Travel Rewards Credit Cards

Finding the best travel rewards credit card is one of the most important things you can do when planning your travels. By using the wrong travel rewards card, or not using one at all, you could be losing out on some huge benefits and missing out on saving real money. From travel cards that waive international transaction fees, to cards that help you rack up miles on your favorite airlines, finding the right travel rewards credit card that fits your needs is one of the best and easiest ways to get the most out of your travels.

The following list of travel rewards credit cards is not an exhaustive list of every travel credit card. Rather, I’ve tried to put together a good sampling of some of the best cards that fit the wide range of needs of all travelers.

Barclaycard Arrival World MasterCard

The travel rewards credit card that gives you more starts with 20,000 bonus miles when you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days (enough to redeem for a $200 travel statement credit).

Start Earning Rich Rewards

• Earn 2X miles on travel and dining and 1X miles on all other purchases
• Earn 20,000 bonus miles when you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days — that’s enough to redeem for a $200 travel statement credit
• Get 10% miles back to use toward your next redemption every time you redeem for travel statement credits
• Enjoy a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months after account opening. After that, a variable APR, currently 14.99% or 18.99%, based on your creditworthiness
• Miles don’t expire as long as your account is open, active and in good standing

Redeem and Travel With Ease

• Book the travel you want — airfare, hotels, cruises and more and earn miles on your purchase
• Redeem your miles for travel statement credits — redemptions start at 2,500 miles for $25 toward travel purchases made in the last 120 days
• No foreign transaction fees on anything you buy while in another country
• Complimentary online FICO® Score access for Barclaycard Arrival cardmembers

Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard

The travel rewards credit card that gives you more starts with 40,000 bonus miles when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days (enough to redeem for a $400 travel statement credit)

Start earning rich rewards

• Earn 2X miles on all purchases
• Earn bonus miles in the first 90 days of account opening
• Complimentary online FICO® Score access for Barclaycard Arrival cardmembers

Redeem and Travel With Ease — Now With Chip Card

• Book the travel you want - airfare, hotels, cruises and more and earn miles on your purchase

• Redeem your miles for travel statement credits — redemptions start at 2,500 miles for $25 toward travel purchases made in the last 120 days
• Get 10% miles back to use toward your next redemption every time you redeem for travel statement credits
• Miles don’t expire as long as your account is open, active and in good standing
• Chip card for increased confidence and convenience to pay abroad as easily as you do at home
• No foreign transaction fees on anything you buy while in another country

The Priceline Rewards Visa Card

If you’re in the market for a travel rewards credit card and you book most of your travels online with Priceline, then the Priceline Rewards Visa Card is the card for you.

Choose Your Own Reward With the Priceline Rewards Visa

• 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months after account opening (after that a variable APR currently 14.99% or 21.99%, depending on your creditworthiness)
• Earn 5,000 Bonus Points after your first purchase and an additional 5,000 Points after spending $1,000 on qualifying transactions in the first 90 days of account opening (Enough for a $100 statement credit!)
• 5X Points: Earn five times the points on priceline.com purchases
• 1 Point on everything else: Get 1 point per $1 spent on everything else, and here’s no limit to the number of points you can earn!
• Your points act like cash: Redeem points for statement credits against purchases made on your account.

The Travelocity Rewards American Express Card

If you’re looking for a travel rewards credit card that takes advantage of all the travel you book with Travelocity, look no further than the Travelocity Rewards American Express Card.

Reward Yourself With the Travelocity Rewards American Express Card

• Limited Time Bonus — Earn 5,000 points after your first purchase
• Plus, earn an additional 5,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on qualifying transactions in the first 90 days of account opening
• Points can be redeemed for statement credits towards Travelocity purchases for flights, eligible hotels, and vacation packages, with no blackout dates, and you have 90 days after your Travelocity purchase to redeem your points for a statement credit
• New! Points can now also be redeemed for gift cards and merchandise

The US Airways Premier World MasterCard

With this travel rewards credit card aimed at US Airways and American Airlines frequent flyers, you can get 40,000 bonus miles after your first purchase and payment of the $89 annual fee, oftentimes enough for free ticket to the Caribbean. Now you can use your bonus miles toward any US Airways or American Airlines flight booked through usairways.com or US Airways Reservations.

Earn Miles to Get to More Places

• Earn 2X miles on all US Airways purchases
• And 1X miles on all other purchases
• Earn 10,000 miles toward 2015 Preferred Status when you spend $25,000 or more in 2014

Redeem Your Miles for 138 New Award Destinations Worldwide

• Now redeem Dividend Miles on nearly 6,700 US Airways and American Airlines daily flights to over 300 destinations. Plus, redeem for award travel faster with a 5,000-mile discount on US Airways

The Hawaiian Airlines World Elite MasterCard

Hawaiian Airlines lovers and the people that love flying with them will love this travel rewards credit card from the unofficial airline carrier of the Hawaiian islands.

Get Rewarded the Easy Way

• Earn 2X miles on direct purchases from Hawaiian Airlines
• Earn 1X miles on all other purchases with no mileage caps
• No blackout dates plus access to discounted award flights on Hawaiian Airlines
• No foreign transaction fees on purchases

Enjoy Bonuses Every Year

• Get $100 off a companion ticket for roundtrip coach travel between Hawaii and North America at each account anniversary
• Earn 5,000 annual bonus miles after $10,000 in annual spend

Travel Easier with these Extras

• Chip card for convenient use all over the world
• Enjoy up to 10X miles at select partners
• Special perks like 24/7 Concierge Service, lost luggage reimbursement, travel assistance services, car rental protection, unique experiences and VIP events

The Frontier Airlines World MasterCard

Frontier Airlines, one of the country’s favorite ultra low-cost airlines, offers a travel rewards credit card that is perfect for regular flyers of this Denver-based budget airline.

Get on the Fast Track to Earning Miles

• Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles after spending $500 in the first 90 days
• Earn up to 10,000 Bonus Miles on balance transfers (1 mile per $1 transferred) in the first 90 days
• Earn Double Miles on purchases at FlyFrontier.com and 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases

Get the Flights You Want and More
• No blackout dates Book any roundtrip award flight on Frontier starting at 20,000 EarlyReturns miles (subject to fees/taxes from $5)
• Cardmember Exclusive! Fly with a friend for less: Redeem roundtrip companion award tickets for 5,000 less miles (from 15,000 miles plus fees/taxes from $5)
• 0% Introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months after account opening - after that, a variable APR, currently 15.99% or 24.99% based on your creditworthiness

The Wyndham Rewards Visa Signature Card

Finally, if you’re looking for a travel rewards credit card that will allow you to rack up points for all your hotel stays during your travels, then the Wyndham Rewards Visa Signature Card is the perfect fit for you.

Start Turning Your Everyday Purchases Into Free Nights

• Earn 12,000 bonus points with first purchase
• Earn 3 points per $1 spent on every participating hotel stay
• Earn 2 points per $1 spent everywhere else
• $0 annual fee
• 12,000 Points = Up to 2 free nights