The Best Travel Reward Credit Cards
If you are already a frequent traveler or just getting started, a good travel rewards credit card is a must-have. I know folks who are very hesitant to get or use a credit card and look at it as a source for piling up debt. Yes, that can be true, but if used wisely, you can use it to your advantage and avail a lot of perks.
These days, there are a lot of credit cards with some awesome perks, making it quite challenging to decide which one is right for you. To help you with that, I have created this post listing out my favorite travel reward credit cards and their benefits. I am limiting my review to only three cards because I have personally used them, and I wanted to narrow down the list to help you quickly find the best card for yourself.
I am currently using the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, and I am in love with the benefits, but I didn’t want to leave out the other two excellent travel reward credit cards – The Amex Platinum and Chase Sapphire Preferred. Below you would see a detailed comparison of these three cards and can decide for yourself.
Tip – Travel reward credit cards, generally, have a high annual fee but do not shy away because of the fee. The benefits and perks they offer is much more than the annual fee. Some key features/perks to look for in a travel reward credit card: Travel related protections, insurance & benefits, Lounge Access, Elite Memberships, Point Earning Rates and Point Redemption/Transfer Options.
Comparing Top Travel Reward Credit Cards
I’m currently using the Chase Sapphire Reserve and would recommend this to anyone who –
- Travel and Dine out regularly – Its broad definition of travel helps earn you a lot of bonus point. Read more below, Points Earning Rates.
- Likes to have flexibility to make travel purchases from any provider
- Is looking for best Travel related protections, insurance and benefits
- Can live with the limited airport lounges offered by Priority Pass Select (Present in most major airports)
$550
Excellent
50K points after spending $4 K in first 3 months
50-percent redemption bonus when redeemed for travel through Ultimate Rewards portal
- 3 points per $1 on travel and dining
- 1 point per $1 on other purchases
- 10 points per $1 on Lyft rides (through March 2022)
Flexibility to make travel purchases from any provider and broad definition of travel puts more of your purchases into the 3X bonus earning category. For example, purchases such as train tickets, car rentals, parking, tolls, ferries, and much more are included in the travel definition for the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Priority Pass Select (Requires registration, Including Priority Pass Restaurant Access, 1 guest)
- $300 annual travel credit
- Up to $100 Global Entry/TSA Precheck credit
- Up to $120 in DoorDash credits ($60 in 2020 and $60 in 2021)
Hotels
- Elite Hotel Benifits –
- Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection
- Elite Hotel Benefits at Relais & Châteaux
- Elite Hotel Benefits at sbe
Rental Cars
- Emerald Club Executive Elite® status with National Car Rental
- Benefits and discounts with Avis®
- Benefits and discounts with Silvercar by Audi
Others
- Lyft Pink Membership
- Subscription To DoorDash DashPass
No foreign transaction fees
- Aer Lingus 1:1
- British Airways 1:1
- Air France/KLM 1:1
- Iberia 1:1
- JetBlue 1:1
- Singapore Airlines 1:1
- Southwest Rapid Rewards 1:1
- United MileagePlus 1:1
- Virgin Atlantic 1:1
- IHG Rewards 1:1
- Marriott Bonvoy 1:1
- World of Hyatt 1:1
Reserve Experiences Program
Yes
Primary Coverage
4 service calls per year, maximum benefit $50 each call
$2,500 Medical/Dental coverage ($50 deductible per day), $75 per day for prescribed hotel needed due to covered loss for up to 5 days
Up to $10,000 per trip per person/$20,000 per incident
Up to $500 per ticket for delays of 6 or more hours (or requiring an overnight stay)
Up to $100/day for up to 5 days for delays more than 6 hours
Up to $3,000 per person (up to $500 per person for jewelry, watches, cameras, video recorders and other electronic equipment)
$100000
- Purchase Protection
- Extended Warranty
- Return Protection
I would recommend the Amex Platinum card if –
Best airport lounge access is your priority, by far Amex Platinum has the best lineup of Airport Lounges
$550
Good/Excellent
60K points after spending $5 K in first 3 months
- 5 points per $1 on travel booked with airlines or through AmexTravel.com
- 5 points per $1 on prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com
- 1 point per $1 on other purchases
- Airspace Lounges (up to 2 guests)
- The Centurion Lounge Network (up to 2 guests, 3 hours before your flight is scheduled to depart)
- Delta SkyClub (No guests, guests charged $29 per-visit)
- Escape Lounges (up to 2 guests)
- The International American Express Lounges
- Priority Pass Select (Requires registration, Excludes Priority Pass Restaurant Access, 1 guest)
- $200 Airline Fee Credit
- Up to $100 Global Entry/TSA Precheck Credit
- Up to $15 in Uber credits each month, an additional $20 in Decemeber
- $100 hotel credit
- Up to $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue credit
Hotels:
- Hilton Honors Gold
- Marriott Bonvoy Gold
- American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts Access
Rental Cars:
- National Emerald Club Executive Status
- Avis Preferred American Express Benefits
- Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Benefits
No foreign transaction fees
- Aer Lingus 1:1
- AeroMexico 1:1.6
- Air Canada 1:1
- Air France/KLM 1:1
- Alitalia MilleMiglia 1:1
- ANA 1:1
- Avianca 1:1
- British Airways 1:1
- Cathay Pacific 1:1
- Delta SkyMiles 1:1
- El Al Israel 50:1
- Emirates 1:1
- Etihad Guest 1:1
- Hawaiian Airlines 1:1
- Iberia 1:1
- JetBlue 1.25:1
- Qantas 1:1
- Singapore KrysFlyer 1:1
- Virgin Atlantic 1:1
By Invitation Only Program
Yes
Secondary Coverage
None
None
None
None
None
Up to $3,000 for carry-on, $2,000 for checked
$100000
- Purchase Protection
- Extended Warranty
- Return Protection
I initially had the Chase Sapphire Preferred card then later upgraded to the Reserve, I would recommend this to anyone who –
- Is getting started and hesitant to pay a $550 annual fee but willing to evaluate the perks
- Is looking for Travel related protections, insurance and benefits
$95
Good/Excellent
60K points after spending $4 K in first 3 months
25-percent redemption bonus when redeemed for travel through Ultimate Rewards portal
- 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants, 1X points on all other purchases
- 5 points per $1 on Lyft rides (through March 2022)
None
None
Subscription To DoorDash DashPass
No foreign transaction fees
- Aer Lingus 1:1
- British Airways 1:1
- Air France/KLM 1:1
- Iberia 1:1
- JetBlue 1:1
- Singapore Airlines 1:1
- Southwest Rapid Rewards 1:1
- United MileagePlus 1:1
- Virgin Atlantic 1:1
- IHG Rewards 1:1
- Marriott Bonvoy 1:1
- World of Hyatt 1:1
None
Yes
Primary Coverage
$59.95 per service call
None
Up to $10,000 per trip
Up to $500 per ticket for delays of 12 or more hours (or requiring an overnight stay)
Up to $100/day for up to 5 days for delays more than 6 hours
Up to $3,000 per person (up to $500 per person for jewelry, watches, cameras, video recorders and other electronic equipment)
None
- Purchase Protection
- Extended Warranty
Pl. Note – This is not a sponsored post. I personally use these companies for my travels, and based on my experience, I recommend them. Some of these links are affiliate links, meaning, at no cost to you, I may earn a small commission that helps me run this website and keeping it free for everyone to use. There are several other resources to help you plan your travel, including My Travel Planning Checklist, The Ultimate Carry-On Packing Guide, Must Have Travel Gear Guide, My Best Travel Resources, Best Places To Visit In USA By Month, Ultimate Collection of Inspirational Quotes & Sayings, and more.