{"id":243109,"date":"2026-05-29T16:00:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T16:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/29\/my-5-top-travel-credit-cards-and-how-they-elevate-my-trips-the-points-guy\/"},"modified":"2026-05-29T16:00:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T16:00:28","slug":"my-5-top-travel-credit-cards-and-how-they-elevate-my-trips-the-points-guy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/29\/my-5-top-travel-credit-cards-and-how-they-elevate-my-trips-the-points-guy\/","title":{"rendered":"My 5 top travel credit cards \u2014 and how they elevate my trips – The Points Guy"},"content":{"rendered":"


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I caught the travel bug early when my parents moved our family from Sydney to Seattle for a year when I was 10. I remember being fascinated by how far we’d traveled \u2014 and how long I’d sat in economy class to get there.<\/p>\n

My love of travel, inspired partly by periods studying and working abroad in Japan, Mexico and Spain, only grew stronger over the years. So did the number of hours I spent wedged into cramped airplane seats.<\/p>\n

That changed when I discovered the world of points and miles about a decade ago.<\/p>\n

Since then, points and miles have taken me from hostel bunk beds and back-row middle seats to flying in first class<\/a><\/span> across the Atlantic and soaking in an infinity pool at a luxury resort<\/a><\/span> overlooking the Omani desert.<\/p>\n

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Points and miles took me on a 10-day journey around Sri Lanka. MATT MOFFITT\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That’s largely thanks to credit cards \u2014 the source of about six out of every 10 frequent flyer points and miles earned in the U.S., according to industry trade organization Airlines for America.<\/p>\n

Choosing the right travel rewards credit card<\/a><\/span> \u2014 or combination of cards<\/a><\/span> \u2014 has been key to elevating my travels. These are my top five travel credit cards and why I keep them in my wallet.<\/p>\n

American Express Platinum Card<\/h2>\n

The American Express Platinum Card\u00ae<\/a><\/span> has been a staple in my wallet for many years. Although it has the highest annual fee of any card on this list at $895 (see rates and fees<\/a><\/span>), you can get more than enough value from it if you maximize the card’s credits<\/a><\/span> and benefits.<\/p>\n

For me, the biggest reason to keep this card is lounge access<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

My favorite thing during a long layover? A hot shower in an airport lounge. There’s something incredibly luxurious about stepping off a red-eye and into a spotless private shower suite stocked with fluffy towels and skin care products.<\/p>\n

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\"American<\/div>
The airy Centurion Lounge in Seattle. ZACH GRIFF\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Given how frequently I pass through Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), I appreciate having access to Centurion Lounges<\/a><\/span>. I get access regardless of the airline or class I’m traveling that day.<\/p>\n

I also love earning American Express Membership Rewards<\/a><\/span> points because Amex frequently offers transfer bonuses<\/a><\/span> to loyalty partners<\/a><\/span>. Two of my favorites are Air Canada Aeroplan<\/a><\/span> and Qatar Airways Privilege Club<\/a><\/span>, the latter of which I’ve used to book Qsuite flights<\/a><\/span> to visit family in Australia.<\/p>\n

Learn more in our full review of the American Express Platinum<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Chase Sapphire Reserve<\/h2>\n

While the Chase Sapphire Preferred\u00ae Card<\/a><\/span> (see rates and fees<\/a><\/span>) is an excellent starter travel card<\/a><\/span>, the Chase Sapphire Reserve\u00ae<\/a><\/span> (see rates and fees<\/a><\/span>) is the card I reach for most often while traveling.<\/p>\n

Dining is one of my biggest spending categories, so I love earning 3 points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide. I also use the card to book flights directly with airlines to earn elevated rewards and take advantage of the card’s excellent travel protections.<\/p>\n

Those protections alone have saved me hundreds of dollars.<\/p>\n

Last year, EasyJet damaged my checked bag<\/a><\/span> on a flight from Portugal to the Czech Republic. The Sapphire Reserve reimbursed me almost $200 for the replacement cost, turning a frustrating situation into a reminder of why strong travel protections matter.<\/p>\n

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\"Matt<\/div>
Skydiving over Rio de Janeiro. MATT MOFFITT\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I also regularly transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards<\/a><\/span> points to World of Hyatt<\/a><\/span> for hotel stays. While Hyatt recently devalued parts of its award chart<\/a><\/span>, I still find the program offers some of the best hotel redemption values available.<\/p>\n

The Sapphire Reserve’s $300 annual travel credit<\/a><\/span> is another reason why this card stays in my wallet. Between flights, trains, ride-hailing services and hotels, I usually use the full credit within the first month each anniversary year.<\/p>\n

This card also includes Priority Pass lounge access<\/a><\/span>, which has come in handy in places as far-flung as Bolivia, Namibia and Vietnam.<\/p>\n

Learn more in our full review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card<\/h2>\n

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card<\/a><\/span> is the premium travel card I recommend most often to friends.<\/p>\n

Its $395 annual fee is significantly lower than many competing premium cards<\/a><\/span>, and it’s relatively easy to offset through the card’s benefits. Not to mention, you receive a $300 annual travel credit<\/a><\/span> to use through Capital One Travel<\/a><\/span>, plus 10,000 anniversary miles every year you keep the card.<\/p>\n

I also like the simplicity of earning at least 2 miles per dollar spent on almost everything I buy.<\/p>\n

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\"Matt<\/div>
I flew business class home from the Paris Olympics thanks to Capital One miles. MATT MOFFITT\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Last year, I started getting more value from Capital One’s hotel transfer partners<\/a><\/span>, too.<\/p>\n

I transferred miles to Wyndham Rewards<\/a><\/span> for a stay during Carnival in Barranquilla, Colombia, when hotel prices were surging, and I also redeemed Choice Privileges<\/a><\/span> points for a three-night stay in Helsinki while attending a Kylie Minogue concert.<\/p>\n

I still primarily use transferable points and miles for flights, but these hotel sweet spots showed me how valuable Capital One miles<\/a><\/span> can be for accommodations, too.<\/p>\n

Learn more in our full review of the Capital One Venture X<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite credit card<\/h2>\n

The newest addition to my wallet is the Atmos\u2122 Rewards Summit Visa Infinite\u00ae credit card<\/a><\/span> \u2014 and it has quickly become one of my most used cards abroad.<\/p>\n

While I still use my Sapphire Reserve<\/a><\/span> for dining purchases overseas, the Summit earns 3 Atmos Rewards<\/a><\/span> points per dollar spent on all foreign transactions. That makes it my go-to card for everyday spending internationally.<\/p>\n

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\"Matt<\/div>
Atmos Rewards points flew me from Madrid to Marrakech, Morocco, recently. MATT MOFFITT\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Recently, Austrian Airlines left my checked bag behind for three days while I was traveling to Eurovision in Vienna. I used this card for all the replacement purchases I needed while waiting for my luggage to arrive \u2014 clothes and essential toiletries \u2014 all charged in euros and thus earning 3 points per dollar spent.<\/p>\n

I especially like redeeming Atmos Rewards points for premium cabin flights on American Airlines, Finnair and Iberia to and from Europe. I also get solid value redeeming points for short-haul Iberia flights around Spain and Europe.<\/p>\n

Learn more in our full review of the Atmos Rewards Summit<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card<\/h2>\n

My favorite hotel credit card is the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

The Aspire Card automatically grants Diamond status<\/a><\/span> in the Hilton Honors program<\/a><\/span>, which regularly gets me complimentary breakfast<\/a><\/span> abroad (U.S. properties offer a less valuable food-and-beverage credit), executive lounge access and room upgrades during international trips.<\/p>\n

At a recent stay at the Hilton Vienna Park, the executive lounge happy hour snacks were substantial enough to replace dinner entirely.<\/p>\n

I’ve also received thoughtful welcome amenities ranging from chocolates to fruit platters and bottles of port wine.<\/p>\n

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\"Matt<\/div>
I used Hilton points for six of the 15 nights I spent road tripping around my ancestral homeland of Ireland. MATT MOFFITT\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of my favorite perks is the annual free night reward<\/a><\/span>, which can be redeemed at nearly any Hilton property worldwide.<\/p>\n

Last summer, I used mine at an abbey-turned-hotel outside Galway, Ireland \u2014 a memorable stay with ivy-covered stone walls, a roaring fireplace and a nightly cash rate north of $500.<\/p>\n

Learn more in our full review of the Hilton Aspire<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Bottom line<\/h2>\n

Points and miles have completely transformed the way I travel.<\/p>\n

What once felt financially out of reach \u2014 lie-flat business-class seats, luxury hotels and spontaneous international trips \u2014 now feels genuinely attainable through the right credit card strategy.<\/p>\n

I may juggle over 25 credit cards, but these five consistently pull the most weight. They haven’t just changed how I travel \u2014 they’ve given me more freedom, flexibility and fun. And that’s the power of credit cards, points and miles.<\/p>\n

With the right card strategy, travel stops being a cost \u2014 and feels more like a reward.<\/p>\n

Related: Best travel credit cards<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, click here<\/a><\/span>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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I caught the travel bug early when my parents moved our family from Sydney to Seattle for a year when I was 10. I remember being fascinated by how far we’d traveled \u2014 and how long I’d sat in economy class to get there. My love of travel, inspired partly by periods studying and working […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":243110,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-243109","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-travel"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243109","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=243109"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243109\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/243110"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=243109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=243109"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=243109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}