Credit Cards You Need To Add To Your Wallet

The #1 Rule of Points Travel: Having the right Credit Cards

If you’ve ever wondered how I book luxury hotels and premium flights using points, it all starts with the right credit cards.

These are the cards I personally use and recommend for earning points, unlocking elite travel perks, and making luxury travel more accessible.

Whether you’re just getting started or looking to level up your travel strategy, these are the best cards to have in your wallet.

Best Overall Travel Card: American Express Platinum Card

If you want one card that unlocks premium travel perks across flights and hotels, this is my top recommendation.

This is the card I use to book Fine Hotels & Resorts stays, access airport lounges, and take advantage of high-value travel credits.

Why I love it:

Strong welcome bonus to jump start your points balance
Access to airport lounges worldwide
Luxury hotel perks through Fine Hotels & Resort
Offset the Annual Fee and more with Travel Credits for baggage or seat fees, Shopping Credits to Lululemon, Streaming Credits for Music and TV apps like YouTube, SiriusXM, and more.

Best for:

Frequent travelers who want premium perks, flexibility, and access to luxury travel experiences.

Pro tip:

Pair this with the Amex Gold Card to maximize 4x points on Dining and Groceries

Bonus tip:

If you quality, the Morgan Stanley AMEX Platinum Card gets you all the same perks and benefits with ZERO ANNUAL FEE

👉 Apply for the Amex Platinum

Best Overall Points Earning Card: BILT Palladium

The new and updated BILT 2.0 was released in 2026 and gives you the ability to earn tons of extra points each year from Rent and Mortgage Payments. The BILT Palladium Card is also a great Every Day Card because you can earn a minimum of 2X points on all spend which is double what the Amex Platinum or Amex Gold Cards offer.

Why I love it:

Earn Extra Points from Rent or Mortgage Monthly Payments
Transfer points to some of the most valuable Airline and Hotel Partners that aren't offered by Amex or Chase
Earn Double Points (4X) ever 1st of the Month
Automatic Gold Status with gives you bigger transfer bonuses
Earn interest on your points
Can use the Mastercard where AMEX cards are not accepted

👉 Apply for the Bilt Palladium Master Card

Best Card for Marriott Hotels: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® AMEX

Earn Marriott Points from Every Day Spending instead of only when staying at a property. This card truly excels when you stay at luxury brands like The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, or EDITION. This is one of the best cards for earning and redeeming Marriott points.

Why I love it:

High-value welcome bonus
Free Night Certificate that can get you a hotel that exceeds a $1,000+ nighty rate
Automatic Marriott Platinum Elite Benefits - earn more points per stay, free breakfast, room upgrades, and more
$300 Dining Credit ($25 each month)
Easily offfset the annual fee with a free night stay and maximizing the Dining Credit

Best for:
Travelers who prefer Marriott luxury properties and want to maximize hotel stays using points.

👉 Apply for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant

Best Card for Hilton Hotels: Hilton Honors Aspire Card

This is one of the strongest hotel credit cards available, especially if you stay at luxury Hilton properties like Waldorf Astoria and Conrad. The Hilton Aspire Card has been one of my favorite cards in general yielding me some of the best value from daily spending. For people who spend $60K a year, this card can get you over a week of free Hilton Luxury Hotels on points each year!

Why I love it:

Automatic Hilton Diamond Elite Status - upgraded rooms, free breakfast, bonus points, and more
High-value welcome bonus that can get you 1-2 nights in some of the best hotels in the Hilton Portfolio
Annual Free Night Certificates that can get you in luxury hotel rooms that exceed $1,000-$2,000+ nightly fates
Added Annual Free Night Certificates after spending $30,000 and $60,000 a year
Two $200 Semi Annual Credits when staying at a Hilton Property (Get $200 off your stay every 6 months)
$50 Quarterly Travel Credits (Baggage Fees, Seat Fees can easily be offset!)
One of the easiest cards to offset the Annual Fee with free nights and credits

Best for:
Travelers who want to get free Hotel Stays, stay at Hilton Properties, and Elite Status Perks, and Free Annual Certificates

👉 Apply for the Hilton Aspire Card

Best Airline Travel Cards

Airlines are constantly increasing their fees and punishing travelers who do not have their co-branded credit cards. After all, Airlines actually make more money as a Credit Card Bank than they do with travelers flying their airlines.

United Quest Card

If you frequently fly United or want to maximize United MileagePlus miles, this is one of the best mid-tier airline cards to have.

It offers a strong combination of ongoing perks and valuable credits that can easily offset the annual fee if you fly United even a few times per year.

Why I love it:

Generous welcome bonus to build your United miles
Annual flight credits that help offset the fee
Free checked bags on United flights for you and your companions
Priority boarding and travel perks
Mileage rebates when you redeem miles for flights
Part of the Star Alliance for amazing international transfer partners and benefits

Best for:

Travelers who regularly fly United and want to save money on flights while earning miles for future trips.

Pro tip:

Use this card to book United flights and take advantage of the built-in perks, then use flexible points (like Amex or Bilt) to transfer into airline partners for premium cabin redemptions.

👉 Apply for the United Quest Card

Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Card

If you’re looking to earn travel rewards while supporting sustainability, this card offers a unique way to align your spending with environmental impact.

It’s designed for travelers who want to earn points on everyday purchases while contributing to climate-focused initiatives. The Atmos Program is the combined program for the Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines after their merger.

Why I love it:

Earn rewards on everyday spending
Great for West Coast Travelers especially those who frequent Hawaii
Simple and Flexible Points Earning Structure
One of the best ecosystems for points with amazing airline partner award availability (Qatar, Singapore, Japan Airlines, and more)

Best for:

Travelers who want to earn rewards and get some of the best points redemptions

Pro tip:

This is a great card to pair with other travel rewards cards, allowing you to diversify your points strategy while supporting a mission-driven brand.

👉 Apply for the Atmos Ascent Visa

Not Ready for a Premium Card? Start Small but Think Big

If you’re just getting started, you don’t need to jump straight into a high annual fee card. In fact, you should only get these High Annual Fee Cards if you can offset the Annual Fee with your normal spending habits. And most importantly, you need to be able to pay off your card each month in full!

Starting with a lower-fee travel card is a great way to:

Build your points balance
Learn how transfer partners work
Ease into using points for travel

Start with the lower annual fee or zero annual fee cards in the right eco systems.

American Express - Amex Every Day Credit Card has $0 Fee and earns 2X points at Supermarkets

Hilton Hotels - Hilton Honors American Express Card has a $0 Fee and lets you earn you lots of Hilton Points and Perks

Marriot Hotels - Marriott Boundless Card is a $95 Low Annual Fee card that earns you lots of Marriott Points and Perks

BILT - Bilt Obsidian Card has a low $95 Annual Fee with the ability to earn 3x points on Groceries and 2X on travel

From there, you can always upgrade your strategy as you travel more. Pick the eco system and start earning valuable points.

Why I Recommend These Cards

I don’t recommend every card out there. These are the ones I personally use or would use based on real travel value.

I focus on cards that:

Earn flexible points
Unlock real travel perks
Help you book luxury experiences for less

I opened all of these cards to help me get points for big trips and have since leveraged them in to yearly free travel in First Class and Business Class or Luxury Hotel stays from the US to the Maldives. You don't have to change your spending to get free travel but you do need the right credit cards!

Start Earning Points for Your Next Trip

The best time to start earning points is before you need them. Leverage large sign-up bonuses and get the right cards to start earning you free travel.

Choose the card that fits your travel style and start building toward your next trip.