A few years ago, I really wanted to experience flying business class on a long-haul flight, but there was absolutely no way I would be able to afford to do that paying for my ticket outright, and since I own my own business, I wasn’t ever going to have the option for work to pay for me to lay flat.
Instead of being super disappointed, I got to researching how I could use credit cards to earn free travel and perks.
Fast forward to today, through my everyday spending and some smart planning, I have flown long-haul business class between the UK and US multiple times and have even taken some free or almost-free flights around Europe. All thanks to some handy credit cards (which, I might add, I pay off in full EVERY SINGLE MONTH).
If you’re from the United States and like to do at least a bit of travelling, and like the idea of that travel being cheap or free, let me tell you about some GREAT credit cards that you can use at home that will help you do just that.
If you’re already spending on your debit card, why not make your money work for you?
Ok but before we dive in, this is IMPORTANT: Do NOT use credit cards if you are not able to pay them off every month or already have credit card debt. You should only be using a credit card to earn free travel if you are able to pay it in full every single month, otherwise the interest fees will more than negate any travel perks you might get.
Right. Let’s start with…
What makes it a great credit card for earning free travel and perks?
Credit cards that earn you miles are not all created equal. The BEST ones you should absolutely look into have the following features:
High earning potential from your current spend
The idea is to make your money work for you, not to spend more money in your day-to-day life to get more points or miles. So we want to look at the cards that will get you the max amount of points on what you already buy. Some cards will give you more points for certain types of purchases, so if you, say, spend a lot on groceries and a certain card gives you 3x spend on groceries, that’s a great option for you.
For me, I spend a lot abroad, so I like cards that give me more points when I spend in foreign currencies.
Flexibility for where you can redeem your points
The more options you have for converting or spending your points, the better. So we want to look at the card’s transfer partners. Which airlines can you transfer your points to and then book cheap or free flights with? Which hotel loyalty programs does it pair with? Does the card have its own travel program you can spend your points with? The more options there are, the easier it will be for you to redeem them for a good “price”.
What insurance comes with the credit card?
A great perk of some credit cards that earn free travel is that they include some level of travel insurance. Some will also include rental car insurance, which means you save money on having to get it directly with the rental provider. It’s always really important to read up on the specifics of a credit card’s insurance products, and also how these will apply to you (like, if you have to had put the purchase on the card for it to be covered) BEFORE applying for a card and relying on it for your insurance coverage.
Can you realistically take advantage of the welcome bonus?
One of the best and quickest ways to earn a ton of points right off the bat is by utilizing a credit card’s welcome bonus. This generally means that if you spend a certain amount of money on the card within the first few months, you’ll get additional points added to your balance.
If you’re looking at which is the best credit card to use to earn free travel, make sure the welcome bonus is a spend amount that you think you could pretty easily hit, and if not, you’ll probably want to choose a different card.
No foreign transaction fees
Ideally, we want you to be able to use your credit card while travelling abroad, but we don’t want that to cost you an arm and a leg. So we want a credit card for earning free travel that doesn’t also charge fees for paying in another currency.
Is a lounge pass included?
A lot of credit cards with travel perks will include a free airport lounge pass. Generally, the best one is the Priority Pass, which gets you unlimited access to thousands of lounges around the world. If you don’t have status with your home airline that allows you access to their lounge, or you don’t fly business class or higher often, this can be a nice little perk. Keep in mind that the quality of these lounges can vary significantly but it’s still nice to have a quiet place to sit and potentially some free food and drinks.
Do the perks, savings and earnings potential outweigh the annual fee?
Some of these cards do come with hefty annual fees, but depending on how much you travel and what perks are provided, these fees can be worth the cost. For example, if you use the Priority Pass a lot, have travel and car insurance included, and you get a credit for your Global Entry application fee, that brings down the “cost” of the annual fee substantially. For me, all of those perks are more than worth the annual fee with the cards that I have.
The best credit cards that earn free travel and perks
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
This is the card I have had for years and still keep despite living abroad and only using it when I do personal travel. Even though the annual fee is quite hefty at $550, it’s instantly less of a hit when I get the $300 a year travel credit. So anytime I charge an Uber, a hotel, or a flight on my Chase Sapphire Reserve, I get a statement credit up until I reach $300. I also keep it for the Priority Pass lounge pass and the fact that no card in the UK has the impressive earning rates that this card does.
Earning rate: 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠, 5x total points on flights through Chase Travel℠ (after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually), 3x points on other travel and dining, 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Annual fee: $550
Current welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Pros:
- Accepted virtually everywhere
- $300 annual travel credit
- Application fee credit towards Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check application
- Points are worth 1.5 cents each when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
- Great earning rates and bonus categories compared to other cards
- Comes with a Priority Pass Select that gives you unlimited lounge entry at over 1400 lounges around the world
Cons:
- One of the highest annual fees out there
- No Centurion Lounge access
- Some perks might not be relevant to you, like Lyft membership or DoorDash credit
- 3x points on travel and dining doesn’t start until you’ve used your $300 travel credit
- If you don’t travel much it might not make sense for you
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
If the annual fee for the Chase Sapphire Reserve is feeling too steep for you, have a look at its little sister, the Chase Sapphire Preferred®. A great match for beginner travelers or first-time point collectors, it combines a relatively low annual fee with some pretty attractive earning opportunities and perks. You’ll be able to earn generous points on travel, food and dining purchases which you can then apply to future travel. They have big name partners like Hyatt, United and British Airways, so you don’t have to worry about a lack of quality or options for the flights and hotels you can redeem your points on. While traveling, there are no foreign transaction fees and some travel protection is also included.
Earning rate: 5 points per dollar on travel bookings through Chase Travel℠ and Lyft (through March 2025), 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services and online grocery purchases, 2 points per dollar on all other travel spending and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases
Annual fee: $95
Current welcome bonus: 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel.
Pros:
- No foreign transaction fees
- Annual $50 Chase Travel Hotel Credit Premium
- Cardholders can redeem points at 1.25 cents each for travel booked through Chase Travel℠ or transfer points to Chase’s 14 airline and hotel partners
- Credit of up to $50 on hotel stays through Chase Travel℠ upon opening the card and yearly on account anniversary
- 10% anniversary points bonus each year (based on total annual spending, 1 point per $10 spent)
- Travel protection perks including trip cancellation insurance, car rental insurance and lost luggage insurance
Cons:
- No airport lounge access or pass included
- To maximise your point advantages you have to book through the Chase Travel℠ platform
- Some point opportunities and perks might not be relevant to all cardholders, like Lyft, online grocery purchases and DoorDash membership
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a great credit card for Americans to use and earn free travel and perks. This card was my go-to while studying abroad and backpacking in Europe in my early 20’s, so it’s been around a long time and is highly rated when it comes to these types of credit cards. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has travel perks like a credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees (up to $120). You’ll earn miles on your spending, which can be redeemed for flights, hotels, or gift cards. Plus, it has a low annual fee of $95 and no foreign transaction fees.
Earning rate: 2 miles per $1 spend, 5 miles per $1 spent on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Annual fee: $95
Current welcome bonus: 75,000 miles if you spend $4,000 on the card within the first three months of account opening, which is equal to $750 in travel.
Pros:
- Relatively low annual fee, so it’s great for beginners
- Perks like application credits and travel insurance
- Simple spending and redemption scheme
- Use miles for travel purchase statement credits or transfer to partners
Cons:
- Two complimentary lounge access visits are currently included but this benefit will be removed 1st Jan 2025
- Earning rate is lower than other cards
- Not the best welcome bonus but good if it’s your first card
- Airline transfer partners don’t include the big US airlines like American or Delta (but British Airways is a good workaround for American since they codeshare)
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Considered one of the “luxury” cards on the market, Venture X has a good ratio between its perks and its annual fee, which is lower than other premium cards and which almost pays for itself with the sign-up bonus and yearly anniversary bonus miles. It also has an uncomplicated miles system that earns you miles on all everyday purchases along with additional miles if you book hotels, flights and rental cars through its own travel portal, Capital One Travel.
In terms of airport lounge access, Capital One has been creating their own lounges and has a network of partner lounges you and two guests can use. So you’ll need to check that this covers your home airport otherwise this isn’t a relevant perk.
Earning rate: 10 miles per $1 spent on hotels and car rentals booked via Capital One Travel, 5 miles per $1 spent on flights booked via Capital One Travel, 2 miles per $1 spent on everything else
Annual fee: $395
Current welcome bonus: 75,000 miles if you spend $4,000 on the card within the first three months of account opening
Pros:
- Lower annual fee than many other premium cards
- 10,000 bonus miles annually on your account anniversary
- Comprehensive lounge access at their own and partner lounges
- $300 annual credit toward travel bookings made with the card and booked through Capital One Travel
- Access to the luxury hotels within the Capital One Premier Collection (experience credit and room upgrades)
- Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
- Add additional cardholders for free
- Trip delay coverage and rental car insurance
Cons:
- $300 credit annually is only applicable for bookings made through the Capital One Travel portal
- Some other cards offer better bonuses for travel purchases and restaurants
Learn more about Capital One Venture X Rewards
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
