Whether you are a frequent traveler or aspiring to become one, having a travel credit card can be the right move for most people. Between the benefits of accruing points and converting them into free trips or purchase protection that helps you feel safe while traveling, there is little question about whether the pros outweigh any potential cons when using a travel card. 

Once you reach a point where a travel card is a must-have, the conversation quickly turns to which travel card you should choose. The good news is that you have no shortage of options, which is also the bad news, as there are almost too many options as to make it overwhelming. Thankfully, some travel cards are better than others. 

10. Hilton Honors Surpass Card

As the middle ground between three different Hilton Honors credit cards, the Hilton Honors Surpass card offers you complimentary Gold status at every Hilton hotel, which is a hard benefit to ignore. This means free Wi-Fi, no resort fees, spa discounts, and daily food and beverage credit. 

Go Gold With Hilton

The biggest travel perk with Hilton Honors is the $50 statement credit for purchases made at Hilton properties every quarter. In addition, you get 12X bonus points on any Hilton hotel stay, 6X points at any US restaurant, gas station, or supermarket, and 4X points on any online retail purchases. 

9. Discover it Miles

Something of a surprise entry on any best-of-travel list, the Discover it Miles card offers one very beneficial perk that is hard to ignore. Discover will automatically match all the miles you earn in the first year, which could be worth hundreds of dollars in extra travel credits. 

Double Your Miles

With the opportunity to earn 1.5X miles on every dollar you spend with the card, all your miles have a dollar cash value. If you spend $2,000 miles every month, you will earn $360 in travel credits, and in the first year, this would automatically be credited to $720. 

8. JetBlue Plus Card

With zero blackout dates and points that never expire, the JetBlue Plus card is a highly underrated option for a highly underrated airline. You also get 70,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days, which is one of the more attractive bonus options. 

JetBlue Fun

As soon as you have the JetBlue Plus card in your wallet, take immediate advantage by saving 50% on all your in-flight purchases. You’ll also get 5,000 bonus points every year on your card anniversary, which you can pair with a $100 statement credit if you book $100 or more of JetBlue travel in a calendar year. 

7. Citi Strata Premier 

An underrated card that doesn’t get enough attention, the Citi Strata Premier is one of Citibank’s best travel rewards credit cards. While the $95 annual fee feels unnecessary, ignoring the 75,000 bonus points you get if you spend more than $4,000 in the first three months is hard. This is equivalent to $750 in gift cards Citibank helps you use on thankyou.com

Annual Hotel Benefits

The biggest bonus with the Citibank card is the 10X points you receive on every trip you purchase through CitiTravel.com. Additionally, you get 3x points for every $1 spent on hotel purchases, restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations. 

6. Marriott Bonvoy Bold

With the opportunity to earn 60,000 bonus points plus one free night, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold is an excellent option if you want to stay at any of Marriott’s approximately 9,000 locations worldwide. When you redeem Marriott points, you can also do so with either airlines or hotels, which is a bonus. 

Where Can Marriott Take You? 

Once you have the Marriott Bonvoy Bold card, you receive 5 Elite night credits yearly and automatic Silver Elite status for free Wi-Fi and priority late checkout. In addition, you have purchase protection, trip delay and lost luggage reimbursement, and baggage delay insurance. 

5. United Explorer Card

The United Explorer Card is another strong credit card option focusing solely on United Airlines flights. The card offers substantial benefits, including a 50,000 bonus mile offer, a free first checked bag, purchase protection, a Visa concierge, and extended warranty protection. 

Fly the Friendly Skies

The highlight of the United Explorer card is the 7X miles on any United purchase and the 4X miles you receive through United Hotels. You also receive priority boarding, a 25% statement credit on Wi-Fi or in-flight purchases, and a $120 statement credit for Global Entry and TSA Precheck. 

4. Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express

Delta travelers unite as the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express is one of the best airline-specific travel cards available today. Right from the jump, you earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first six months. Along with this bonus, you get traditional perks such as purchase protection and an extended warranty. 

“Keep Climbing” With Delta

One of the reasons to put the Delta SkyMiles Blue Amex in your wallet is the 20% back you receive on any in-flight purchase, like food and beverages. In addition, you also get 2X miles for every dollar spent with Delta and an extra $50 off the cost of any flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem when you book through Delta.com. 

3. Capital One Venture Rewards

Arguably Capital One’s second-best credit card for travel, this card offers excellent perks and a reduced annual fee of just $95. An average of $3,000 monthly will earn you 72,000 miles annually, a $720 value you can put toward travel anywhere in the world. 

What’s In Your Wallet

If you need rental cards while traveling, the Venture credit card upgrades you to Hertz’s Five Star Status so you can skip the lines. You also receive a $120 credit toward any global entry or TSA PreCheck purchase. Any travel you book with Capital One Travel earns you 5X miles on future hotel, vacation rental, and rental car books and an average of 15% savings. 

2. Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

One of the most popular credit cards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card’s $95 annual fee is a gateway to a better travel world. It offers a host of traditional card benefits like extended warranty protection, purchase protection, and auto rental coverage. 

The Best Chase Card

When you dig deeper into the travel benefits of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, things get awesome. The highlight is the trip cancellation and interruption insurance, which can provide up to $10,000 back per traveler and $20,000 per trip. The same goes for baggage delay insurance, which costs up to $100 daily for toiletries and clothing. 

1. Capital One Venture X Rewards

One of the most popular travel cards available today, the Capital One Venture X Rewards credit card, is available everywhere. With Samuel L. Jackson and Jennifer Garner asking what’s in our wallets, there are real benefits, such as access to Capital One Lounges. You can get some of the best travel prices using the Capital One Travel site and even get price alerts. 

The Features Are Terrific

If the $395 annual fee doesn’t scare you away, the Venture X card will give you a $300 yearly travel credit and 10,000 bonus miles you’ll receive yearly. This all but events out against the annual fee, which is a nice perk. Plus, you can earn as much as 10X miles on every travel purchase through Capital One Travel and 2X miles on every other purchase.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.