Best Travel Credit Cards (2023)

For a frequent flier, don't leave money on the table. To capitalize on travel benefits, we've been evaluating a wide range of travel credit cards. In this post, we will discuss them one by one. Of course, I'll also share our preferences.

Some of the benefits to look out for include:

• Reward miles
• Discounts on services
• Coverage on insurances
• Annual fees
• Customer Serivces

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Annual Fee

$395

Notable Benefits

• $300 Travel Credit every year (if you book travel through Capital One Travel).
• $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® Credit.
• 75,000 Miles, equal to $750 (after opening the account and spending $4000 within the first 3 months).
• 10,000 miles, equal to $100 every year.
• Access to Capital One Lounges for you and 2 guests per visit.
• Access to Partner Lounge Network from Priority Pass™ and Plaza Premium Group for you and 2 guests.
• Travel credit for the difference if you book on Capital One Travel and find a better price elsewhere.
• Add cardholders to your account for free.

Capital One Lounge at DFW

Is it worth the fee?

If you frequently fly, you can easily recoup the money. Let's do some math here. You pay $395, but you can get $300 worth back when booking travel via the Capital One Travel Portal, $100 for TSA PreCheck credit, and $100 worth of miles.

If you often dine at airports, your meal costs will be zero with the lounges. Let's say you have a family of 3; you can save about $50 per trip. If you have layovers at multiple airports, the amount multiplies.

Looks like Reddit agrees with me (Source)

It’s not just this, but also the free authorized users who get lounge access. As far as I know, no other premium cards offer this benefit. If the husband has the Venture X, the wife can be an authorized user. With 2-4 kids, you can still access lounges for free, covering the whole family, because each card holder can have up to 2 guests.

Capital One Lounges are currently available at Denver International Airport (DEN), Dallas-Fort Worth Airport (DFW), and Washington Dulles Airport (IAD) (see the list here). If any of these airports is your home airport, having a Capital One Venture X card adds great value!

Purely in terms of value, not including the increase in comfort level, you should be able to recoup $395 very easily, especially if you travel frequently in a year.

Common Pitfalls

If you're reimbursed for TSA Precheck, note that it's eligible for a 5-year period with a one-time fee (see tsa.gov). In the second year of using this card, you don't need to purchase TSA Precheck again. To maximize the value of your money spent on the fee, consider utilizing the other benefits of the card.

Therefore, the more you travel, the more you can benefit from this card.

How to Apply

Apply at https://www.capitalone.com/credit-cards/venture-x/

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Annual Fee

$95

Notable Benefits

• $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® Credit.
• 75,000 Miles, equal to $750 (after opening the account and spending $4000 within the first 3 months).

Common Pitfalls

None

Is it worth the fee?

If you use TSA PreCheck®, you can easily recoup the cost.

You can see that this Venture Rewards card ($95) is a simpler version compared to the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card ($95). If you use TSA PreCheck®, it implies that you are likely a frequent flier. If that's the case, Venture X still seems like a better deal, considering the increased comfort level.

How to Apply

Apply here at Capital One.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Annual Fee

Notable Benefits

Common Pitfalls

Is it worth the fee?

How to Apply

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Annual Fee

Notable Benefits

Common Pitfalls

Is it worth the fee?

How to Apply

American Express® Gold Card

Annual Fee

Notable Benefits

Common Pitfalls

Is it worth the fee?

How to Apply

Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card

Annual Fee

Notable Benefits

Common Pitfalls

Is it worth the fee?

How to Apply

Final Words

For us, we prioritize the value of the credit card rather than the luxury benefits of travel. This means considering the number of our travels and whether we can recoup the card's annual fee through its use.

It's important to determine your goals when applying for an additional credit card.

FAQ

Would it hurt my credit score if I create a new credit card?

Opening a new credit card can temporarily lower your credit score due to a hard inquiry and reduced average account age.

However, responsible use—making timely payments and keeping balances low—can improve your credit over time by diversifying credit types and potentially lowering your credit utilization ratio.