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.

• There will be a new award chart (link).
• The 15% award mileage discount is being eliminated.
• Fuel surcharges will no longer be assessed.

Note that no changes are being made to partner (i.e. Star Alliance) awards.

Quick Summary

Awards on Singapore Airlines and/or SilkAir will now cost more in miles, but less in cash due to the removal of fuel surcharges. For most cases in Business, First, or Suites Classes, the cash savings does not make up for the extra cost in miles, and this is a devaluation. On the other hand, in Economy or Premium Economy Classes, the new changes might work in your favor.

Some routes will cost fewer miles as a partner award rather than a Singapore Airlines / SilkAir award, so if you’ve found availability on Singapore Airlines / SilkAir, you may be able to save miles by adding a flight from a partner that does not assess fuel surcharges (e.g. a domestic positioning flight with United Airlines).

More Miles vs. Less Cash

With the increase in the number of miles to book an award and the removal of fuel surcharges, you may or may not come out ahead depending on your booking class, destination, and how you value the miles. The tables below show the old and new mileage costs and well as current fuel surcharges for one-way flights from the USA to Singapore.

People flying to Singapore in Economy or Premium Economy Classes will save $220 at the cost of between 8,125 and 10,500 miles (depending on whether you fly from the East or West coast as well as class of service). I think most people would happily make this trade. On the other hand, those flying in Business, First, or Suites Classes would probably rather pay the $230 or $240 fuel surcharge to save between 19,750 and 26,625 miles.

Los Angeles / San Francisco to Singapore

Houston / New York to Singapore

There are some destinations such as Hong Kong and Tokyo that currently have very low fuel surcharges and are basically seeing a mileage increase with little to no cash savings.

Partner Awards Might Be Cheaper

One quirk of the new award chart is that select routes will now cost fewer miles when booked as a partner award rather than an award exclusively on Singapore Airlines / SilkAir. So if you are planning to book a Singapore Airlines / SilkAir flight to one of the destinations below, you could check to see if you can convert this to a partner award by tacking on a partner flight that does not incur any fuel surcharges, such as a domestic positioning flight on United Airlines.

Below I’ve listed all routes that originate from the USA that cost fewer miles when booked as a partner award, in round-trip pricing. Some of these differences are extreme. If you’re flying from the USA West Coast to the Middle East in Singapore Airlines First Class, you can save 136,000 miles (!) by adding a short partner flight. Of course, a long itinerary like this would really only make sense if you were planning to visit Singapore in addition to the Middle East; otherwise, it would make more sense to fly another airline (i.e. a route that doesn’t connect in Singapore).

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

$100 Southwest Airlines Gift Card for $87
$100 American Airlines Gift Card for $87

Limit for each of these is 5 per person. To get the $5 discount multiple times, you must purchase each gift card individually.

Because the seller is PPDG, you can use the Chase Ink Plus card to receive 5x UR per dollar spent.

I’ve been on vacation for the past few weeks, so this post is a little late; however, the optimal time to do all of this will be in early 2017, so no harm done.

A few weeks back, Marriott and Starwood began allowing rewards members to link their accounts together and to transfer points between the two programs at a ratio of 3 Marriott Rewards points per 1 SPG Starpoint. This opened up the opportunity to purchase a Marriott Hotel + Air Package 3 (Category 1-5) with 90,000 SPG Starpoints instead of the normal cost of 270,000 Marriott Rewards points.

The Hotel + Air packages, in exchange for 270,000 Marriott Rewards points, provide you with a 7-night stay at any Category 1-5 Marriott hotel and 120,000 airline miles of your choice. Package 3 specifically designates the selection of 120,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points. While you could choose another of Marriott’s partner airlines, the main point of this post is to highlight that transfers from Marriott do count toward the 110,000 miles you need to earn to be awarded a Southwest Airlines Companion Pass, so simply purchasing this package is enough. Do keep in mind that because the companion pass is valid through December 31st of the year after you earn it, the ideal time for this redemption is on or after January 1, 2017, which gives you an expiration date of December 31, 2018.

In any case, I merely wanted to point out that this option exists and is worth considering for folks who travel a lot domestically. If you’d like to book a Marriott Hotel + Air package, the number to call is (800) 321-7396.

To restate this with an example, if you are approved for a card such as the Citi ThankYou Prestige, which earns ThankYou points, you will not receive the signup bonus if you’ve opened or closed any other card earning ThankYou points (e.g. Citi ThankYou Preferred, Citi ThankYou Premier) within the past 24 months. The same rule will apply among cards earning American AAdvantage miles, Expedia points, Hilton HHonors points, etc.

The only silver lining so far is that personal and business cards are treated as separate brands, so you could apply for AAdvantage-earning personal and business cards within the same 24-month period and receive signup bonuses for both.

Going forward, it appears that the best strategy for Citibank will be to cancel any cards you plan to churn as soon as you receive their signup bonuses.

Via Doctor of Credit, Chase has a new bonus for the Freedom Unlimited credit card offering 3x Ultimate Rewards points on all purchases for your first year. Note that there is no other signup bonus associated with this offer and that this card is subject to the 5/24 rule.

Also note that if you have a premium Chase card (e.g. Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred, Ink Plus, etc.), you can transfer the points from your Freedom Unlimited card to your premium card, which would allow you to then transfer those points to airline and hotel programs. Also note that if you are a Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholder, you can use these points to pay for travel at a rate of 1.5 cents per point.

Personally, I don’t like to sign up for a new credit card unless it’s bonus is worth around $500. Let’s compare this card to an offer like that using the following assumptions:

• Comparison card offers $500 back after $5,000 spend in 3 months.
• Comparison card earns the equivalent of 1% cash back, so after completing minimum spend, you will have $550.
• You use a 2% cash back card for any other spend.
• Ultimate Rewards points are worth 1.5 cents each (this is fairly conservative).

With those assumptions in mind, the break-even point for this credit card is $18,000 of spend in a year ($810 rewards assuming 4.5% in value back vs. $550 from the comparison card signup + $260 from $13,000 additional spend on a 2% cash back card). Essentially, you would be coming out ahead if you spent over $1,500 per month. I don’t think that’s that difficult for most people to do, so this offer may be well worth it if you are under 5/24.