time for 10 months, and this benefit was indispensable in traveling abroad through airports and having layovers while having complimentary airline lounge access. Having Priority Pass as a benefit has gotten me free wifi, space to do work on a laptop, designated napping areas, and free snacks and meals all around the world while traveling through airports.”

Becca Siegel
Half Half Travel
Editor’s pick: Chase Sapphire Reserve

Research methodology: How we chose the best travel cards

Number of cards we analyzed: 300

Criteria Used: Rewards rates, rewards categories, sign-up bonus, point values, transfer partners, redemption options, redemption flexibility, annual fee, other rates and fees, travel credits, airport lounge access, travel accident insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, concierge service, other travel benefits, travel portal functionality, credit needed, customer service, events or other perks.

Related Travel and Rewards Card Categories:

• Best Credit Cards of 2021
• Best Sign-up Bonus Offers
• Best Airline Credit Cards
• Best Hotel Credit Cards

About the Author

Jeanine Skowronski

Jeanine Skowronski is a credit card expert, analyst, and multimedia journalist with over 10 years of experience covering business and personal finance. She has previously served as the Head of Content at Policygenius, Executive Editor of Credit.com, Deputy Editor at American Banker, Staff Reporter at TheStreet and a columnist for Inc. Magazine. Her work has also been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Fox Business, Business Insider, U.S. News & World Report and more.

About the Editor

Tracy Stewart

Tracy Stewart is a personal finance writer specializing in credit card loyalty programs, travel benefits, and consumer protections. He previously covered travel rewards credit cards, budget travel, and aviation news at SmarterTravel Media. His money-saving tips have appeared in the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Consumer Reports, MarketWatch, Vice, People, the Zoe Report and elsewhere.

About the Reviewer

Emily Sherman

Senior Editor Emily Sherman has several years of experience as a writer and editor in the credit cards space, covering topics from rewards programs to how credit cards work. She is co-founder and consultant of To Her Credit, a series offering financial advice tailored to women.