Travel reward credit cards represent a broad category of rewards cards. They encompass everything from airline miles cards to more generic rewards cards. Some cards offer miles, others use points. As a result, picking the best travel rewards card can be a challenge. Here are our top picks for 2021.
Travel Reward Credit Cards Table of Contents
Types of Travel Reward Credit Cards
To narrow down the list, I divide travel cards into three categories:
1 All-purpose travel cards: These cards aren’t part of an airline or hotel brand. Instead they offer miles or points that can be used with any travel. As you’ll see below the top cards in this category offer at least 2% in rewards. The “catch,” if you will, is that these rewards must be used for travel.
2 Airline miles cards: Offered from every major airlines, these cards can offer the highest value in rewards. The key is to understand your travel patterns. These cards are ideal for those who fly frequently with the same airline.
3 Hotel rewards cards: As with airline miles, these cards can offer good rewards for those who stay with the same hotel brand.
We’ve covered each of these types of cards below.
Best Travel Reward Credit Cards
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Editor’s Pick: The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns top honors for an all-purpose travel rewards card. Its 2x points for every $1 spent on travel and dining and 80,000 bonus points leads the pack in the travel category.
- Earn 80,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases with the card in the first 3 months. These points are worth $1,000 in travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits towards grocery store purchases within your first year of account opening.
- 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants
- 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
- Get 25% point bonus when you redeem points for travel through Chase
- $0 foreign transaction fees
- 1:1 point transfer to leading frequent travel programs at full value
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get up to $60 back on an eligible Peloton Digital or All-Access Membership through 12/31/2021.
- $95 Annual Fee
- Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 within your first 3 months. – that’s a $200 cash redemption value
- Earn 3X points for eating out and ordering in
- Earn 3X points for gas stations, rideshares and transit
- Earn 3X points for travel including flights, hotels, homestays and car rentals
- Earn 3X points on popular streaming services
- Earn 1X points on other purchases
- 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers
- No annual fee
- Welcome Offer: Earn 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 within your first 3 months.That’s $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- $300 Annual Travel Credit. Through December 31, 2021, gas station & grocery store purchases will count towards earning your Travel Credit.
- 3X points on travel immediately after earning your $300 travel credit.
- 3X points on dining at restaurants & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- $0 foreign transaction fees.
- Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™
- Select Up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre?®
- Welcome Offer: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $4,000 within your first 6 months.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide. This includes takeout and delivery, as well as Uber Eats.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X).
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
- 1X points on other purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash: Add your Gold card to your Uber account and each month you’ll get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S.
- $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to $10 in statement credits each month when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factor, Ruth’s Chris, Boxed, and participating Shake Shacks. Enrollment required.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees, making this an excellent card for international travel.
- Annual Fee: $250.
- Rose Gold is back. Choose between Gold or Rose Gold.
- Terms Apply.
- One-time Bonus: Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $20,000 within your first 12 months.
- If a $20,000 spend is too much, you can still earn 50,000 bonus miles if you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
- Earn 2X miles on every purchase
- Receive up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre?®
- Miles aren’t specific to any airline or hotel, so they can be used anywhere
- Travel when you want with no blackout dates
- Miles won’t expire for the life of the account
- No foreign transaction fees
- Transfer miles to more than 10 travel programs.
- $95 annual fee
- Welcome Offer: Earn
60,00075,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $5,000 on purchases with the card in the first 6 months. - Earn 10x points on eligible purchases on your new Card at U.S. Gas Stations and U.S. Supermarkets, on up to $15,000 in combined purchases, during your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- 5X Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel. Beginning 1/1/2021, the 5X rewards is capped at $500,000 on these purchases annually.
- 5X Membership Rewards points on eligible hotels booked on amextravel.com.
- 1X Membership Rewards points on all other purchases.
- Up to $200 Airline Fee Credit
- Up to $200 Uber savings every year
- Up to $100 annual Saks Fifth Avenue credit
- Annual fee: $550
- Terms Apply.
Airline Miles Cards
Editor’s Pick: My favorite airline card is the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card. It gets my vote for two reasons. It offers an excellent signup bonus of up to 40,000 points.
- Earn 40,000 points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
- 6,000 bonus points after you’ve had the card for one year
- 3 points per $1 spent on dining (including takeout and eligible delivery services), for the first year.
- 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Earn unlimited points
- No foreign transaction fees
- No blackout dates or seat restrictions
- Bags fly free
- Annual Fee: $99
- Welcome Offer: Earn 10,000 bonus miles after spending $500 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Offer expires 4/1/2020.
- 2 Miles Rewards: Earn 2 miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide and on purchases made directly with Delta.
- 1 Mile Rewards: Earn 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
- Receive a 20% In-Flight Savings in the form of a statement credit after you use your Card on eligible Delta in-flight purchases of food, beverages, and audio headsets.
- No foreign transaction fees
- No Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 70,000 Bonus Miles after you make $2,000 in purchases on your new card within your first 3 months months.
- Earn a $100 Delta Flight Credit after you spend $10,000 in purchases on the card in a calendar year.
- Earn 2 miles for every dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta.
- Earn 1 mile for every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
- Check your first bag free on Delta flights
- Priority Boarding.
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99.
- Terms Apply
- Signup Bonus: Earn 50,000 bonus Avios after spending $3,000 within your first 3 months.
- Welcome Offer #2: Earn a Travel Together Ticket after spending $20,000 within your first year of account opening.
- Each year you make $30,000 in purchases on your British Airways Visa card, you’ll earn a Travel Together Ticket good for two years.
- Earn 1 Avios for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Pay no foreign transaction fees when you travel abroad.
Hotel Rewards Cards
Editor’s Pick: The top pick goes to the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card. It offers excellent value in terms of redemptions, and you can earn free night stays very quickly.
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 100,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after spending $5,000 within the first 3 months. Also earn up to $150 back in statement credits on eligible purchases made on your new Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 5/12/21.
- Earn up to $150 back in the form of statement credits on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership.
- Earn 6x points at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
- Earn 4x points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, U.S. purchases on shipping, and wireless telephone services purchased from U.S. service providers
- Earn 2x points on all other eligible purchases
- Receive 1 Free Night Award each year after your Card account anniversary you can use at a participating hotel.
- Enjoy complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status.
- Earn Gold Elite status after spending $35,000 on eligible purchases on your card in a calendar year.
- Annual fee is $125
- Welcome Offer: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus Points after spending $2,000 within your first 3 months.
- 12X Bonus: Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your card directly with a participating hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio.
- 6X Bonus: Earn 6X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations.
- 3X Bonus: Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your card.
- Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year.
- Earn a Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
- Terms Apply
- Welcome Offer: Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 within your first 3 months.
- Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for every dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Honors portfolio of brands.
- Earn 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for every dollar of eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations.
- Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your card.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status with your Card.
- No Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Bonus Offer: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 within your first 3 months.
- Anniversary Bonus: Get 1 Free Night Award (up to 35,000 points) every years on your card anniversary.
- Earn 6X points at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
- Earn 2X Bonvoy points on all other purchasers
- Earn Silver Elite Status each account anniversary, path to Gold Status after users spend $35,000 each year
- Receive 15 Elite Night Credits granted each calendar year.
- Unlimited Marriott Bonvoy Points
- No foreign transaction fees
- $95 Annual Fee
- Welcome Bonus: You’ll get 30,000 bonus points if you spend $1,000 on purchases with the card in the first 3 months months.
- 3x Rewards: Earn 3x Bonvoy points on every $1 you spend at Marriott Bonvoy hotels
- 2x Rewards: Earn 2x Bonvoy points on every $1 you spend on travel purchases
- 1x Rewards: Earn 1x Bonvoy points on all other purchases
- You also get 15 Elite Night Credits every calendar year
- No foreign transaction fees
- No annual fee
