Travel credit cards can be a game-changer when it comes to unlocking high-value award flights and hotel stays. The points that you earn in these credit card programs can be transferred to the program’s airline and hotel partners. From there, you book your award flight and/or hotel stay, and get ready for an experience you’ll likely never forget.
There are five transferable point programs in Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy. By pooling points earned across these programs, most award flights and hotel stays are within reach. So, let’s highlight some of the best travel credit cards in 2021 that continue to treat me well over the years.
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American Express Credit Cards
- Amex Marriott Bonvoy – Earn 6x points at Marriott and receive an annual award night up to 35,000 points per night, 15 elite night credits, and has a $95 annual fee
- Amex Marriott Bonvoy Business – Earn 6x points at Marriott, receive an annual award night up to 35,000 points per night, 15 elite night credits, and has a $125 annual fee
- Amex Blue Business Plus – Earn 2x points on all transactions up to $50k per year and this card has no annual fee
- Amex Business Gold – Earn 4x points on the two categories where you spend the most (airfare; US advertising; US technology hardware, software, and cloud solutions; US gas stations, US restaurants, US shipping), 25% points back after you use points for airfare booked with Amex Travel,
Bank of America Credit Cards
- Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card – $121 annual travel companion certificate and a $75 annual fee
- Alaska Airlines Credit Card – $121 annual travel companion certificate and a $75 annual fee. This is one of the best airline credit cards.
Chase Credit Cards
- Chase Freedom – No longer open to new applicants, earns 5% cash back in rotating quarterly categories, and no annual fee. This is one of the best travel credit cards for beginners.
- Chase Freedom Unlimited – Earns 1.5% cashback on all transactions and no annual fee.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve – Earns 3x points at restaurants and on travel, $300 travel credit, and a $550 annual fee. This is one of the best credit cards for international travel.
- World of Hyatt Credit Card – 5 elite night credits, annual category 1-4 certificate, and a $95 annual fee
- Chase Ink Business Cash – Earns 5% cash back on up to $25k yearly at office supply stores, internet, cable, and phone services, and no annual fee
- Chase Ink Business Unlimited – Earns 1.5% cashback on all transactions and no annual fee
- Chase Freedom Flex – Earns 5% cash back in rotating quarterly bonus categories and travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, and no annual fee
- IHG Rewards Club Premier – Earn 25x points at IHG, annual certificate up to 40k points per night, and $89 annual fee
Citi Credit Cards
- Citi Premier Card – Earns 3x points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel, and hotels, and has a $95 annual fee
- Citi Double Cash Card – Earns 2% cash back on all transactions and has no annual fee. When paired with the Citi Premier Card, this is one of the best travel credit cards with no annual fee.
Conclusion on Travel Credit Cards
Amex, Bank of America, Chase, and Citi are the banks that I use to leverage travel. In the future, I’ll add Capital One to the mix as its program continues to become more valuable. Generally speaking, earning transferable points is the way to go. These are the points that are not stuck in one airline or hotel program. You can move them to the airline or hotel program of your choice when the time is right for you.
What travel credit cards do you use? Which cards bring you the most value? Please let me know in the comments or by sending me an email on my contact page.
Disclaimer: If you click and/or sign up for a credit card through certain links on this site or any of my related social media platforms, I may make a commission from that click-through. The editorial content on this page and the user comments are not provided by any of the companies mentioned and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are mine alone.
