I started the hobby of travel hacking back in 2015. I’ve learned that one of the quickest ways to earn miles and points for travel is through credit card spending and to take advantage of the sign up bonuses. My friends are shocked when I tell them that I have 9 credit cards specifically to earn points for travel, and then 2 other credit cards (that does nothing). Of the 9 travel credit cards that I have, I use 3-4 for most of my expenses depending on what the promotion is for earning additional points on spend.
Here’s the list of my favorite travel credit cards that I use the most/in rotation (in no particular order), the perks, and why I use them:
Chase Sapphire Reserve– Annual fee $450
Perks: $300 annual travel credit, Priority Pass Select membership, primary coverage on car rental insurance, no foreign transaction fees, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, Global Entry fee credit, trip delay reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, redeem points in Chase’s travel portal, 3x points for spend on dining, air travel, and hotel.
Why I use it: In addition to the credit card perks listed above, the best way I use the points earned on this card is by transferring to airlines and hotels partners for free flights and stays. Usually the transfer ratio is 1:1 and is usually instant. I’ve transferred points to the following partner programs: British Airways, Flying Blue, Singapore Airlines, Southwest Airlines, IHG, Marriott, and Hyatt. There are more partners listed on Chase’s travel portal.
Citi Premier – Annual fee $95
Perks: 3x points for spend on dining, air travel, hotel, grocery, and gas stations, extended warranty on items purchased, no foreign transaction fees, and redeem points in Citi’s travel portal.
Why I use it: Mostly to transfer to airline partners at a 1:1 ratio with Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines, JetBlue, Flying Blue, Etihad Airways, and a few other airline partners listed on Citi’s website.
Chase Freedom (no longer available to new applicants, but look into the Freedom Flex card)- Annual fee $0
Perks: 5x points/cash back on rotating category spend with $0 annual fee.
Why I use it: Paring it with my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, I’m able to turn the cash back earnings to Chase points and transfer those points to airline and hotel partners for travel.
Marriott Bonvoy Amex (no longer available to new applicants, but you can apply for this card through Chase)- Annual fee $95
Perks: (1) Free night award at Marriott property 35,000 points or less, rotating Amex offers, transfer points to airline partners (not the best way to use points, but it’s an option), 15 elite night credits towards status, 6x points on Marriott spend, 2x points for everything else, no foreign transaction fees, and Amex customer support is usually really good.
Why I use it: I love staying in hotels and Marriott has many properties worldwide. Currently, I have Platinum status with Marriott and working towards Platinum lifetime status. I mostly put my Marriott spending on this card for more points. Alternatively, I can use my Chase Sapphire Reserve card and transfer points to my Marriott account.
If you’d like to see a full list of travel credit cards that I currently hold and use in my rotation of spend, here’s the link to the full post Travel Credit Cards That I Keep
IMPORTANT NOTES
Please use your credit cards responsibly. Don’t spend what you can’t pay in full at the end of each billing cycle. Incurring interest charges on the credit cards almost makes the points not worth earning because you’re having to pay more for the points in the end. I speak from experience because I was a bit irresponsible with credit cards when I was in college (so no judgement), but you do want to be careful. If you have multiple credit cards, you’re going to want to use Excel spreadsheet (or something similar) to stay organized and on top of the annual fees, due dates, and category spending.