3 Credit Cards To Check Out If You Plan To Travel In 2024

Travel is back, and it's not slowing down, with record air travel expected over Thanksgiving. For next year, 64% of global travelers say they're planning to cut other areas of their personal spending to prioritize leisure travel, according to a study by Hilton.

Paying for travel is often the challenge, and reducing spending in other areas is one way to boost your travel budget. Travel credit cards are another smart choice. My credit cards not only save me thousands of dollars every year on travel, they also improve my travel experience, every time.

If you've been looking for a travel card, it might feel overwhelming because of all the options available. That's why I've picked out a few favorites that offer quite a bit of value. In the list below, you'll find travel cards that could save you money on all your trips, in 2024 and beyond.

1. If you want an affordable and flexible travel card: Chase Sapphire Preferred

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a fantastic first travel card for a few reasons:

• It's affordable. This card has a $95 annual fee, much less than what many travel cards charge.
• It has an excellent sign-up bonus. You earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months.
• It has flexible points. You're not locked in to using your points with a single airline or hotel. Chase Ultimate Rewards points are transferable to over a dozen airline and hotel partners. They can also be redeemed for cash bookings in the Ultimate Rewards travel portal at a value of $0.0125 per point.

If you spend at least $4,000 in the first 3 months, you'll earn those 60,000 bonus points. Since they're worth $0.0125 per point, that means the sign-up bonus alone saves you $750 on travel. You could also transfer your points to Chase's partners and possibly get even more value.

>> Apply now for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. <<

2. If you want premium travel benefits: Capital One Venture X Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) is a premium travel card that can pay for itself. It has a $395 annual fee and a 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable) APR. Here are some of the many benefits you get with it:

• A $300 annual travel credit. This applies to bookings made on Capital One Travel.
• A welcome offer of 75,000 miles. You earn 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• A 10,000-mile bonus every account anniversary. This bonus starts on your first anniversary as a cardholder.
• A better air travel experience. As a cardholder, you get unlimited access to Capital One Lounges and two partner lounge networks, Priority Pass and Plaza Premium Group. You also get a statement credit of up to $100 every four years to cover a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership.

Like Chase points, Capital One Venture miles give you a lot of redemption options. They're worth $0.01 per mile toward travel purchases, or you can transfer them to Capital One's partners and potentially get more value from them. At that $0.01 per mile value, the 75,000 miles welcome offer saves you $750 on travel.

>> Apply now for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. <<

Even though this card has a $395 annual fee, it's easy to get your money's worth. If you use the $300 annual travel credit, that brings the cost down to $95. You also get those 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary. Since miles can be redeemed toward travel purchases for $0.01 apiece, you can get at least $100 from those bonus miles. That already outweighs the annual fee.

3. If you spend big on groceries and dining: Amex Gold Card

Lots of travel cards earn bonus points in travel-related categories, such as airfare and hotels. There aren't nearly as many with bonuses on groceries. That's one of the reasons the American Express® Gold Card stands out. While it has a $250 annual fee (see rates and fees), it also has several unique perks. Here's what makes it special:

• It earns bonus grocery and dining rewards. Specifically, it earns 4 points per $1 at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year) and 4 points per $1 at restaurants worldwide plus takeout and delivery in the United States. Terms apply.
• It has a welcome offer of 60,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 in the first 6 months. These are American Express Membership Rewards points, which are transferable to a large number of airlines and hotels. Terms apply.
• It offers $120 in annual dining credits. You can get dining statement credits of $10 per month when you use your American Express® Gold Card at select participating restaurants and food delivery services. Terms apply.
• It also offers $120 in annual Uber Cash. After you've added your American Express® Gold Card to your Uber account, you receive $10 in Uber Cash per month. You can use it for Uber rides or Uber Eats orders in the United States. Terms apply.

>> Apply now for the American Express® Gold Card. <<

This card can be a bit trickier to use, since you need to use its credits every month to make the most of it. But if you can do that, then the American Express® Gold Card is an incredible value. It earns lots of points in popular spending categories, and there are plenty of ways to use those points for travel bookings.

Making your travel dreams come true in 2024

If you travel often, or if it's something you'd like to do more, a travel card is good to have. You can use it to earn rewards on your typical expenses, and then redeem those rewards for travel bookings. With all the bonuses travel cards offer, it's even possible to travel for free with points.

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You Only Need These 5 Credit Cards in Your Wallet ⌛