The Best Premium Travel Credit Cards

When it comes to choosing a travel credit card, most people balk at paying an annual fee, especially for the premium cards where the fees are $500 or more per year.

I get that. When you first start out collecting points and miles, there are cheaper options to choose from.

But frequent travelers can easily get more value out of these cards than the cost of the annual fee thanks to the host of benefits that premium cards offer.

Most premium cards come with unlimited airport lounge access, free Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®, travel insurance, high welcome bonuses, higher points-earning capabilities than lower fee cards, and other perks, such as statement credits for travel, dining, or delivery — all of which help offset the annual cost of the card.

That means that having a premium card in your wallet makes your travel experience easier and more comfortable, which can make a big difference since flight delays and cancellations are more common than ever.

To help you decide what card is best for you and your travel goals, here is my list of the best premium travel credit cards out there:

 

MY TOP PICK: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

This is my favorite premium rewards card. It’s the upgraded version of one of the most popular travel credit cards out there (the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card) and includes a lot of fantastic perks for avid travelers. While the $550 fee is steep on paper, the $300 annual travel credit is very easy to get, effectively reducing the annual fee to a more reasonable $250. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® also offers lounge access, great travel insurance, and an array of statement credits that, when used right, can give you benefits worth even more than $250.

I like this card better than The Platinum Card® from American Express because it comes with better points earning bonus categories and more practical, everyday perks, memberships, and statement credits.

This card offers:

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• 3x points on travel (after the first $300 in travel purchases, which comprise the $300 Annual Travel Credit)
• 3x points on dining, including takeout and eligible delivery services
• 5x points on flights when booked through Chase Travel ^SM (after the $300 annual travel credit has been used)
• 10x points on hotels and rental cars when booked through Chase Travel (after the $300 annual travel credit has been used)
• Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel
• 10x points on Lyft + 2-year Lyft Pink membership through March 31st, 2025
• $300 annual travel credit
• Priority Pass Membership for lounge access (one-time enrollment required)
• $100 credit toward Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check (every 4 years)
• Travel insurance including trip delay coverage, primary car rental insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, and trip cancellation insurance
• Complimentary DashPass membership when you activate by December 31st, 2027

You can also combine points earned with this card with Chase cards that don’t have an annual fee (like the Chase Freedom Unlimited®) to increase your points-earning power too!

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The Platinum Card® from American Express

Notorious as the premium travel card with the highest annual fee ($695 See Rates and Fees), this one of the best premium cards out there — if you take advantage of its luxury benefits. This card unlocks a ton of lounge access, elite status benefits, travel perks, special hotel discounts, and luxury goods and service credits. (If you’re a business owner, there’s a business version, with many similar perks as well as statement credits more geared towards business owners.)

This card offers:

• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 5x Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (on the first $500,000 spent per calendar year)
• Earn 5x Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com
• Access to The American Express Global Lounge Collection® (includes The Centurion® Network, Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta, and Priority Pass™ Select lounges)
• Travel insurance coverage including secondary car rental insurance, trip interruption and cancellation, lost luggage reimbursement
• Up to $200 in airline credit (on one qualifying airline, must choose airline in advance, on incidentals only, not airfare)
• Up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card®. (The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.)
• Up to $199 annual CLEAR® Plus statement credit (covers an annual membership) per calendar year (subject to auto-renewal)
• Up to $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck®(through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card. (Card members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.)
• Up to $200 Uber Cash annually (distributed in $15 monthly installments, plus a bonus $20 in December) To receive this benefit you must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App and your eligible American Express Gold Card must be a method of payment on your Uber account. The Amex Benefit may only be used in the United States.
• Up to $50 biannual Saks Fifth Avenue credit
• Up to $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month (enrollment required, includes Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal)
• Up to $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.

This card is best for people who value luxury travel, lifestyle perks, and statement credits over everyday points earning capabilities.

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Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

This card got an overhaul a few years ago. It has all the perks you’d expect of a top-notch credit card, including a generous welcome bonus, lounge access, travel credits, and a solid miles-earning structure. With an annual fee of $395, it’s the cheapest premium travel card out there. The 2x miles you can earn on every purchase as well as no additional cost for up to four authorized users are both unique in this class of card.

The Venture X is best for people that want a straight-forward card with a higher-than-normal earning rate on all purchases and that are happy to book through the Capital One travel portal in order to receive the bonus spend rates.

This card offers:

• Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
• 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 5x miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles on all other purchases
• $300 travel credit when booking through the Capital One portal
• Up to $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
• Unlimited complimentary access to Capital One, Priority Pass, and Plaza Premium lounges
• 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
• $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
• Travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance, trip interruption and cancellation, luggage reimbursement

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Best Premium Airline Cards

If flying with a certain airline (or airline alliance) is a priority, here’s a quick look at some of my favorite premium airline credit cards:

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card – This is Delta’s top tier card. Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new card in the first 6 months, 3x miles on purchases made directly with Delta, 15% off when booking award travel on Delta flights, statement credit of up to $100 for Global Entry® (every 4 years) or TSA PreCheck® (every 4.5 years), and complimentary access to Delta Sky Clubs (currently unlimited access, though starting 2/1/25, Reserve members will get 15 visits per year. Once all 15 visits have been used, eligible card members may purchase additional Delta Sky Club Visits at a per-visit rate of $50 per person using the Card). $650 annual fee. See Rates and Fees.

United Club^SM Infinite Card – This is United’s premium card. Earn 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. You’ll also earn 4x miles on United purchases, 2x miles on travel and dining, two free checked bags, and up to $100 Global Entry® or TSA PreCheck® fee credit. $525 annual fee. Terms apply.

Best Premium Hotel Cards

If staying in hotels is a priority, here’s a quick look at some of my favorite premium hotel credit cards:

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card – Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months, 6x points on eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy, 3x points on restaurants, 3x on flights booked directly with airlines, 2x points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases, 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month, and either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($120) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider), among other benefits. $650 annual fee. See Rates and Fees.

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card – Earn 165,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership (offer ends 1/8/25), earn 12 points per dollar spent directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio, 6 points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. restaurants and U.S. gas stations, 4 points per dollar on U.S. online retail purchases, and 3 points per dollar on other eligible purchases, up to $200 in statement credits each year (up to $50 each quarter) on eligible Hilton purchases, and enjoy complimentary Hilton Gold status. $150 annual fee (See rates and fees).

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The premium travel credit card space has more options than ever. Whether you’re looking for premium lifestyle benefits, just need an easy-to-use card, or want to elevate your airline or hotel experiences, there’s a premium card out there for you. If you’re smart and take advantage of all that these cards have to offer, you can easily come out on top, traveling for free and making your entire experience that much more enjoyable.
 

Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.