Best Travel Credit Cards for Points & Miles
The #1 Rule of Points Travel: Having the right Credit Cards
Here is a list of all my favorite credit cards for earning and redeeming points to help me with booking luxury hotels and flying business or first class using points. Luxury travel doesn't always require a luxury budget. Over the years, I've used credit card rewards to book incredible travel experiences, from premium international flights to luxury hotel stays at properties like the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal and St. Regis Maldives.
The secret isn't necessarily spending more money. It's understanding how to earn the right points, choose valuable travel rewards credit cards, and redeem those points strategically.
In this guide, I'll share the credit cards I personally use or recommend considering, why I find them valuable, and how I've used their rewards to make extraordinary travel experiences more accessible.
Whether you're new to travel hacking or looking to improve your existing points strategy, this guide will help you identify which cards may be worth adding to your wallet.
Best Overall Travel Card: American Express Platinum Card
The American Express Platinum Card has been one of the most valuable cards in my travel rewards strategy, particularly for airport lounge access, luxury hotel benefits, and access to airline transfer partners. It is not necessarily my favorite card for everyday purchases, its travel-related benefits make it worth holding for travel related purchases like flight or hotel bookings.
Why I Recommend It
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Access to participating airport lounges, subject to entry requirements
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Fine Hotels + Resorts benefits at participating luxury properties
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Transferable Membership Rewards points
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Travel and lifestyle credits that may help offset the annual fee
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Opportunities to redeem points for international premium-cabin flights
How I've Used My Amex Points
One of my favorite redemptions involved transferring American Express Membership Rewards points to Singapore Airlines during a promotional transfer bonus.
I used those points to book business-class travel from Los Angeles to Asia, obtaining substantial value compared with the published cash fares.
Experiences like this are why I prioritize transferable points over rewards that can only be redeemed through a single airline or hotel program.
Who Should Consider This Card?
The Amex Platinum may be a strong choice for frequent travelers who value airport lounges, premium hotel experiences, and travel benefits.
However, the annual fee is substantial. Before applying, compare the benefits you would realistically use against the cost of keeping the card.
Best Everyday Points Earning: BILT Palladium
The Bilt Palladium Card is another option in my travel rewards strategy because of its everyday earning potential and access to airline and hotel transfer partners. This card earns 2X points on ALL purchases making it one of the best every day credit cards and is a flexible points system with a lot of points transfer partners.
What makes Bilt particularly interesting is the ability to earn rewards through qualifying housing payments like your mortgage or even rent which is one of the biggest expenses you will have each month.
Why I Recommend BILT
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Opportunities to earn points on eligible purchases and housing payments
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Access to valuable airline and hotel transfer partners
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Flexibility to use points toward different travel programs
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Massive promotional transfer bonuses on the 1st of each month
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Mastercard acceptance at merchants that don't accept American Express
My Favorite Bilt Redemption
One of my most exciting uses of Bilt points was booking Japan Airlines first class on its Airbus A350. By strategically using transferable points and a promotional transfer opportunity, I was able to book First Class and Business Class seats for free with points that would have had been over $10,000+ when purchasing with cash. Understanding credit card transfer partners can sometimes be more valuable than simply earning the highest number of points.
Who Should Consider This Card?
Everyone. This is one of the best cards on the market. This new card is continually improving with time by adding more benefits and partners. This is definitely the first credit card I would get whether I am new to the Credit Card game or just looking to add the most value to your existing wallet.
👉 Apply for the Bilt Palladium Master Card
Best Card for Hilton Hotels: Hilton Honors Aspire Card
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is one of my favorite hotel credit cards for travelers who enjoy luxury properties, especially Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, and other hotels within the Hilton portfolio.
It is also just one of my favorite credit cards in general because of the annual return and value I get from this card. In addition to the complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status and Flights and Hotel Credits, you also get one annual Free Night Reward with the ability to earn an additional 2 more based on spending thresholds in addition to all of the earned points on that spending.
Using this card as your workhorse can yield you a week of free vacation at top tier luxury Hilton resorts every year!
Why I Recommend It
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Complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status: Enjoy eligible benefits such as space-available room upgrades, food and beverage credits or breakfast benefits, and bonus points on qualifying stays.
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Annual Free Night Reward: Receive a Free Night Reward during your first year and each year upon renewal, redeemable at eligible Hilton properties.
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Up to $400 in Hilton resort credits: Receive up to $200 in statement credits every six months for eligible purchases at participating Hilton resorts.
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Up to $200 in annual flight credits: Receive up to $50 in statement credits each quarter for eligible flight purchases.
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Earn 14X Hilton Honors points: On eligible purchases made directly with Hilton hotels and resorts.
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Additional travel benefits: Access benefits such as a CLEAR+ credit and eligible property credits at participating Waldorf Astoria and Conrad hotels.
How I've Used My Hilton Honors Benefits
One of the reasons I value Hilton Honors is the opportunity to experience extraordinary luxury hotels while taking advantage of elite status benefits and hotel rewards.
Properties like the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal demonstrate why I enjoy the Hilton portfolio. Between the luxury accommodations, personalized service, and resort experiences, these are the types of stays where hotel loyalty benefits can make a meaningful difference. And the best part is Annual Free Night Certificates are not capped at points thresholds like Marriott does. Any available Standard Room can be redeemed whether the room rate is 30,000 Points or 250,000 Points! An amazing value!
Who Should Consider This Card?
The Hilton Honors Aspire Card is best for those who want to turn their credit card points in to free hotel stays every year especially those who enjoy luxury stays includingg the Waldorf Astoria and Conrad hotel brands you might not otherwise book based on the high cash nightly rates.
With a $550 annual fee, it's important to determine whether you'll actually use the annual Free Night Reward, resort credits, flight credits, and Diamond status benefits.
For travelers who can consistently take advantage of those perks, this card can easily substantial and offset the annual value.
Best Card for Marriott Hotels: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant AMEX
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card is one of my preferred hotel credit cards for travelers who frequently stay at Marriott properties, particularly luxury brands such as St. Regis, The Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, and The Luxury Collection.
What makes this card stand out is its combination of complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status, an annual Free Night Award, and benefits that can enhance your stay.
Why I Recommend It
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Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status: Enjoy eligible benefits such as room upgrades, late checkout, and welcome gifts at participating properties.
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Annual Free Night Award: Receive a Free Night Award after your card renewal, redeemable at participating hotels for stays requiring up to 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
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Up to $300 in annual dining credits: Receive up to $25 per month in statement credits for eligible restaurant purchases worldwide.
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25 Elite Night Credits annually: Get a head start toward higher Marriott Bonvoy elite status.
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Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy points: On eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
How I've Used Marriott Bonvoy Points
Marriott Bonvoy is one of the hotel loyalty programs I pay close attention to because of its extensive collection of luxury properties around the world. From St. Regis resorts to JW Marriott hotels, Marriott offers numerous opportunities to redeem points for memorable travel experiences and offer the most hotels worldwide.
I value Platinum Elite status for its potential to improve eligible stays through room upgrades, late checkout, and other property-specific benefits.
The annual Free Night Award is another reason I find the Brilliant Card appealing, especially when I can use it toward a hotel stay that would otherwise be expensive.
Who Should Consider This Card?
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card may be a strong option for travelers who frequently stay at Marriott hotels and want premium loyalty benefits without having to earn Platinum Elite status entirely through hotel stays.
With a $650 annual fee, the card makes the most sense when you can take advantage of the annual Free Night Award, dining credits, and Marriott elite benefits.
With the $300 Dining Credit, this card quickly offsets the cost of the annual fee.
United Quest Card: Best for Frequent United Travelers
The United Quest Card is one of my preferred airline credit cards for travelers who frequently fly United Airlines and want additional benefits without paying for the airline's most expensive premium card.
Unlike flexible rewards cards that allow transfers to multiple airline programs, the United Quest Card focuses on earning United MileagePlus miles and providing benefits when flying United.
Why I Recommend It
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Up to $200 in annual United travel credits: Receive a United travel credit after account opening and on each account anniversary.
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First and second checked bags free: Eligible cardmembers and one companion on the same reservation can receive two free standard checked bags each, subject to booking requirements.
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Priority boarding: Enjoy Group 2 boarding on eligible United-operated flights.
How I've Used United MileagePlus Miles
United MileagePlus is an important part of my travel rewards strategy now that Southwest Airlines removed their Bags Fly Free Policy. United has a great route tree domestically and internationally allowing you to travel anywhere around the globe with ease. They are also part of the Star Alliance network, which provides opportunities to redeem miles for flights on a large list of eligible international partner airlines.
United also has one of the better cabins for economy, premium economy, and business class compared to the other US airlines and will soon have blazing fast Starling Wifi on all of their planes which is an amazing perk to have on those long trips.
Who Should Consider This Card?
The United Quest Card may be an excellent choice for travelers who fly United several times per year, regularly check luggage, or want to work toward MileagePlus Premier status. Skiing in Colorado every year, I fly to Denver (a United Hub) and get to offset the cost of checking my skis for the trip.
With a $350 annual fee, one trip with checked bags and the travel credit will easily offset the cost of the annual fee. Even more value if you travel with friends, partners, and children who also enjoy those same baggage perks.
Atmos Rewards Ascent : Best for the West Coasters
The Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature Card is a compelling airline credit card for travelers who frequently fly Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines and want to earn valuable airline points without paying a premium annual fee.
This program is gaining in value with the merger of the two airlines because their network doubled in size and their fleet of larger aircraft is allowing for new international travel destinations like Iceland, Japan, and Italy to name a few of their recent and popular additions.
The Atmos points system is also one of the most valuable points with its large list of transfer partners.
Why I Recommend It
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Earn 3X Atmos Rewards points: On eligible Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases
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Annual Companion Fare opportunity: Qualify for a $99 Companion Fare, plus taxes and fees starting at $23, after meeting the annual spending requirement.
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Free checked bag: Receive a free checked bag for yourself and up to six guests on the same eligible reservation when paying with the card.
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Preferred boarding: Enjoy preferred boarding on eligible Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines flights
How I Use Airline Partner Rewards
One of the reasons I love Atmos Rewards is the ability to redeem points for travel beyond Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines flights. I have successfully purchased flights on Qantas First & Business Class, Qatar First & Business Class, and other great airlines like Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines, and American Airlines.
Who Should Consider This Card?
This card is extremely valuable for Seattle Based Travelers but any major west coast traveler should absolutely hold this card with their amazing annual companion offer. The low $95 Annual Fee can easily be offset with a quick trip to Mexico or Hawaii.
👉 Apply for the Alaska Visa Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: Best Low Annual Fee Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of my favorite travel credit cards for anyone looking to start earning points and miles and it has an incredibly low Annual Fee at just $95.
What makes this card particularly valuable is its combination of flexible Chase Ultimate Rewards points, valuable airline and hotel transfer partners, and travel protections.
This is the best card to get for those looking to just start getting in to Points Travel
Why I Recommend It
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Earn 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points: On eligible travel purchases booked through Chase Travel.
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Earn 3X points on dining: Including eligible restaurants, takeout, and delivery services and even streaming services, gas stations, and EV charging
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Up to $100 annual hotel credit: Receive statement credits for eligible hotel bookings made through Chase Travel.
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Transfer points to airline and hotel partners: Including World of Hyatt, United MileagePlus, Air Canada Aeroplan, and other participating loyalty programs.
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Travel protection benefits: Access eligible trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement, baggage protection, and rental car coverage.
How I Use Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
One of the biggest reasons I value Chase Ultimate Rewards is the flexibility to transfer points to different airline and hotel loyalty programs. Rather than redeeming points at a fixed value, I prefer looking for opportunities where transferring points can provide significantly more value, particularly for luxury hotel stays and international premium-cabin flights. One of my favorite Chase transfer partners is World of Hyatt which has some incredible luxury properties where you can easily book for with Chase Points.
Who Should Consider This Card?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is an excellent option for travelers who want to begin earning flexible travel rewards or expand their existing points and miles strategy.
With a $95 annual fee, it offers a relatively affordable entry point into transferable travel rewards compared with many premium credit cards.
For beginners, I consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred one of the strongest starting points for learning how to earn, transfer, and redeem credit card points.
And for more experienced travelers, it remains a useful card for building a flexible points balance that can be transferred to multiple airline and hotel partners.
👉 Apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
DISCLAIMER:
Some of the links on this page are referral links, which means I may earn a bonus if you apply through them. I only recommend cards I genuinely believe in and use as part of my own points travel strategy.
