Travel can be expensive but there are so many ways to work around the costs of travel, or at least get something back for those miles you spend in the air. As soon as I started traveling a lot as an adult, I started applying for Travel Credit Cards and it’s paid off ten-fold over the years. I know lots of people are afraid of the burden of credit cards and yes, it can be easy to overspend, but if you can keep spending under control and use credit cards simply as a way to help you pay for travel, you’ll be shocked at the deals you can get.
Over the last 5-7 years, I’ve tried out a bunch of different travel credit cards, airline cards and bank cards alike and I’ve narrowed it down now to a few travel cards that are really worthwhile for me and for the sort of travel we do now. So in no particular order, here are my favorite Travel Credit Cards and the perks they offer (many of those perks we use on a very regular basis and helps us cut our travel costs down significantly.)
BRITISH AIRWAYS VISA
I’ve had this card for a few years now and love it. It has so many perks and is one of my top recommendations for a travel card. Even if you don’t ever fly BA, this card is well worth having, especially if you have large spenditures going on the card each year. For example, I use this card for the majority of my business expenses, which gains a lot of points each year, which is turn are used in a number of ways. This card also has no foreign transaction fees so it’s the card Nick and I use while abroad, as well as having a chip (which is used around the world.)
![]() |
via |
Those are just a few of the reasons I love this card, here are even more perks that come with it:
+ No foreign transaction fees
+ Chip technology
+ Avios companion ticket each year after spending $30,000 in a calendar year (Basically buy any ticket on BA with Avios points in any cabin and get a free companion ticket, only paying for taxes and fees)
+ Avios can be redeemed for flights, hotels and rental cars almost anywhere in the world
+ BA lets you pool your points with other members of your household, letting you accrue a large amount of points quicker
How I use this card:
For me, I haven’t ever used the points I accrue on this card for long-haul flights (only Intra-Europe flights), though I’m sure that can be lucrative as well, especially on partner airlines as BA charges really high taxes and fees. I use this card’s points for hotels and rental cars all the time. On many of our trips at least half the nights, if not all are booked on Avios points accrued on my BA card. I’ve also used the points for rental cars more times than I can count, which often saves you a lot of money. I also love this card while traveling abroad, as it’s enhanced with chip technology and has no foreign transaction fees, which can come in really handy.
CHASE SAPPHIRE VISA
I recently got this card and love it already. I signed up when they were offering a hefty sign up bonus which really boosted my points right away. This card earns you double points when used on any travel related costs as well as offering amazing point advantages and transfer opportunities. I’ve already used this card to book us a weekend in New Mexico in April, entirely on points. I booked flights, hotels and rental cars with points from this card, covering us for an entire weekend.
![]() |
via |
Those are just a few of the reasons I love this card, here are even more perks that come with it:
+ No foreign transaction fees
+ Chip Technology
+ Cool aesthetic (it’s actually metal)
+ Amazing points travel shop – Chase offers a whole website for travel booking with this card, offering you a discount on travel when you book with them or with points
+ Amazing points transfer opportunities – Among the list of companies you can transfer points to (1:1) include BA, Hyatt, Southwest and many others
How I use this card:
I use this card for business expenses, which for me, adds up to a lot of points accrued. I also have started putting our airfares booked for this coming year on this card, to get the double points on big purchases like that. For instance, when I just booked our airfare to Europe in the Fall, I used this card to take full advantage of the points system.
ALASKA VISA & ALASKA BUSINESS VISA
I’ve had the Alaska cards for years, mainly because I fly Alaska a lot and they are based out of the North West, where I live. But they are pretty great cards to have no matter where you live because of the great partners that Alaska has, including Air France, Emirates and Delta, and many more.
![]() |
via |
Those are just a few of the reasons I love this card, here are even more perks that come with it:
+ Great points based travel options – Alaska is one of the airlines that still charges you the same amount whether you book one way or round trip and same goes for points. This is a huge perk and their points are pretty affordable for booking travel.
+ $99 companion ticket each year – Since I have both the personal Alaska card and Business, I get a companion ticket each year on each card. Nick also has a card, so between us we get 3 companion tickets each year, which after fees, ends up being about $106 for the companion. Consider your flying from Portland to NYC and tickets are upwards of $400. You get that second ticket for just $106, which can be a great value.
How I use this Card:
I used to use my personal Alaska card a lot more, but now I mostly just use the Business card for business expenses. But I like to keep my personal one, even though I don’t really use it anymore, for the purpose of that companion ticket each year.
Travel credit cards can be incredibly useful if you really use them to your advantage. I hear all the time of people that have never even looked into all the perks you get from travel cards they have and that’s such a waste. When you figure out how lucrative they can be and how much of your travel can be purchased on points with no money out of your pocket, you realize it’s a pretty amazing system to be part of!
Kiki says
No foreign transactions fees is huge for me when it comes to choosing a credit card. The only reason I got a credit card in the first place was to use when I went on my first study abroad and knowing what benefits certain cards offer you is so important thanks for sharing!
Casey Martin says
Yes totally! The no foreign transaction fees can really save you a ton of money abroad!
The Happy Type says
Now this is an AWESOME post. I love it so much that you can’t even know! I’ve been going back and forth between cards and their perks and now you’ve made things much simpler! WHOOO!
Casey Martin says
Fantastic!!! 🙂 Glad I could help!
ifs ands Butts says
Gah that chip is SO big for Europe!
Casey Martin says
Totally!!! And I think a lot of people don’t realize that before they travel!
andrea says
Except the chip is worthless without the pin, at least in the UK. It will be great if we would ever get chip AND pin!
Casey Martin says
You can call your credit company and set up a pin though, I have one on mine!
Jenn @ A Country Girl's World says
I just experimented with this by getting a carnival card and it has worked out great for us! We were able to use the points to book excursions for our honeymoon 🙂 I definitely think it’s worth it if you budget well and don’t over spend
Casey Martin says
Oh nice!!! yes, it’s all about tailoring your points cards to what you’ll use them on!
Jessie Frederick says
Love this post! I’m graduating in May and will be entering the “real world,” and I’ve been trying to think of ways that I can travel without going broke or waiting till I’m retired. I’m definitely going to have to look into these kinds of credit cards.
Casey Martin says
Oh excellent! There are so many ways to travel now a days without breaking the bank and these truly do really help!
andrea says
Love the Chase Sapphire, much more than the BA card. I find it hard to use BA miles (the taxes the UK charges on flights is outrageous) so I love that we can use the Chase Sapphire cards on almost anything. And we love the Chase Hyatt card – you get 2 free nights just for signing up and then 1 night every year!
Casey Martin says
Yes, I’m finding that though I like the Sapphire better, I’m still using my BA as the BA card is amazing for hotels and rental cars on points… I don’t hardly ever use it for airfare for the taxes you mentioned, but still worthwhile for other things! 🙂
Brenna says
As a younger traveler, and one without much experience, I was wondering how straightforward these cards would be? I currently have a credit card connected to my debit account, but I use it mostly to build credit and for online purchases. Of course I’ve heard lots of horror stories about the confusion involved with credit cards, and I’m just wondering if some of these cards are big on the fine print, or can you pretty much find the right places to learn about the details?
Casey says
I’ve not had many issues with credit cards over the years, and I think that as long as you use it responsibly, there is no harm. I would do your research, figure out which cards are best for you and then go from there!
Brenna says
Alright, sounds doable. Thanks!
Casey says
Good! 🙂 If you have any other questions, feel free to let me know!