A general travel credit card will provide you flexibility in how you earn and redeem your reward points. With these travel cards, you'll have a chance to earn points through everyday purchases and earn even more points through travel and dining purchases.
Best travel credit cards
| Category | Credit card | Estimated rewards earned after five years |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | American Express® Gold Card | $2,719 |
| Runner-up | Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card | $2,931 |
| Best welcome bonus | Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | $2,028 |
| Best for luxury travel | Chase Sapphire Reserve® | $2,755 |
With a travel rewards credit card, you'll earn credit card miles with every purchase, which you can redeem for any future travel purchases on that card. When redeemed as a statement credit, credit card miles are usually worth one cent per mile.
General travel cards offer much greater flexibility: Book travel however you want, then use rewards to pay for it. But it's not always clear how issuers define "travel" purchases. And if you rarely travel, these cards aren't a good option.
How many miles do you need to have for a free flight by airline? We sampled award miles needed for a one-way domestic flight, and found that consumers need between about 7,000 and 119,000 miles to get a free flight. In most cases, the cost of a round-trip flight is simply double what you see below.
How to Travel for Free With Credit Card Rewards
Best no-annual-fee travel credit cards
| Category | Credit card | Estimated rewards earned after five years |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | Discover it® Miles | $1,991 |
| Runner-up | Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card | $1,528 |
| Best for hotels | Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card | $1,699 |
| Best for students | Bank of America® Travel Rewards for Students | N/A |
A travel rewards credit card may be worth it, depending on how frequently you travel, whether you can afford to charge the amount required on the card to qualify for rewards, whether you earn enough rewards value to justify any annual fees and whether you can pay off the card balance on a monthly basis.
Best airline rewards credit cards of 2021
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