The Best Travel Credit Card

I love travelling, and I particularly love travelling for free using credit card points. Luckily, there are tons of ways to do this. Three are so many travel credit cards out there that it can be hard to narrow down which one is best. After doing tons of research and having several travel cards I can confidently say I think the ultimate travel credit card is the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Keep reading below to learn more about the benefits and why it’s my top choice if you’re looking for a credit card to maximize your travel rewards.

Disclaimer: This article contains some links where I earn commission through booking. There is no extra cost to you, and I only recommend things I’ve used and love or places I’ve stayed and enjoyed!

What I Was Looking for in a Travel Card

I wanted to make sure the travel card I ended up choosing allowed me to maximize my current spending to use points towards travel the way I prefer to. For me, this meant:

• A card that allowed you to redeem travel credits across all airlines and hotels – if you travel to the same place regularly and generally fly the same airline it might make more sense for you to choose an airline specific credit card where you can maximize your benefits where you travel the most. Or if you prefer to always stay at one hotel chain you might want to consider looking into if they have a credit card or rewards program. This is not the case for my travel generally, so I wanted a card more geared towards travel in general
• A card that offered additional points for categories where I already spend the most money, like dining & travel. Other credit cards offer additional points for other types of purchases like gas or groceries. Depending on how you generally spend your money you should choose a card where you can capitalize on your current spending habits
• A card that offers additional benefits outside of points that can be redeemed for travel, keep reading below to see the wide range of benefits the Chase Sapphire Reserve card provides

Chase Sapphire Reserve Benefits

• $300 annual travel credit (towards flights, hotels, ubers, etc.)
• 50% bonus points when redeemed for travel (for example, 60,000 points = $600, but when redeemed for travel they are worth $900)
• 5X points on flights
• 3X points on dining and other travel
• Credit for TSA pre check and Global Entry application fees (see below)
• Free Priority Pass access (see below)
• No foreign transaction fees
• $0 delivery fees on Doordash
• 10X points on Lyft rides
• Bonus points for $4k spend in 3 months when first opening a card

**see Chase website for most up to date benefits as they’re subject to change and certain restrictions apply)

Apply Here

TSA Pre-check Details

$85 for a 5 year membership (free for Chase Sapphire Reserve card holders)

TSA pre-check is a life saver at US airports. TSA pre check gives you access to expedited security lines (I’ve never waited more than 5 minutes with pre-check) In addition to the expedited lines, you don’t have to remove your shoes & jacket, you don’t need to take electronics and liquids out of your carry on. It makes the entire security process so much smoother and prevents you from needing to be at busy airports hours early. I recently flew home from Orlando and the regular security line was taking more than 90 minutes. I made it through the pre check line in less than 5!

To get TSA Pre Check you’ll need to complete an application and go to an enrollment center in person for proof of identity and fingerprinting. Once your application is approved you’ll receive your Known Traveler Number – this will need to be added to your info when booking a flight. When you receive your boarding pass you will see the TSA pre check indicator on the boarding pass. If you forgot to add your known traveler number you can add it at the boarding pass kiosk at airports and re-print your boarding pass.

Global Entry Details

$100 for a 5 year membership fee – includes TSA Pre-Check (free for Chase Sapphire Reserve card holders)

Global Entry is a game changing for those who travel internationally. It allows for expedited lines through Customs when returning to the United States, and can literally save you hours depending how long customs lines are when your flight gets back to the US. The application and interview is a little bite more time consuming than TSA Pre-check and you’ll need to go to TSA at a supported airport and interview in person. Some airports let you complete the process when you’re going through customs on a flight home (you need to have already applied) I did this at Logan.

Priority Pass Details

Priority Pass is great for anyone who regularly spends a lot of time at airports. Priority Pass offers you access to over a thousand airport lounges all across the world. Each lounge has slightly different offerings, but in general the lounges offer free food, beverages (regular and alcoholic) free Wifi, comfortable seating, etc.

Membership fees vary based on the plan you select (some allow you to bring guests for free for example) The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers cardholders free Priority Pass access, including the ability to bring a guest to any airport lounge for free.

Chase Sapphire Rewards Costs

Yearly CC Fee – $550

The $550 annual fee may seem high (it did to me at first) but when you consider all the benefits, and the $300 annual travel credit, you end up making back your annual fee + so much more in no time