Airline credit cards help frequent flyers earn miles that can be redeemed for free flights. Plus, many offer amenities such as seat upgrades, priority boarding and in-flight savings! Approval usually requires good or excellent credit rating.
The best travel credit cards offer high rewards rates across popular spending categories like dining, supermarkets and streaming services. In addition, they may provide airport lounge access or primary rental car coverage as additional perks.
1. Rewards
Depending on the card, rewards could come in the form of points or miles, cash back, gift cards or vouchers that can be redeemed for airfare, hotel stays and car rentals. Some cards even enhance this value by connecting points you earn to specific airline or hotel loyalty programs.
Look for a credit card that fits seamlessly with your spending habits, rather than forcing you to alter them in order to earn rewards. Some travel credit cards provide bonus categories like dining, supermarkets and streaming services; others boast lucrative reward rates on fuel purchases or hotel stays.
Consider selectinging a card with a low annual fee that offers attractive rewards to suit every traveler’s budget, like Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card – perfect for budget travelers who wish to transfer earned miles directly to hotel or airline partners, plus extra travel perks like lounge access. Other travel cards come equipped with insurance policies that can offset additional travel expenses like rental cars and flight delays or cancellations.
2. Convenience
Finding the ideal travel card requires finding value in its rewards rates and other perks. Rewards credit cards come with various redemption options; some provide higher per-mile values. Some even allow you to transfer points or miles into airline and hotel loyalty programs.
Capital One Venture Rewards credit card stands out among travel cards by offering a generous sign-up bonus and ongoing rewards rate, all at an extremely reasonable annual fee of just $95. Furthermore, its rewards can be redeemed on any type of travel purchase – making this card ideal for frequent travelers!
Other travel cards may also provide annual travel credits to offset any annual fee and make cards even more useful for frequent travelers. However, if you don’t travel frequently enough to take full advantage of its benefits, a cash back credit card could be more suitable.
3. Travel perks
Based on your travel habits and needs, it may be beneficial to get a card that offers various value-add perks. These could include cost-saving benefits like free checked bags, lounge access and airline fee credits as well as comprehensive protections such as trip cancellation/interruption coverage and lost baggage insurance.
Travel credit cards with co-brand partnerships often offer higher rewards rates in certain categories, like airfare and hotel stays. However, if your travel habits don’t justify those benefits, a general travel card that provides generous rewards rates on dining purchases might be more suitable.
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card stands out by offering an exceptional rewards rate on dining and other purchases, which can then be used to accumulate points with travel loyalty programs. Furthermore, this card features many travel perks like lounge access and food delivery services – yet its annual fee may be higher than similar cards with elite features.
4. Security
Though it may seem obvious, traveling with only one credit card to limit how much a thief can potentially take from your wallet is important in protecting you against theft. Also, keep your cards out of reach of pockets or purse straps by placing them securely somewhere like your hotel safe.
Certain travel credit cards even help you skip long lines at airport security by covering the application fee for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, making expedited security clearance simpler when flying. Capital One Venture Rewards Card offers this benefit along with primary rental car insurance and roadside dispatch assistance services.
Selecting a credit card tailored specifically to your spending habits and preferences requires using Experian’s free tools, like CreditMatch(tm). Doing this allows you to identify cards that match all of your criteria so you can make an informed decision regarding which credit cards should accompany you on vacation or when planning for future journeys this year.
