The Best Premium Travel Credit Cards

Last updated: 6/6/24 | June 6th, 2024
Nomadic Matt has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Some or all of the card offers on this page are from advertisers and compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. Nomadic Matt and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. This page does not include all card companies or all available card offers.

When it comes to choosing a travel credit card, most people balk at paying an annual fee, especially for the premium cards where the fees are $500 or more per year.

I get that. When you first start out collecting points and miles, there are cheaper options to choose from.

But frequent travelers can easily get more value out of these cards than the cost of the annual fee thanks to the host of benefits that premium cards offer.

Most premium cards come with unlimited airport lounge access, free Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®, travel insurance, high welcome bonuses, higher points-earning capabilities than lower fee cards, and other perks, such as statement credits for travel, dining, or delivery — all of which help offset the annual cost of the card.

That means that having a premium card in your wallet makes your travel experience easier and more comfortable, which can make a big difference since flight delays and cancellations are more common than ever.

To help you decide what card is best for you and your travel goals, here is my list of the best premium travel credit cards out there:

 

MY TOP PICK: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

This is my favorite premium rewards card. It’s the upgraded version of one of the most popular travel credit cards out there (the Chase Sapphire Preferred) and includes a lot of fantastic perks for avid travelers. While the $550 fee is steep on paper, the $300 annual travel credit is very easy to get, effectively reducing the annual fee to a more reasonable $250. The Reserve also offers lounge access, great travel insurance, and an array of statement credits that, when used right, can give you benefits worth even more than $250.

I like this card better than The Platinum Card® from American Express because it comes with better points earning bonus categories and more practical, everyday perks like DoorDash, Instacart, and Lyft perks.

This card offers:

• bonus_miles_full
• 3x points on travel
• 3x points on dining, including takeout and eligible delivery services
• 5x points on flights when booked through Chase Travel(SM)
• 10x points on hotels and rental cars when booked through Chase Travel(SM)
• Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel(SM)
• 10x points on Lyft + 2-year Lyft Pink membership
• $300 annual travel credit
• Priority Pass Membership for lounge access (one-time enrollment required)
• $100 credit toward Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check (every 4 years)
• Travel insurance including trip delay coverage, primary car rental insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, and trip cancellation insurance
• 1 year of complimentary Instacart+ membership (includes up to $15 in statement credits each month through July 2024)
• Complimentary DashPass membership (includes $5 in DoorDash credits each month)

You can also combine points earned with this card with no-fee Chase cards (like the Chase Freedom and card_name) to increase your points-earning power too!

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The Platinum Card® from American Express

Notorious as the premium travel credit card with the highest annual fee ($695), the Platinum is one of the best premium cards out there — if you take advantage of its luxury benefits. This card unlocks a ton of lounge access, elite status benefits, travel perks, special hotel discounts, and luxury goods and service credits. (If you’re a business owner, there’s a business version of the Platinum, with many similar perks as well as statement credits more geared towards business owners.)

The Platinum is best for people who value luxury travel, lifestyle perks, and statement credits over everyday points earning capabilities. (See Rates and Fees).

This card offers:

• bonus_miles_full
• Earn 5x Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (on the first $500,000 spent per calendar year)
• Earn 5x Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com
• Access to The American Express Global Lounge Collection® (includes The Centurion® Network, Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta, and Priority Pass™ Select lounges)
• Travel insurance coverage including secondary car rental insurance, trip interruption and cancellation, lost luggage reimbursement
• $200 in airline credit (on one qualifying airline, must choose airline in advance, on incidentals only, not airfare)
• $200 in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts(R) or The Hotel Collection(min 2 night stay) bookings with American Express Travel
• $189 annual CLEAR® Plus statement credit (covers an annual membership) per calendar year (subject to
  auto-renewal)
• Either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck(R) application fee for a 5-
  year plan only (through a TSA PreCheck(R) official enrollment provider), when charged to your Platinum Card(R). (Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.)
• $15 in monthly Uber Cash (plus a bonus $20 in December; Terms apply)
• $50 biannual Saks Fifth Avenue credit
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month (enrollment required, includes Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal)
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card(R) to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.

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Capital One Venture X Rewards

This card got an overhaul a few years ago. It has all the perks you’d expect of a top-notch credit card, including a generous welcome bonus, lounge access, travel credits, and a solid points-earning structure. At $395, it’s the cheapest premium travel credit card out there. The 2x points you can earn on every purchase as well as no fee for up to four authorized users are both unique in this class of card.

The Venture X is best for people that want a straight-forward card with a higher-than-normal earning rate on all purchases and that are happy to book through the Capital One travel portal in order to receive the bonus spend rates.

This card offers:

• bonus_miles_full
• 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles on all other purchases
• $300 travel credit when booking through the Capital One portal
• $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
• Unlimited complimentary access to Capital One, Priority Pass, and Plaza Premium lounges
• 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
• Travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance, trip interruption and cancellation, luggage reimbursement

—> LEARN MORE <—

 

Best Premium Airline Cards

If flying with a certain airline (or airline alliance) is a priority, here’s a quick look at some of my favorite premium airline credit cards:

card_name – This is Delta’s top tier card. bonus_miles_full Earn 3x miles on purchases made directly with Delta, 15% off when booking award travel on Delta flights, priority boarding, statement credit of up to $100 for Global Entry® (every 4 years) or TSA PreCheck® (every 4.5 years), a Companion Certificate (on First Class, Delta Comfort+®, or Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights) each year after renewal of your Card, and complimentary access to Delta Sky Clubs (currently unlimited access, though starting 2/1/25, Reserve members will get 15 visits per year). $650 annual fee. See Rates and Fees.

card_name – This is United’s premium card. bonus_miles_full You’ll also earn 4x miles on United purchases, 2x miles on travel and dining, two free checked bags, and up to $100 Global Entry® or TSA PreCheck® fee credit. $525 annual fee. Terms apply.

card_name – For American Airlines frequent fliers, this is your premium card. bonus_miles_full Enjoy Admirals Club® membership, earn 2x miles on eligible American airlines purchases, get one free checked bag (for yourself as well as up to eight travel companions on the same reservation), and up to $100 Global Entry® or TSA PreCheck® fee credit. $595 annual fee. Terms apply.

Best Premium Hotel Cards

If staying in hotels is a priority, here’s a quick look at some of my favorite premium hotel credit cards:

card_name – bonus_miles_full Earn 6x points on eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy, 3x points on restaurants, 3x on flights booked directly with airlines, 2x points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases, and up to $100 Global Entry® or TSA PreCheck® fee credit. $650 annual fee. See Rates and Fees.

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card – Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months, 14x Hilton Honors points on eligible purchases at participating Hilton properties, 7x points on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, 7x points at U.S. restaurants (including takeout and delivery), 3x points on all other purchases, $250 Hilton resort credit, Priority Pass Select membership, and free night certificate. Terms apply. Rates and fees.

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The premium travel credit card space has more options than ever. Whether you’re looking for premium lifestyle benefits, just need an easy-to-use card, or want to elevate your airline or hotel experiences, there’s a premium card out there for you. If you’re smart and take advantage of all that these cards have to offer, you can easily come out on top, traveling for free and making your entire experience that much more enjoyable.
 

Advertiser Disclosure: “Nomadic Matt has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Some or all of the card offers on this page are from advertisers and compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. Nomadic Matt and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.”

Editorial Disclosure: “Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. This page does not include all card companies or all available card offers.”

For rates and fees for the Platinum Card from American Express, See Rates and Fees.

For rates and fees for the Delta Reserve(R) Credit Card from American Express, See Rates and Fees.

For rates and fees for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant(R) American Express(R) Card, See Rates and Fees.

For rates and fees for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, see rates and fees.