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Every month, I compile a handy list of the top current travel rewards credit card offers. The list changes month to month based on the credit cards currently available as well as other relevant news. Rather than give you a detailed rundown of the benefits of each card (though you will find many of them included here) and a catalogue of our posts on each of them, I’m going to keep it streamlined and simple. For each card, I provide the basics on sign-up bonuses and benefits, but also some personal context on how I’ve been able to maximize each one.
For instance, telling you that the Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the best credit card offers in recent years because of its 100,000-point sign-up bonus is one thing. But I think it’s much more concrete to tell you how I was able to use the points from that one sign-up bonus to book a flight in Korean Air first class from Bali to New York, scoring an award ticket worth over $7,200! Now do you see why the card tops my rankings again this month?
Though this list has the best offers of the moment, you can always find a comprehensive roundup of the best deals currently available, as well as specific hotel and airline credit cards that might interest you, on the Hot Deals page.
Before you get ready to apply, check out these posts for more information on credit scores, applications processes and more. Contrary to what you might think, it might actually help rather than hurt your score in the long term to open new cards.
Without further ado, here’s this month’s list of the best travel credit cards.
THE SHORT LIST
Here’s the short list of this month’s cards, but continue reading below for more details on each.
1. Chase Sapphire Reserve
2. The Enhanced Business Platinum Card from American Express OPEN
3. Chase Sapphire Preferred
4. Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express OPEN
5. Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card
6. Citi Prestige
7. The Platinum Card from American Express
8. Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express and the Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card from American Express
9. Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard
10. Ink Business Preferred Card from Chase
THE DETAILS
Here’s a quick look at each card’s sign-up bonus, specific benefits, and the ways I’ve been able to maximize each.
1. Chase Sapphire Reserve
Current Bonus: 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months.
Standout Benefits: Earn 3 points on travel and dining at restaurants and 1 point per dollar everywhere else. $300 annual travel credit. Priority Pass Select lounge access. Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit. No foreign transaction fees. Primary auto rental insurance. Trip cancellation coverage. Redeem points through the Ultimate Rewards travel portal for 1.5 cents apiece.
Annual fee: $450
Why it’s worth it: Since it launched a few months ago, the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card has quickly become one of the most popular travel rewards cards on the market thanks to its phenomenal benefits package, its travel earning bonus and the high sign-up bonus. However, there’s no telling how long Chase will keep the current bonus at the 100,000-point level, so if you’ve held off on applying for the past few months, I wouldn’t wait too long in case it goes down without notice.
There are myriad ways to put those 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points to use for great value. As I mentioned, I recently redeemed my Chase Sapphire Reserve sign-up bonus points for a one-way first-class award on Korean Air from Bali to New York via Seoul that would have cost me $7,200 otherwise. Not bad for a single sign-up bonus! You can also redeem the points directly for travel through the Ultimate Rewards portal at a great rate of 1.5 cents per point. Throw in the $100 value of the Global Entry fee waiver and the $300 annual travel credit, and this card more than makes up for its annual fee.
2. The Enhanced Business Platinum Card from American Express OPEN
Current Bonus: Earn up to 100,000 Membership Rewards points; 50,000 points after you spend $5,000 in purchases on the card and an extra 50,000 points after spending an additional $10,000 within your first three months of cardmembership. Offer ends 1/25/2017.
Benefits: Earn 2 points per dollar on eligible purchases when you book through American Express Travel. Earn 1.5 points per dollar on purchases of $5,000 or more (up to 1 million additional points per year) and 1 point per dollar on other purchases. $200 annual airline fee rebate. Access to Delta Sky Clubs, Priority Pass lounges and Centurion Lounges. Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application rebate. Transfer Membership Rewards to 20 airline and hotel partners.
Annual fee: $450
Why it’s worth it: In addition to the limited-time sign-up bonus of 100,000 points, Amex recently made huge improvements to the Business Platinum Card, including the fact that it now earns you 1.5x points on all purchases of $5,000 or more. Cardholders also receive a 50% points rebate when redeeming points for air travel with the same carrier they select for their annual airline fee credit, or when they book business- or first-class airfare (with any airline) through Amex Travel. That equates to 2 cents per point in value on those redemptions. In other words, the 100,000-point bonus alone can be worth $2,000 right off the bat if you choose to redeem points that way instead of transferring them to one of the Membership Rewards program’s 20 transfer partners. Amex is also offering 2 points per dollar on small-business purchases through the end of the year, which means even more ways to rack up those points.
3. Chase Sapphire Preferred
Current Bonus: 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on the card in the first three months. That’s $625 in travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards. You’ll earn another 5,000 bonus points when you add an authorized user and make a purchase within the first three months.
Standout Benefits: Earn 2 points per dollar on travel and dining at restaurants and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases worldwide. Waived foreign transaction fees, primary auto rental insurance, trip cancellation coverage and gives cardholders the ability to transfer points to 11 travel partners, including British Airways, Hyatt, Marriott, Southwest and United, among others.
Annual Fee: $0 introductory annual fee the first year, then $95.
Why it’s worth it: Even after the introduction of the Chase Sapphire Reserve, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is still a fantastic choice if you want to avoid the Reserve’s $450 annual fee or if your credit score might not be high enough to qualify for the Reserve. The Sapphire Preferred still has a strong earning rate of 2 points per dollar at restaurants and on a range of travel purchases, and you can transfer your points to the Ultimate Rewards program’s 11 great travel partners or redeem Ultimate Rewards points directly for airfare at a rate of 1.25 cents apiece. All of those are good reasons in and of themselves, but even more so considering the annual fee is waived the first year, making this a great starter card for travelers.
4. Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express OPEN
Current Bonus: 50,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of cardmembership.
Standout Benefits: Earn 3 points per dollar on a category of your choice from a list of five options: airfare purchased directly from airlines; US purchases for advertising in select media; US purchases at gas stations; US purchases for shipping; or US computer hardware, software and cloud computing purchases made directly from select providers. Earn 2 points per dollar on the four remaining categories, and 1 point per dollar on other purchases. The 3x and 2x apply to the first $100,000 in purchases in each of the five categories per year, then you earn 1 point per dollar thereafter. The card waives foreign transaction fees.
Annual fee: $0 the first year, then $175 thereafter.
Why it’s worth it: Though the Business Gold Rewards card doesn’t have the benefits package of the more premium Business Platinum Card, it also doesn’t have that card’s $450 annual fee. In fact, the annual fee is waived the first year, so getting it is like a risk-free trial of its benefits. This current sign-up bonus is 10,000-25,000 points higher than the typical offers on this card and might not be around much longer, so it’s worth applying for it while it’s available. Beyond that, I consider this to be one of the best cards for small businesses thanks to that 3x category of choice and the range of 2x spending categories as well. I earn about 300,000 extra Membership Rewards points a year thanks to earning 3 points per dollar on advertising. As for redemptions, one of my favorite ways to use Amex points is to transfer them to Aeroplan and redeem those miles for Lufthansa first class. I recently did that, using 70,000 points for a $7,900 Lufthansa first-class ticket. Alternatively, because I also have the Business Platinum Card, I can redeem Amex points directly through Amex Travel for something like JetBlue Mint transcontinental business-class tickets starting at about 29,950 points ($599) one-way. Just based on my advertising spend, I have enough for 10 tickets! The options are endless, and there are phenomenal values to be had.
5. Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card
Current Bonus: Three complimentary nights at any participating Tier 1-4 Ritz-Carlton Hotel after spending $5,000 in the first three months your account is open.
Standout Benefits: Earn 5 points per dollar at Ritz-Carlton and Marriott properties; 2 points per dollar on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline and at car rental agencies and restaurants; and 1 point per dollar on everything else. $300 annual travel credit. Complimentary $100 credit for qualifying dining, spa or other hotel recreational activities on paid stays of two nights or longer. Complimentary Priority Pass Select lounge membership. Automatic Gold elite status during your first account year and subsequent years in which you spend $10,000 or more on the card. Upgrades to the Ritz-Carlton Club Level three times per year on paid stays of up to seven nights. $100 Global Entry application fee credit.
Annual fee: $450
Why it’s worth it: Where to begin? The sign-up bonus alone is quite generous and can equate to thousands of dollars in value if you redeem those free nights at a high-price Tier 3 or 4 property like the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua on Maui, where room rates usually start well above $500 per night. So the sign-up bonus alone could be worth nearly $2,000. Not only that, but there are high-value perks like the Global Entry reimbursement, Priority Pass membership and all those benefits like upgrades and Club Level access that can add tremendous value if you regularly stay at Ritz-Carlton hotels.
6. Citi Prestige
Current Bonus: 40,000 ThankYou points when you spend $4,000 in the first three months.
Standout Benefits: Earn 3 ThankYou points per dollar on air travel and hotel purchases, 2 points per dollar on dining and entertainment and 1 point per dollar on everything else. Get a $250 air travel credit each year for things like airfare, baggage fees, lounge access and some in-flight purchases. Priority Pass Select lounge access. No foreign transaction fees. $100 Global Entry application fee waiver. Get your 4th night free at hotels with no blackout dates when you book four consecutive nights at any hotel via a personal travel advisor designated by MasterCard. Redeem your points for air travel at a rate of 1.33 cents apiece, or 1.6 cents apiece on American Airlines (until July 23, 2017). Citi ThankYou Rewards now has 14 transfer partners, including Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Etihad Guest, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and Hilton HHonors, among others.
Annual Fee: $450
Why you should get it: Some of this card’s biggest selling points are those bonus-earning categories, the $250 air travel credit (which is even good on airfare) and the card’s lounge access benefits, which include not only Priority Pass lounges, but also American Airlines Admirals Club lounges until July 2017 (for existing cardholders). However, this card’s major standout feature is that 4th Night Free benefit. If you can put it to use regularly, it can save you literally thousands of dollars per year. For instance, I’m using it for an upcoming stay at the Park Hyatt Maldives. By getting four nights in a premium Park Water Sunset Villa for the price of three, I’m saving nearly $1,800. Just on a single hotel stay! However, I use this benefit all the time and all over the world, so that $450 annual fee is more than worth it in my book.
7. Platinum Card from American Express
Current Bonus: 40,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $3,000 in the first three months. There are targeted offers through the CardMatch Tool, where you might be eligible for special bonuses like 60,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first three months, which we last saw in November.
Standout Benefits: This card offers no shortage of valuable benefits, including a $200 annual airline rebate, access to Delta Sky Clubs, Priority Pass lounges and Amex Centurion Lounges and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application rebate. You can also transfer the Membership Rewards points you earn with this card to 20 airline and hotel partners. Amex also recently added a 5x bonus category for airfare purchased directly from airlines or through Amex Travel.
Annual Fee: $450
Why it’s worth it: Amex appears to be feeling the heat from competitors like Chase and Citi lately, and it’s responding by adding some great new benefits to its cards including this one’s unprecedented new 5x airfare spending bonus. That’s this card’s single greatest asset now, in my opinion. While the sign-up bonus is a bit lower than on some comparable cards, the card’s other perks like Global Entry fee reimbursement, Hilton HHonors Gold and Starwood Preferred Guest Gold status (and thus Marriott Rewards Gold status now), Fine Hotels & Resorts perks and access to the Centurion Lounges all make this card a keeper for me. I also like that you can get three additional cards for $175, and each one of those cardholders gets their own Global Entry fee reimbursement and lounge access, which equates to huge savings.
8. Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express and the Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card from American Express
Current Bonus: Earn 25,000 bonus Starpoints when you make $3,000 in purchases within the first three months with the personal card or $5,000 with the business card.
Standout Benefits: Earn 2 Starpoints per dollar on purchases at participating Starwood hotels in addition to what you’d normally earn through SPG. Earn 2 stays/5 nights of credit toward elite status each year, plus automatic Gold status when you spend $30,000 on the card in a calendar year. American Express added new benefits to both cards last year, including no foreign transaction fees, complimentary unlimited Boingo Wi-Fi on up to four devices at once and complimentary premium in-room internet access. The business version offers OPEN program perks as well as free access to Sheraton Clubs when you book rates that are eligible to earn Starpoints.
Annual Fee: $0 the first year, then $95.
Why they’re worth it: With the Marriott takeover of Starwood proceeding quickly now, there’s no telling how much longer these cards will be around and available for new applications, so don’t wait too long to apply. Apart from all the ways you can put Starpoints to use for hotel stays and airline transfers to over 30 partners — including the recent addition of Virgin America — you can now also transfer points from Starwood to Marriott Rewards at a 1:3 ratio, opening up even more redemption options. The sign-up bonus for one of these cards alone would be worth 75,000 Marriott points, but if you already have a stash of Starwood points, you could also transfer them to Marriott and redeem for a combination of a hotel stay and airline miles at some very favorable rates with Marriott’s Night + Air packages.
9. Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard
Current Bonus: For a limited time earn 50,000 bonus miles when you spend $3,000 or more in the first 90 days, enough to redeem for a $500 travel statement credit.
Standout Benefits: Earn 2 miles per dollar on all purchases and get 5% of your miles back when you redeem for travel statement credits. There are no foreign transaction fees.
Annual Fee: $89, waived the first year.
Why it’s worth it: The sign-up bonus on this card is thankfully back up to 50,000 miles from the 40,000 where it sat for quite a while. While Arrival miles are only worth 1.05 cents apiece when redeemed for travel, the fact that the card earns 2 miles per dollar provides a decent rate of return. This kind of fixed-value mile can be quite useful for unusual redemptions where other points and miles might not be applicable, say for a foreign train ticket, renting a campsite or dealing with carrier-imposed surcharges on airline award tickets or upgrades. I recently used 70,000 Arrival miles to “wipe away” the $700 fee I paid when using Avios to upgrade a British Airways flight from London to Austin to first class.
10. Ink Business Preferred Card from Chase
Current Bonus: Earn 80,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Standout Benefits: Earn 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent on travel, shipping, social media advertising and internet/cable/phone services and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. Primary auto rental insurance and cell phone insurance when you use the card to pay your bill. No foreign transaction fees and employee cards at no additional cost.
Annual Fee: $95
Why it’s worth it: Chase launched the Ink Business Preferred back in October and it makes my list this month thanks to a few factors. First, there’s that sign-up bonus. 80,000 Ultimate Rewards is higher than the sign-up bonus ever was on this card’s predecessor, the Ink Plus, and is enough points for a one-way first-class redemption on Korean Air from the US to Korea; or if you transferred them to Singapore KrisFlyer instead, you’d have more than enough for a one-way business-class award on Singapore’s new A350 route from San Francisco to Singapore, which otherwise goes for about $3,500.
There are plenty of other great reasons to consider this card, though. Not only can you transfer your points to Ultimate Rewards’ premier travel partners, but you get 1.25 cents per point on direct redemptions through the Ultimate Rewards travel portal. This card earns a respectable 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 in combined spending on travel; shipping purchases; internet, cable and phone services; and advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines. That’s a potentially huge earner for small-business owners and makes this card a nice alternative to the Business Gold Rewards Card from Amex.
This card’s other benefits include primary rental car insurance. But its most unique perk might be the cell phone protection. When you pay your cell phone bill with this card (including the fees for any employees listed on the bill), you’ll get up to $600 in protection against any covered damage or theft, for you and any other lines listed on your bill, up to three claims per year; subject to a $100 deductible. And, since phone services are listed as an eligible bonus category, you’ll be earning 3x points in the process. All in all, this card is a great new addition to the Chase portfolio and a great way to stock up on more Ultimate Rewards points if you already have other personal cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Source: thepointsguy.com