Nine out of ten of the people I talk to have a goal of traveling more.
This isn’t surprising. We are inundated with Instagram pics of people visiting cool locations all over the world.
In Minnesota where we have brutal winters, a pic from a beach can instantly cause wanderlust (and jealousy).
The main thing keeping people from traveling is money.
I can relate: my wife and I graduated undergrad with $100k in student loan debt.
Even if you have little or no debt there is a never-ending list of things you need money for: rent, a down payment on a house, health care, retirement, pets, emergency fund…the list goes on.
Travel is something we wanted to prioritize after college. But we also wanted to hit other personal finance goals, including building an emergency fund which is no small feat.
One of the benefits of being a personal finance blogger is that I am exposed to many different ways to save money. The more I learned about credit card rewards, the more I realized that they could help make our travel goals possible.
Travel rewards credit cards oftentimes come with a “welcome” bonus, such as “get 50,000 miles if you spend $3,000 on your credit card within the first three months of signing up.” Those welcome bonuses can really pay off because they translate to hundreds of dollars of savings through a statement credit or through free flights.
Browse all travel rewards credit card offers
Travel will always cost money, but if you can knock out a big expense like flights it can make travel much more realistic for your budget. My wife and I have paid for maybe two flights over the past five years, and we still have miles saved up for future travel expenses.
We’ve been fortunate to use our credit card rewards to visit Vietnam, Thailand, St. Martin, Aruba, and many places around the United States. We are already planning our next trip (Japan!). Where will you go with your travel credit card rewards?
A quick note: If you are currently in credit card debt I recommend not signing up for these cards. The amount you pay in interest will outweigh any potential benefits. Instead, read my post about what to do if you are in credit card debt.
OUR TOP CHOICE: Chase Sapphire Preferred
The Chase Sapphire Preferred has been one of the top credit cards on the market for some time now.
One positive of this card is the fact that there are so many partner programs that you can transfer your 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® to. The points transfer 1:1 to the following programs:
- United MileagePlus®
- British Airways Executive Club
- Aer Lingus, AerClub
- Emirates Skywards®
- Flying Blue AIR FRANCE KLM
- Iberia Plus
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards®
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- IHG® Rewards Club
- Marriott Bonvoy™
- World of Hyatt®
Both my wife and I have signed up for this card and we transferred the points to our United MileagePlus® account. You don’t have to transfer your points to get value out of this card, though: the 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® bonus points are redeemable for $750 on the Chase portal.
Bonus: 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® bonus points
How to Unlock the Bonus: Spend $4,000 within the first 3 months of account opening
What the Bonus can be Used for: Redeemable for $750 through Chase Ultimate Rewards® or transfer 1:1 with partner travel rewards programs
Annual Fee: $95 (NOT waived the first year)
Learn How to Apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred
Other Top Cards
Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card is one of the best travel rewards credit cards because of how flexible its rewards are.
This card offers $500 towards any travel-related cost after you spend $3,000 within the first 3 months of account opening.
This card is great because of its simplicity. You know exactly what you are getting with this card and you don’t have to limit yourself to specific companies or brands when redeeming your rewards.
An extra perk with this card is that you will receive up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✔®.
Bonus: 50,000 bonus miles
How to Unlock the Bonus: Spend $3,000 within the first 3 months
What the Bonus can be Used for: Redeemable for $500 in travel-related expenses
Annual Fee: $95 (waived for the first year)
Learn How to Apply for the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card
Chase Sapphire Reserve
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is a popular credit card, but it does come with a hefty price tag: a $550 annual fee.
Typically a card with a $550 annual fee wouldn’t be worth getting for anyone other than those who travel frequently. But one nice thing that comes with this card is a $300 annual travel expense credit. Assuming you will for sure have at least $300 in travel-related costs each year, the effective cost of the card is $150. Some of the other benefits of the card, such as lounge access and built-in trip insurance, can make the card annual fee worth the cost.
Similar to the Chase Sapphire Preferred, the Chase Ultimate Rewards® points transfer 1:1 to the following programs:
- United MileagePlus®
- British Airways Executive Club
- Aer Lingus, AerClub
- Emirates Skywards®
- Flying Blue AIR FRANCE KLM
- Iberia Plus
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards®
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- IHG® Rewards Club
- Marriott Bonvoy™
- World of Hyatt®
There are a couple additional perks worth pointing out. Chase will reimburse your expense for a TSA pre-check or global entry account up to $100, and they also provide you with one-year complimentary access to a network of over 900 airport lounges.
I signed up for global entry, which includes TSA Pre-Check, and it was so worth it. The first time I used it was a trip to NYC. I checked in online from home so I didn’t have to wait to print a boarding pass. Even with checking a bag it was under 10 minutes from stepping out of the car to being past security. I highly recommend it even for casual travelers.
Bonus: 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® bonus points; $300 annual travel credit; Credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check application
How to Unlock the Bonus: Spend $4,000 within the first 3 months of account opening
What the Bonus can be Used for: Redeemable for $750 through Chase Ultimate Rewards® or transfer 1:1 with partner travel rewards programs
Annual Fee: $550 (NOT waived the first year)
Learn How to Apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve
Airline Credit Cards
United Explorer Card
The United Explorer Card is a great card to have if you plan on flying United or if you either already signed up or plan on signing up for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
This has been my airline of choice the past few years because of how many miles you can rack up when you transfer Chase Rewards points 1:1. My wife and I have amassed over 300,000 miles and have used it to travel to Florida, St. Martin, and New York City. United is an ideal airline to have miles for because of the sheer number of locations they fly to.
Like most airline cards you will get free checked bags, but unlike other airline cards you will also get a pair of passes each year to the United lounge. I’ve taken full advantage of this perk over the past few years and it can make a layover at the airport a bit more tolerable.
Bonus: 40,000 United MileagePlus® Miles
How to Unlock the Bonus: Spend $2,000 within the first 3 months
What the Bonus can be Used for: Flights on United Airlines
Annual Fee: $95 (waived the first year)
Learn How to Apply for the United Explorer Card
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card has standard rewards you should expect from an airline credit card: first bag checked free (for everyone in your reservation) and priority boarding.
While there are other benefits such as no foreign transaction fees, the real draw of this credit card is the welcome offer.
Earn up to 70,000 bonus miles. Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Plus, earn an additional 10,000 bonus miles after your first anniversary of Card Membership.
When you apply for the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card and spend $2,000 within the first 3 months of account opening, you earn 60,000 Bonus Miles. You can also earn an additional 10,000 bonus miles after your first anniversary of Card Membership.
Welcome Offer: 60,000 Bonus Miles
How to Unlock the Welcome Offer: Spend $2,000 within the first 3 months; also earn an additional 10,000 bonus miles after your first anniversary of Card Membership.
What the Welcome Offer can be Used for: Delta SkyMiles
Annual Fee: $99 (waived for the first year)
Learn How to Apply for the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Plus
The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Plus card is an airline card, and airline cards typically come with free checked bags. This card is no different, with first and second checked bags flying free.
But the main draw of this card is the 40,000 Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards points, along with the potential of gaining their coveted Companion Pass. The Companion Pass allows you to book a designated companion’s flight for free, regardless of whether you pay with points or cash.
To get the Companion Pass you have to earn 110,000 Rapid Rewards points in a calendar year. This card will get you 40,000 (or 41,000 if you include the 1,000 you will get when you spend your $1,000 to get the bonus). If you get the Chase Sapphire Preferred and transfer over those 50,000 points you are even closer. Note: as of January 2020 you will need to earn 125,000 qualifying points to earn the companion pass.
Bonus: 40,000 Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® points
How to Unlock the Bonus: Spend $1,000 within the first 3 months of account opening
What the Bonus can be Used for: Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
Annual Fee: $69 (NOT waived the first year)
Learn How to Apply for the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Plus credit card
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There are a ton of travel reward credit cards with great bonuses. Using these cards alone could potentially save you thousands of dollars on travel.
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Interesting, also if are good I opted for a prepaid card for my travels so I’m sure about amount of money is inside and the amount I can spend on it, plus no interests in any way…however these cards seems good!