Best Premium Travel Credit Cards
29 live consumer travel, airline and hotel cards in our database are premium cards. They are ranked below by our premium score, which sets rewards and usable credits against the annual fee.
Ranked by math · Compensation never changes the order · Methodology
Premium cards charge a few hundred dollars or more a year and hand much of it back as travel credits, lounge access and elite-style perks. Whether one pays off depends less on the headline earn rate than on how many of those credits you would use anyway. The fee and our estimate of each card’s credits are shown side by side so you can do that math for yourself.
The ranking
Card data checked October 9, 2026 · 29 cards compared
- 1
American Express® Gold Card
American Express · American Express- Annual fee
- $325
- Premium score
- 97
- Est. credits value
- $191/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 4X Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000/year)
- 4X at restaurants (up to $50,000/year)
- 3X on flights through American ExpressTravel
Welcome offer: Earn up to 100,000 Membership Rewards Points after $6,000 spend in 6 months.
- 2
JetBlue Premier Card
Barclays · Mastercard- Annual fee
- $499
- Premium score
- 93
- Est. credits value
- $365/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 6X points on eligible JetBlue purchases
- 2X points at restaurants and eligible grocery stores
- 1X points on all other purchases
Welcome offer: Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days.
- 3
Capital One Venture X Rewards
Capital One · Visa- Annual fee
- $395
- Premium score
- 93
- Est. credits value
- $435/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 10X Miles on hotels & 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
Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
- 4
Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard®
Citi · Mastercard- Annual fee
- $350
- Premium score
- 91
- Est. credits value
- $285/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 3 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
- 6 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible AAdvantage Hotels™ bookings
- 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent at restaurants, including takeout and delivery
Welcome offer: Earn 90,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after $5,000 in purchases in the first 4 months
- 5
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Chase · Visa- Annual fee
- $795
- Premium score
- 90
- Est. credits value
- $1,064/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 8X points on Chase TravelSM purchases
- 4X on flights and hotels booked direct
- 3X on dining worldwide
Welcome offer: Earn 100,000 points after you spend $6,000 in purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 6
The Platinum Card® from American Express
American Express · American Express- Annual fee
- $895
- Premium score
- 90
- Est. credits value
- $1,024/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel®, on up to $500,000 per calendar year
- 5X points booked at hotels on American Express Travel®
- 1X points on other purchases
Welcome offer: As high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $12,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- 7
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
American Express · American Express- Annual fee
- $550
- Premium score
- 90
- Est. credits value
- $605/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 14X Hilton Honors Bonus Points when you make eligible purchases on your Card at participating hotels or resorts within the Hilton Portfolio
- 7X Points on purchases of flights booked directly with airlines or flights booked through American Express Travel, car rentals purchased directly from select car rental companies, and purchases at U.S. Restaurants
- 3X Points on all other eligible purchases.
Welcome offer: Earn 200,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- 8
United Quest℠ Card
Chase · Visa- Annual fee
- $350
- Premium score
- 89
- Est. credits value
- $460/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 8x miles on United flights - 5x miles on fare from United as a MileagePlus member, plus 3x miles earned on entire purchase with the United Quest℠ Card
- 5x miles on hotel stays at Renowned Hotels and Resorts
- 3x miles on all other eligible United purchases
Welcome offer: Earn 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open, plus 500 PQP after your first purchase, plus 10,000 bonus miles after you add an authorized user in the first 3 months your account is open (up to 90,000 bonus miles in total).
- 9
Wyndham Rewards Earner® Premier Card
Barclays · Mastercard- Annual fee
- $395
- Premium score
- 88
- Est. credits value
- $446/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 8X on eligible purchases made at Hotels by Wyndham, including hotels through Wyndham Travel Bundles
- 4X on eligible Vacation Club, travel, dining and grocery store purchases (excluding Target® and Walmart®)
- 1X points on other purchases
Welcome offer: Earn up to 120,000 bonus points - Earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on qualifying purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 120 days, and also earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $750 at Hotels by Wyndham in the first 180 days.
- 10
IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit Card
Chase · Visa- Annual fee
- $350
- Premium score
- 87
- Est. credits value
- $532/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- Up to 28X total points at IHG® Hotels and Resorts - 12X points with this card. Plus, up to 10X points from IHG® on stays for being an IHG One Rewards member
- up to 6X points from IHG® on stays with Platinum Elite Status
- 6X points on dining and all other travel, including rideshare
Welcome offer: Earn 200,000 Bonus Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- 11
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
American Express · American Express- Annual fee
- $350
- Premium score
- 85
- Est. credits value
- $345/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 3X miles on Delta purchases
- 3X miles at hotels
- 2X miles on dining at restaurants, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
Welcome offer: Apply and find out your welcome offer: As High As 90,000 Bonus Miles + Earn a $300 Statement Credit after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. You may not be eligible for the maximum welcome offer amount. Offer ends 11/04/2026.
- 12
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
American Express · American Express- Annual fee
- $150
- Premium score
- 85
- Est. credits value
- $200/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio
- 6X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations
- 4X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of U.S. Online Retail purchases
Welcome offer: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass(R) Card after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- 13
Bilt Palladium Card
Cardless · Mastercard- Annual fee
- $495
- Premium score
- 84
- Est. credits value
- $200/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 2X points on all everyday purchases (excluding housing) + 4% Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Housing payments: Use Bilt Cash to unlock points (no transaction fee) at 1X per $30 Bilt Cash per 1000 points
- OR earn up to 1.25X via tiered system based on non-housing spend (need 100% of housing payment in non-housing spend for full 1.25X). Point accelerator: Use $200 Bilt Cash to earn +1X on next $5000 spend (up to 5X/year for max 3X everywhere)
Welcome offer: 50000 Bilt Points after $4000 spend in first 3 months + Bilt Gold Status (through end of calendar year earned plus following year) + $300 Bilt Cash upon approval
- 14
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive card
Citi · Mastercard- Annual fee
- $695
- Premium score
- 81
- Est. credits value
- $420/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 12 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible AAdvantage Hotels® bookings and eligible AAdvantage Cars® bookings
- 4 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases. After you spend $150,000 in purchases in a calendar year, earn a total of 5 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases for the remainder of the year
- 1 mile for all other purchases
Welcome offer: Earn 125,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after making $15,000 in purchases within the first 5 months of account opening.
- 15
Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
Citi · Mastercard- Annual fee
- $595
- Premium score
- 81
- Est. credits value
- $175/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 12x points per dollar spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com
- 6x points per dollar spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com
- 6x points per dollar spent at restaurants on Citi Nights℠ purchases
Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months.
- 16
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Card
Chase · Visa- Annual fee
- $229
- Premium score
- 77
- Est. credits value
- $75/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 4X points on Southwest Airlines purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants
- 1X point on all other purchases
Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 17
Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit Card
Bank of America · Visa- Annual fee
- $395
- Premium score
- 76
- Est. credits value
- $150/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 3 points per $1 on Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, foreign transactions and dining
- 1 point on all other purchases. Plus, earn a 10% rewards bonus on all points earned from card purchases if you have an eligible Bank of America® account
Welcome offer: Limited time online offer: Earn 80,000 bonus points and a 25,000 point Global Companion Award. To qualify, spend $4,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
- 18
HSBC Elite credit card
HSBC · Mastercard- Annual fee
- $495
- Premium score
- 75
- Est. credits value
- $525/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 5X points on travel purchases (flights hotels car rentals)
- 2X on dining/restaurants
- 1X on all other purchases.
Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 Welcome Bonus Points, worth up to $900 in travel, when booked through HSBC Travel, after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of opening the card.
- 19
Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful® Credit Card
Chase · Visa- Annual fee
- $250
- Premium score
- 75
- Est. credits value
- $50/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- Up to 18.5X total points at Marriott - 6X points for every $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful® Credit Card. Plus, earn up to 10X points from Marriott Bonvoy® for being a member. Plus, earn up to 2.5X points from Marriott with Gold Elite Status
- 4X points for every $1 on the first $15,000 in combined purchases annually on grocery stores and dining
- 2X points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Welcome offer: Earn 85,000 Bonus Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from your account opening
- 20
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card
American Express · American Express- Annual fee
- $250
- Premium score
- 74
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 6X points at Marriott
- 4X at restaurants/U.S. supermarkets (up to $15k/year, then 2X)
- 2X all other
Welcome offer: Earn 85,000 Bonus Points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- 21
Robinhood Platinum Card
Robinhood Credit · Visa- Annual fee
- $695
- Premium score
- 72
- Est. credits value
- $753/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 5% cash back on flights
- 10% cash back on hotels & cars
- 5% dining
- 22
The Platinum Card® from American Express for Charles Schwab
American Express · American Express- Annual fee
- $895
- Premium score
- 69
- Est. credits value
- $898/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 5X Membership Rewards® points for flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel®, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year
- 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection
- 1X point on all other purchases
Welcome offer: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $12,000 in purchases on your Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Charles Schwab in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- 23
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
American Express · American Express- Annual fee
- $650
- Premium score
- 69
- Est. credits value
- $469/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 6X points on Marriott Bonvoy® hotels
- 3X points at restaurants and on flights booked with airlines
- 2X all other purchases
Welcome offer: Earn 100,000 Bonus Points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership
- 24
Citizens Summit Reserve® World Elite Mastercard®
Citizens · Mastercard- Annual fee
- $295
- Premium score
- 66
- Est. credits value
- $213/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 3% unlimited cash back on dining, groceries and entertainment (including streaming), and 1.5% unlimited cash back on everything else.
- 25
United Club℠ Card
Chase · Visa- Annual fee
- $695
- Premium score
- 65
- Est. credits value
- $320/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 9x miles on United flights - 5x miles on fare from United as a MileagePlus member, plus 4x miles with the United Club℠ Card
- 5x miles on hotel stays at Renowned Hotels and Resorts
- 4x miles on all other eligible United purchases
Welcome offer: Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
- 26
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
American Express · American Express- Annual fee
- $650
- Premium score
- 62
- Est. credits value
- $430/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 3X Miles on Delta purchases
- 1X Mile on other eligible purchases
Welcome offer: Earn two round-trip Delta Comfort Flight Certificates valid for travel to the U.S. 48, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands, along with 50,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $10,000 in purchases on your new Card in the first 6 months. A 21+ day advance purchase is required. Taxes and fees up to $80 per person apply. Terms and other restrictions apply. Offer ends 11/4/2026.
- 27
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite Credit Card
Bank of America · Visa- Annual fee
- $550
- Premium score
- 50
- Est. credits value
- $225/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 2 points per $1 on travel and dining
- 1.5 points per $1 on all other purchases
Welcome offer: 75,000 bonus points after $5,000 spend in 90 days
- 28
Skypass Select Visa Signature® Card
US Bank · Visa- Annual fee
- $450
- Premium score
- 49
- Est. credits value
- $212/yr
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 3X miles on Korean Air
- 2X miles per $1 spent on other airlines
- 2X miles on hotels and car rentals
Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles when you spend $5,000 in eligible purchases within the first 90 days.
- 29
Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard®
Barclays · Mastercard- Annual fee
- $499
- Premium score
- 45
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- 3x Skywards Miles per $1 spent on eligible Emirates purchases
- 2x Skywards Miles per $1 spent on eligible travel purchases
- 1x Skywards Mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
Welcome offer: Earn 50,000 bonus Skywards Miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days
How this page is built
Consumer cards our database tags as premium (high annual fee, travel credits and perks) that also carry a travel, airline or hotel category. Business cards are on the business travel page. Sorted by our premium score (premium_score_final), which weighs what the card returns in rewards and usable credits against its fee; ties go to the overall score. Partner (affiliate) links never change which cards appear or their order; an Apply button may become a labelled partner link, but the ranking is the same either way.
Card details come from our database, which is verified against each issuer’s own website; see our methodology, editorial policy and corrections policy.
Questions, answered from the data
Which premium travel card ranks highest right now?
American Express® Gold Card (American Express) has the highest premium score among the 29 premium travel cards we compared, followed by JetBlue Premier Card and Capital One Venture X Rewards.
What do premium travel cards cost per year?
Annual fees for the 29 premium travel cards here run from $150 to $895.
Which of these cards come with the most credits?
By our estimate of each card’s yearly credits: Chase Sapphire Reserve® (about $1,064), The Platinum Card® from American Express (about $1,024) and The Platinum Card® from American Express for Charles Schwab (about $898). Credits only count if you would have spent the money anyway.
How often is this list updated?
The site rebuilds whenever card data changes in our database and at least once a month. This page was built from data checked October 9, 2026. Always confirm current terms on the issuer’s site.