With an eye to point earning efficiency
and convenience of redemption, we've selected the best in each major
category of travel reward cards. While no single card may be a
perfect match for you, we think these cards feature 'best in class'
advantages that will enhance your award experience. For more details
on how to select a card and rankings of cards for various awards,
see our Tips and Features section. You will
find a guided tour
on how to select the right card for you.
Best All-Around Card
(Also available as a Business credit
card. Click
here
to
apply.)
10,000
point first purchase
bonus
Use points at Sheraton, Westin, W, Four Points,
St. Regis, Le Meridien hotels
No
capacity restrictions on
hotel awards (if there's a standard room for sale, you can use
points)
Transfer points to
most airlines at a better than 1:1 ratio (no
dilution)
Annual fee only $45 (first year
free)
Best
All-Around: Starwood Hotels
American Express The best all-around reward card for many casual, frequent, and
family travelers.
What is Starwood Preferred
Guest? Starwood
Preferred Guest is the points program from Starwood Hotels,
which includes Sheraton, Westin, W, Four Points, Le Meridien,
and St. Regis hotels. You don't need to stay at one of
their hotels to join or earn points, and you are automatically
enrolled when you sign up for the credit card.
We like the program because it
lets you transfer your points into miles in over 30 top airline
programs, giving you incredible flexibility with one card.
In addition, you can use your points for free nights at their
hotels, for merchandise, or gift cards.
2. Easy hotel rewards. If a standard room
is available for sale, you can book it with your
Starwood points. Hotel rewards
are much easier to use for family vacations than trying to
find flight awards for a family of 4.
3. Generous 10,000 point
signon is worth up to 3 free nights at many Shreaton, Westin, W, St. Regis, Four
Points, and Le Meridien hotels, 10,000 airline miles, or a $100
gift card.
This is the
best all-around reward card for many
travelers. It's great for people who fly just about
every major airline, light hotel guests, and anyone who
wants to stay at a Starwood hotel (Sheraton, Westin, W,
Four Points, St. Regis, Le Meridien). This card offers better
earning power for airline awards than most airline cards, and
allows direct transfer to your airline accounts for
redemption.
It's also excellent for people who
don't travel frequently but want to earn points toward valuable
hotel nights Hotels are much easier to
redeem for vacations and the dollar value you get for each
point you use is often better than for for airline tickets. You also
need fewer points for free hotel nights than for most
free flights. And, with Starwood If there's a standard room for sale, it's
available for points.
How it works
Don’t worry about whether
you want to use points for airlines or hotels. Decide when you
plan your trip. You earn 1 Starwood point for every
dollar spent...and can transfer those points online to your
account with nearly every major airline
...most 1 for 1...with quick
turnaround. Moreover, you get a bonus of 5,000 miles for every 20,000 points you transfer
to airline miles, effecitvely earning 1.25 miles per dollars
spent.
Points are also good at all
Sheraton, Westin, W, Sheraton, St. Regis, Le Meridien, and
Four Points hotels with no capacity restrictions. If there's a
room to buy, you can book it with points. For many travelers,
hotel stays are a better use of points than domestic airline
tickets in any program. See our
PurchasePower rankings to learn why or see here that theyare great because you don't need many
points for great values:
3,000 points
= 1 free night at "Category 1" hotels (midpriced, suburban
locations) 4,000 points = 1 free night at "Category 2"
hotels (metropolitan and many resorts) 7,000 points = 1
free night at "Category 3" hotels (large cities, premium
resorts) 10,000 points = 1 free night at "Category 4"
hotels (high demand areas, luxury resorts)
20,000 points =
free roundtrip U.S. plane ticket when transferred to
an airline mile program for redemption
And many other redemption options,
including a $100 gift card at Amazon, Nordstrom, Starbucks,
and other retailers for
9,500 points.
Convenience
This card lets you earn in
a universal format (Starwood points) and convert the points into the airline
miles of your choice. Just find out which airline has
the availability you want, and transfer points
to your airline account for redemption...usually without
dilution. That way
you can also add to your existing airline mile
balances.
Starwood will enhance your
points by offering 5,000 bonus miles for every 20,000
points you transfer to your airline program. You in effect
earn 1.25 miles per dollar spent versus 1 for most airline
cards. Details on how it stacks up versus other cards are in
our
PurchasePower rankings.
Moreover, you can transfer
points online and not deal with telephone operators . Starwood hotel redemptions also have no
capacity controls. If there’s a room available to purchase at
one of their hotels, you can use your points to
buy it online or over the telephone! This is often the
best use of your points.
Annual Fee No fee the first year, only
$45 afterward. The low fee makes
this road warrior proven card great for even light travelers
looking to earn points just through purchases.
Point bonuses
10,000 points with first purchase. 5,000
mile bonus for every 20,000 points you transfer to an airline.
This makes this card better than most standard airline cards
for earning points on your favorite airline...and is why it’s
the choice of some of the most seasoned travelers.
Dollars spent before your first reward
$1. With a 10,000 point bonus for your
first purchase, you’ve earned two nights at any Category 1 or
2 Starwood hotel...with no restriction.
(Also
available as a Business credit card
offering a 5% discount on Delta flight
purchases and up to 10,000 addtional bonus miles
each year. Click
here to
apply)
Best Major Airline Card: Delta
SkyMiles American Express Double miles on your 'everyday' purchases
Top three reasons to
choose
1. Unlike most airline mileage credit
cards, this earns double miles per dollar on 'everyday'
purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, and home
improvement centers, along with your wireless telephone bill,
and 1 mile per dollar on all others.
This gives it higher earning power than most airline cards,
making it the most powerful traditional airline card for most
reward types. American Express also often
offers promotions for double miles on all purchases for
cardmembers.
2. You can use Delta miles for many more
airlines than Delta flights! You'll have
your choice of three
national carriers (Delta, Continental, or Northwest) and some of the world’s finest
international airlines to use your miles (Air
France, KLM, Alitalia, and others).
3. You get a
generous 15,000 point bonus when you sign up, enough
for a first class upgrade. Roundtrip domestic tickets start at 25,000 miles. In
addition, you get a 5,000 point bonus when
you spend $15,000 on the card each year, and another 5,000
when you spend $25,000....other airline cards don't offer
this.
Also offers a $99 companion fare certificate each
year you renew -- with no minimum fare requirement. You buy
yourself a domestic ticket of any value, and your companion
travels for only $99.
Downsides:
Limited options for hotel rewards, which we generally think
are a better option for points with better availability and
better value than many airline awards. See the
Starwood Preferred Guest American
Express
for a
card that lets you earn points for no blackout hotel rewards,
as well as transfer points to over 30 airline
programs at a 1:1 ratio or better.
How it works
Just like any traditional frequent flyer
credit card. You earn 1 mile in your Delta SkyMiles account
for every dollar spent, or 2 miles for every dollar spent at
'everyday' places like gas, groceries, and home improvement
centers.
Convenience
Sky Team alliance flexibility. You can use
Delta miles for many more airlines than Delta flights! You'll
have your choice of three national carriers (Delta,
Continental, or Northwest) and some of the world’s finest
international airlines to use your miles (Air
France, KLM, Alitalia, and others).
Annual Fee
No fee the first year, $80
afterward (only $30 if you have or open another American
Express card, even if that card has no annual fee).
Point bonuses
15,000 with your first
purchase...and 2,500 additional miles if you add another card
to the account.
Companion card offers We know many people are reluctant to use
an American Express because they think it is not accepted
everywhere. We have few issues using an American Express
card at most places, but if you want a reward earning Visa or
MasterCard in your wallet, we recommend the no annual fee
Chase Freedom Visa
as a companion to the Delta SkyMiles American Express.
The business
version of the card also offers 20,000 bonus points when you
spend $25,000 or more on the card. This offer is good each
year you use the card. In addition, it offers a 5% discount on
Delta flights purchased with the card, along with an annual
$99 companion certificate.
Best No Annual Fee Card
Best No Annual Fee Card: Chase Freedom
(SM)
Card Visa® Simple redemption, generous
triple points, no annual fee, your choice of cash or
points.
Best uses: It's one of the simplest ways
to earn and use points for travel,
especially for casual travelers who don't like the rules of airline and hotel
point programs.
You make the choice
of cash back, or points good for 'any destination, anytime' awards.
In addition, you can transfer your points into Continental and United
Airlines mileage accounts.
Downsides: While not as simple, a card that gives
hotel points (like the Starwood Amex ) will often give you more value for your points. The
Starwood card also lets you transfer points to 30 top airline
programs, giving you access to international business class
upgrades.
Top 3 reasons to choose 1.
$50 cash back with your first
purchase.
2. 3% cash back or triple points per
dollar on your 'everyday' purchases. Each month, your
top 3 spending categories from Chase's list of 'everyday' categories
will earn 3% cash back or triple points per
dollar. Few cards offer this level of cash back earning power.
Eligible 'everyday' categories include
gas stations, fast food, movie theaters, drugstores, departent
stores, grocery stores, pet stores, cable/satellite bills,
beauty salons/spas, gyms, commuting, utilities, and dry
cleaning among others.
3. Your choice of cash
back or points. You can convert your points to cash or vice
versa at any time. Points can be used for no blackout airline
awards, hotel nights, gift cards, and other merchandise. You
also get a $50 bonus for every $200 you redeem, so you get
$250 in value.
How it works
You earn 1 point or 1% cash back for
every dollar you spend on regular purchases and 3
points or 3% cash back for every dollar you spend in your
top 3 'everyday' spending categories including:
gas stations, fast food, movie theaters, drugstores, departent
stores, grocery stores, pet stores, cable/satellite bills,
beauty salons/spas, gyms, commuting, utilities, and dry
cleaning among others
Convenience
You get your choice or earning
cash back or points for flights, hotels, or gift
cards, and can change at any time. While using points with
this card may be a bit cumbersome as you need to book 21 days
in advance for most tickets, there are no blackout dates. In
addition, you can transfer your points directly into
Continental Airlines and United Airlines miles. 6,000
points =
5,000 miles. This is the best conversion for
Continental and United aside from using the specific Continental and United
cards, which carry an annual fee. This card
has no annual fee.
(Also available as a Business Credit
Card .
Click
here to
apply.)
10,000 point first purchase bonus
Use points
at Sheraton, Westin, W, Four Points, St. Regis, Le Meridien
hotels
No capacity restrictions on hotel awards (if
there's a room for sale, you can use
points)
Transfer
points to most airlines at a better than 1:1 ratio
(no dilution)
Annual
fee only $45 (first year free)
Best Hotel Credit
Card: Starwood
Preferred Guest American Express The best all-around
reward card for many casual, frequent, and
family travelers.
Top three reasons to choose
1. Compatible with most airline
mile programs . You can transfer your Starwood hotel
points 1:1 or better to most airline accounts (United and
Continental are diluted 2:1), making it the most flexible card.
2. Easy hotel rewards. If a room is available
for sale, you can book it with your points. Hotel
rewards are much easier to use for family vacations than
trying to find flight awards for a family of 4.
3.
Generous 10,000 point signon is worth up to 3 free
nights at many Shreaton, Westin, W, St. Regis, Four
Points, and Le Meridien hotels, or 10,000 airline miles.
This is the best all-around reward card for
many travelers. It's great for people who fly just
about every major airline, light hotel guests, and anyone
who wants to stay at a Starwood hotel (Sheraton, Westin,
W, Four Points, St. Regis, Le Meridien). This card offers
better earning power for airline awards than most airline
cards, and allows direct transfer to your
airline accounts for redemption.
It's also
excellent for people who don't stay
frequently but want to earn points toward valuable
hotel nights. Hotels are much easier to redeem for
vacations and the dollar
value you get for each point you use is often better
than for for airline tickets. If there's a room for sale, it's
available for points.
How it works
Don’t worry about whether you want
to use points for airlines or hotels. Decide when you plan
your trip. You earn 1 Starwood point for every dollar
spent...and can transfer those points online to your account
with nearly every major airline ...most
1 for 1...with quick turnaround. Moreover, you get a bonus for
transfering points to airline miles, effecitvely earning 1.25
miles per dollars spent. Click here to learn more
about airline transfer optoins and to see a list of
participating airlines.
Points are also good at all Sheraton, Westin,
W, Sheraton, St. Regis, Le Meridien, and Four Points
hotels with no capacity controls. If
there's a room to buy, you can book it with points. For many
travelers, hotel stays are a better use of points than
domestic airline tickets in any program. See our
PurchasePower rankings to learn why or see here that theyare great because you don't need many
points for great values:
3,000 points = 1 free night at
"Category 1" hotels (midpriced, suburban locations) 4,000
points = 1 free night at "Category 2" hotels (metropolitan and
many resorts) 7,000 points = 1 free night at "Category 3"
hotels (large cities, premium resorts) 10,000 points = 1
free night at "Category 4" hotels (high demand areas, luxury
resorts)
20,000 points = free roundtrip U.S. plane
ticket when transferred to an airline mile program for
redemption
And many other redemption options.
Convenience
We have found the easiest way to
redeem airline rewards is to have points in the native
airline’s program and use their tools. This card lets you earn
in a universal format (Starwood points), find out which
program has the availability you want, and transfer
points to the native program for redemption...for most
airlines without dilution
. Starwood will enhance your points by offering
5,000 bonus miles for every 20,000 points you transfer to your
airline program. You in effect earn 1.25 miles per dollar
spent versus 1 for most airline cards. Details on how it
stacks up versus other cards are in our
PurchasePower
rankings.
Moreover, you can transfer
points online and not deal with telephone operators . Starwood hotel
redemptions also have no capacity controls. If there’s a room
available to purchase at one of their hotels, you can use your
points for it! This is often the best use of your points.
Annual Fee No fee the first year, only
$45 afterward. The low fee makes
this road warrior proven card great for even light travelers
looking to earn points just through purchases.
Point bonuses
10,000 points with first purchase. 5,000
mile bonus for every 20,000 points you transfer to an airline.
This makes this card better than most standard airline cards
for earning points on your favorite airline...and is why it’s
the choice of some of the most seasoned travelers.
Dollars spent before your first reward
$1. With a 10,000 point
bonus for your first purchase, you’ve earned two nights at any
Category 1 or 2 Starwood hotel...with no restriction.
(Also available as a Business
credit card. Click hereto apply).
20,000 bonus points after $600 in
purchases made within 3 months of account
opening (enough for a $200 gift card or free flight up to
$400).
2 Points
for Every $1 Spent at Gas Stations, Supermarkets and
Drugstores - Plus Earn 1 Point for Every $1 Spent
on all Other Purchases
1
Point for Every Mile You Fly on Any Airline - or Anyone
Else Whose Tickets You Buy With the
Card.
Complimentary Companion
Travel (Minimum Fare Requirements Apply)
Redeem your
points for travel on any airline, with no blackout
dates, and for rewards-from merchandise to statement
credits.
Best Premium No Blackout Air Award
Card: Citi®
PremierPass(SM) Card - Elite Level
Generous
2 points per dollar on everyday purchases and high 20,000
point intro bonus stand out, along with free companion ticket
program
Top reasons to
choose
1. Your points are good for flights on
any day, with no blackout restrictions. You go where you want,
when you want as long as you're flexible about what airline
you get. Every 100 points = $1 in travel value, or you can use
fixed awards (your better deal) where 20,000 points =
1 domestic roundtrip ticket
up to $400. That's closer to $2 in travel value for
every 100 points. Most airlines require you to spend 50,000 points
for this kind of 'any day' flexibility.
International options are available as well.
2. "Everyday"
purchases like groceries and gas earn 2 points per dollar
spent. You also earn points for every mile
flown when you use the card to purchase plane tickets. This is in addition
to the miles you earn in your airline's frequent flyer
program.
3.
Generous 20,000 point bonus when you spend $600 on the card
within 3
months
of opening your account -- enough for a $200 gift
card or
free flight valued up to $400 with no capacity restrictions on booking
flights with points.
4. Free companion ticket every time you
purchase a domestic
ticket with
a qualifying coach fare (note this may not always
be the lowest cost option).
Best
uses: Casual flyers who are primarily looking for
domestic airline ticket awards and heavy flyers/spenders who
want to supplement their existing card by taking
advantage of the bonus points for flights purchased. The free
companion ticket program can also save you money when you're
traveling as a couple.
Downsides: Not an effiecient use of points for international
business class tickets, and these points can't combine with your
existing airline mile balances. You also must use the Citibank
travel agency to book some tickets, which may take some more
time.
How it works This card earns
Citibank "Thank you" points that you can use for flights and
hotel discounts . You get 1 point per dollar spent
on every purchase, and 2 points for 'everyday' purchases
at supermarkets, gas stations, and parking/mass transit.
The card also offers a unique bonus for every airline
ticket you purchase with the card. You will
receive Citibank "Thank You"
flight points equal to the number of miles flown on your
plane ticket, even while you earn miles on that ticket with
your regular frequent flyer program.
So, if you buy a $360 plane ticket from New
York to Los Angeles, which is 5,000 miles roundtrip, you will
receive 360 points for the purchase, and 5,000 points for
the miles flown to/from New York and LA. This is in addition
to the 5,000 miles you'll get in your airline program.
You also have the option to get a
free companion ticket for any domestic flight you
buy . However, be aware that to be
eligible for the free ticket, you generally have to purchase a
more expensive ticket than the lowest available fare, so check
that fare versus buying two at the lowest fare to make sure
you're getting a decent deal.
Convenience
This card has the added bonus of
earning 2 points per dollar on 'everyday' purchases like
groceries and gas. The Citibank 'Thank You' points you earn
can be used for flights on any day with no capacity controls.
You just need to book 14 days in advance for most rewards. You
may not get the exact airline you want, but you will be able
to fly on the days you're looking for, which is more flexible
than many standard airline mile rewards. Domestic roundtrips
worth up to $400 start at 20,000 points. Or, use your points
as dollars. 100 points =
$1 toward a flight purchase (this is not always as efficient though). First class and international options are also available.
Best Super
Premium Generic Card: Diners' Club MasterCard
Maximum flexibility for big spenders
Best uses: Heavy spenders who want maximum flexibility in both number of airlines and number of hotel chains available for point transfer and redemption.
Downsides: Hotel point transfers somewhat diluted
How it works Like the widely known Amex Membership
Rewards (not related to Starwood Amex), you earn Club Points
at 1 point per dollar spent on your card. You have a choice
between 'tailored' rewards, which you can use as cash toward
an airline ticket or hotel, or transfering your points to your
favorite programs. Your points transfer 1:1 into most airline
mileage accounts, and if you wish to do a non-mileage, no
blackout redemption, 100 points =
$1.25,
instead of the usual 100 points =
$1 for most generic programs.
Convenience
No card offers more programs you can
directly transfer your points into, with fair 1:1 transfers
for most airlines, and slightly diluted transfers for most
major hotel chains. Thus, you can take advantage of the
efficiency of award travel booked in its native program.
You can also
transfer points to friends and family's airline accounts...not
just your own.
In addition, when you want to sacrifice
some point efficiency for convenience, you can redeem points
for non-award airline tickets (no restrictions, blackouts) at
$1.25 per 100 points. That's the most generous point to cash
conversion in the industry. So, a $200 ticket 'costs' 16,000
points. Unlike other generic programs, you can book *any*
ticket availble on the market *on your own* at this rate. No
begging a preselected travel agency to pick your favorite
airline. Once you've booked, you submit the cost of the ticket
for credit in exchange for your Diners' points. No other
program offers such personal flexibility.
Annual Fee
$95
Point bonuses
Diners' wins the Generic category for its
generous $1.25 per 100 point value for the purchase of travel,
versus the $1 per 100 point standard. The $300/year Amex
Platinum (not Starwood) does offer access to a larger network
of domestic airline lounges, but costs $200 more than Diners.
The primary reason we
couldn't place Diners' Club as the best 'all-around' for
rewards cards is the premium annual fee and lack of a
consistent bonus for transfering points to miles in other
programs, as the Starwood American Express offers. However,
Diners' announces very generous bonus programs with its
partners for transfers from time to time and is worthwhile for
true point mavens.
Best Business
Credit Card
Best Business Credit Card: American Express Gold Rewards for
Business Maximum flexibility for
business spenders
Top features
- No preset spending limit for maximum business purchasing
power.
- The extensive "Membership Rewards" points program
lets you earn points for flights on any airline, or convert
your points to several airline programs.
- 3% discount
on all tickets purchased from Delta and JetBlue.
- Up to 40,000 bonus points in your first
year, depending on your spending level.
Downsides: The Starwood Preferred Guest Business card
offers more efficient point
redemption, especially for hotel rewards and airline
conversion, but has a standard credit line, not the flexible
'no preset limit' of the Gold Rewards card.
How it works
You earn one Membership Rewards point for
every dollar you spend. Points can be transferred to
your account at several airlines, including Continental,
Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, and Air Canada, many
at 1:1. Or you can use points for tickets on any airline
when you redeem through American Express.
Convenience
No preset spending limit and the large
variety award options with the American Express Membership
Rewards program, including hotels, cruises, gifts, and
services make it ideal for many business expenses.
Annual Fee
$125
Point bonuses
Up
to 40,000 bonus
reward points in your first year, depending on spending.
Other Business
Credit Cards These cards
do not have the 'no preset spending limit' benefit of the American Express Gold card, but
are good mileage earning cards as well.