There are so many credit cards on the market these days and it can be overwhelming to find the right one for people who love to travel. For this blog post, I am focusing on my picks for the top Travel Credit Cards 2022 and what benefits you get, earn and perks you’ll enjoy whether you travel domestically, or internationally or both.
Airline-Specific: Chase United Quest MileagePlus
I fly United as much as possible. I travel through many of their hubs like Houston and I love flying United because they are a part of Star Alliance. Star Alliance is made up of a ton of international airlines (like Turkish Airlines, Emeritas etc) so you’ll receive some great benefits if you have United MileagePlus status.
If you fly United regularly, you will want this credit card. It has some unique benefits not found on other credit cards.
Details:
$250 Annual Fee
Top Benefits for the Chase United Quest MileagePlus Card:
- Up to $125 in statement credits as reimbursement for United purchases charged to your United Quest Card each account anniversary year
- After the $125 statement credit, you’ll earn 3 miles per $1 spent on United purchases
- Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel, restaurants, streaming services – I LOVE that restaurants earn 2 miles because when I travel, I usually eat out at restaurants exclusively.
- Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other categories
- No foreign transaction fees made on purchases outside the U.S – Again, this is a great feature to have if you travel internationally.
- Two 5,000-mile redemption credits each anniversary year if you use reward miles – a nice bonus to get miles back after you spend them!
Perks for travelers at the Airport:
- Free 1st and 2nd Checked Bag
- Priority Boarding
- $100 statement credit toward TSA Pre-Check or Global Entry
Perks for travelers on your flight:
- You’ll get 25% back as statement credit on food, beverages and Wi-Fi purchases
You can learn more about the Chase United MileagePlus Credit Card on their website.
Airline-Specific: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card
For the Southwest fans out there, this is an awesome card to have in your wallet. The annual fee is low but you get a lot of value and priority boarding. And when you fly Southwest, Priority Boarding comes in clutch.
Details:
$149 Annual Fee
Top Benefits for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card
- $75 annual Southwest travel credit – This can be used for in-flight purchases, wifi on board or additional checked bags
- Earn 3 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases – If you fly solo or with family, 3x points per $1 spend can add up quickly, especially with how expensive flights are these days!
- Earn 2 points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare – Whether you rent a car on vacation or use Uber, it doesn’t matter because you’ll still earn 2x per $1 spend… this gives the flexibility of using whatever mode of transportation you like.
- Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- No Foreign Transaction Fees – Don’t worry about fees adding up with this card… Great perk!
- 7,500 anniversary points each year – This could easily cover a one-way reward ticket per year.. making travel a bit more affordable
- Earn 1,500 TQPs toward A-List status for every $10,000 you spend
Perks for travelers at the Airport:
- 4 Upgraded Boarding Group passes when available – This perk can save you time! If you have a better boarding group, you’ll likely get a seat towards the front of the plane. If you have to go through customs while you travel, being at the front of the plane… matters! You do not want to be stuck behind 70 passengers getting off the plane and then, have to stand in a long line through customs!
Perks for travelers on your flight:
- 25% back on inflight purchases
If you fly Southwest, check out this credit card as well as the others that they offer.
American Express The Platinum Card
This is my go-to credit card that is not airline-specific. I’ve been using it for years and find a lot of value, specifically for someone like me that travels a lot.
Details:
$695 Annual Fee (I know, you’re probably thinking… $$$$ … but I’ll explain)
Travel Benefits for the American Express Platinum Card:
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards points on eligible prepaid travel on the American Express travel portal
- Earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or American Express Travel
- Access to the exclusive American Express “Centurion Lounges” – These lounges are by far the best lounges you will find when you travel domestically. They are in 15 of the major airports and expanding even more in 2023. Plus, you also get free Priority Pass membership, which gives you access to hundreds of smaller lounges, domestically and internationally.
- $200 Airline Travel Credit – You can select one airline per year and get up to $200 back in statement credits for in-flight drinks, wifi purchases, checked bags etc.
- $200 Statement Credit when booking hotels through the American Express Travel Portal
- Marriot Convoy Gold Status
- Hilton Gold Status
- No foreign transaction fees
- Premium Rental Car Status with the major rental car companies
- Transfer Points – American Express offers you the opportunity to transfer points to the most airline and hotel partners of any major U.S. Credit Card rewards program
- Trip Delay and Cancellation Insurance (This is kinda important these days with covid)
- $200 Uber Credit – Say less!! With your Platinum Card, you’ll receive $15 in Uber Cash to use on eligible orders with Uber Eats and rides with Uber in the US every month…. plus a bonus $20 in December.
- $189 Clear Credit – Clear is also a game changer when it comes to travel. Partner Clear with TSA Pre-Check, there is no faster way to get through airport security. Highly highly recommend Clear!
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
- American Express is also partnered with The Hotel Collection and Fine Resorts and Hotels which gives you additional perks like late check-out, free bottled water, room upgrades, complimentary wifi etc
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit – This comes as statement credits when you have monthly memberships such as Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times.
Benefits Not Specifically Travel-Related:
- $155 Walmart+ Credit
- $300 Equinox Credit
- $100 Saks Fifth Avenue Credit
- $300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit
As you can see from the large amount of travel perks and monthly credits, the American Express Platinum Card provides a lot of value for the high annual fee. You get over $1500 in value and whether you live alone, have a family or just travel with a partner, it’s likely that you will utilize a lot of what the Platinum Card has to offer.
For that reason, I recommend the American Express Platinum Card to everyone.
And… guaranteed, it will be the heaviest (and prettiest card) in your wallet!
Let me know if you own any of the credit cards listed above or if you recommend any other card! Thanks for reading & Happy Traveling fam.