Best Travel Credit Card: See what is now being offered for a new travel credit card to be added to your wallet.
You should be aware of a variety of travel rewards credit cards with increased welcome bonus offers.
Here are some of the top welcome bonus deals for travel credit cards available right now, as determined by Dollardosh’s valuations of points from credit cards and reward programs.
The following is a list of the top 2022 Best Travel Credit Card offers:
- American Express is accepted at Hilton.
- Visa® Credit Card with Hotel Rewards.
- Sapphire Reserve® by Chase.
- Freedom Unlimited®, chase.
- Card for IHG® Rewards Premier.
- Credit card for Alaska Airlines using Visa Signature®.
- Card for business Visa® by Alaska Airlines.
- Credit card with Capital One Venture Rewards.
- Card from Citi Premier®.
offering new travel cards
Card name | Welcome offer | Dollardosh’s valuation per point | Value of welcome offer |
Hilton Honors American Express Card | Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply. | 0.5 cent. | $600. |
Hotels.com® Rewards Visa® Credit Card | Get 3 reward nights worth $375 total (max $125 per night)* with qualifying purchases. Get 2 reward nights worth $250 total (max $125 per night), when you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Plus, get another reward night worth $125 when you spend $4,000 in total purchases within the first 6 months. *Excludes taxes and fees. If a night costs less than $125, you won’t get the difference. | N/A. | $375. |
Chase Sapphire Reserve® | Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | 1.5 cents when redeemed for travel in the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal, but possibly more if transferred to partners. | $900 – 1,140. |
Chase Freedom Unlimited® | Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) – worth up to $300 cash back! | 1 cent with the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, but as much as 1.9 cents if you also hold the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. | $300 – $570. |
IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card | Earn 140,000 Bonus Points + 1 Free Night after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | 0.8 cent. | $1,440. |
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card | Get 50,000 bonus miles plus Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™ from $121 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $22) with this offer. To qualify, make $2,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account. | 1.1 cents. | $550. |
Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card | Get 70,000 bonus miles plus Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™ from $121 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $22) with this offer. To qualify, make $4,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account. | 1.1 cents. | $770. |
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel. | 1 cent in the Capital One Travel portal, but as much as 1.8 cents with transfer partners. | $750 – $1,350. |
Citi Premier® Card | Earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. | Capital One miles can be redeemed for 1 cent each when booking travel directly, but Dollardosh values Citi ThankYou points at 1.5 cent each if you take advantage of transfer partners. | $800 – $1,200. |
A closer look
Learn more about these rewards for new cardholders, each of which competes to offer the best welcome bonus for travel cards.
American Express Card for Hilton
America Online Dollardosh rating for the American Express Hilton Honors Card
After making $1,000 in purchases with the Card within the first three months of Card Membership, earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points. Rules Apply.
- Annual cost: zero
- The welcome bonus is worth $600. Each Hilton point is worth 0.5 cents according to Dollardosh.
- Why you ought to buy it: You can use the statement credits and bonus points from this card to combine for a respectable discount on a future Hilton stay for no annual fee. Additionally, it comes with automatic Silver status, which entitles you to the fifth night free perk when you book a stay of five nights or more with points. Rules apply.
- Who should get it: Travelers who plan on staying at Hilton hotels this year and want the perks of elite status without having to shell out a lot of money for it.
- Who should not attend: The Hilton Honors American Express Card is a great hotel credit card with no annual charge, but if you’re prepared to pay a little extra, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card has more features and a better welcome bonus.
- Study more: Find out if the yearly fee for the Hotels.com® Rewards Visa® Credit Card is reasonable.
Hotels.com® Rewards Visa® Credit Card
With qualifying purchases, receive three incentive nights worth $375 in total (maximum $125 each night)*. Get two reward nights for a combined $250 (maximum $125 per night) when you spend $1,000 in the first three months on purchases. Get an additional reward night worth $125 when you spend a total of $4,000 in the first six months. *Taxes and fees not included. You won’t get the difference if a night is less than $125.
- Annual cost: zero
- Welcome bonus worth $375.
- Why you should get it: Because this bonus comes with an additional reward night, it’s ideal for a long weekend stay.
- That should get it: Individuals who favor making reservations through Hotels.com and are familiar with their loyalty program. You won’t pay anything to use the welcome bonus and keep it in your wallet because there is no annual charge.
- Who should not attend: This is the least valuable benefit on the list, therefore a more adaptable travel card and a user-friendly loyalty program could be preferable.
Sapphire Reserve by Chase
After making $4,000 in purchases during the first three months after account opening, earn 60,000 bonus points.
- Cost per year: $550.
- Welcome bonus amount: $900 to $1,140. When booking travel through the Chase travel portal, you may redeem the Chase Ultimate Rewards® you earn on this card for around 1.5 cents apiece, but using travel transfer partners may increase the value of your points.
- Why you ought to buy it: Even while this card isn’t the most exhilarating premium travel card available, there are a few significant ways it still distinguishes out. The 1.5 cent value outperforms its AmEx and Capital One rivals, who typically only provide a value of 1 cent if you book on the issuer’s travel portal, as well as on applicable Pay Yourself Back purchases. Additionally, there are less limitations on how to apply the $300 yearly travel bill credit, which can be used for any travel, regardless of whether you booked through the site or paid “airline expenses” like checked bags.
- Who should get it: Those who desire premium travel card advantages, such lounge access, and who amass Chase Ultimate Rewards® points. While for certain travelers transferring the points to advantageous transfer partners offers the best value, using the Chase travel site to redeem the points is also a viable option.
- Who should not attend: If you already have a premium travel card, you probably don’t need to obtain additional advantages that overlap. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is presently unavailable to holders of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
- Study more: Find out if the annual cost of the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is reasonable.
Freedom Unlimited by Chase
Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on every purchase (up to $20,000 in the first year) for a total cash back of up to $300!
- Annual cost: zero
- The welcome bonus is worth $300. However, it may cost as high as $570 depending on any additional Chase Sapphire cards you may have and whether you use the transfer partners offered by the Sapphire card. Below is some information on how that functions.
- Why you ought to buy it: You will receive a great rewards rate with this welcome promotion on your regular purchases: 6.5% cash back is given on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 4.5% is given on drugstore purchases, 3% is given on all other purchases (up to $20,000 in the first year), and 6.5% is given on dining out, including takeout and qualified delivery services. In contrast, the typical return rate for most transactions is 1%.
- Who should get it? The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a must-have if you already have a Sapphire card, especially while this offer is still available. The trick is that Chase Freedom Unlimited® gives out Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which you may exchange for cash back at a rate of one penny per point. However, if you already have a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card, you can transfer your points to that card from your Chase Freedom Unlimited® Card and use them to book travel at a rate of 1.25 cents or 1.5 cents per point, respectively. Better yet, you may transfer those points to affiliated hotels and airlines to potentially receive even greater value.
- Who should not attend: This card generally won’t help if you’re trying to add a significant amount of points to your travel fund because it’s predicated on spending for a full year (or the first $20,000 you spend, whichever comes first). To top off your account, look into some of the other best travel cards.
- Study more: Check to see if the Chase Freedom Unlimited® is worth the yearly cost.
IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card
After making $3,000 in purchases within the first three months of your account setup, you can earn 140,000 Bonus Points and a Free Night.
- Cost per year: $99
- Welcome bonus offer worth $1,440. IHG points are valued by Dollardosh at 0.8 cents each.
- Why you ought to buy it: A free night up to 40,000 points was introduced as part of the sign-up offer. Additionally, this card was completely redesigned earlier this year. Now, you may earn up to 26 times more rewards on IHG purchases, 5 times more on travel, petrol, and restaurants, and 3 times more on all other purchases. Additionally, it includes an annual anniversary night with a value of up to 40,000 points.
- Whom it should go to: If you’re not normally impressed by the perks of hotel credit cards, this card might convince you otherwise. Compared to other incentive nights that have a low points-per-night cap, it includes an anniversary night that is considerably simpler to use. That’s because you can always use IHG points from your account to boost the anniversary night’s 40,000-point value. Additionally, because of the inherent elite rank it confers—the second-highest tier—you are already qualified for space upgrades and other delectable benefits.
- People who don’t frequently stay at IHG properties should avoid it. If you only infrequently require IHG points, one of the Chase Sapphire cards would probably be best for you since IHG is a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Study more: Find out if the annual fee for the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card is worthwhile.
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card
With this deal, you can get 50,000 bonus miles in addition to Alaska’s Famous Companion FareTM for just $121 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees start at $22). You must spend $2,000 or more within the first 90 days of creating your account to be eligible.
- Cost per year: $75.
- $550 is the value of the welcome bonus. Alaska miles are valued by Dollardosh at 1.1 cents each.
- Why you should get it: Compared to the previous offer, this one comes with 10,000 more miles. Not to mention, if you use this card to fly internationally or to Hawaii, the annual companion pass benefit can be very valuable.
- Who should buy it: West Coast-based tourists who can benefit from the route network and the Alaska award chart’s sweet spots.
- Who should avoid it: Individuals who don’t live close to an Alaska hub because doing so would make it difficult to redeem miles. If Alaska is not convenient for you, you can investigate options with other airlines since many other airline cards provide a companion pass as a reward.
- Study more: Determine whether the annual fee for the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card is reasonable.
Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card
With this deal, you can get 70,000 bonus miles in addition to Alaska’s Famous Companion FareTM for just $121 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees for just $22). Make purchases totaling $4,000 or more during the first 90 days of creating your account to be eligible.
- $25 for each card and $50 for the business each year.
- Welcome bonus offer worth $770. Alaska miles are valued by Dollardosh at 1.1 cents each.
- Why you should get it: This offer has 30,000 more points than the previous one, and compared to the typical offers, an airline credit card with a bonus of more than $700 is usually a solid choice.
- Who should purchase it? Once more, West Coast-based business owners will likely benefit most from this. People who frequently travel out of cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, or Anchorage will especially benefit from it.
- Who should not attend: You should consider other small business cards that might meet your needs if you won’t use the Companion Pass much or if you want points that can be used on other airlines.
- Study more: Find out if the annual cost for the Alaska Airlines business card is reasonable.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Spend $4,000 on purchases within three months of account opening to receive a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles, which is equal to $750 in travel.
- Cost per year: $95.
- Welcome bonus amount: between $750 and $1,350. The Capital One Travel portal allows you to redeem Capital One miles for 1 cent apiece, while Dollardosh values Capital One miles at 1.8 cents each if you use transfer partners.
- Why you ought to buy it: The welcome bonus now equals the bonus on the more expensive Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and is 15,000 miles higher than it was previously. This is a far more affordable beginning point if all you want to do is accumulate Capital One miles.
- Beginner travelers who desire a credit card should apply for one, as should anyone who doesn’t want to keep track of numerous bonus categories and statement credits. This card offers a fantastic 2x on all purchases and 5x on lodging and auto rentals made through the Capital One Travel website. The ability to transfer to airlines like Turkish Airlines and Finnair, which are not accessible through Chase Ultimate Rewards® or American Express Membership Rewards, will be a huge plus for more seasoned cardholders of travel credit cards.
- Who should not attend: Spending the extra $300 on the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is worthwhile if you frequently use lounges; this cost can be offset by the $300 in statement credits each year that can be applied to reservations booked through Capital One Travel. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers unlimited access to the same lounges as well as Priority Pass lounges and some Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses, in addition to the two complimentary visits to Capital One lounges or more than 100 Plaza Premium lounges per year that are included with this card. People earning points for award stays may have more possibilities with a different travel or hotel card since Capital One has limited options if you’re looking to transfer your points to hotel programs.
- Study more: Examine the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card to see if it is worth the yearly cost.
Citi Premier® Card
- Cost per year: $95.
- Welcome bonus amount: between $800 and $1,200. When making travel arrangements directly, Capital One miles can be redeemed for 1 cent apiece, whereas Dollardosh rates Citi ThankYou points at 1.5 cents each if you use transfer partners.
- Why you ought to buy it: The minimum spending amount to qualify for this welcome offer remains the same as it was previously, and it is worth 20,000 extra points. The Citi Premier® Card is one of the few alternatives left if you want to start earning Citi ThankYou points because the Citi Prestige® Card is no longer accepting new applications.
- Who should purchase it: Loyalists of travel rewards who desire access to some of the top transfer partners available. With several fantastic sweet spots in the United States and abroad, Turkish Airlines’ Miles&Smiles program is one of the few transferrable currencies to collaborate with Citi.
- Who should not attend: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers greater value if you’re a travel rewards novice who typically books trips through travel portals because it generates points that are worth more when doing so (about 1.25 cents each). Because it has a more expansive definition of travel, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card also awards extra points on more purchases.
- Study more: Learn how to maximize the Citi Premier® Card’s benefits.
Visit this page to examine the rates and costs for the Marriott Bonvoy BrilliantTM American Express® Card. Visit this page to examine the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card’s rates and fees.
Dollardosh has gathered information about the Citi Prestige® Card; the issuer or supplier of this good or service has not reviewed it or given it.
How to increase your benefits
You want a travel credit card that puts your priorities first. Here are our selections for the top travel credit cards of 2022, including ones that are ideal for:
- A sizable bonus, transferable points, and flexibility: Card from Chase Sapphire Preferred
- No yearly charge Credit card from Bank of America® with Travel Rewards
- The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers flat-rate travel rewards.
- High-end benefits and additional travel rewards: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- The Platinum Card® from American Express offers opulent benefits.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card for business travelers