Best Credit Cards in the US for Travelers
Best Credit Cards in the US for Travelers
Are you someone who loves traveling? A credit cardholder? Perhaps, you know about travel credit cards. This category-specific credit card is made for individuals who are keen to use credit cards and take advantage of its rewards to use for traveling and other affiliated activities.
How Does a Travel Credit Card Works?
A travel credit card works by allowing the cardholders to gain points or so-called miles when they use their credit card in purchasing. This purchasing does not need to be directly related to travel, because if you use your credit card, you will gain points or miles. Of course, the mechanics on gaining points or miles will be subject to the terms and agreements, which you should comprehensively understand first before getting that card. Now, these points and miles can be redeemed to avail of the benefits. A couple of years ago, the benefits for travel credit cards usually are just free flights once you earn specific total points or miles. However, now times have changed, and for the better, cardholders can already avail themselves of more than free flights. Aside from airline advantages, discounts or free hotels and accommodations are also included on the list of perks, among others.
Travel Credit Cards Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic
You may wonder where these travel credit cards can be ever useful now under the still ongoing pandemic. Because of the travel restrictions, limited capacities and available flights, hundreds of requirements, this type of credit card appear to be just not worthy currently. Well, the good news is that this isn’t absolutely accurate, especially now in the year 2022 as we are finally close to achieving herd immunity. The pandemic eases, and the world starts to be open for traveling again. Don’t you want to take that opportunity when there will be more discounts related to traveling to encourage people?
With the misconception about the lessening worth of travel credit cards, here’s the truth: travel credit cards are useful even during a pandemic! You are free and encouraged to use a credit card to buy the things you like, you need, and get them delivered to your doorstep. Pay for services and bills through your credit card to promote cashless transactions. It is, in fact, arguably more needed in this relevant time to use credit cards and other digital tools to settle your purchases and payment transactions. With all these necessities, use your general or flat-rate travel credit card! Gain points or miles from it, and you will eventually reap the fruits of your efforts and redeem a huge number of points to benefit from airline companies and hotels.
Best US Travel Credit Cards
Figure out the features you would like to have from your travel credit card and let’s start from there. Here’s a couple of travel credit cards and what they offer. Do me a favor and evaluate if these cards will be the best according to your necessities.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
This gives you transferrable points that will not restrict you to using it within just one airline or hotel. Instead, the points or miles you earn from the loyalty program of the credit card company can be transferred to their various travel airline and hotel partners. There is also the option for you to use the earned points to top up hotel points account or airline mileage to attain required points to avail something from the travel partners. As the travel credit card promotes, this also serves as a safety net for its cardholders should there be unfavorable changes like an increase in the prices of rates. In compensation for all these promising offers? High annual fee of $95 dollars – which would be worth it for you should you have the budget.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
This travel credit card is said to be straightforward and easy to use. For every dollar purchase, you will earn two (2) miles. Unlike other travel credit cards that have spending categories and the miles vary from one category to another, Capital One Venture Rewards do not commit to that quite a complexity as there are no spending categories for this. They will give you a lifetime to collect and redeem these miles in exchange for an annual fee of $95.
Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card
Unlike the prior two, this travel credit card does not charge an annual fee to the cardholders. With a $0 annual fee, a dollar spent on your credit card will earn you 1.5 points. The downside, however, is the spending category being limited to travel or restaurant purchases mostly. Nonetheless, you can earn points for how long as you like, without any foreign transaction fees charged to your account.
Other Travel Credit Cards
Other than the aforementioned, there are also airline and hotel travel credit cards that offer exclusive, special perks related to travel, accommodation, and dining spending. In return, you get luxurious and world-class services and benefits. Feel free to check out World of Hyatt Credit Card, Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, United℠ Explorer Card, among other excellent credit cards that might be available for you.
Pros and Cons of Travel Credit Cards
Overall, a travel credit card is one thing that will be beneficial for individuals like you who’s traveling to places is part of the lifestyle. Do remember, nonetheless, that it has its pros and cons that you should consider. Some of the pros are the flexible rewards redemption feature, available travel partners to choose from, providing welcome or sign-up bonuses, and generous benefits.
However, on the other line, it carries the cons of complex rewards of some being complicated to understand. This brings the importance of the cardholders’ due diligence to read terms and conditions, all mechanics necessary to know, and further research and reviews on the credit
card packages. Another con is the high annual fees associated with the high value of rewards, limiting the individuals who can avail of the credit card. Lastly, most carry high-interest rates to make them benefit from you should you fail to pay your billings on time. This may also impact the points or miles you have earned, which will eventually affect the redeemable advantages in store for you. The good thing, though, is that you have the power to combat this by paying this fully every bill and on time. After all, it will the cardholder’s commitment and spending behaviors.