If you’re like us, you have dozens of destinations on your bucket list you’d like to travel to this year. But while it’s easy to list off these travel destinations, it’s not always as easy to pay for them. That’s where travel credit cards can come in handy. You likely already know that many credit cards offer a variety of perks and benefits when it comes to travel, but actually understanding all of the benefits to take advantage of can seem overwhelming—especially when there are so many different travel credit cards out there to choose from. Here, we talked to top travel and credit card experts from The Points Guy, financial experts and more to find out how to get the most travel perks out of your credit card.
Choose a credit card that has transferable points
One of the biggest pieces of advice almost all of our experts had to offer is to choose a credit card that allows you to transfer your points to different airlines, hotel services, etc. Not all credit cards offer transferable points, making your travel redemption options more limited and giving you less of an opportunity to save money.
“At The Points Guy, we recommend having a card that earns transferable rewards to maximize the value you can get from your points and give you more flexibility in how you redeem your points,” affirms Madison Blancaflor, Managing Editor at viral credit card blog The Points Guy. “These cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred or the American Express Gold Card, earn rewards on everyday purchases like dining or groceries that can then be transferred at a 1:1 value to airline and hotel points programs (like Delta or Hyatt). The flexibility to transfer rewards to multiple different partners gives you a ton of flexibility and helps you save money by not being stuck with one specific redemption method.”
Not every credit card offers the option to transfer points to your preferred airline. If that’s the case, you still may not be completely out of luck. “Most premium travel cards can transfer points to at least one airline within the three major airline alliances: Oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam,” explains Erika Kullberg, Founder of Erika.com, attorney and viral personal finance expert. “For example, Chase cards can’t transfer to Delta directly, but they can transfer to Air France, KLM or Virgin Atlantic, which are in the SkyTeam alliance, and they often offer Delta flights on their sites.”
Use your travel credit card for everyday expenses
One of the easiest ways to maximize your credit card travel perks is by using your credit card for all of your daily expenses. From gas to groceries and medical expenses, using your credit card for these purchases will add up to more and more points.
“Credit card companies reward you for dollars charged to your travel card. Low-end cards typically reward 1 point for every dollar you charge, while high-end cards allow you to earn 2, 3, 4 or more points every dollar charged,” says Jeff Powell, Founder and CEO of National Park Ventures. “To maximize your earnings, charge everything to your credit card—gas, groceries, restaurants, coffee shops, auto repairs, insurance premiums, travel, visits to the doctor or dentist, etc. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your points total grows!”
Choose a travel credit card that offers the most points for what you spend the most money on
If you rarely dine out, a credit card that offers incredible points on restaurants probably won’t benefit you. Make sure you’re choosing a card that most aligns with your spending habits and lifestyle. “To maximize rewards and get the most travel benefits, it’s important to find a rewards card that gives you more back for the types of purchases you make the most or areas you spend the most. So review your statements to see which categories you spend the most on and find a credit card that gives you more miles, points or cash back for those areas,” says money-saving expert Andrea Woroch.
Take advantage of sign-up bonuses
Most of our experts mentioned the tip of leveraging sign-up bonuses. If you don’t have any travel credit cards at the moment, part of your research when choosing the best one should include considering sign-up offers.
“Incredible welcome offers can often cover the cost of the flights or stay for a trip, even for a family. However, be sure to apply when the credit card is giving their highest offer. There are usually rules that prevent you from applying again for the same card for a defined amount of time,” says travel expert Natalie Becerra. “One offer that is not always available, but very valuable, is when Hilton American Express Cards offer a free night award along with points as part of the sign up bonus. These free night awards are uncapped, so they can be used at even the most luxurious properties in the Hilton portfolio as long as there is standard award night availability.”
Other common bonus offers that you may find are extra airline miles, sign-up points and more.
Use cash-back programs
Cash-back programs can help you save even more when planning a trip. “Supercharge credit card reward earnings by using a cash back portal like CouponCabin.com when booking travel needs online using your card—you can earn up to an additional 25% cash back when booking your hotel room, rental car, flights and vacation packages on top of what your card is giving you and then use that money to pay for activities or meals,” says Woroch.
Take advantage of travel credit card perks
Many travel credit cards come with perks like airline lounge access, free food, transportation deals and more. “Other cards come with statement credits you can use to book travel, get food delivery, make dinner reservations, get TSA PreCheck or Global Entry (which makes getting through airport security and customs a breeze) and more,” affirms Blancaflor. “Some premium cards will even help you get a head start on earning elite status with an airline or hotel stays. Hitting elite status gives you perks like free upgrades, free checked bags, earlier boarding times, early and late checkout, access to free food and drinks at the hotel and so much more.”
Pay attention to transfer bonuses
We discussed earlier the importance of choosing a travel credit card that offers transferable points. Going off of that, maximize your points even further by looking at the transfer offers for specific airlines. “Credit card issuers such as Chase, American Express, Capital One, Citi, etc. regularly offer bonus points when you transfer to specific airlines, allowing you to transfer fewer points for the same flights,” says Kullberg. “For example, if American Express offers a 20% bonus to an airline and you transfer 1,000 points, 1,200 points will appear in your airline account. Some issuers have offered 100% transfer bonuses before!”
Top 3 best travel credit cards in 2025
There is no shortage of travel credit cards on the market to choose from. Most of the best travel credit cards have an annual fee, ranging from the lower-end (less than $100) to the higher-end ($600 and up). Now that you know all of these amazing travel credit card hacks to maximize your credit card, let’s take a look at some of the best travel credit cards to consider applying to.
Before you apply for any credit card, it’s important to do your research, which may include browsing credit card blogs like The Points Guy or talking to your financial advisor.
“The Points Guy has multiple guides that help people research which cards are best for them, because it truly depends on your spending habits, how much you travel, your financial goals and more. Our guide to the best travel credit cards is a great place to start,” says Blancaflor. “We also have a tool called CardMatch, where you can answer questions for TPG to match you with cards that fit your lifestyle and your credit profile (meaning you have a better chance of being approved).
Overall, there are a few travel credit cards that are highly recommended by travel and credit card experts.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
The Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card has a low annual fee of $95 and some great offers to boot. “This is a fantastic card, especially for beginners to the points and miles game. There is currently a phenomenal limited-time offer for new cardholders that lets you earn 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $5,000 in the first three months of having the card,” recommends Blancaflor. “TPG values that sign-up bonus at $2,050.” Plus, you get 2x points on travel and 3x points on dining.
Capital One Venture Rewards Card
A great option for points on everyday purchases is the Capital One Venture Rewards Card, which also has transferable miles. “It has a low fee and earns a flat 2x miles on everything with no limits, so this is a great catch-all card for purchases that would only get 1x points on other cards. If you don’t want to keep track of category multipliers, this would be a great option for you,” explains Kullberg.
Amex Gold
For a mid-tier annual fee credit card, consider American Express Gold Card, which “earns 4x points at restaurants worldwide on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, as well as 4x points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per year in purchases. Keep in mind that bakeries don’t count as restaurants and U.S. supermarkets exclude Walmart, Target and Costco,” advises Kullberg.