Best Travel Credit Cards of 2024
Travel credit cards bump up your journeys with ultra-luxurious perks like lounge access, upgraded seats, and more. Here comes the roundup for the best options for 2024:
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Best Starter Card
Welcome Bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Rewards: 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3X points on dining, including eligible delivery services, such as GrubHub, Uber Eats, DoorDash and their subsidiaries, and also on all other travel; plus, earn 2X points on all other travel purchases.
Annual Fee: $95
Pros: Solid amount of coverage for trip cancellation, trip interruption, and trip delay insurance, $50 annual hotel credit, no foreign transaction fees
Cons: Still subject to Chase's 5/24 rule
Chase Sapphire Reserve
Best for Earning Rewards on Travel Purchases
Welcome Bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
Rewards: 5X points on flights booked via Chase Travel℠, 3X points on other travel and dining.
Annual Fee: $550
Pros: $300 annual travel credit, 50% more value when redeemed for travel via Chase, Priority Pass Select membership.
Cons: High annual fee, subject to Chase's 5/24 rule.
American Express® Gold Card
Best for Dining
Welcome Bonus: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases within the first 6 months.
Rewards: 4X points at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets; 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
Annual Fee: $250
Pros: Up to $240 in annual dining credits, valuable travel protections, access to Amex Offers.
Cons: Comparatively weak welcome bonus to previous offers, once-per-lifetime rule for welcome bonus.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Best for Travel Insurance
Welcome Bonus: 80,000 points after spending $8,000 within the first 6 months.
Rewards: 5X points on flights booked directly with the airlines or through Amex Travel, 5X points on prepaid hotels booked on Amex Travel.
Annual Fee: $695
Pros: As many as $1,500 in annual travel, dining, and entertainment credits; wide coverage from travel insurance ; entry to {Amex Lounge Network}
Cons: Steep annual fee, narrow category bonuses.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Best for Airline Miles
Welcome Bonus: 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months.
Rewards: 10X miles on single night stays booked through Capital One Travel, 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel.
Annual Fee: $395
Pros: Very generous welcome bonus and rewards rates, $300 travel credit annually on bookings made through Capital One Travel, Capital One Lounges access.
Drawbacks: $300 annual travel credit only good for bookings via Capital One Travel, small lounge network.
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Best for Hotel Perks
Welcome Bonus: 180,000 points after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months.
Rewards: 14X points on Hilton purchases, 7X points on flights, rental cars, and dining at US restaurants.
Annual Fee: $450
Pros: Complimentary Hilton Diamond status, $500 in annual airline and resort credits, annual free weekend night award.
Cons: pricey annual fee, not too many redemption options beyond Hilton properties.
The ideal travel credit card for you will depend on the kind of traveler you are, your spending habits, and what perks will be most useful to you. With all these options, compare each card's benefits against that annual fee to find out what works for you in your lifestyle and travel goals.
