If you have plans to use your credit card rewards for traveling, then a travel rewards card is surely your best bet. Besides earning rates of 2% or more on everything that you buy, various cards are offering introductory offers worth $400 or more. Since knowing the worth of these cards can be an arduous task, here is an in-depth analysis that will surely make things much easier for you.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
This card has a winning flight redemption and average hotel value for more than $100 spent. As far as the Hotel Category is concerned, it achieved first place with a $2.61 value. In the Intro Bonus category, it secured the second position with a value of $1,086. The following are some of the key highlights of the card:
- There are 2x points on dining at restaurants and travel, and one point per dollar on purchasing.
- The absence of blackout dates or any form of restrictions on traveling, as long as there are seats available on the flight. You can make a booking using Chase Ultimate Rewards.
- You get to earn 50,000 bonus points following an expenditure of $4,000 on purchases in the initial three months of the account opening. It gets to $625 towards travel when you get it redeemed via Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- You stand to earn five thousand bonus points following the addition of the first authorized user and initiated purchase in the first three months of the opening of the account.
- You don’t need to pay any transaction fee.
- MONEY Magazine has awarded it as a Best Credit Card for Travel Rewards.
- 1:1 point transfer for the well-known airlines along with hotel loyalty programs.
Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard®
Probably one of the key features of this card is that it offers flexibility and is cherished by travelers. With the help of this card, flexible travel credit can be earned. The credit can be then redeemed for all types of travel for 1% per point.
The following are some of the key highlights of the card:
- You get to earn 2x miles even if you have made multiple purchases.
- Earning 50,000 bonus miles is easier – all you need is to spend $3,000 on purchases, but it should be done in the initial 90 days.
- You don’t have to worry about the miles expiring.
- You will not be charged any foreign transaction fee for making a purchase in a foreign land.
Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card
This card offers some of the best travel rewards and also allows you to use these rewards as per your liking. It is quite popular for offering great value in the Travel Rewards Credit Card and Best Average Flight & Hotel Rewards categories, with a flight point and high hotel value of $2 for every $100 you will spend.
The following are some of the key highlights of the card:
- Since there is no set limit to how much you can earn, you don’t have to worry about the miles expiring.
- Once you have made an expenditure of $3,000 on purchases in a time period within three months of the approval, you also get to earn a one-time bonus (i.e. 40,000 miles).
- You are free to fly on any airline and stay at a hotel of your choice anytime you desire.
- You will not be charged any foreign transaction fees.
- Enjoy traveling as per you desire without blackout dates.
Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express
If you are one of those individuals who usually spends a lot of time in hotels when you travel, then having this card is a smart choice. So many hotel chains are being covered by Starwood, like W Hotels, Sheraton, and Westin. You get to enjoy endless options when it comes to earning Starpoints, as there are more than a thousand properties in over 50 nations.
The following are some of the key highlights of the card:
- You will not be charged any Foreign Transaction Fee when you make international purchases.
- You don’t have to pay for the introductory annual fee for the first year. Later on, it is $95.
- When you use your new card to make purchases worth $3,000 within the initial three months, you get to earn a Starpoints bonus of 25, 000.
- You get to enjoy free nights at more than a thousand hotels in over 80 nations, and there are no blackout dates.
- You also get to enjoy premium internet access.
Hyatt Credit Card from Chase
If you frequently visit Hyatt hotels, then this card is perfect for you. This card helps you earn free nights, dining, and spa treatments at Hyatt hotels across the globe. With $2.61, it has a high point redemption value for the hotels. However, with a flight redemption value of $0.64 (which is quite low), it won’t appeal to those people who were eyeing to use this card to earn free flights.
The following are some of the key highlights of the card:
- At Hyatt locations, for every $1 you spend, you get to earn three points.
- You don’t have to pay any foreign transaction fee. There is Smart Chip protection when you make purchases in a foreign land.
- There are no limitations on the number of points that you get to earn.
- On other purchases, you get to earn one point for every $1.
Discover it® Miles
If you want to earn travel rewards and also want to keep up to date with FICO Credit Scores, then you need to have this card.
The following are some of the key highlights of the card:
- You don’t have to make any annual fee.
- You get to enjoy 100% U.S.-based customer service.
- You are allowed to fly any airline of your choice, whenever you want, and there are no blackout dates.
- There is a provision of getting unlimited 1.5x miles on every dollar that is being spent on the purchases.
BankAmericard Travel Rewards® Credit Card
With the help of this card, earning and redeeming travel rewards becomes easier. With every $1 spent on purchases, you earn 1.5 points. You get to redeem your earned points very easily: all you need to do is make a payment towards travel using your card and use your points towards a statement credit for all or some part of the purchases made during your travel.
The following are some of the key highlights of the card:
- There is 0% introductory APR for 12 billing cycles for the purchases. After that, it ranges between 15.24% and 23.24%.
- You can use your card to book your trip. The best part is that you have no limitations to any particular website having blackout dates.
- You can redeem points for a statement credit to make payments for vacation packages, rental cars, and hotels.
- If you successfully make $1,000 in the initial 90 days, you get to earn online bonus points of 20,000.
Virgin America Visa Signature® Card
If you are a loyal flyer of Virgin America and want to earn free flights with their purchases, then this card is a must-have. With a value of $2.57 for every $100 spent, it has the Best Flight Rewards. You get to earn three points for each dollar that you spend on Virgin America, along with one point per dollar on the card purchases.
The following are some of the key highlights of the card:
- With every $1 spent on other card purchases, you get to earn one bonus reward point.
- When you spend $1,000 in your initial 90 days, you receive 10,000 bonus reward points.
Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card
If you are one of those individuals who doesn’t like to bother with blackout dates, then this is the card for you. It has a hotel redemption and flight value of $1.25 when you spend $100.
The following are some of the key highlights of the card:
- You don’t have to make any transaction fee.
- With every $1 spent on purchases, you earn unlimited 1.25 miles.
- You are free to fly any airline of your choice and stay in any hotel you want, anytime.
- You get to travel whenever you want, with no blackout dates.
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
This card offers reward points that can be used for Southwest flights, rental cars, hotel stays, etc. When you spend $2,000 in the initial three months, you earn 50,000 points. If you are traveling out of the country and you are still using the card, you don’t have to make any transaction fee.
The following are some of the key highlights of the card:
- Rest assured about your points, they don’t expire. There are no blackout dates.
- When you spend $2,000 on purchases in your initial three months of opening your account, you earn 50,000 points.
- The cards are chip-enabled and comes with around-the-clock monitoring for any probable fraud.
Author Bio
Sophia is a writer by profession. She has a knack for coming up with novel ideas. She currently writes for Investment Bank. She contributes ideas for the latest technology, and she has also worked for scores of magazines, writing exciting content on various topics.
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