Best Travel Credit Cards of 2022

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the most popular travel rewards credit card on the market. Offering an excellent return on travel and dining purchases, the card packs a ton of value that easily offsets its $95 annual fee. Cardholders can redeem points at 1.25 cents each for travel booked through Chase or transfer points to one of Chase’s 13 valuable airline and hotel partners.

If you’re looking for luxury travel benefits, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better card than The Platinum Card from American Express. You’ll get hundreds of dollars in annual credits, unrivaled lounge access, elite status benefits at Hilton and Marriott, solid purchase protections and so much more. While the card does come with a steep annual fee, you can easily offset that cost by taking advantage of this card’s many perks.

With a $395 annual fee, the card undercuts more expensive competitors in this space, but an annual fee is just a small part of the story. Add in a 10,000-mile bonus every account anniversary and lounge access, and the card may become the strongest option out there for a lot of travelers.

When it comes to simplicity and strong rewards, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a solid choice for most travelers. You’ll earn earns 2x miles on every purchase with no bonus categories to memorize, making it an ideal card for those with busy lives.

The American Express® Gold Card wants a seat at your table, whether you’re dining out at restaurants or buying groceries at U.S. supermarkets. The card offers 4 points per dollar spent at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar). With a record-high welcome offer, the Amex Gold card is looking better than ever.

The Citi Premier Card is one of the best starter travel rewards cards due to its gracious amount of bonus spend categories. You’ll not only earn triple points on air travel and hotel, but also on restaurants, supermarkets and gas stations — offering plenty of opportunities to earn on your everyday purchases. Best of all, your points are flexible and can transfer to a variety of frequent flyer programs in every airline alliance.

If you’re looking to dip your toes into the world of travel rewards, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is a great way to get started. With no annual fee and a simple 1.25x miles on all your purchases, you won’t have to keep up with multiple bonus categories — just earn rewards on everything you purchase! Coupled with the 20,000-mile sign-up bonus, you can use your rewards to book travel, transfer to Capital One’s loyalty partners and more.

The Business Platinum Card from American Express is a great card for frequent travelers looking to add a touch of luxury to their business trips. While the card does come with a high annual fee, you’re also getting a ton of valuable benefits in return. They include generous annual travel credits, unparalleled lounge access that includes Amex Centurion Lounges and more.

The Hilton Honors Surpass Card stands out in the crowded mid-tier category of cobranded hotel credit cards. It comes with elite-like perks at a reasonable annual fee. New cardholders can earn up to a generous 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points plus a free night reward after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of our top premium travel cards. With a $300 travel credit, bonus points on dining and travel purchases and other benefits, you can get excellent value that far exceeds the annual fee on the card.