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. Turns out, it wasn’t terribly complicated to do, it just would take some time to understand and some smart strategising.
Fast forward to today, I have flown long-haul business class on trips to New York, Cape Town, Los Angeles, and Tel Aviv, and have even taken some free or almost-free flights around Europe. On the hotel front, I’ve booked luxury hotels like the The Standard Ibiza and The Londoner at significantly discounted rates… all thanks to some handy credit cards (which 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 instead use a points-earning credit card and 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 free flights and hotels are not all created equal. Some are bare-bones, and others have tons of additional perks, of which the value is completely dependent on you and your lifestyle.
Things you want to look at and consider when choosing a credit card to help you earn free flights and hotels…
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 you 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 on travel, so I like cards that give me more points when I spend on hotels, flights etc.
Depending on what you usually spend on, have a look at:
Best credit cards if you dine out a lot
Best credit cards for grocery spending
Best credit cards for general, everyday spending
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.
For example:
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”.
There are also cards that earn you miles with just one airline or hotel loyalty program. There are pros and cons of using these types of cards, like they can come with perks like companion vouchers or discounted points redemptions. But they also restrict your points usage, so you’ll want to be sure you want to stay loyal to say, American Airlines or Hilton, before going with one of these cards.
Have a look at the best airline credit cards and the best hotel credit cards to keep your options wide open.
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.
Have a look at the best credit cards with travel insurance.
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 with a lower spend threshold.
No foreign transaction fees
Ideally, you want you to be able to use your credit card while travelling abroad, but you don’t want that to cost you an arm and a leg. So you’ll want a credit card for earning points that doesn’t also charge fees for paying in another currency.
These cards are great for earning points while also having no foreign transaction fees.
Is a lounge pass included, or is there a lounge network?
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.
There are also some credit cards that now have their own lounge networks (usually just in the US) that are only able to be accessed by card holders, like Capital One. Plus, there are some airline cards that give you access to their lounges.
Have a look at the best credit cards for airport lounge access, this list is a mix of the different options I just described.
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 (all these cards do that, btw) 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.
Alternatively, have a look at these no-annual-fee cards that still earn points.
The best credit cards for earning free first class flights and luxury hotel stays
A couple things before we get into this…
These are the cards I know best and highly recommend to anyone getting into the game. But as I explained above, the “best” card for you depends on your situation, spending habits, and more. Be sure to browse the links above as well as for the cards below to find the best option for you.
Also, “free travel” is sometimes possible when redeeming points and miles, but often there are still some taxes to pay or other fees. In my view, points are also valuable when they can give you a massive discount on your hotel stay or enable an upgrade to a higher class on a flight. Plus, some cards give limited-time statement credits if you book a certain hotel chain, or spend in some capacity. Basically… lots of options for value!
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 $795, 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 very few cards in the UK have the impressive earning rates that this card does.
Earning rate:
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8x points on flights, hotels, and car rentals booked through Chase Travel
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4x points on flights and hotels booked directly with airlines and hotels
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3x points on dining
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1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Annual fee: $795
Current welcome bonus: If you use my referral link below, you can earn 100,000 points after you spend $6,000 in purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Pros of the Chase Sapphire Reserve®:
- Accepted virtually everywhere
- $300 annual travel credit, plus other credits and perks totalling up to $3K a year
- Application fee credit towards Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check application
- Points can be redeemed through Chase Travel, and select bookings may receive boosted value through the Points Boost program
- Great earning rates and bonus categories compared to other cards
- Unlimited access to Priority Pass Select lounges worldwide, plus Chase Sapphire Lounges
- $300 Dining credits annually
- Hotel credits via Chase Travel
- Credit for Apple Music / Apple TV+ subscriptions
Cons:
- One of the highest annual fees out there
- Some perks might not be relevant to you, like Lyft membership or DoorDash credit
- If you don’t travel much it might not make sense for you
If you use my referral link below, you can earn 100,000 points after you spend $6,000 in purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Reserve®*
*The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. All information about Chase Sapphire Reserve® has been collected independently by Love and London. Chase Sapphire Reserve® is no longer available through The Points Guy.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
If the annual fee for the Chase Sapphire Reserve feels a bit too steep, have a look at its little sister, the Chase Sapphire Preferred®. It’s a great option for beginner travelers or first-time points collectors because it combines a relatively low annual fee with some very solid earning opportunities and perks.
You’ll be able to earn generous points on travel, dining and everyday purchases, which you can then apply toward future trips. Chase also has big-name airline and hotel partners like United Airlines, Hyatt and British Airways, so you won’t struggle to find good options when redeeming your points for flights and hotels.
While traveling, there are no foreign transaction fees, and the card also includes several helpful travel protections.
Earning rate:
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5x points on travel booked through Chase Travel℠
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3x points on dining, select streaming services and online grocery purchases
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2x points on other travel purchases
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1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Annual fee: $95
Current welcome bonus: Earn up to 75,000 bonus points after meeting the minimum spending requirement in the first few months (offers vary).
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
Pros:
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No foreign transaction fees
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$50 annual hotel credit for hotel stays booked through Chase Travel℠
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Points can be redeemed through Chase Travel℠ or transferred to 14 airline and hotel partners
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10% anniversary points bonus each year (based on total annual spending)
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Travel protection perks including trip cancellation insurance, rental car coverage and lost luggage insurance
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Strong earning rates on dining and travel for a card with a relatively low annual fee
Cons:
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No airport lounge access included
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To maximise some benefits, you may need to book travel through Chase Travel℠
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Some bonus categories may not apply to everyone (like online grocery purchases or streaming services)
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Lower travel perks compared with premium cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve
Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card*
*The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. All information about Chase Sapphire Preferred® has been collected independently by Love and London. Chase Sapphire Preferred® is no longer available through The Points Guy.
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:
- 2x miles per $1 spend on everyday purchases
- 5x miles per $1 spent on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Annual fee: $95
Current welcome bonus: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening — that’s equal to $1,000 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:
- 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 opening its own Capital One Lounges and also partners with the Priority Pass network. However, recent changes mean guests are no longer automatically included, so it’s worth checking whether this benefit will actually be useful for you depending on how often you travel and whether your home airport has one of theur lounges.
Earning rate:
- 10x miles per $1 spent on hotels and car rentals booked via Capital One Travel
- 5x miles per $1 spent on flights booked via Capital One Travel
- 2x 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
- Access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- $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
- Recent changes mean complimentary lounge guests are no longer included by default, and additional guests may require a fee or high annual spending
- Some other cards offer better spend 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.
I hope this helps you get started with using your everyday spend to get free or discounted hotels, flights and more. Personally, it’s changed my life for the better and has even become a bit of a hobby of mine– I love to work out which credit cards are best for friends and family, and how to game the system to get to have travel experiences I otherwise would never be able to afford. Happy travels!
