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Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards of 2019

Posted on November 11, 2018November 29, 2018 by Jeff Goldbloom

The holidays are here and this implies travel. This is an ideal time to apply for a travel credit card. Actually the best travel credit card is the one that suits your particular travel needs. Obviously, every traveler is extraordinary, so this arrangement of travel credit card audits will enable you to gauge the advantages and disadvantages and locate the best card for your individual needs. We research every key detail including bonus offers and livens, for example, Global Entry charge credit and select Priority Pass get to. Travel prizes can include rapidly, so it’s vital to apply and begin acquiring when you can while expanding your points and miles! Presently, right away, here are my master surveys of the best travel credit cards.

Top Credit Cards of 2019: Just in time for the Holidays

  • The Platinum Card® from American Express: Great Total Value
  • Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Great for Hotels.com
  • Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: Great Starter Credit Card
  • Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express: Great for Hotel Elite Status
  • Chase Sapphire Reserve: Great for Travel Perks & Points
  • Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card: Great for Marriott and SPG Stays
  • British Airways Visa Signature Card: Great for British Airways Flyers
  • Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card: Great for BofA Preferred Rewards members
  • American Express® Gold Card: Great for Dining

Lets break them all down:  Which of these Credit Cards Offers the Best Rewards?

Below we break down each card and it’s applicable fees and perks:


The Platinum Card from American Express

Bonus Offer Bonus Value** Perks Value Annual Fee Total Value
60,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first three months. Terms Apply. $1,140 $200 airline fee credit covering incidental fees, $200 annual Uber credits, $100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit, $250 lounge access ($750 total). Terms Apply. $550 $1,340

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus Offer Bonus Value** Perks Value Annual Fee Total Value
75,000 miles after spending $5,000 within 3 months $1,050 N/A $95* $1,050

Chase Sapphire Preferred

Bonus Offer Bonus Value** Perks Value Annual Fee Total Value
50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months $1,000 N/A $95* $1,000

Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express

Bonus Offer Bonus Value** Perks Value Annual Fee Total Value
150,000 points after spending $4,000 in 3 months $900 $250 in statement credits for Hilton purchases each card member year, $250 in airline incidental fee credits per calendar year ($500 total). Terms Apply. $450 $950

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Bonus Offer Bonus Value** Perks Value Annual Fee Total Value
50,000 points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months $1,000 $300 annual travel credit $450 $850

Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card

Bonus Offer Bonus Value** Perks Value Annual Fee Total Value
75,000 points after you spend $3,000 in the first three months. $675 Up to $300 in statement credits each account year for eligible purchases at Marriott or SPG hotels $450 $525

British Airways Visa Signature

Bonus Offer Bonus Value** Perks Value Annual Fee Total Value
50,000 Miles after you spend $3,000 in the first three months (Earn 25,000 Miles after you spend $10,000 in 1 year. Plus, an extra 25,000 Miles after you spend $20,000 total in the first year.) $750 N/A $95 $655

Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card

Bonus Offer Bonus Value** Perks Value Annual Fee Total Value
50,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days $500 $100 airline statement credit each calendar year $95 $505

American Express Gold Card

Bonus Offer Bonus Value** Perks Value Annual Fee Total Value
25,000 miles after spending $2,000 within 3 months. Plus, 20% back as statement credit at restaurants within the first 3 months, up to $100 back (currently this offer ends January 9, 2019) $475 Up to $120 in credits each year when you pay with the Gold card at participating partners. $100 airline credit ($200 total). $250 $425

*Annual fee waived the first year
**Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer

Credit Card Bonus Offers and how to Understand them

As you can see,  the main part of the esteem originates from the bonus itself — I utilized my most recent valuations to compute a dollar sum for each offer. From that point, I included the estimation of advantages, for example, yearly travel credits and parlor get to. For the Platinum Card from American Express, which offers Centurion Lounge access in addition to Delta Sky Club get to when you’re flying Delta, I relegated an estimation of $250 for these advantages. Truly, the cards do offer Priority Pass relax access too, yet this advantage is accessible through numerous cards so I picked to leave this — along with Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application expense credits —out of my computations.

Likewise, a couple of these cards offer layered bonuses. For these cards, if the aggregate spending prerequisite over different levels is higher than $5,000, I concentrated on the esteem you’d get by meeting the most minimal spending necessity. For instance, with the British Airways Visa Signature Card, I determined the estimation of 50,000 Avios as opposed to 100,000, which you could gain whether you burned through $20,000 on the card in your first record year.

Travel Credit Card Rankings Explained

I audited various travel credit card offers and spent innumerable hours examining the upsides and downsides of each offer.  My technique to doling out an incentive to these cards depended after surveying the genuine estimation of the join bonus, travel advantages, APR, yearly charges, recovery trouble and more.  Each points program has its own point valuation, which you can contemplate here. The estimation of the individual point will dependably be an essential factor when rating travel credit cards and their limited time offers.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Which credit cards gives the best travel rewards?

A: The best travel credit card by aggregate bonus esteem is the American Express Platinum. The aggregate bonus offer esteem comes in at $1,340. In any case, the best travel credit card is the one that suits your particular travel needs

Q: How much is 40,000 miles worth?

A: This relies upon the cards program. An essential one-way domestic flight can cost somewhere in the range of 7,500 – 25,000 points. See beneath for explicit prizes program points of interest.

Q: Which Credit Card has the best rewards program?

A:  The best rewards program is the one that suits your particular travel needs. Read beneath to discover more about the distinctive prizes programs.

 

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Jeff Goldbloom

Jeff Goldbloom

Jeff Goldbloom has been with Thrifty Quarter since 2015. He is currently the teams senior financial advisor and editor. Jeff is a graduate of the University of Illinois MBA program.

Jeff is happily married to his wife Amy and they have two beautiful daughters. When Jeff isn't writing and editing financial columns, he enjoys fishing on Lake Travis in Austin, Texas.
Jeff Goldbloom

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