11 Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards of March 2024

Travel rewards credit cards are not one-size-fits-all. They fall into several broad categories.

These categories include airline rewards credit cards designed to reward spending with specific airlines or airline partnerships, hotel credit cards that focus their rewards firepower on hotel stays and related expenses, and even cash back credit cards that offer accelerated cash back earnings on travel-related purchase categories like gasoline, airfare, and restaurant purchases.

If you’re a frequent traveler, you likely stand to benefit from all of these card types. And if you own your own business, you can count on many consumer travel credit cards having small business credit card counterparts, often with additional features and benefits for small business owners.

Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards

Here’s a look at today’s best travel rewards credit cards.

Pay close attention to these cards’ annual fees, redemption options and point or mile values for each, travel credits, and potentially valuable fringe benefits, such as complimentary airport lounge memberships or hotel credits.

Best Overall: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card delivers the best value of any travel rewards credit card on the market.

One highlight: a $50 annual credit against hotel purchases made through Chase Travel℠, which offsets about half the $95 annual fee. It’s backed up by an excellent rewards program and one of the best sign-up bonuses of any travel credit card at this price point.

• Sign-up Bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points, worth up to $750 on travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards, when you spend at least $4,000 within 3 months.
• Earning Rewards: Earn 5x total points on eligible travel purchases made through Chase Travel℠ after the $50 annual Chase Travel℠ hotel credit is exhausted. 3x points on eligible restaurant dining purchases, select streaming service purchases, and online grocery purchases.. Earn 2x points on other eligible travel purchases. And earn 1x point on all other eligible purchases.
• Redeeming Rewards: Get a 25% points boost when you redeem for travel bookings through Chase Travel℠. Otherwise, you can redeem for cash back, non-travel merchandise, Amazon purchases, and more.
• Additional Benefits: Transfer your points to participating travel partners (about a dozen in all) at a 1-to-1 ratio, potentially magnifying their value.
• Annual Fee:$95

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Best Annual Travel Credit: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® really shines thanks to its $300 annual travel credit, which applies to eligible travel purchases: hotels, airfare, car rentals, and more. When fully utilized, it effectively reduces Sapphire Reserve’s $550 annual fee down to $250.

This card has tons of other choice benefits too, including complimentary airport lounge access and a well-above-average sign-up bonus.

• Sign-up Bonus: Spend at least $4,000 in qualifying purchases within 3 months to earn 60,000 bonus Ultimate Rewards points. That’s worth up to $900 when redeemed for airfare, hotels, and other travel purchases through the Chase Travel℠.
• Earning Rewards: Earn 10x total points on eligible hotel and car rental purchases made through Chase Travel℠ and 5x total points on eligible airfare purchases through Chase Travel. Earn 3x points on eligible dining and other travel purchases after using up the $300 travel credit. Earn 1x point on all other eligible purchases.
• Redeeming Rewards: Get a 50% bonus when you redeem points for eligible travel bookings through Chase Travel. Or redeem for cash back, Amazon purchases, and other items in the Chase Ultimate Rewards marketplace.
• Additional Benefits: Get complimentary access to 1,000+ airport lounges worldwide through Priority Pass Select, transfer your points to about a dozen travel loyalty partners at a 1-to-1 ratio, and earn a up to $100 statement credit against your TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee once every 4 years.
• Annual Fee: $550 ($75 per auth user)

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Best Sign-up Bonus: IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card

The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card has the best offer for new cardmembers right now.

Though subject to change, it’s worth more than 10 full award nights at lower-priced IHG properties. And there are nearly 6,000 of those worldwide, so you’re never far from an opportunity to stay for less.

• Sign-up Bonus: Earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
• Earning Rewards: Earn up to 26x IHG points on all eligible purchases at IHG properties, depending on your status level. Elsewhere, earn 5x points on eligible purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants, plus unlimited 3x points on most other eligible purchases.
• Redeeming Rewards: The best way to redeem is for award nights at participating IHG properties worldwide (nearly 6,000 hotels and resorts in about 100 countries).
• Additional Benefits: Enjoy Platinum Elite status as long as your account remains in good standing. Plus, claim a complimentary award night each year your account remains open at select IHG hotels.
• Annual Fee: $99

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Best for Frequent Flyers: Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card offers a slew of valuable benefits for Delta loyalists — a better mix than any other airline credit card.

They include complimentary Delta Sky Club membership (Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 15 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter.), a complimentary companion certificate (free airfare, less taxes and fees, for a companion with your paid fare) once per year, and accelerated progress toward Delta Medallion status.

• Welcome Offer: Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
• Earning Rewards: Earn 3x SkyMiles on eligible Delta purchases and 1x SkyMile on all other eligible purchases. Terms apply.
• Redeeming Rewards: The best way to redeem accumulated SkyMiles is for award travel with Delta. You can also redeem for discounted fares and non-flight items, generally at lower redemption values.
• Additional Benefits: Possible Delta Medallion status benefits include complimentary first class and Comfort+ upgrades, complimentary upgrades for ticketed companions, discounted CLEAR® membership (terms apply and enrollment is required for all these benefits). Plus, take advantage of general frequent flyer benefits like priority wait list placement, baggage fee waivers, and priority check-in and boarding.
• Annual Fee: $650 (rates and fees)

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Best Bonus Categories: Citi Premier® Card

The Citi Premier® Card is one of the few travel rewards credit cards that includes gas and gas station purchases in its travel tier, which earns 3x points per $1 spent. That makes it an ideal choice for travelers driving to or around their destinations.

Citi Premier also adds two broad nontravel categories to its 3x points category: restaurants and supermarkets. That’s a great value-add for anyone who eats (which, last we checked, is everyone).

• Sign-up Bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou points after you make $4,000 in purchases with your card in the first 3 months. That's worth $600 when redeemed for gift cards at ThankYou.com. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel portal through June 30, 2024.
• Earning Rewards: Earn 3x points on eligible gas and gas station purchases, restaurant purchases, and supermarket purchases. All other eligible purchases earn 1x points.
• Redeeming Rewards: Redeem for statement credits, bank account deposits, merchandise, travel, and more at the Citi ThankYou portal.
• Additional Benefits: Earn a $100 hotel credit (Hotel Savings benefit) once per year on eligible hotel stays where you spend $500 or more. And you can transfer points to about a dozen travel loyalty partners, mostly 1-for-1.
• Annual Fee: $95

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Best for Elite Status: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card promises automatic Platinum Elite Status in the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program as long as your account remains in good standing. That’s enough to make it our top credit card pick for complimentary elite status at hotels.

• Welcome Offer: Earn 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earning Rewards: Earn 6x points at participating Marriott hotels, 3x points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines, and 2x points on all other eligible purchases.
• Redeeming Rewards: The best way to redeem is for award nights at participating Marriott hotels and resorts — about 6,000 in all.
• Additional Benefits: Enjoy complimentary airport lounge access at more than 1,200 locations worldwide (enrollment required). Plus, get a free award night each year at participating Marriott properties, earn up to $300 in statement credits for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card at restaurants worldwide (up to $25 per month), and get up to a $100 annual Marriott property credit at participating locations when you stay at least two nights. Terms apply.
• Annual Fee: $650 (rates and fees)

Platinum Elite status benefits include:

• 50% more Bonvoy point earnings on stays at participating properties
• A welcome gift of your choice at check-in
• Complimentary on-site lounge access where available
• Enhanced room upgrades where available
• Late checkout (4pm)

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Best for Luxury Perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

• Welcome Offer: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
• Earning Rewards: Earn 5x Membership Rewards points on eligible travel purchases, including flights booked directly with airlines, flights booked through American Express Travel, and prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel. Airfare earnings capped at 500,000 points per year.
• Redeeming Rewards: Redeem for gift cards, travel, general merchandise, and more in the Amex Membership Rewards portal.
• Additional Benefits: On top of all these other benefits, enjoy general travel perks like up to $100 off your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee and credits worth up to $200 per year on Uber rides (enrollment required for both).
• Annual Fee: $695 (rates and fees)

The Platinum Card® from American Express has the most generous travel perks lineup of any card on this list:

• Up to a $200 airline fee credit each year with the airline of your choice (enrollment required and provided in statement credits)
• Up to $200 in prepaid hotel credits when you book with the Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel (enrollment required and provided in statement credits). The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• Complimentary Gold Status with Hilton Honors and Gold Elite Status with Marriott Bonvoy (enrollment required).
• Complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges in the American Express Global Lounge Collection (enrollment required).
• Up to $550 (on average) in exclusive benefits like room upgrades and complimentary breakfast at Fine Hotels & Resorts Collection properties.

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Best for Business Travelers: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is a lot like its consumer cousin, the Platinum Card® from American Express. It’s built specially for business travelers seeking the optimal combination of luxury and convenience.

• Welcome Offer: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend at least $15,000 in eligible purchases within 3 months of opening your account. Terms apply.
• Earning Rewards: Earn 5x Membership Rewards points on eligible travel purchases, including flights booked directly with airlines, flights booked through American Express Travel, and prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel. Plus, earn 1.5x points on purchases in key business spending categories and purchases of $5,000 or more ($2 million annual purchase cap applies).
• Redeeming Rewards: Redeem points for gift cards, cash, merchandise, travel, and more at the Amex Membership Rewards portal.
• Additional Benefits: Enjoy additional travel perks like reimbursement for TSA Precheck ($85) or Global Entry application fees ($100), but not both programs and up to $400 in annual purchase credits for U.S. purchases with Dell (terms apply; enrollment required for both). Plus, receive a 35% bonus when you use Membership Rewards® points to book travel with your selected qualifying airline (up to 1 million bonus Membership Rewards® points each calendar year), up to a $200 annual statement credit against purchases made with an airline of your choice (enrollment required), and complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges worldwide (enrollment required).
• Annual Fee: $695 (rates and fees)

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Best Flat-Rate Card: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card’s rewards program couldn’t be simpler. With the exception of hotel and car rental purchases made through Capital One Travel, all eligible purchases earn unlimited 2 miles per $1 spent.

That’s an effective 2% rate of return on all spending, which (believe it or not) is higher than many general-purpose travel credit cards.

• Early Spend Bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on the card within 3 months from account opening. That's worth $750 in travel expenses at redemption.
• Earning Rewards: Earn 5x miles on hotel and car rental purchases made through Capital One Travel and unlimited 2x miles on all other purchases.
• Redeeming Rewards: Redeem for travel bookings with Capital One Travel or statement credits against prior travel purchases.
• Additional Benefits: Transfer points to participating travel loyalty partners at favorable rates (often 1-to-1) and get up to a $100 credit against your TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee once every 4 years.
• Annual Fee: $95

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Best for Paying Your Rent: Bilt Mastercard®

A travel rewards card that also rewards you for paying your rent each month?

Say no more. If you’re a renter who likes to travel and dine out (or take in), Bilt Mastercard® is built for you. It earns 1x point on eligible rent payments, up to 50,000 points per year — without a transaction fee.

Once earned, you can redeem your points directly for travel purchases or transfer them at favorable ratios to participating travel partners.

• Sign-up Bonus: Get a three-month DoorDash DashPass membership as a new customer, plus $5 off a DoorDash order each month.
• Earning Rewards: Earn 2x points on eligible travel purchases, 3x points on eligible dining purchases, and 1x point on all other eligible purchases. Plus, on Renta Day (the first of the month), you earn double points on all purchases other than rent. You must make at least five transactions that post each statement cycle to earn rewards.
• Redeeming Rewards: Redeem for direct travel purchases with more than 100 travel merchants, eligible rent payments or down payments on a home, and experiences or merchandise from participating retail partners.
• Additional Benefits: Take three Lyft rides in a month to get a $5 Lyft credit with your Bilt Mastercard. Plus, get complimentary cell phone protection coverage (less deductible) when you pay your monthly bill in full with your card.
• Annual Fee: $0

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Rewards and Benefits

Best for Driving Vacations: U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card is a cash back credit card that earns 4x points on eligible gas station, EV charging station, and car rental purchases. That’s enough to make it the best travel card for road trips.

• Sign-up Bonus: Spend $2,000 in eligible purchases within the first 120 days of account opening to earn 50,000 bonus points.
• Earning Rewards: Earn 5x points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center. Earn 4x points on eligible travel purchases, including airfare, hotels, and car rentals. Earn 2x points on streaming, restaurant dining, and grocery store and grocery delivery purchases. And earn 1x point on all other eligible purchases.
• Redeeming Rewards: Redeem your points for gift cards, cash, travel purchases, general merchandise, and more.
• Additional Benefits: Get up to $600 in cell phone protection coverage per incident (less $25 deductible). Earn up to $30 in annual statement credits for eligible streaming services, including Netflix and Spotify. And get up to $100 to offset your TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee once every 4 years.
• Annual Fee: $0 first year, then $95

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Methodology: How We Select the Best Travel Credit Cards

We evaluate travel credit cards using 10 key metrics that matter to frequent travelers. 

Some relate to the structure of the card itself, like whether it has a welcome offer for new cardholders (and if so, how generous it is) and the type of rewards it earns (cash back, points, miles). 

Others tie back to the card’s intended user: road trippers, frequent flyers, people who prefer a particular hotel brand, and so on. 

Here’s why they’re important.

Sign-up Bonuses

Depending on the issuer, you might see these advertised as “welcome offers,” “early spend bonuses,” or “new cardmember offers/bonuses”.

But no matter what we call them, we can agree on one thing: The travel credit card category is famous for extending ridiculously generous offers to new cardholders able to meet often-hefty spend requirements. With our top travel sign-up bonus pick, the IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card, you can fund well over a week of free accommodations at select InterContinental Hotel Group properties.

Travel Credit

When is an annual fee not really an annual fee?

When it’s reduced dollar-for-dollar by an annual travel credit. As long as you spend enough on eligible travel purchases to earn the full credit value each cardmember anniversary year, you’ll lower your effective annual fee by a corresponding amount.

A $200 travel credit turns a $500 annual fee into a $300 annual fee, a $300 travel credit turns a $550 annual fee into a $250 annual fee, and so on.

Nontravel Bonus Categories

Many travel credit cards reward nontravel spending over and above the baseline rewards rate. Some cards do this better than others, however. Our top pick, the Citi Premier® Card, pays 3x points on purchases in five categories:

• Air travel
• Hotels
• Restaurants
• Supermarkets
• Gas stations

Of these, two are very clearly not travel-related (restaurants and supermarkets) and one straddles the line between travel and nontravel (gas stations). All three nontravel or travel-adjacent categories are broad and popular.

Rewards and Benefits for Frequent Flyers

Few frequent travelers get around exclusively on the ground. It takes too long and it’s more dangerous than flying besides. 

Accordingly, we give deference to cards that offer frequent flyer benefits like elite status with co-branded airlines, in-flight and pre-flight perks (like priority boarding), and value-adds like complimentary airport lounge access. 

Rewards and Benefits for Frequent Hotel Guests

Unless you’re truly committed to the short-term rental game or have an extensive network of family and friends in every city you visit, you’re going to want a travel credit card that rewards you for staying in hotels.

On this measure, the top travel credit cards offer some or all of the following:

• Automatic elite status or accelerated progress toward elite status
• Bonus points on eligible purchases at participating hotels
• One or more award nights (free night’s stay) after your cardmember anniversary and/or meeting qualifying annual spend
• An automatic award night tacked onto the end of a minimum-length stay, often four or five consecutive nights at the same property

Rewards and Benefits for Road Warriors

Whether your travel driving consists entirely of tooling a rental car around your destination or you prefer road tripping from start to finish, you’ll want a travel card that delivers solid value on gas spending and offers driver-friendly benefits like complimentary rental car insurance coverage and 24/7 roadside assistance.

Elite Status 

Because its potential value is so great for frequent travelers loyal to specific brands, elite status is worth calling out in its own category. The best travel cards for elite status are generally super-premium cards with annual fees north of $400, but that expense can easily pay for itself if you’re on the road as often as you’re home.

Luxury Perks and Benefits

Even travel cards that defy easy categorization as “airline cards” or “hotel cards” can distinguish themselves with grab-bags of high-value perks and benefits for frequent flyers and hotel guests. When evaluating these cards, pay attention to “below the fold” benefits that can be worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars annually when fully exploited.

Rewards and Benefits for Business Travelers

Some of the best cards for business travelers have close cousins on the consumer side. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, our top pick in this category and near-twin to The Platinum Card® from American Express, comes to mind. 

Type of Rewards

Many travel credit cards earn points or miles best redeemed for travel purchases. Their rewards programs revolve around specific spending categories or tiers — often travel-related — in which cardholders earn at accelerated rates.

Some travel cards break this mold though. They might be cash back credit cards that favor travel purchases, earning honorary distinction as travel cards, or more traditional travel rewards cards that apply one flat rewards rate to all spending. Both types of alternative cards appeal to casual travelers and so deserve a place on this list.

Become a Travel Credit Card Expert: Your Travel Rewards Questions Answered

You have questions about travel credit cards and travel rewards. We’ve got answers.

What Are the Different Types of Travel Credit Cards?

There are two main types of travel credit cards: general-purpose travel cards and co-branded travel cards.

General-purpose travel cards earn points or miles that can be redeemed through the issuer’s loyalty program. For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred Card both earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points. You can redeem Ultimate Rewards points in the Chase Travel℠ portal for airfare, hotel stays, and other travel services from a variety of travel merchants, or transfer your points to participating travel loyalty programs and redeem directly with them.

Co-branded travel cards earn loyalty points or miles issued by a particular travel merchant, such as Delta or Marriott. The best way to redeem this type of loyalty currency is for free or discounted travel services (award travel) from the issuing merchant. Co-branded cards often but not always offer better redemption value than general-purpose cards.

A general-purpose travel card is a better fit for you if you’re not loyal to one particular travel brand. A co-branded card makes more sense if you are loyal to a particular brand and want to maximize your rewards’ value within their loyalty program.

Can You Get a Travel Credit Card With Bad Credit?

With difficulty, maybe. Credit card companies prefer to market travel rewards cards to applicants with good to excellent credit and ample spending power. There’s not much of a market for subprime travel credit cards.

If you have impaired credit or limited credit and hope to get your hands on a travel card in the near future, do the following:

• Apply for a general-purpose secured credit card or credit-builder credit card right now
• Use it responsibly, keeping your credit utilization rate low and making timely payments
• Make sure the card issuer reports your payment behavior and card utilization to the three major credit reporting bureaus
• Closely monitor your credit score

With responsible use and no black marks elsewhere, your credit score should increase over time. Eventually, you’ll have a credit profile strong enough to qualify for one of the cards on this list.

Is the Annual Fee Worth It for Travel Credit Cards?

It depends on the card, but the answer is often “yes.” The best travel rewards credit cards justify sometimes-hefty annual fees with perks and value-adds like:

• Annual Travel Credits. If you spend enough on travel each year, your card’s travel credit acts as a one-for-one offset for the annual fee. For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card’s $300 annual travel credit reduces its $550 annual fee down to $250 on net.
• Elite Status. Permanent elite status can be extremely valuable for travelers loyal to specific hotel or airline brands.
• Airport Lounge Access. Airport lounges typically charge $60 per person at the door. If your long-haul travels involve layovers long enough to get comfortable at a lounge (and enjoy what’s often an all-you-can-eat-and-drink refreshments table), you’ll quickly earn back your annual fee and then some.
• Discounts and Privileges With Participating Travel Partners. Really high-end travel cards often partner with similarly high-end hotels and resorts (often boutique properties) to offer discounts and perks worth hundreds of dollars per stay. These vary from card to card and property to property, and you sometimes have to work to claim them, but they’re totally worth it if you can.

Should You Get More Than One Travel Card?

It depends on a number of factors, including:

• How often you travel
• How much you spend on travel
• How you typically travel — for example, do you prefer to stay in nice hotels, crash on a friend’s couch, or nest in a short-term rental?
• Whether you’re loyal to specific travel merchants or simply seek the most affordable, convenient options

If you’re an occasional traveler who doesn’t spend much when you leave home, a single general-purpose travel credit card is adequate. Ideally, this card would have no annual fee, or you’d be able to extract enough value from it to offset the hopefully modest charge.

If you’re a frequent traveler who enjoys the finer things and/or spends a good amount of money on the road, you’ll want at least two cards. 

One should be a high-end general-purpose card that affords maximum flexibility when you travel and ensures you’re maximizing your travel spend. Another should be a co-branded card backed by the travel brand with which you spend the most money year in and year out. And if you have more than one preferred travel merchant, perhaps one favorite airline and one favorite hotel, you’ll want a co-branded card for each.

Final Word

The first recognizable travel rewards card was the Air Travel Card. Starting in the 1930s, upscale travelers used the Air Travel Card to purchase discounted airfare from participating airlines on a promise to pay later.

We’ve come a long way since then. (And air travel is a lot cheaper after adjusting for inflation.)

But with more choice comes more potential decision points. Which means the process of choosing the right travel rewards credit card is more important than ever.

Not sure where to start? Review the cards on this list, then consider:

• Whether you’re willing to pay an annual fee
• If you are willing to pay an annual fee, what your annual fee budget is, and whether you’d like to offset it with an annual travel credit
• Your preferred rewards currency: general-purpose or branded
• Whether you’d like to be able to transfer your points or miles to participating travel partners
• The types of purchases that earn bonus rewards
• The cards’ welcome offers for new cardholders, if any
• Any value-added perks that you can take advantage of, like hotel credits or airport lounge access

Answer these questions and you’ll be a lot closer to figuring out which travel credit card works best for your needs. Then, once you have your selection, there’s just one thing left to do: put in your application and cross your fingers for good news.

For rates and fees of the Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this rates and fees page.

For rates and fees of the Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this rates and fees page.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, please visit this rates and fees page.

For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, please visit this rates and fees page.