Need points for summer travel next year? Apply for a new credit card now

If you're planning to travel in summer 2026 and beyond, now's the perfect time to start racking up points and miles for your itineraries.

At TPG, we believe it's never too early to start earning. If you can earn travel rewards now, you can start making your summer 2026 bookings early, taking advantage of more hotel and airline availability and cheaper rates all around.

Here's our step-by-step guide to earning rewards right now to enjoy a low-stress and savings-filled summer travel season.

Cash in on timely welcome offers

First, applying for the best welcome offers on new cards right now will give you plenty of time to meet their minimum spending requirements.

Most cards have a three- to six-month window on their welcome offers and can require thousands of dollars in spending. Don't put yourself behind the curve by getting a card in the fall — take advantage now.

For example, if you apply for a card now and get it by November 1, 2025, you'll have until February 2026 to take advantage of a typical three-month welcome offer. Then, you can receive your rewards by March 2026.

While this may be too late for booking spring or Easter travel, you'll have plenty of time to book summer travel while it's still cheap and plentiful.

Best welcome offers right now

If you're wondering which card to get, here are just a few of our favorite welcome offers available right now.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

The incredibly popular Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) is offering a welcome bonus of 75,000 points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

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That's worth $1,538 according to TPG's October 2025 valuations.

To learn more, read our full review of the Sapphire Preferred.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Both the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offer generous welcome bonuses.

With the Venture X, new cardholders can earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening.

The Venture Rewards offers new cardholders to earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months from account opening.

Venture's welcome offers are valued at $1,388, and the Venture X welcome offer is valued at $1,850 (based on TPG's October 2025 valuations).

Both cards earn at least 2 miles per dollar spent on all purchases, making them great options for those who want simplicity and don't want to remember bonus categories.

To learn more, read our full reviews of the Venture Rewards and Venture X.

American Express Gold Card

We'd be remiss if we didn't mention the American Express® Gold Card. Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 100,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases in your first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.

This bonus is worth up to $2,000, based on TPG's October 2025 valuations.

The Amex Gold is a heavy hitter in the world of points and miles, as it earns:

• 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar spent).
• 4 points per dollar spent on purchases at U.S. supermarkets per calendar year (on up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar spent).

To learn more, read our full review of the Amex Gold.

American Express Platinum Card

The American Express Platinum Card® is another excellent option for earning a large welcome bonus. Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 175,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.

This bonus is worth up to $3,500 based on TPG's valuations.

The Amex Platinum card is loaded with premium perks such as lounge access, numerous statement credits and benefits and shopping and travel protections. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

To learn more, read our full review of the Amex Platinum.

American Express Business Platinum Card

If you want to go the business card route, try The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. New Amex Business Platinum applicants can earn 200,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 within the first three months of card membership.

This is the highest public welcome offer we've ever seen on this card. This bonus is worth $4,000 based on TPG's valuations.

The Business Amex Platinum shares many of the same perks of its personal counterpart, but also offers some business-centered statement credits. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

To learn more, read our full review of the Amex Business Platinum.

Related: The best credit card welcome bonuses

Use card perks for fall and winter travel

It's not just about welcome offers, though. You can use your new card's bonus-earning categories to earn more rewards to put toward your summer travel plans. In the meantime, you can also use your new card and its perks to enjoy all your fall and winter holiday travel.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) offers up to $300 in travel credits annually, a statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, access to Sapphire Lounges and a Priority Pass membership.

The aforementioned Capital One Venture X provides lounge benefits extended to authorized users and two guests (through February 1, 2026; policies change on this date), access to top-tier Hertz President's Circle* status and a $300 annual credit for travel booked through Capital One's travel booking site.

The Amex Platinum and Business Platinum offer hotel elite status with Marriott, Hilton and Leaders Club, which can enhance your stay if you stay at one of those brands. Enrollment required. Plus, eligible cardmembers can get into the best lounges on the market with access to the Global Lounge Collection.

Any or all of these cards should ensure that your next trip is cushier, even before you factor in the welcome offers involved.

*Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at that status level through the duration of the offer. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.

Related: Traveling these holidays? Here are the best cards for making your trip more comfortable

Book your summer plans early

As previously mentioned, you'll want to get a new card sooner rather than later to ensure you can book summer trips with as little money and as much flexibility as possible.

Booking earlier means more available flights and hotel rooms at cheaper rates.

Booking summer travel in March is much cheaper than waiting until April (or even May). Every day counts, so you'll want to stay ahead of the game.

Related: 7 mistakes to avoid when redeeming hotel points

Bottom line

The early bird gets the worm. If you're looking to take a stress-free trip that you're not stuck planning last-minute, now's the time to get a card that'll earn a nice stash of rewards you can use in the future.

If you can get approved for a new card now, you can capitalize on lucrative welcome offers and book your next trip sooner rather than later. You'll take care of two tasks at once: You'll enjoy your new card's perks during the fall and winter holiday seasons and save money during the next year's summer season and beyond.

Then, you can start thinking about how to do it all again next year.

Related: How to choose a credit card for airport lounge access

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.