Best Any Airline / Anytime Card Double miles on every purchase (2 points per $ spent) Use your points for any flight, hotel, rental car, cruise at any time No special agency -- you book your flights where you want Simple online redemption for statement credit 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers until September 2009 Primary car rental insurance with no deductible up to $50,000 in coverage Travel delay insurance -- up to $150/day for food/lodging during airline delays Annual fee only $60

EDITORS' CHOICE
Best Any Airline / Anytime Credit Card
Escape by Discover

Powerful earning power with simplicity
We like this card because of its powerful double miles on every purchase you make with no caps on the number of miles you can earn. You earn 2 miles for every dollar you spend - with no special category restrictions or limits. This guarantees you a 2% reward return on all your spending when you use the card to redeem for travel purchase credit. Regular mile credit cards typically earn only 1 mile per dollar spent.

Redeeming is simple. You just purchase the flights, hotels, rental cars, or cruises you want using whatever website, travel agency, or telephone number you choose.

You can then go online to your Discover account and select points for redemption. You will receive a statement credit reimbursing the charge for the flights. Every 10,000 points you earn  is worth $100 in travel statement credit. So with double miles on every purchase just $5,000 in card spending gives you $100 in reward value, a 2% return. This gives you control over airlines, times, and destinations with no blackout dates.

You can apply for and learn more about the card with this link to Discover





How much are my miles worth?
You will earn the equivalent of 2% back on your purchases when you redeem your miles for travel rewards with no limits. This is substantially better than the 1-1.5% that is typical for cash back credit cards with no category restrictions.

While you may sometimes earn better returns with a hotel card or traditional miles card for some business class or airline awards, they do involve an additional level of complexity to redeem and plan. With the Escape card you get complete simplicity with a fair and generous return.

You can apply for and learn more about the card with this link to Discover

You can earn valuable rewards with limited spending
With the Escape by Discover card you can earn rewards without having to earn the full 25,000 miles required for a typical airline credit card. With just 10,000 miles, or $5000 in spending you can earn a travel credit worth $100, which is a 2% rebate on your spending. This is the most generous any airline/anytime travel reward rebate available.


Peace of mind when you travel
The card comes with unique premium travel features as well. Our favorite is complimentary trip delay insurance. When you are stuck overnight because of a weather delay, airlines are not responsible, and they will often leave you to pay for your hotel room while you wait for a flight the next day or longer.

When you use your Escape by Discover® card to book travel you will get up to $150 per day of unexpected food and lodging expenses covered. We haven't found another card that offers this benefit. In addition, the Primary Car Rental Insurance is usually reserved for cards with much higher annual fees and can save you hundreds when you rent cars.

*Primary Car Rental Insurance, Lost or Damaged Luggage Insurance, Travel Delay Insurance, and Trip Cancellation Insurance are underwritten by Virginia Surety Company, Inc.

Best for people who prefer simplicity and value
We think this card is best for people who don't want to learn the tricks and rules of airline and hotel point redemption. If your goal is to earn miles for simple travel -- by air, train, car, cruise, or even just a hotel room for one night, and don't fly a lot on your own, this is the right card for you.

You can apply for and learn more about the card with this link to Discover

People who already earn a lot of points by flying may find higher return, but slightly more complex redemption opportunities with the Starwood Preferred Guest American Express and Citi PremierPass Elite MasterCard .


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