I am looking to get a credit card with good travel rewards. At the moment, the CCs that I have just don't offer too many benefits and with the seemingly endless offers out there for miles, points, whatever, I am looking to change primary cards to take advantage of some of them, especially now with all of our various wedding expenses - we might be able to get some nice rewards!
So question for those of you that use/ have travel CCs: What one(s) do you use; why do you like it/them; how did you choose it/them?
Re: Travel CCs
We went with the Bank of America Travel Rewards card.
Here are the primary things you want to consider:
Does it have an annual fee? Cards with annual fees tend to come with better rewards, but there's an obvious pay off. If you only want it for a year it may be worth it if you choose a card where the fee is waived the first year.
Do they charge transaction fees for international transactions? Obviously, don't pick anything you can't use internationally where they are going to charge you a fee. Not worth it.
Are you limited in how you can redeem points/who you can redeem points with? This is the primary reason we went to Bank of America (Capitol One was our second choice because they are the same way). The BoA travel rewards card works as a credit to your statement. You buy whatever flights, hotels, car rentals you need, and you can use the rewards as a credit towards your bill. This helps you avoid black out dates or other issues that you may run in to with a provider specific card like the Delta SkyMiles visa as an example.
What are the sign up bonuses? Most credit cards will offer so many free points when you sign up and this may guide your decision making.
Don't forget to consider cards that offer double points for certain expenditures, like gas or groceries. Also make sure that your travel purchases also count towards your rewards.
With airline cards, it depends on what airline is accessible to you. I started out with an American Airlines MasterCard, then moved, so switched to the United Club Card. Now, we're moving again, so I started using my American MasterCard and upgraded it to the Admiral's Club card.
In addition, I also have a Starwood AmEx. The only downside to the AmEx is that it DOES have foreign transaction fees, while my others do not. However, Starwood Points can be used for almost anything- hotel stays, flights, concerts, and activities during your Starwood hotel stays, among other things.