Best Travel Credit Cards 2023

This is Capital One’s top-end travel card — and it has the perks to prove it — but the annual fee is light compared to others in its class. When you book through Capital One Travel, you’ll earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights. Plus, those bookings can nab you up to $300 in statement credits every year, on top of another 10,000 bonus miles at each anniversary. With rewards like these, you won’t even notice the $395 annual fee.

• 2X miles on all purchases not mentioned above
• Unlimited free access to over 1,300 lounges
• Up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
• Transfer miles to more than 15 different travel partners
• Extra perks available for luxury hotels and resorts in the Premier Collection
• Capital One Travel may not offer the best prices, and its lounge network is still growing

If you’re new to the travel card world and have good credit, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card is a great place to start. Offering an ideal blend of high reward potential and flexible reward redemption, this card lets you rack up points and spend them how you see fit. Its low $95 annual fee will attract many spenders looking to dip their toe in with premium credit cards before they dive in all the way. Keep in mind that the best perks are reserved for spending through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

• 5X points on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards and 3X points on dining
• 2x points on all other purchases
• $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit
• Great protection perks, including Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance and Lost Luggage Insurance
• Complimentary DashPass access for at least a year when you activate by Dec. 31, 2024

For an airline-specific card, it’s tough to beat the United Club℠ Infinite card. Despite the hefty annual fee, the free United Club membership and generous rewards on United purchases make it well worth it for regular United travelers. You’ll also get your first two bags checked for free when you book your flights with the card. The high annual fee and high APR (with no intro APR) may not appeal to some spenders.

• 1X miles on all purchases not mentioned above
• 500 Premier qualifying points for every $12,000 in purchases (up to 8,000 PQP per calendar year)
• No foreign transaction fees
• Up to $100 Global Entry, NEXUS fee or TSA PreCheck® credit

If you prefer Hilton properties, you can’t go without this card. You’ll rack up rewards quickly when you stay within the Hilton family — at a whopping 14 points per dollar. You can also earn a solid 7 points per dollar when you book flights directly with airlines or through amextravel.com, rent cars through select partners, or spend at U.S. restaurants. These points have a slightly lower redemption value than some other programs, but these perks and more will still outweigh the annual fee for Hilton travelers.

• 3X points on all purchases not mentioned above
• Up to $250 in annual statement credits for eligible purchases at Hilton resorts
• Complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status can take your rewards even further
• Earn a free night every year, plus an extra one when you spend $60,000 per calendar year
• $250 airline credit for incidental airline expenses charged to your card
• Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership

The Platinum Card® from American Express is an old-school, high-status credit card, and you need look no further than its substantial annual fee to see that. But, in the hands of a frequent luxury traveler who doesn’t mind being strategic with their spending, this card can pay off big time. On top of the above-mentioned 5X points on air travel, you can earn 5X points on prepaid hotels through American Express Travel. From there, you can start stacking up credits for spending on hotels, streaming services, Walmart, Uber, and more. You’ll need to leverage many of these to make the annual fee worth it, but if you put in the work, this card will pay off.

• $695 annual fee
• Comprehensive access to airport lounges
• Elite status and benefits with Hilton and Marriott properties
• 80,000 bonus points when you spend $6,000 in the first six months
• Substantial credits of $200 or more for using your card for hotels, streaming services, Walmart membership, Uber rides, Sax Fifth Avenue, and more
• Statement credits for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or CLEAR® Plus

Chase’s top-tier Sapphire card offers many of the same perks as its Sapphire Preferred® option, but with the opportunity to boost rewards even further through more spending. This makes it a great card for more expensive international travel, as you can quickly tap into point boosts on flights, hotels and rental cars, along with an extra bump when redeeming points through Chase Ultimate Rewards. These rewards, along with the annual $300 statement credit for travel purchases, easily offset the annual fee. You’ll need excellent credit to qualify, though.

• $550 annual fee
• 5X points on flights and 10X points on hotels and car rentals when purchased immediately after you spend the first $300 on travel each year
• 3X points on other travel and dining, 1X points on all other purchases
• 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months
• Transfer points at equal value to major airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Priority Pass™ Select access to more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide
• $100 credit for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every four years
• Great protection perks, including Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance and Lost Luggage Insurance