Forbes Advisor considered airline, hotel and flexible reward credit cards both within their own categories and compared to other types cards. We rated cards based on their fees, rewards potential, value of rewards earned, ongoing benefits and more. The top airline, hotel and flexible rewards cards were chosen for this list.
What is the best credit card with travel insurance?
Forbes Advisor’s best credit cards for travel insurance list has a variety of cards offering solid travel insurance. Although you shouldn’t get a credit for this feature alone, it can be a useful money-saving extra. Credit cards that offer travel insurance tend to have high annual fees, so keep this in mind when weighing whether or not you are likely to use the feature.
What is the best credit card for travel rewards?
There’s no one “best” credit card when it comes to travel rewards—or any type of rewards for that matter. That’s because everyone’s spending patterns are different and someone who travels frequently will fare best with a different travel rewards card than someone who travels maybe once a year.
What is the best card for international travel?
Many credit cards are well suited for international travel. You want to make sure that the card has no foreign transaction fees. It also helps if the card’s points are suitable for the locations where you wish to travel. For instance, if you want to go to Asia, an airline card co-branded with a U.S.-based airline that doesn’t fly to Asia, like Southwest, will not help you.
How many miles do you need for a free flight?
The number of miles you need for a free flight depends on different factors including which airline miles you are using, where you are flying to and from, when you are traveling and other factors. Domestic flights in the U.S. will generally require fewer miles than an international flight. Typically, count on spending between 4,000 and 20,000 miles for a domestic one-way flight in economy.
Long-haul international flights can cost quite a bit more. Plan on spending between 20,000 to 30,000 miles each way to fly to Europe and even more for flights to Asia, Africa, and Oceania.
Don’t forget to consider the cost of checked bags and fuel surcharges before booking your ticket. Flights booked with rewards are also often subject to government taxes and fees.
How much is a point or mile worth on travel credit cards?
Point values are as varied as the types of points themselves. Some cards’ points values are more straightforward because some points rates are somewhat tied to the cash prices. However, if a program uses an awards chart the value of the point will vary widely depending on how you are redeeming it. In general, you’ll get the highest value per point on premium airline seats and luxury hotel stays.
What credit score is needed for a travel credit card?
A travel rewards credit card will typically recommend good to excellent credit in order to qualify. Plan to have a credit score of at least 700 to get approved by the top credit cards on the market. Some of the top travel cards on the market might even require applicants to have a credit score of 720 or higher.
What’s the difference between points and miles on a credit card?
Points and miles are effectively the same, they’re just different names for the rewards earned on a particular credit card. Some credit cards offer points, some—particularly airline cards—offer miles. But the fundamental function is the same in that these rewards cards all earn a specified type of award currency based on your spending that can be used in various ways.