The Premium Pick: Capital One Venture X Rewards

Frequent flyers who want premium travel rewards should consider the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. It offers a mountain of perks, including:

• Earn unlimited 2x miles on all purchases
• 10x miles on Capital One hotel and car bookings
• Up to $300 back annually on bookings like Uber, Airbnb and more
• Enjoy access to over 1,300 airport lounges with Priority Pass
• Redeem miles for any travel purchase or transfer to airline partners

The Venture X really shines if you spend a lot on hotels, rental cars and rideshares. With a $395 annual fee, it’s best for frequent travelers who can maximize the statement credits and lounge access.

The All-Around Pick: Chase Sapphire Preferred

For exceptional flexibility and rewards across spending categories, the Chase Sapphire Preferred earns points that can transfer to airline and hotel partners or redeem for 25% more travel booked through Chase. You’ll earn:

• 2x points on all travel and dining purchases
• 1x point per dollar on other purchases
• Valuable trip delay, cancellation and interruption coverage
• No foreign transaction fees

With just a $95 annual fee, the Sapphire Preferred works for all types of travelers. The signup bonus alone currently offers 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months.

The Airfare Specialist: Delta SkyMiles Gold AmEx

For those loyal to Delta, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card offers plenty of perks:

• Earn 2x miles at restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and Delta purchases
• First checked bag free for you and up to 8 companions
• Main cabin 1 priority boarding
• 20% savings on in-flight purchases
• No foreign transaction fees

There’s a $99 annual fee for this card, but benefits like an annual $100 Delta flight credit help offset the cost. If you check bags and fly Delta frequently, this card can pay for itself easily.

The Hotel Maven: World of Hyatt Credit Card

For hotel stays, the World of Hyatt Credit Card is a top contender, with up to 9 points per dollar on Hyatt purchases:

• 9x points on Hyatt stays and experiences
• 2x points on dining, flights, transit and fitness clubs
• 1 free night every year after cardmember anniversary
• Additional free night with $15k in annual spending
• Elite status tier upgrades, 10% points rebate and more

With a $95 annual fee, this card packs a punch for Hyatt loyalists. The anniversary free night perk alone can outweigh the annual cost.

The No Annual Fee Option: Wells Fargo Propel AmEx

For a no annual fee card, the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card offers strong earning in key categories:

• 3x points on eating out and ordering in, gas, flights, hotels, homestays and car rentals
• Cell phone protection against damage or theft
• $100 annual airline fee credit
• Generous sign-up bonus worth up to $300 cash rewards

As a no annual fee card, the Propel AmEx is fantastic for maximizing rewards on everyday and travel spending alike.

The Family Travel Card: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority

For families, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card provides travel perks like upgraded boardings, inflight discounts, and a $75 annual Southwest travel credit. You’ll earn:

• 3x points on Southwest purchases
• 2x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners
• 7,500 anniversary bonus points each year

With a $149 annual fee, this card’s perks make Southwest travel with kids and family so much smoother.

The Luxury Hotel Card: Hilton Honors AmEx Aspire

If you want luxury hotel perks, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card offers stellar benefits like:

• 14x points on Hilton purchases
• Complimentary Hilton Diamond status
• $250 Hilton resort statement credit
• $250 airline fee credit
• Priority Pass Select airport lounge access

The $450 annual fee is steep but can pay for itself with credits and free night rewards alone. For pampering and premium treatment at Hilton properties, this card hits the spot.

The Cash Back Approach: Citi Double Cash

For flat-rate cash rewards on all purchases, the Citi Double Cash Card earns easy-to-redeem rewards:

• 2% cash back – 1% when you buy, 1% when you pay it off
• $0 annual fee
• Balance transfer offers with 0% intro APR

As a Mastercard, the Citi Double Cash also has no foreign transaction fees, making it a flexible, fee-free option for frequent jet-setters.

The Rental Car Warrior: United Quest Card

For rental car rewards, the United QuestSM Card packs a punch by letting you earn 2x on not just United purchases but also dining and select streaming services. You’ll also enjoy:

• Up to $125 annual United purchase credit
• Two 5k-mile anniversary award flight credits
• First and second free checked bags for you and one companion
• Premium cabin upgrades and rental car elite status

With a $250 annual fee, this card makes renting cars and flying United exceptionally rewarding.

The Green Card: PenFed Pathfinder Rewards

For an eco-friendly card option, PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card offers robust travel and dining rewards with a focus on sustainability:

• 4x points on travel and EV charging
• 3x points on dining, streaming and groceries
• TSA PreCheck/Global Entry application fee credits
• Annual $100 travel incidental statement credit

As a Visa with no foreign transaction fees, this card makes for a strong green choice to earn and redeem rewards responsibly.

The Bottom Line

Whether you want luxury perks, family benefits, or simple earning potential, selecting the right credit card boosts your frequent flyer experience. Evaluate spending categories, brand loyalty benefits and annual fees to choose a card that optimizes rewards. Any of these top 10 picks will help you make the most of life in the air. I sincerely hope you find this “Top 10 Credit Cards for Frequent Flyers In 2024” article helpful.

Pros

Lucrative Sign-Up Bonuses

One of the biggest pros of airline credit cards is the sign-up bonus you can earn. Many cards offer between 25,000 – 75,000 bonus miles if you meet a minimum spending requirement within the first few months. At the higher end, this could score you a free roundtrip domestic flight or discounted international ticket. Make sure to clear the full balance before the due date.

Free Checked Bags

Most airline credit cards provide at least one free checked bag for the primary cardholder and authorized users. With checked bag fees typically costing $30 per bag, this perk can add up to huge savings for families and frequent travelers. Some cards even reimburse for in-flight food and beverage purchases.

Priority Boarding

You’ll typically receive earlier boarding group access when flying with the affiliated airline if you hold their co-branded card. This allows you to settle in and find coveted overhead bin space. Some cards also give you priority access to upgrades and preferred seating.

No Foreign Transaction Fees

One of the most annoying credit card fees is the foreign transaction fee that’s around 3% of each international purchase. Thankfully, many airline cards do not charge foreign fees making them ideal for travel abroad. Just remember Visa and Mastercard still process the charge conversion.

Cons

High Annual Fees

Annual fees on airline credit cards generally start around $95 per year and can go up to $500+ for premium cards. If you don’t fly often, earn enough rewards, or use the card perks, they might not justify the cost. However, some cards waive the fee the first year or offer statement credits to offset it.

Expiration of Miles

While many airline cards offer generous sign-up bonuses, you do need to pay attention to mileage expiration policies. Most airlines will expire your hard-earned miles if there’s no account activity after 18-24 months. This means you need to earn or redeem miles periodically.

Complex Reward Redemption

Understanding airline reward charts and redemption options can be headache-inducing. Award seat availability is limited on certain routes and dates, and “fuel surcharges” can unexpectedly increase costs. Redeeming points for flights also doesn’t usually provide the best value compared to hotel stays, merchandise etc.

Balance Transfer Restrictions

If you have existing credit card debt, airline cards likely won’t help consolidate it onto a 0% APR balance transfer offer. Most co-branded cards prohibit balance transfers or charge very high fees like 3% per transaction. This diminishes their flexibility compared to general cash back cards.

Foreign Transaction Fees

While it’s becoming more common for airline credit cards to not charge this pesky fee, some still do. Foreign transaction fees apply to any international purchase processed outside the U.S. So if you frequently travel overseas, be sure the card waives foreign transaction fees.

Should You Get an Airline Credit Card?

Airline co-branded credit cards offer valuable perks and rewards for loyal customers of that brand. However, the costs and restrictions may outweigh the benefits depending on your travel habits and financial situation. Airline cards make most sense for frequent travelers on that airline who can maximize the free checked bags, miles earnings, and redemption opportunities. Infrequent and budget travelers often get better value from general cash back or fixed-value point credit cards. As always, be sure to compare cards thoroughly and only spend what you can afford to pay back each month. I sincerely hope you find this “The Pros and Cons of Airline Co-Branded Credit Cards” article helpful.

Chase Sapphire Preferred: Ideal for Flexible Rewards

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offers a well-rounded rewards program that frequent travelers love for its flexibility. Cardholders earn 2x points on all travel and dining purchases, which can then be transferred to airline and hotel partners or redeemed for cash back. With a 60,000 point sign-up bonus after meeting minimum spend requirements, this card makes it easy to rack up points quickly.

Platinum Card from American Express: Premium Perks

Luxury travelers who want premium travel perks should consider The Platinum Card from American Express. Cardholders enjoy extensive airport lounge access, Uber credits, airline fee credits and elite status with major hotels. While there is a $695 annual fee, the perks can more than make up for it if you travel frequently.

Capital One Venture: Simple Miles Earning

The Capital One Venture Rewards card keeps earning and redeeming incredibly straightforward with 2x miles per dollar spent on all purchases. Miles can be redeemed for any travel purchase or transferred to airline partners. New cardholders can snag a 75,000 mile sign-up bonus.

American Express Gold Card: Rewards for Foodies

The American Express Gold Card was designed with food lovers in mind, offering 4x points at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. With up to $240 in annual dining and airline fee credits, this card can pay for itself for those who dine out and travel frequently.

Chase Freedom Unlimited: No Annual Fee Cash Back

For a no-annual-fee card, the Chase Freedom Unlimited packs a punch with 1.5% cash back on every purchase. That adds up quickly, especially if you book travel through Chase to earn additional rewards. 0% intro APR and sign-up bonus make this a winner.

Bilt Mastercard: Rent Payments Yield Rewards

The unique Bilt Mastercard allows renters to turn monthly rent payments into rewards points towards travel with no transaction fees. Cardholders also earn bonus points on dining and travel when meeting minimum transaction requirements per statement.

United Explorer Card: Perks for United Flyers

United Airlines flyers can maximize rewards and perks by carrying the United Explorer Card, with 2x miles on United purchases and priority benefits. Free checked bag, priority boarding, two annual United Club lounge passes and sign-up bonus make this worthwhile for loyal United customers.

World of Hyatt Credit Card: Ideal for Frequent Stays

Frequent guests at Hyatt hotels can get the most bang for their buck with the World of Hyatt Credit Card. Along with up to 9 points per dollar spent at Hyatt, cardholders get valuable perks like free nights, elite status and a sign-up bonus to unlock rewards faster.

Ink Business Preferred: Business Travel Rewards

With 3x points on travel and other common business expenses, the Ink Business Preferred Card optimizes rewards for work trips. The substantial sign-up bonus also makes this card worthwhile for small business owners who regularly travel for work.

PenFed Pathfinder Rewards Visa: Premium Perks, Low Fee

Last but not least, the PenFed Pathfinder Rewards Visa stands out for providing premium travel perks and rewards for only a $95 annual fee (waived for some). Cardholders earn 4x points on travel expenses and get a $100 annual travel credit plus airport lounge access.

Choosing the right travel credit card depends on your travel habits, spending patterns and the type of rewards and benefits you value most. Whether you prioritize luxury perks, flexible rewards, or no annual fees, there’s a travel credit card tailored to meet your needs in 2024. I sincerely hope you find this “Top Credit Cards for Travel Enthusiasts in 2024” article helpful.

For someone just starting out, I recommend getting the Chase Sapphire Preferred card first. Recently, Chase has not been approving people who like to apply for lots of credit cards (which will be you eventually, if you follow the advice on this website), so it’s a good idea to get that card before you have such a track record. Here’s a suggested list for starting out with American and United, but honestly, the order doesn’t really matter:

1. Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
2. Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard
3. Chase Ink Plus Business Card
4. Chase United MileagePlus Explorer Card
5. CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select World MasterCard
6. Chase United MileagePlus Explorer Business Card

You’ll notice that a few of these are business cards. See the FAQ should you have any questions about this. It is useful to add business cards to your stable if you can.

If you plan on travelling exclusively in economy class within the continental U.S., Caribbean, and parts of Central America, you might consider focusing on Southwest Airlines. This is especially true if you have a significant other or travel buddy with whom you can use the Companion Pass.

Otherwise, if you have a specific destination and class of service in mind, see below.

Which Miles Should I Use?

This is roughly the same question as “Which credit card should I get?” but the answer can help direct you to collecting the most useful miles for an upcoming trip. To that end, below I have a list of various regions throughout the world and the best miles to use to travel to them in economy, business, or first class. I only select from the mileage programs that I cover on this website, so if you’re a little more advanced and would like to consider awards with other programs, you can always search with AwardHacker or AwardMaximizer. Neither tool is perfectly accurate though, and they do miss a few things, such as Singapore’s cheap flights from the mainland U.S. to Hawaii.

Also, keep in mind that having the “best” miles is no use if there is no availability on the dates you want, so in the long run, it’s best to have miles in many different programs.

A few more notes before we get started:

• All of the mileage prices below assume your travel originates in the United States.
• Not every airline agrees what region a particular country belongs in. For example, United considers the Canary Islands part of Northern Africa, but American considers them part of Europe, making them much cheaper to fly to using AAdvantage miles. I have a list of countries where you can use this kind of knowledge to your advantage at How To Save Miles By Knowing Your Geography.
• American Airlines routes involving British Airways are not a good value due to fuel surcharges. You’ll want to avoid awards that include them as part of your itinerary. This mostly comes into play on flights to Europe that connect in London.
• British Airways Avios is not listed in the table below (except in one place) because their rewards program is distance based, and the prices of their flights can vary depending on where you are flying to/from. Be sure to check any prices you find below with their Award Chart if you are flying economy class within North or South America.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards is not listed in the table below because their rewards program is revenue based, and the prices of their flights can vary due to a variety of factors. Be sure to check the price with Southwest if you are flying economy class anywhere on their route network.

Any mileage programs marked with a * show pricing that is only available if your award does not include any alliance partners (i.e. you only fly American Airlines flights if using American AAdvantage or United Airlines flights if using United MileagePlus).

Economy Class

Business Class

First Class

Suites Class

If you want to fly in a Singapore Suite, the miles you’ll need are Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles. You can fly suites class to a variety of destinations throughout the world, but, unsurprisingly, many of these flights involve Singapore in some way. For more information, see Searching With Singapore Airlines (Suites Class).

Going forward, I advise against applying for any American Express credit cards unless there is an increased bonus promotion or you receive a targeted offer. Here are some helpful tips to remember:

1. Targeted offers (usually received via postal mail) often do not contain the “once per lifetime” language, and can potentially be churned. Be sure to carefully review the terms and conditions if you receive them in the mail.
2. Many American Express increased bonus offers are semi-targeted. The links, which I have on my Credit Cards page, will not always show you the best offer when you click on them. Sometimes, you need to open them in an incognito window to see the better offer, and other times, you won’t be able to see the better offer at all, no matter what you try.

Additionally, for the time being, I’ve removed the direct links to the Platinum and Business Platinum cards from my Credit Cards page. I will continue to do this for any American Express offerings that I consider to be subpar.

Direct Link (must be recognized as an existing U.S. Bank customer by their system to apply, which can take up to 35 days after opening an account with them)

U.S. Bank has launched a new credit card called the Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card. Its signup bonus is 50,000 points (worth $750 in travel) after $4,500 spend in 90 days.

Major features include:

• $400 annual fee
• $325 in travel credits every cardmember year
• 3x points on mobile wallet purchases (Apple Pay, Android Pay, Samsung Pay, Microsoft Wallet)
• 3x points on travel purchases (airlines, hotels, car rentals, taxis, limousines, passenger trains, cruise lines)
• Points worth 1.5 cents each toward airfare, hotels, car rentals when booked through U.S. Bank’s Rewards Center
• Primary auto rental collision damage waiver
• $100 fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓
• No foreign transaction fees

The travel credits make the annual fee on this card effectively $75. Whether this card is worth keeping long-term will depend on how much value you can get from the bonus categories, particularly the 3x points on mobile wallet payments, which is unique.

There are some other benefits, such as a Priority Pass membership, Gogo Inflight Wi-Fi passes, etc., but I don’t value those much because you can get similar or better from other credit cards.

Starting June 1, 2017, this refund will be reduced to 35%, reducing the effective value of MR points to 1.538 cents per point. There will also be a new cap of 500,000 points rebated per year. In most cases, MR points will be best used for transfers to airline partners, which is how it was before this benefit was added.

Discussion

Any flights booked prior to June 1, 2017 will continue to receive the 50% rebate, even if you are flying at a later date.

The amount of time it takes for the rebate to post is also being increased, though we currently don’t know by how much.

New cardholders (including those who have upgraded from another type of card) who applied between October 6, 2016 and May 31, 2017, will still receive the old benefits (50% rebate, no cap) for one year from the date their cards were issued.

HT: The Points Guy & Doctor of Credit

One more catch-up post from my vacation.

American Express has announced two new enhancements to their Platinum card lineup, one for their personal card and the other for their business card.

Link to Press Release

American Express Platinum Card (Personal)

Effective October 6, the Platinum Card will now earn 5x Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel.

This is a pretty straightforward benefit, though one key takeaway is that purchases through United’s MileagePlus X app will likely qualify for 5x points. I’ll try out a test purchase and report back later.

American Express Business Platinum Card

Also effective October 6, Business Platinum cardholders will now earn 50% points back when using Membership Rewards Pay with Points through American Express Travel to book a flight with their selected airline. They will also receive the benefit when booking a first or business class ticket with any airline.

This benefit should be very lucrative for many people, as Membership Rewards points are now effectively worth 2 cents per point when redeemed for travel. There are, of course, the following caveats:

• The flight must be with the same airline you choose for the annual $200 airline fee credit or in business/first class, in which case it can be with any airline.
• If the flight is with Southwest or Spirit Airlines, you must call (800) 553-9497 to activate this benefit.
• The flight cannot be part of a travel package or booked with the American Express U.S. Representative Travel Network.

It was also announced that Business Platinum cardholders will now earn 1.5x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on any purchase of $5,000 or more, though I don’t find this new perk as exciting as the other two above.

For those of you who aren’t new to this game, I’ve also included a reference toward the bottom called Which Miles Should I Use? to show you the best miles to use for different regions of the world in economy, business, and first class.

And, lastly, a new page I’ve added today is called How To Save Miles By Knowing Your Geography. Many mileage programs just don’t agree what part of the world certain countries are in. American places the Canary Islands in their Europe region, even though they’re off the coast of Africa, where United considers them to be. This makes awards there considerably cheaper with American than with United. On that page, I list the discrepancies I’ve found so far, and I’ll continue to update it as I add more mileage programs to this website.