The New Normal for International Air Travel Using Travel Credit Cards

Since the early months of 2020, the international travel experience has been greatly affected by the coronavirus pandemic. And even now, as parts of the industry return to some semblance of normality, traveling outside the U.S. remains a complicated endeavor.

Nevertheless, your travel credit cards can play an important role in booking your next international flight, thanks to the ability to use your rewards, save money on your purchase and unlock valuable travel protections.

Here are some important things to know about the current state of international air travel and credit cards.

Before you can even think about booking – and then taking – an international flight, it’s critical to do your research on current restrictions and requirements for your destination. While many borders are reopening to tourists – especially those that are fully vaccinated – a number of countries remain closed to visitors.

And for some locations, this may continue for months to come.

The other complicating factor is that these policies aren’t set in stone. Just because a country is open today doesn’t mean it will be a month from now. And if a negative COVID-19 test isn’t required now, there’s no telling whether it will be in the future.

Before you book your international trip, here are some sample questions to answer so you know what to expect:

• Is my destination welcoming American tourists at this time? And do I suspect that will be the case when my trip comes around?
• What are the entry requirements for visitors?
• How do I fulfill those requirements?
• What will the experience be like once I arrive?

Then, follow local governmental authorities in the weeks and days leading up to your departure. This can help you identify any policy changes and then adjust your plans accordingly.

If the answers to these questions present insurmountable obstacles to taking the trip, you may want to hold off until things are more certain.

Of course, one popular way to book international travel is by leveraging the points and miles you’ve accumulated on your favorite credit cards. Many travelers have recently seen their rewards balances grow, thanks to limited-time bonuses and fewer opportunities to put them toward travel.

Fortunately, there are a few different ways to approach this.

The first is by redeeming credit card rewards for travel purchases. This can be particularly useful if the flight you want to book doesn’t have award availability through the given airline’s frequent flyer program. In most cases, using your points directly through your card issuer is based on the paid cost of the ticket – with no blackout dates. If there’s a seat available on the flight, you should be able to book it this way!

This also means that you’ll normally earn frequent flyer miles on the ticket, just like you would by purchasing the flights directly from an airline.

In addition to this flexibility, you may also have access to potential discounts. Certain credit cards can unlock special fares or limited-time savings on select travel purchases. Be sure to explore your specific card benefits page so you know exactly what programs you can utilize for booking flights.

Another great option for redeeming your credit card rewards involves transferring them to partners. If you have certain credit cards in your wallet, you can convert rewards into airline miles with select partners. You may be able to get a great value by transferring your points to one of those partners' frequent flyer programs, as long as you're confident the award you want is available, since all transfers are final.

Just be aware that, in either case, any points you use for a flight won’t be refunded if you wind up needing to cancel your trip. A canceled flight booked using your credit card rewards directly will typically result in a flight voucher on the carrier you booked, while transfers to partner airlines can’t be reversed.