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Best travel credit cards for May 2024

Kendall Little
·Senior writer, credit cards
Updated 25 min read

Travel credit cards aren’t only for jet-setters and business travelers. Whether you travel once per year or you’re rapidly checking off bucket list destinations, these rewards credit cards can lead to deep discounts on weekend trips, upcoming holiday fares, or a once-in-a-lifetime dream vacation.

But the key to getting the most value from a travel credit card is choosing the right one. Your specific travel preferences and budget can make a big difference in finding the perfect travel card for your next trip. Here are some of the best travel credit cards available right now, whether you’re looking for no-fee everyday rewards or luxury benefits for a premium price tag.

Annual fee: $95

Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 within the first 3 months

APR: 19.99%-29.99% variable APR

Rewards:

  • 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel

  • 2x miles on all other purchases

For beginners to points and miles, simplicity can be key to maximizing rewards. We like the Venture card not only for its great potential value, but how easy it is to earn miles on everything at a rate of 2x per dollar. Redemption is also simple: You can redeem miles through Capital One’s travel portal or use them to cover any travel purchases you make with your card. Plus, it has the same welcome offer as the much higher-priced Venture X card — worth up to $750 when you redeem for travel.

While ongoing benefits aren’t the most lucrative part of this card, there are some to keep in mind. You’ll get up to $100 every four years toward TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fees, elite status with Hertz rental cars, up to a $50 experience credit when you book Lifestyle Collection hotel stays through Capital One Travel, and more.

Annual fee: $395

Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 within the first 3 months

APR: 19.99%-29.99% variable APR

Rewards:

  • 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel

  • 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel

  • 2x miles on all other purchases

The Venture X is Capital One’s more premium travel card in the Venture family — and it has a lot to offer more frequent travelers who like the simplicity of earning a flat 2x miles on every purchase.

To help recoup the higher annual fee year after year, you’ll get a $300 annual travel credit, which you can apply to travel you book through Capital One Travel. There’s also a 10,000 annual miles bonus (adding another $100 in annual value), which you’ll earn on your account anniversary. Plus, get up to $100 for TSA Precheck/Global Entry fees, access to Capital One Lounges and partner airport lounge networks, a $100 credit when booking Premier Collection hotels in addition to the $50 credit for Lifestyle Collection hotel bookings (through Capital One Travel), and more.

Read our full review of the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Annual fee: $0

Welcome offer: Earn 30,000 bonus points when you spend $1,500 within the first 3 months

APR: Introductory 0% APR on new purchases for 12 months; 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR thereafter

Rewards:

  • 3x points at restaurants (including takeout and delivery)

  • 3x points on travel

  • 3x points at gas stations and electronic vehicle charging stations

  • 3x points on transit (subways, parking, rideshares, and more)

  • 3x points on popular streaming services

  • 3x points on cell phone and landline phone plans

  • 1x points on all other purchases

Among the few travel credit cards with no annual fee, a big reason why the Autograph Card from Wells Fargo makes our list is its wide range of rewards categories, with no limit on how many points you can earn. Because they include travel purchases, restaurants, gas, phone plans, and more, it’s easy to maximize your points while traveling and at home.

It also has one of the best welcome offers we found from no annual fee travel cards. If you can meet the $1,500 spending requirement, 30,000 bonus points could get you as much as $300 in redemption value. When you’re ready to redeem, you can choose to book travel through Wells Fargo, redeem for statement credits to your account, pay for new purchases with eligible retailers, and more.

Annual fee: $95

Welcome offer: 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 within the first 3 months

APR: 21.49% - 28.49% variable APR

Rewards:

  • 5x points on travel through Chase (except hotel spending that counts toward annual credit)

  • 3x points on dining (including takeout and delivery)

  • 3x points on online grocery purchases (except wholesale clubs, Target, and Walmart)

  • 3x points on select streaming services

  • 2x points on all other travel spending

  • 1x points on all other purchases

Chase Sapphire cards are unique because of the boosted value on travel redemptions. The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a 25% boost on points you use to book travel through Chase, so each point is worth 1.25 cents each. In other words: 100,000 Chase Sapphire Preferred points may be worth $1,250 in Chase Travel redemptions.

But that’s not all this card has to offer. In addition to great savings on both travel and everyday purchases, you’ll get an annual points bonus worth 10% of your previous year’s purchase total and $50 in annual credits for hotel stays booked through Chase Travel. Chase offers plenty of partner benefits with this card too, with discounts and bonus points from Lyft, DoorDash, Peloton, Instacart, and more.

Read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card

Annual fee: $550

Welcome offer: 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 within the first 3 months

APR: 22.49% - 29.49% variable APR

Rewards:

  • 10x points on hotels and car rentals through Chase (after the first $300 spent on travel annually)

  • 5x points on travel through Chase (after the first $300 spent on travel annually)

  • 3x points on dining (including takeout and delivery)

  • 3x points on all other travel (after the first $300 spent on travel annually)

One of the biggest benefits of a Chase Sapphire Reserve card over the Preferred is the $300 annual travel credit you’ll get each anniversary year. Thanks to Chase’s flexible definition of travel, you can use this credit to cover everything from flights and hotels to taxis, parking, and more.

Other benefits include airport lounge access with Priority Pass Select, credit toward TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fees, and perks when you book hotels with the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection. You’ll also get credits, waived membership fees, boosted rewards, and more with partner brands like Instacart, DoorDash, Lyft, and Peloton.

And like the Preferred Card, you’ll get boosted redemption value for booking travel through Chase with the Sapphire Reserve. But this card earns an extra 50%, or 1.5 cents per point. For example, if you have 100,000 points in your account, you could redeem them for up to $1,500 in value via Chase Travel.

We put the Chase Sapphire Reserve up against the Amex Platinum Card to see which luxury card is better

Annual fee: $250 (see rates and fees)

Welcome offer: 60,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 within the first 6 months

APR: 21.24% to 29.24% variable APR (applies to eligible Pay Over Time charges)

Rewards:

  • 4x points at restaurants worldwide

  • 4x points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 spent per year, then 1x)

  • 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel

  • 1x points on all other purchases (terms apply)

With 4x points on both dining at restaurants and food you buy at supermarkets, the Amex Gold card is one of the best options today for earning rewards on everyday spending. But it’s also a lucrative travel credit card. You can earn points on airfare purchases, and your Membership Rewards points are most valuable toward travel redemptions and transfers to Amex’s 21 airline and hotel partners.

On top of rewards, you can save more on everyday purchases with up to $120 in annual Uber Cash ($10 per month) and up to $120 in annual dining credits (also $10 per month, enrollment required). The dining credits can be used at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar, and select Shake Shack locations.

Read our full review of the American Express Gold Card

Annual fee: $99

Welcome offer: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 and paying the card’s annual fee within the first 90 days

APR: Introductory 0% APR on balance transfers only for 12 billing cycles (when the transfer posts within 45 days of account opening); 21.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% ongoing variable APR

Rewards:

  • 6x points on eligible JetBlue spending

  • 2x points at restaurants

  • 2x points at eligible grocery stores

  • 1x points on all other purchases

The JetBlue Plus card beat out other airline cards with annual fees under $100 thanks to the added benefits it offers cardholders flying with the airline. We also chose this card thanks to the range that JetBlue flights cover. You may find similar deals from co-branded cards with more limited airlines (such as Hawaiian Airlines or Alaska Airlines), but we find the Plus card from JetBlue offers a solid amount of perks for a wider range of travelers.

In addition to rewards, you’ll get 10% of your points back when you use them to redeem a JetBlue flight, a $100 statement credit (one per year) when you book a JetBlue Vacations package, 5,000 bonus points each year, a free first checked bag, 50% off in-flight, and a faster path to Mosaic elite status with the airline.

Annual fee: $75

Welcome offer: Earn 45,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 within the first 90 days

APR: 20.99%, 25.24% or 29.99% variable APR

Rewards:

  • 6x points on eligible Hotels by Wyndham purchases

  • 6x points on gas

  • 4x points on dining

  • 4x points at grocery stores (excluding Target and Walmart)

  • 1x points on all other purchases

Among the co-branded hotel cards we compared with annual fees under $100, the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus offered the greatest combination of rewards and added benefits to help ensure travelers who stay with the brand can maximize value.

According to the issuer, the 45,000-point bonus is worth as much as 6 free nights at participating hotels (though free nights may cost up to 30,000 points). Even after the welcome bonus, you’ll get up to one free night each year with 7,500 annual bonus points. Plus, the card offers a booking discount, automatic platinum-level member benefits, and more.

Wyndham Hotels themselves may be more common than you think, too. The chain has more than 9,000 hotels across 95 countries.

Annual fee: $350 (terms apply; see rates and fees)

Welcome offer: Earn 50,000 miles after spending $3,000 in the first 6 months

APR: 20.99%-29.99% variable APR

Rewards:

  • 3x miles on Delta purchases

  • 3x miles at hotels

  • 2x miles on dining (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.)

  • 2x miles at U.S. supermarkets

  • 1x miles on all other purchases

For Delta flyers, we think the Platinum SkyMiles card offers the best range of benefits and rewards for the cost. After Delta overhauled its rewards program this year, this card alone no longer grants you access to Sky Lounges, which may be a major loss for some cardholders. But there are still plenty of premium benefits that frequent travelers can enjoy.

Each year, there’s a Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQD) Headstart to help you on your status journey, and each $20 you spend on your card is worth $1 MQD (otherwise, earn $1 MQD per $1 spent on Delta flights). You’ll also get up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem when you book on delta.com, an annual companion certificate, first checked bag free, priority boarding, fee credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, and more. On top of all that, we like that the Delta SkyMiles Platinum offers bonus rewards on both travel purchases and everyday spending — so you can rack up miles even when you’re not traveling.

Check out the latest offers for new and existing Delta SkyMiles cardholders

Annual fee: $550

Welcome offer: Earn 180,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after spending $6,000 within the first 6 months (offer ends Jan. 17, 2024)

APR: 20.99%-29.99% variable APR

Rewards:

  • 14x points on Hilton hotels and resorts purchases

  • 7x points on select travel (flights purchased directly with airlines or through American Express travel; rental cars booked directly with select rental car companies)

  • 7x points on dining at U.S. restaurants (including takeout and delivery)

  • 3x points on all other purchases

Despite its very steep annual fee, Hilton regulars can get a ton of extra value on their stays with the Hilton Aspire card.

Start with automatic Diamond Status with Hilton, for room upgrades (when available), bonus points, and more — plus up to $400 in resort credits ($200 semi-annually) for eligible purchases you make at Hilton Resorts. With qualifying Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and Conrad Hotels & Resorts properties, you can get another $100 on-property credit with eligible stays.

There are even plenty of benefits outside of Hilton. You’ll get up to $200 back per year ($50 per quarter) on flight purchases directly with airlines or through American Express Travel, up to $189 back each year for CLEAR Plus membership (with auto-renewal), elite status with National car rental service, access to concierge services, and more (terms apply; see rates and fees).

All information about the Aspire card has been collected independently by Yahoo Finance. The Aspire card is no longer available through Yahoo Finance.

The above cards may be the best according to our ranking system, but travel credit cards can be incredibly individualized depending on where and how often you travel, your budget, regular spending, and more. Here are a few more that we think can still offer great savings.

Like the other Venture cards on our list, the Capital One VentureOne carries a lot of potential value. This is the no annual fee version of the card, with a slightly lower 1.25x miles on every purchase (though you’ll maintain the 5x miles on hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel). You’ll also get 20,000 bonus miles after spending at least $500 within the first 3 months of account opening.

Other benefits are limited, but you can take advantage of a 0% intro APR for 15 months on both new purchases and balance transfers (with a 19.99%-29.99% variable APR thereafter).

The Amex Platinum may be the most benefit-rich premium travel card you’ll find today. After paying a $695 annual fee (terms apply; see rates and fees), you’ll get a host of valuable credits and perks each year. These include up to $200 hotel statement credits for qualifying (minimum two-night) stays, up to $200 airline fee statement credits for incidental charges with your selected eligible airline, up to $240 digital entertainment statement credits (enrollment required), up to $155 Walmart+ statement credits (with auto-renewal), up to $200 annual Uber Cash, up to $189 CLEAR Plus statement credit (with auto-renewal), airport lounge access, and much more.

As for ongoing rewards, you can earn 5x points on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel (up to $500,000 spent per year), 5x points on prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel, and 1x points on all other purchases. Also. earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend at least $8,000 within the first 6 months of opening.

Can't decide between the Amex Platinum or the Amex Gold?

The Premium Rewards travel card from Bank of America has a $95 annual fee and a welcome offer of 60,000 points after spending $4,000 within the first 90 days. Ongoing rewards include 2x points on travel and dining and a flat 1.5x on every other purchase.

With an annual $100 credit toward airline incidental fees and up to $100 every four years toward TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fees, you can also easily make up the annual fee cost. The card also has no foreign transaction fees and you can redeem your points for cash back and statement credits or for travel through the Bank of America Travel Center.

The $95 Citi Premier Card earns great rewards on everyday spending and travel — and it has a solid welcome bonus. You can get 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 within the first 3 months. Then, earn 3x points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, hotels, and on air travel (plus 1x points on all other purchases).

You can earn back the annual fee cost with the card’s $100 hotel savings benefits, which you can apply to a single stay of $500 or more that you book through Citi’s ThankYou portal per calendar year. You’ll earn ThankYou points on your spending, which you can transfer to airline partners or redeem for travel through the portal, gift cards, and more.

When you’re comparing travel credit cards, it can be useful to separate them into two distinct types: general travel rewards cards and co-branded airline and hotel credit cards.

Think about your specific travel preferences to decide which type is best for you:

With a general travel credit card, you’ll earn points or miles on eligible purchases, which you can put toward a number of flexible redemption options. General travel credit cards include cards like the following:

Many of these travel card issuers have their own travel portals, like Chase Travel or American Express Membership Rewards. You can use these to book flights, hotels, rental cars, and more. They may also have a number of travel partners, to which you can directly transfer points or miles. For example, American Express Membership Rewards points transfer to Delta SkyMiles at a rate of 1:1.

The flexibility of general travel cards means you can travel with any number of different airlines or hotel brands and get the best bang for your buck. Each time you’re ready to book, simply shop around between the portal or partners and compare the best options for your specific travel plans.

These credit cards also allow other redemption options, such as statement credits, gift cards, and cash back. But you’ll generally get the best value by redeeming points or miles for travel.

Airline and hotel credit cards are typically co-branded between the card issuer and the airline or hotel chain. Here are a few examples:

These cards are best suited for travelers who prefer to fly with a specific airline or stay at a certain hotel chain. Maybe you live near a hub airport, frequent a destination where a specific airline offers the most direct flight options, or you enjoy the perks of a specific hotel’s loyalty program.

Instead of flexible rewards points or miles, you’ll earn points or miles within the airline or hotel rewards program, like Marriott Bonvoy points or American Airlines AAdvantage miles — and get a boosted rewards rate when you spend directly with the airline or hotel. These cards often offer a faster path to elite status tiers within these programs.

The added benefits of co-branded cards are designed to appeal to loyal airline or hotel customers. For example, your airline card may get you priority boarding, upgrades, free checked bags, and in-flight discounts. And your hotel card may offer early check-in or late checkout, annual free night awards, and on-site credits.

Co-branded travel cards aren’t for everyone, but they can add a lot to your travel experience if you have a strong airline or hotel preference.

Check out our complete list of the best hotel credit cards

Here are a few key details to look for in any new travel credit card:

No matter your budget, there’s a travel credit card with an annual fee that fits. You can find solid no annual fee options, like the Discover it® Miles general travel card or Hilton Honors American Express co-branded card. But there’s also The Platinum Card from American Express, which may set you back $695 per year (see rates and fees) but comes with an abundance of valuable benefits and perks that can potentially give you even more value back each year.

The most important thing to keep in mind when deciding whether an annual fee is worth it for you is whether you can get enough out of the rewards and benefits to outweigh the cost — without spending more than you otherwise would or can afford.

For new cardholders, a sign-up bonus can offer major first-year value. These bonuses may be worth anything from 10,000 to 100,000 bonus points or miles — which can translate to hundreds of dollars in rewards value.

However, you should compare the terms of the bonus to your own budget before you apply. For example, you may need to spend $4,000 within the first three months of opening your card before you can earn the 60,000 bonus points. If that’s not within your typical spending, be careful not to take on debt to meet the spending threshold. Accruing high interest on balances can quickly outpace even the best bonus.

One smart strategy is opening a new travel credit card when you’re booking a trip you’ve been saving for. You may already be prepared to spend more than usual, which can help you reach the bonus requirement faster. Plus, you can earn rewards on those travel purchases to put toward future trips.

Rewards are one of the biggest reasons for many people to open a travel credit card.

Earning rewards with travel cards often works in one of two ways. You’ll either earn rewards on your everyday spending (groceries, gas stations, restaurants) to redeem toward future travel, or earn rewards on your travel spending to put toward future travel.

Some cards offer a combination of these rewards, but knowing which type of spender you are can be useful. If your monthly budget is largely dedicated to everyday spending, you may get more value from the former. But if you travel frequently and spend a lot of money on flights, hotels, and rental cars, you can quickly rack up more points with travel-based rewards categories.

Many travel rewards credit cards — especially the most premium cards with high annual fees — really shine when it comes to added perks and benefits. These benefits can help you offset the annual fee and save money each time you travel.

Take the $395 annual fee Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, for example. Each year, you’ll get a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel and 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) on your account anniversary. Already, that’s enough to wipe out the annual cost — before accounting for any rewards and other benefits (like up to $100 in fee credits toward TSA PreCheck or Global Entry and Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership).

Just remember: Choose a card with benefits that help you save on purchases you would still have made otherwise. If you tend to arrive shortly before takeoff and don’t care about airport lounge access, you won’t actually get the $200 potential value from that benefit.

One unique aspect of travel credit cards is the protections you can get as a cardholder when you travel. Common protections offered by travel credit cards include trip cancellation and interruption insurance, car rental insurance, trip delay reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, access to emergency assistance services, and more.

As long as you pay for your travel expenses with the card (booking flights, hotels, tours, etc.) you can qualify for these travel protection benefits. Like any coverage, though, you should make sure to read the fine print of what your individual card offers. These benefits can vary greatly between different travel cards, so make sure to look for details in your card agreement.

Travel rewards credit cards can make a great addition to your wallet, even if you only travel a few times per year. Be sure to compare different travel card options to find the combination of annual fee, rewards, benefits, and sign-up bonus that works best for your travel plans and spending.

There may be a few reasons why a travel credit card isn’t right for you, though:

  • You’re already in credit card debt. Avoid adding another card — especially one with a potentially high annual fee — to your wallet if you already have high-interest debt. Eliminating those balances will help you save a lot more in interest than any value travel rewards could offer.

  • You don’t want to keep up with a rewards strategy. Travel credit cards can be most lucrative if you maximize how you earn and redeem rewards. If you don’t want to spend the time strategizing bonus categories and the best redemption options, a credit card with a simpler rewards structure may be better for you.

  • You don’t have great credit. Travel credit cards generally require a good-to-excellent credit score to qualify for approval. If your credit isn’t in a great place right now, focus on improving your score before you apply for a new card.

If you are ready to open a travel credit card, time your application wisely. The spending thresholds to earn your welcome bonus can be high, so you may want to plan your application around your next trip. The money you’ve already saved can help you score the bonus when you book your travel, and you’ll also earn bonus points or miles for your next trip.

To begin our search for the best travel credit cards, we evaluated more than 70 credit cards currently available from major issuers. Each of these cards is marketed as a travel card and earns rewards in the form of points or miles.

Our scoring system involves evaluating each card based on a number of details we believe are important to cardholders looking for travel rewards credit cards. We begin with some general credit card details that we look for across every card type, such as annual fee, APR, welcome offer, card security, issuer transparency, and more. Specifically for travel credit cards, we also looked at factors like rewards, redemption options, welcome offer, and added benefits and perks.

Once each card was given a score, we again evaluated the highest-scoring overall cards for the superlatives included on our list (best no annual fee travel card, best premium travel card, etc.).

We filtered criteria for individual superlatives to find the best card among our already high-scoring options. For example, our pick for the best beginner travel card was chosen for its high score while excluding any co-branded airline or hotel cards and any cards with annual fees over $100. We believe beginner travel card users often look for simple cards that can help them maximize rewards without a high cost or needing to strategize — and we wanted our top options to reflect that.

We used a similar strategy for our co-branded card picks, too. We understand that any airline and hotel credit cards will be highly subjective depending on any users’ preferred travel brands. That being said, the cards that made our list are the highest-scoring cards based on our overall travel card criteria and from wide-reaching travel brands. If an airline, for example, did not have ample coverage throughout the United States, we gave preference to a co-branded card with a broader range of service.

While we strive to keep our rankings objective, we also know that different cards may be better suited for different types of travelers, budgets, spending habits, and more. Before you apply for any new card, make sure you compare multiple options from different issuers to decide the best combination of fees, rewards, benefits, and overall value that works for you.

This article was edited by Rebecca McCracken

Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers.