The Best Travel Credit Cards
6 Min Read | Last updated: June 4, 2026
This article contains general information and is not intended to provide information that is specific to American Express products and services. Similar products and services offered by different companies will have different features and you should always read about product details before acquiring any financial product.
The best travel credit cards save you money, reward your spending habits, and provide extra travel perks that make every trip more worthwhile.
At-A-Glance
- The best travel credit card depends on how you like to travel, but it should always help you save on every journey and, ideally, whenever you swipe.
- The three main types of travel cards are general, airline co-branded, or hotel co-branded, and each type may benefit you differently.
- Like all credit cards, it’s best to borrow responsibly by paying your monthly minimums on time and keeping unpaid balances low whenever possible..
Whether you’re a road warrior, a travel enthusiast, or you simply enjoy a nice getaway from time to time, the best travel credit cards for you can lead to bigger savings on your next trip. While there isn’t an official best travel card, you can choose from plenty of rewarding cards that match your lifestyle and travel needs. You just need to know what to look for and how to borrow responsibly with on-time payments and controlled spending.
The Best Travel Credit Cards Help You Save on Travel
Figuring out your travel goals and spending habits can help you choose the right card.
Your answers to these questions can help you jumpstart the selection process:
- How often do I travel?
- Where in the world do I like (or want) to travel?
- Do I fly often? If so, am I loyal to a particular airline?
- Do I spend a lot of nights in hotels? Do I prefer one particular hotel chain over others?
- Do I spend a lot on dining and entertainment?
Armed with insights about how you like to travel and spend, let’s see if you can connect your answers to any of the different travel card types below.
General Travel Credit Cards
General-purpose travel credit cards aren’t typically linked to a specific airline or hotel loyalty program, so they tend to offer flexible reward redemption options for a variety of travel. You can usually accrue points within the card’s rewards program and redeem them for flights, hotels, or other eligible travel expenses. General travel cards may also offer points or credits for non-travel purchases, like dining, streaming subscriptions, or groceries.
Overall, choosing a general travel rewards card might be most valuable for people who:
- Travel often but aren’t loyal to one specific airline or hotel
- Want to earn travel rewards even when spending on groceries or dining out
- Like to be rewarded regardless of how they travel, whether by boat, plane, car, train, or rideshare.
Co-Branded Airline Credit Cards
Airline credit cards typically let you accumulate miles or points, usually for flights you book directly with the partnering airline. Miles accrue in your airline’s loyalty program and can then be redeemed for flights, seat upgrades, and sometimes even vacation packages. Some airline credit cards may also come with priority boarding, free checked bags, airport lounge access, and more, but specifics vary by card. Choosing the best airline miles credit card may come down to your personal travel preferences.
An airline credit card may be the right move if you:
- Are a frequent flyer
- Usually fly with a particular airline or its partners
- Want airport lounge access and priority boarding
- Typically check bags
- Want to earn free flights (though keep in mind that taxes and fees may not be covered)
- Know that the partnering airline offers flights to your favorite destinations
The Delta SkyMiles® American Express Platinum Card is a prime example of a co-branded airline card. It allows you to earn miles for purchases made through Delta, as well as in additional categories. Card Members can earn 3X SkyMiles on purchases made directly through Delta, 3X Miles on eligible hotel purchases, along with 2X Miles on dining at U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery, and groceries in the U.S. These miles can then be redeemed for seat upgrades, future flights, and more.2
Co-Branded Hotel Credit Cards
A hotel credit card rewards spending and booking directly at the hotel chain or its partners. Points usually accrue in the hotel’s loyalty program and can be redeemed for bookings, upgrades, and other qualifying hotel expenses.
After comparing hotel credit cards, you might find that one gives you the valuable rewards you’re looking for, especially if:
- You stay in hotels often
- You tend to stay at the same hotel chain or one of its partners
- You want perks like late checkout, free breakfast, or room upgrades
- You want to earn free nights (again, resort fees and taxes may not be covered)
Features That Make Travel Credit Cards Competitive
The whole point of a travel card is to help you save on and reward your travel. So, while some of the best travel cards may be described as premium and typically offer welcome bonuses, the most important thing is that the card’s features and perks fit your lifestyle.
Here are some other features that can make a card stand out:
- Rental car, travel, and baggage insurance
- Rewards earnings in non-travel categories, like dining, gas, groceries, or entertainment
- Introductory zero-interest welcome periods where unpaid balances don’t accrue interest (but these aren’t an invitation to overspend or skip monthly minimums)
- Low or $0 annual fees (however, added benefits may offset higher fees)
- Annual credits for dining, shopping, flights, hotel stays, or TSA PreCheck® and Global Entry application fees
- Elite status when flying or lodging
- Domestic and international customer support
- Price protection that reimburses the difference between what you paid for a booking and the lowest price it dropped to prior to the trip
- No foreign transaction fees, helping you save while abroad (many of the best cards for international travel can offer this)
Frequently Asked Questions
The best credit cards with travel insurance tend to be premium travel credit cards. They typically provide trip delay, trip cancellation, and interruption insurance—but often only if you book with your card. The best cards may also come with car rental loss and damage insurance. For example, The American Express Platinum Card offers trip delay, trip cancellation, and interruption insurance if you book travel through the card. It also extends car rental loss and damage insurance to cardmembers, something that not all travel credit cards offer. Terms Apply.
Whether or not a travel rewards credit card comes with fees depends on the issuer and the card. You can research travel card options to find a travel rewards credit card that aligns with your budget and needs. Some of the best travel rewards credit cards will have an annual fee which may provide you with more benefits and perks than no annual fee travel rewards cards. For example, American Express offers the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card, which comes with a $350 annual fee and benefits such as first and second checked bags free for domestic Delta flights, statement credits towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®, and more.2 Research travel card options to find a travel rewards credit card that aligns with your budget and needs.
The Takeaway
If you’re frequently on the road or in the air, the best travel credit cards can help you save on travel, earn rewards on everyday purchases, and receive credits towards travel purchases. Choosing the right card depends on you: Where you travel, how you travel, and which benefits are most important to you. Once you choose the right card, you can enjoy the rewards around the globe.
1 “Current Credit Card Interest Rates,” Experian
2 For more on Offer & Benefit Terms for the Delta SkyMiles American Express Platinum Card, click here
Megan Doyle is a business technology writer and researcher whose work focuses on financial services and cross-cultural diversity and inclusion.
All Credit Intel content is written by freelance authors and commissioned and paid for by American Express.
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