American Express is an advertising partner of JohnnyJet.com, but the opinions and beliefs in this post are those of the author alone, who makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information.
One of the most important travel tools you can have is also one of the smallest and lightest things you can take with you. The right credit card can offer more than just points and miles; it can feature reduced fees, upgrade service and valuable insurance policies.
And while you probably already use a credit card when you travel, holding multiple cards allows you to have even more benefits while offering a backup in case one is lost or stolen. Finally, having additional credit card accounts can increase your credit score by adding to your credit history while reducing your debt to credit ratio for a given amount of debt.
Thankfully, Americans enjoy an extremely competitive market for credit cards, especially when it comes to travel reward cards. That said, it is important to note that these cards are best used by those who avoid interest by paying their balances in full each month. Otherwise, your top priority should be paying off your credit card debt, not earning additional rewards.
So, here are the top five travel credit cards that travelers should consider for 2015:
Barclaycard Arrival PlusTM World Elite MasterCard
As airline and hotel loyalty programs are constantly changing, travelers are frequently finding that their points and miles may be worth less than they once thought. The Barclaycard Arrival PlusTM World Elite MasterCard offers double miles per dollar spent on all purchases, and each mile is always worth one cent towards any travel expense including airfare, hotels, car rentals, and cruises. Considering that cardholders also receive a 10% bonus on all miles redeemed, this equates to a strong 2.22% return on all spending.
In addition, new applicants receive a 40,000-mile bonus when they use their card and spend $3,000 within the first 90 days of account opening. These bonus points alone are worth $444 in travel statement credits, enough for a weekend getaway. This is also one of the few cards offered in the United States that features true chip and PIN compatibility, to assure that you can always use it overseas. There is an $89 annual fee for this card that is waived the first year, and there are no foreign transaction fees.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Another way to receive the maximum value from your credit card rewards is to earn points in a program that allows transfers to airline miles and hotel points. Chase Sapphire Preferred® cardholders earn points in Chase’s Ultimate Rewards program, which can be transferred to a dozen different airline and hotel programs, plus Amtrak Guest Rewards. Double points are earned for all travel and dining expenses, and one point per dollar spent elsewhere. New cardholders also receive 40,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on their card within three months of account opening. These 40,000 points could be transferred to airline miles, which would be enough for a round trip ticket to Hawaii, or $500 in other travel reservations. There is a $95 annual fee for this card that is waived the first year, and there are no foreign transaction fees.
Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express
Among travel rewards enthusiasts, the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express enjoys something of a cult status. For each dollar spent, cardholders earn one point in Starwood Hotels’ Preferred Guest program, which can be redeemed for free nights at Westins, Sheratons and other Starwood brands. And when you redeem four consecutive award nights, you get your fifth night free.
Furthermore, points can be transferred to miles with the frequent flier programs of over 30 different airlines, with each one of those programs allowing award flights with several of their airline partners. This opens up award travel possibilities with nearly two hundred different airlines around the world! And when cardholders transfer 20,000 points to miles, they receive another 5,000 mile bonus, making all charges potentially worth 1.25 miles per dollar spent.
New cardholders currently earn 10,000 points after their first purchase, and another 15,000 points after spending $10,000 within six months. This is more than enough points for five nights stay at many Westin properties. There is a $65 annual fee for this card that is waived the first year.
Amex EveryDaySM Preferred Credit Card from American Express
Like Chase Ultimate Rewards and the Starwood Preferred Guest program, American Express offers its Membership Rewards points that can be transferred to miles with several different airlines’ frequent flier programs. The EveryDaySM Preferred Credit Card form American Express offers 3x points at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, double points at US gas stations, and one point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Better yet, when cardholders use their card at least 30 times during their statement period, they receive a 50% bonus on all of the points they earned, meaning that they could earn as much as 4.5 points per dollar. New cardholders also receive one year of Amazon Prime plus 15,000 Membership Rewards points after they make $1,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening. Amazon Prime currently costs $79 a year, and the bonus points could be transferred to British Airways miles and used for a roundtrip flight between New York and Florida on American Airlines. There is a $95 annual fee for this card.
Citi Prestige® Card
For frequent travelers, it’s hard to beat the newly revamped Citi Prestige® Card. It offers triple points on airfare and hotels, double points on dining and entertainment purchases, and one point per dollar spent elsewhere. Citi’s ThankYou Rewards program can be transferred to eight different airline programs as well as points with the Hilton HHonors program. When used for travel reservations, points are worth 1.6 cents towards flights with American and US Airways, and 1.33 cents towards flights with other airlines.
Other benefits include a $250 annual airline travel fee credit, a $100 Global Entry application fee credit, and access to the business lounges of both American Airlines Admirals Club and the Priority Pass network. Finally, cardholders receive a fourth night free when they book a three-night stay using their travel service. There is a $450 annual fee for this card and no foreign transaction fees.
*Advertiser Disclosure: The credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which JohnnyJet.com receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). JohnnyJet.com does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Please see the online credit card application for additional product details. While efforts are made to maintain accurate information, all credit card information is presented without warranty.
*Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of the bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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