Everyone loves to vacation, but who loves vacations running low on budget? Absolutely no one! Although everyone plans thoroughly for a delightful day out, what if you experience an unforeseen change of plan and money is the issue ahead?? Or, you are a frequent traveller and could use travelling perks? To cover balance and reward situations, we have credit cards. Still, do you know we also have Travel Credit Card that covers your travel expenses with extra benefits like redemption options and a high rewards rate?
Before we dive into the Best Travel Credit Cards available, let’s dig into what is a Travel credit card. A travel credit card gives you travelling benefits to redeem for travel-related purchases. It provides points and rewards that can be utilized while booking hotel rooms, flight tickets, and such reservations. Travel credit cards may not charge an annual fee and offer different discount rates, rewards, and interest rates. However, the best travel credit card also provides cashback incentives and a range of upgrades for your next holiday.
To help you determine which travel credit card can provide the maximum benefit, I have analyzed some and created a list for your analysis. Based on your requirement, check out the following:
Best Travel Credit Cards For 2023
Choosing a travel credit card is as important as planning a task. You have to ensure that the pros and cons of a particular profit you in all the way, cover travel insurance and maintenance expenses are bearable, and its terms & conditions favor you. How frequently you travel, your travel choices, and spending pattern must be the primary factor determining the travel credit-card services you opt for.
Here is the selection of the travel credit card for 2023:
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
This one is the greatest overall value because it offers a 100,000-mile welcome bonus after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first six months, and the annual fee is $395.
Advantage:
- Its annual premium is less than others within its group.
- The annual trip bonus and anniversary points will cover the annual cost.
- Points are simple to earn and use.
Drawbacks:
- There is a scarcity of domestic airlines and high-end hotel travel partners.
- The Capital One lounge network is still in its early stages.
- The benefits of hotel status are unavailable.
United Club℠ Infinite Card
This one is the greatest in terms of the best airline card. It offers an 80,000-mile welcome bonus, and you can earn 4 miles per dollar spent on tickets, inflight food, Wi-Fi, economy plus, beverages, and other United charges; 2 miles per dollar spent on all other travel and dining, and 1 mile per dollar spent on all other travel-purchases. The annual fee for a United Club℠ Infinite Card is $525.
Advantage:
- There are no foreign transaction fees.
- The United Club Membership is more beneficial than the yearly cost.
- You get a free first and second checked bag when you pay for your ticket using your card.
Drawback:
- The annual cost is extremely hefty.
- There isn’t an introductory APR deal.
- APR is high regularly.
Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express
This one is the greatest in terms of the best hotel card because you can earn 150,000 Hilton Honors credit on spending $4,000 on the card within the first three months of card enrollment. This card covers Return Protection, Car rental loss, damage insurance, and Baggage insurance plan and offers benefits like airline-free credits, resort credits, various complementary services, etc. The annual fee for Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express is $450.
Advantage:
- Priority Pass is provided free of charge.
- Statement credits of up to $600 are available.
- Instant Hilton Diamond status comes with a slew of perks.
Drawback:
- The annual charge is high, and there is no first-year waiver.
- Regular APR and penalty APR are both high.
- There isn’t an introductory APR deal.
- The value of points is lower than that of other reward schemes.
JetBlue Plus Card
This is the best airline card for families with only $99 annual fees. With this card, you can spend $1,000 on purchases and pay the yearly fee within the first 90 days to earn 50,000 credit points. The awarded points don’t expire, and you can avail of 50% inflight savings on eligible drink and food purchases.
Advantage:
- Earn 6 points for every $1 spent on JetBlue.
- Points have no earning restrictions and never expire.
- You and up to three companions on the same reservation get a free checked bag.
- There are no costs for international transactions.
Drawback:
- Aside from Hawaiian Airlines, there are no airline transfer partners.
- There are Balance transfer fee
- The regular APR is high.
BILT Mastercard
This travel credit card is a ‘no annual fee’ travel rewards card’ with no foreign transaction fees. It gives you a bonus point on travel, rent payments, dining, and other travel-related purchases. This card also covers purchase protection and cell phone insurance.
Advantage:
- There is no annual fee
- You can earn rewards on rent payment
- You can transfer the points
Drawback:
- There are fewer additional benefits.
- A minimum of 5 transactions per month is required to earn the rewards
- Compared to other cards in the market, the non-rental spending benefits are relatively modest.
Aside from these, various other Travel Credit Cards offer amazing services with fewer disadvantages, like American Express® Gold Card, United Quest℠ Card, The World of Hyatt Credit Card, United℠ Explorer Card, and U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card, etc.
5 Best Indian Travel Credit Cards For 2023
Citi PremierMiles Credit Card
This travel credit card is best for air miles earning with Rs. 3000/- annual fee. It offers 10,000 Miles welcome bonus on spending Rs. 1000 within 60 days and complimentary access to domestic airport lounges. You can earn 10 miles on every spend of Rs.100 for airline purchases. You can either redeem the miles to purchase airline tickets or transfer them to airline partners in a 2:1 ratio. Citi PremierMiles credit card provides air miles (rewards) that do not expire, on-air accidental death and dismemberment coverage of up to Rs. 1 crore and a 20% discount on Citi Bank’s partnered restaurants. However, this card doesn’t cover many international expenses, and the foreign exchange markup is higher than 3.5%.
SBI Card ELITE
This one is the elite card that offers the overall benefits of travel, movie, lounge access, and shopping with Rs. 4999/- annual fee. This card offers a welcome bonus of Rs 5,000 e-gift vouchers from Marks & Spencer, Yatra, Shoppers Stop, Bata/Hush Puppies, or Pantaloons. With SBI Card ELITE, you can also get Silver membership to Club Vistara, from where you can avail of flight upgrades, other Vistara Airline benefits, and perks limited to Trident Hotels. You can also earn rewards on departmental store purchases, groceries, and dining. This card is dedicated to travel, and the foreign exchange markup is 1.99% only.
HDFC Bank Diners Club Privilege
With an annual fee of Rs. 2500/- only, this premium travel credit card offers annual membership of BB Star, Zomato Pro, Times Prime Smart, MMT Black, and Amazon Prime as a joining bonus. You can earn four reward points on every purchase of Rs 150. HDFC Bank Diners Club Privilege provides access to 1000 airport lounges – 12 times every year and two golf games at various golf courses worldwide. The reward points here can be converted into miles and used to purchase air tickets. This card also covers air accidents, overseas emergency hospitalization, and more with these benefits.
IndusInd Bank Legend Credit Card
With a joining fee of Rs. 9999, IndusInd Bank Legend Credit Card offers a complimentary stay at Oberoi Hotel, benefits on Yatra, BookMyShow, and more. This card has no annual fee, and you can earn 2 points on every purchase of Rs 100 on weekends and 1 point on weekdays. You will also get a waiver of 1% of the charges on fuel expenses between Rs 400 to Rs 4000, roadside assistance in metro cities, and access to more than 500 lounges worldwide. The card offers the lowest foreign currency markup of 1.8% in terms of international travel benefits.
Axis Bank Vistara Signature Credit Card
If you prefer Vistara airlines, this travel credit card is meant for you. On an annual fee of Rs 3000, you can get one premium economy ticket as a welcome gift and 4 points on every purchase of Rs 200 that can be redeemed for booking flight tickets and upgrades. Axis Bank Vistara Signature Credit Card provides you with up to Rs. 2.5 crore in air accident insurance and Rs. 1 lakh in purchase protection insurance. You can also avail yourself up to 100% of the credit limit if your card is lost or stolen. You can also enjoy some additional benefits with this card, such as discounted golf access, Club Vistara Silver membership, etc.
Aside from these, various other Travel Credit Cards offer amazing services in India with fewer disadvantages, like Air India SBI Signature Credit Card, HDFC Regalia Credit Card, IRCTC SBI Card Premier, MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Signature Credit Card, Intermiles HDFC Signature, etc.
Note:
The analyses and recommendations stated have not been reviewed, approved, or provided by any third party or the card’s issuer. The facts, advantages, and drawbacks can vary per the card companies’ current policy. It is advisable to check with the company before the purchase.
Check out Connecting Traveller for budget-friendly travelling ideas from exclusive Travel Tip.
Frequently Asked Question
Here are some of the best travel credit cards you must have while traveling internationally:
1) Best for hotels: Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card.
2) Best overall: American Express® Gold Card.
3) Best for luxury travel: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
4) Best for dining: Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card.
5) Best for bad credit: Discover it® Secured Credit Card.
Yes, there is something called Travel Credit Card which is just like your ordinary credit card, except it offers amazing offers, points, and cashback when you use it while travelling. Typically, there are no fees associated with using travel credit cards overseas, and they frequently provide outstanding exchange rates. They could have higher interest rates, but if you pay the debt in full and on time each month, they might be a great alternative for vacations or purchasing from foreign websites.
Here are some of the best travel credit cards you must have in India for international travel:
1) HDFC Bank Diners Club Privilege: best for Travel booking with points
2) HDFC Regalia: best for Travel booking with points
3) SBI Card ELITE: best for Low Forex Markup
4) Intermiles HDFC Signature: best for Bonus Miles Earning
5) Air India SBI Signature: best for Co-branded benefits (Air India)
6) MakeMyTrip ICICI Bank Signature: best for Co-branded benefits (MakeMyTrip)
7) Axis Bank Vistara Signature: best for Co-branded benefits (Vistara)
8) Standard Chartered EaseMyTrip Credit Card: best for Co-branded benefits (EaseMyTrip)
9) Yatra SBI Card: best for Co-branded benefits (Yatra)
10) IRCTC SBI Card Premier: best for Railway Bookings
Once you have a shortlist of two or more credit cards, you should evaluate them based on the following criteria to focus your search and select the ideal card:
1) Annual Fees
2) Lounge Access
3) Rewards/Air Miles
4) Sign-up Bonus
5) Other Benefits like rewards on dining, movies, golf, shopping, etc
Before you decide on what is best for you, ask yourself these questions:
1) Would free lounge access to be beneficial for me?
2) Do I want to earn air miles?
3) Do I need a co-branded credit card or one with general benefits?
4) In which category do I spend the most?
5) Do I need travel insurance along with other perks?
Based on your answer to the above questions, choose a card with lounge access in case you are a frequent flyer or, select cards with extra rewards on travel if you want usage flexibility or, you can select co-branded travel cards if you are loyal to a particular brand.
Issuers of credit cards provide a range of features specifically geared at travel. Significant benefits of travel credit cards include:
1) Airport Lounge Access
2) Accelerated Rewards on Travel
3) Air Mile Earnings
4) Co-branded Benefits
5) Travel Voucher
1 comment
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