travel rewards uk

• Jump to Accessibility
• Jump to Content

Get more holiday rewards this summer

Representative 27.9% apr (variable).

Take me to...

1. What is a travel reward credit card?

A travel reward credit card is a card that could reward you when you travel and spend.

With our Travel Reward Credit Card, you’ll earn Rewards:

• 1%  back on eligible travel spending* on planes, trains, car rental, ferries, buses, hotel accommodation, travel agents, cruises, campsites and more.
• 1%  to  15%  at selected partner retailers.
• Or, instead of these,  0.1%  back everywhere else.**
• No foreign transaction fees  on purchases abroad. (You'll still pay fees if you take money out of cash machines abroad or get a cash advance. You may also pay local fees.)
• No   annual fee.

*Find out what travel spending is eligible for Rewards

**You won’t earn 0.1% Rewards on top of any Rewards earned with your Travel Reward Credit Card: a. through 1-15% Reward offers from selected partner retailers; or b. travel-related purchases that are eligible for our 1% Rewards offer.

Want to transfer a balance?

If you transfer a balance onto our Travel Reward credit card, we'll charge you interest on this. Not sure this card is for you?  See all our credit cards .

2. Why get our Travel Reward credit card?

Get rewards every time you spend.

Earn Rewards on your eligible travel and everyday spending. Then turn them into cash – or e-codes for chosen partner retailers – or donate to charity.

No foreign transaction fees

Spend with this card abroad and pay zero foreign transaction fees. (You’ll pay a fee to get money from a cash machine and for cash advances. There may also be local fees.)

Join the millions who use our app

From viewing your MyRewards balance to finding your PIN, it’s easy to manage your card with our app. Criteria applies.

3. Check your eligibility

Find out if you could get this card before you apply. It takes less than 10 minutes to see if we'll say 'yes' and it won’t affect your credit score.

Representative Example

Purchase rate, representative apr, assumed credit limit.

You may receive higher than our standard purchase and balance transfer rate of 27.9% p.a. (variable) on application – up to 29.9% p.a. (variable).  Your actual credit limit and APR may vary depending on our credit assessment of you.

For more details,  see the summary box document (PDF, 84K) . Always aim to pay off your credit card balance every month to make sure the benefit of Rewards outweighs any interest costs.

4. Try our Travel Reward Credit Card calculator

Use our Rewards calculator to see how much you could earn back on your spending.

This calculator estimates the Rewards you could earn based on:

• 1% back on eligible travel spending* on planes, trains, car rental, ferries, buses, hotel accommodation, travel agents, cruises, campsites and more. 
• Or, instead of these, 0.1% back everywhere else.**

Right now, you’ll earn at least 1% back from chosen partner retailers.

 The amount, details and partner retailers may change in future.

Want the latest offers?

Go to MyRewards via your mobile app or Online Banking to see your partner retailer offers. 

*Find out what travel spending is eligible for Rewards.

**You won’t earn 0.1% Rewards on top of any Rewards earned with your Travel Reward Credit Card: a. through 1-15% Reward offers from selected partner retailers; or b. travel-related purchases that are eligible for our 1% Rewards offer.

How much do you spend on travel (excluding fuel) and holiday accommodation each year?

How much do you spend at these partner retailers.

How much do you spend on all your other bits and pieces?

• Your Rewards

5. It's easy to manage your Travel Reward credit card...

• How to pay and more
• Why use our app?
• Charges and fees

Your Rewards OpenClose

How rewards work, 5 rewards = £5 when redeemed.

We like to keep things nice and simple.

So, 5 Rewards gives you £5  if you bank them.

(They could be worth even more if you exchange them for certain vouchers.)

Where you earn Rewards

You could earn rewards everywhere....

• Earn 1% or more from chosen partner retailers,  like Booking.com, National Express and Enterprise.
• Enjoy personalised offers  worth up to 15%.
• Check your email to discover how many Rewards you’ve earned, plus  the latest offers .
• To see your partner retailer offers, go to MyRewards on your app or Online Banking.

Just so you know…

All Reward offers are subject to the partner retailers’ terms and conditions.   Read our partner retailers' terms and conditions .

How to spend your Rewards

How will you spend your rewards it's up to you:.

Bank ’em: 

Turn your Rewards into cash, which could go into your bank account. Or if you prefer, you could put the money onto your credit card to pay towards your balance.

Swap them for e-codes from chosen retailers – some e-codes are worth more than the cash.

Use your Rewards to gift money to one of our chosen charities.

How to pay and more OpenClose

How to pay with your credit card, apple pay and google pay are quick, easy and secure.

To pay, place your device on a contactless card reader. And – hey presto! – you’ve paid.

It takes just minutes to set up, so what are you waiting for?

How to set up Apple Pay

How to set up Google Pay 

Apple Pay is only available on certain Apple devices. 

Google Pay is only available on certain Android devices. 

Could this save you money?

Could a credit card instalment plan save you money.

With our Credit Card Instalment Plan, you could spread the cost of an eligible purchase.

You won’t pay interest – instead, you’ll pay a fixed amount each month. This could save you money.

There are a number of factors that contribute to being eligible for an Instalment Plan. These include having a; transaction between £50-£3,000 either on your latest statement or applied to your account since your last statement was produced, a credit card with a standard purchase APR above 6.9% and your account is within your credit limit.

With our Credit Card Instalment Plan, you could:

• Choose if you want to pay us back over 3, 6, 12 or 24 months.
• Budget better, as you pay a fixed monthly fee.
• Pay less, potentially, as you pay a fixed monthly fee, not interest, which could be cheaper.

Calculate how much you could save with a Credit Card Instalment Plan

What you need to know about our Credit Card Instalment Plan:

• It costs less than the usual repayment interest on your card.
• You'll need the NatWest app to set up, track and manage it.
• We'll alert you if you can get it via the app. 
• It's for existing credit card customers only. 
• Eligibility criteria and monthly fees apply.
• You can only get it for a transaction that's on your latest statement, or added just after your statement was produced.
• You can't have a cash balance on your credit card account.
• Your monthly payments and fee depend on the cost of your purchase and how long you choose to pay it back.
• You can't increase your credit limit by moving a purchase to a Credit Card Instalment Plan, as it's included within the Plan.

Why use our app? OpenClose

Forgotten your pin, got a feeling you've forgot your pin.

Forgot your card PIN? Get an instant reminder:

• Log in to the app and go to your credit card account.
• Tap ‘Manage Card’.
• Tap 'PIN Services'.
• Prove it's really you – and we'll instantly show you your PIN.

Check your credit score

See your score in our app, for free.

So, what's your credit score? Find out in a flash.

Check your credit score in our app, free

Just so you know… 

The credit score is from TransUnion. To see it in the app, you’ll need to opt in there and be an 18+ customer, with a UK address. To get our app, you must be age 11 or over, have a UK mobile number (or international mobile number in some countries) and use a compatible iOS and Android device.

Replace your credit card

Got the app it's easy to replace your card....

1. Sign in to the app and choose your credit card.

2. Tap ‘Manage card.’

3. Tap ‘Report card problem.’

Charges and fees OpenClose

How to pay us back, 4 ways to pay your credit card.

Most people pay by Direct Debit because it's easy:

• You won’t forget to pay.
• You don’t risk late fees.

After you set up a Direct Debit, we’ll automatically take your payment each month. We usually do this 25 calendar days after you get your statement, or soon after.

With a Direct Debit, you could choose to pay:

• The full balance each month.
• The minimum amount each month.
• A fixed amount each month.

Don't want to set up a Direct Debit? Here are 3 other ways to pay:

• The NatWest app.
• Online Banking.
• Another UK bank account via Open Banking (Payit™). 

Other charges and fees

Other charges – and how to avoid them, if you transfer a balance, we'll charge you interest on this..

How to avoid this:  not sure this card is for you?  See all our credit cards .

Want full details of charges and fees?  For more details,  see the summary box document (PDF, 84K) . 

Late paying

If you’re late paying, we’ll charge you a fee of £12. That’s why setting up a Direct Debit makes sense – you’ll never be late paying again. We get that little mistakes are easy to make, so if you miss your payment due date by just one day, we won't charge you the late payment fee.

Over your limit

If you go over your limit we’ll charge you a fee of £12. If you only go over your limit by £12 or less, we won’t charge you. A good way to avoid going over your limit is to log onto NatWest Online Banking or fire up our mobile app and check your balance before you make your next card purchase.

How you'll be rewarded...

For all the juicy details about spending your Rewards, partner offers, Reward bank accounts and more, visit MyRewards . 

6. Read FAQs about our Travel Reward Credit Card

What is a travel reward credit card.

What:  Spend on our Travel Reward Credit Card and you’ll earn Rewards on eligible travel spending. You’ll also earn up to 15% at partner retailers.  Discover more about our partner retailers. 

How:  Once you've earned at least £5 in Rewards, it's up to you what you do. You could bank 'em, trade 'em for an e-code, or donate 'em.

Who for:  This could be a good option if you pay off your credit card in full each month. (If not, you could pay more in interest than you gain in Rewards). 

So, is a travel reward credit card right for you?

Find out more about how credit cards work

Are travel reward credit cards worth it?

Our Travel Reward Credit Card could work for you if you travel abroad as you'll get Rewards.

It's also handy as it's a Visa card which you can use almost anywhere - just look for the Visa logo. 

It's a good idea to pay off your credit card in full each month. If you don't, the interest you're charged could cost more than you gain in Rewards.

Will I earn Rewards on all my travel spending?

You’ll earn 1% Rewards on all your travel spending that’s eligible.

If it looks like travel spending, it probably is… but not always.

To decide for sure, we look at the Merchant Category Code (MCC) of anything you buy on your Rewards. 

The MCC is not up to us – it’s up to Visa.

Find out what travel spending is eligible for Rewards.

Where can I see a full list of your partner retailers?

You could earn 1-15% in Rewards at chosen partner retailers:

• Get 1% Rewards from retailers like Booking.com, National Express and Enterprise.
• Get personalised offers with Rewards up to 15%.

Our app tells you who our partner retailers are – and what Rewards they offer:

• Go to the NatWest app.
• Tap the MyRewards tile 
• Tap 'Earn' to see retailers. 

Or visit MyRewards to see what Rewards retailers offer:

See what our partner retailers offer

Just so you know: Retailer offers and Reward amounts vary. 

Will you charge me an annual fee for my Travel Reward Credit Card?

Good news – we won’t charge you an annual (yearly) fee for your Travel Reward Credit Card.

Can I use my Travel Reward Credit Card abroad?

Yes, you  use your Travel Reward Credit Card abroad  and  earn Rewards  just like at home.

Our cards are Visa, so you can use them wherever you see the Visa logo:

• Buy things in store  – your card is contactless, so just tap to pay without a foreign transaction fee. (There may be local fees.)
• Take cash out of cash machines  – you’ll be charged a fee for this. You may also have to pay a fee to take out cash in-branch.

When you return home...

You'll get a credit card statement showing what you bought and how much cash you took out. Both in local currency – and the cost exchanged into pounds.

Get ready to apply

We'll check your eligibility at the start.

We'll ask a couple of questions about you to get started so we can let you know if you'll be approved and the indicative credit limit and interest rate you'll receive.

Don't worry - this doesn't have an impact on your credit score until you decide you want to go ahead with your application.

Now please take a look at the important legal info

By selecting 'continue' below, you are confirming that you have been provided with, and are happy with what's in these documents. Please take some time to review, print and/or save the important information.

• How We Use Your Information (PDF, 202 KB)
• Our Lending Commitments (PDF, 531 KB)
• MyRewards Terms (PDF, 110 KB)

All okay? Let's get started

Great, let's get started.

Just a heads up - you'll be asked to log into the NatWest mobile app to start your credit card application.

Log in to start your application (please read the below carefully)

To apply, you’ll need to log in to Online Banking, then return to our credit cards page.

What do you need to log in to Online Banking?

You’ll need:

• Your Online Banking customer number, PIN and password.
• Your mobile phone – to get your one-time password.

How to apply:

(Please take notes or a picture of this, so you remember)

•  Log in to Online Banking.
• Choose ‘Credit cards’ (it’s under ‘Our Products’, bottom right).
• You’ll return to our credit card page.
• Choose ‘Apply for a credit card’.
• Choose ‘let’s start’ (under ‘Ready to apply’).

Log in and apply.

Let’s get you signed up for Online Banking

You’ll need to sign up for Online Banking  with us in order to apply for a credit card. The good news is that it normally takes only 5 minutes and all you’ll need is your sort code, account number and your NatWest Debit Card, if you have one.

How to register for online banking

Head to ' Register for Online Banking ' 

Enter your personal details. We’ll need details including your name, date of birth, sort code and account number

We’ll show you your customer number on screen (you're making good progress at this point). Make a note of it as you’ll need it when you log in, in the future.  If we don't need anything else from you you'll skip straight to step 7, but you may need to go to step 4, don't worry we'll let you know on screen. 

We'll then send you an activation code. We'll send you your activation code in a text message. Or if we don’t have your phone number, we’ll send it through the post

Go to the NatWest website and click ‘login’ in the top right-hand corner, have your activation code to hand

On the login page, type in your customer number and activation code

Now you need to choose a password and PIN and commit them to memory. The PIN should be four digits long and your password can be between six and twenty characters, and contain both letters and numbers

Done, finished, complete.  Now you can manage your finances anywhere you can get online.

To apply, you’ll need to log in to Online Banking, then return to our credit card page.

(Please take notes or a picture of this, so you remember!)

1.       Log in to Online Banking.

2.       Choose ‘Credit cards’ (it’s under ‘Our Products’, bottom right).

3.       You’ll return to our credit card page.

4.       Choose ‘Apply for a credit card’.

5.       Choose ‘let’s start’ (under ‘Ready to apply’).

You’ll need to sign up for Online Banking  with us in order to apply for a credit card. The good news is that it normally takes only 5 minutes and all you’ll need is your sort code, account number and your NatWest debit card, if you have one.

How to register for Online Banking

You're all set.

Just a heads up, if you choose to continue with your application after we give you an indicative limit, our partner Mitek will then check your identity by matching you to your photo ID. If you don’t have your ID to hand you can finish this step later.

To find out more about Mitek and Photo ID, take a look at our FAQs  below.

7. How to apply for a credit card - FAQs

How do i apply for a credit card.

Applying for a credit card is a quick and easy process. In most cases, your application will be complete in under 30 minutes. We've put together a   step-by-step guide  on how to apply for a credit card in the UK.

Why do I need to provide my ID?

If you're a new customer, we have to confirm your identity to make sure we’re opening the account for the right person. We do this through our trusted online identification and security partner Mitek.

Mitek can quickly and safely verify people from all over the world using digital footprints, ID document authentication and facial biometrics*. It’s not only safer, it also speeds up the application process meaning your account is opened faster.

This way, we can check you are you, while keeping your details completely safe and secure.

Find out more about Mitek.

*If you'd prefer to progress without sharing biometric data, you'll need to apply for this card by calling our specialist team. This means you may wait a little longer to get your account open. You can call us on 03453 073 702 Relay UK: 18001 03453 073 702 - Monday - Friday 8am-8pm, Saturday 9am - 3pm, Sunday closed. Excluding public holidays.

What ID do I need to open a credit card?

Here are the most common proof of ID and address documents we accept.

Proof of ID documents:

• Driver's Licence (UK/EU/EEA)
• UK passport, Foreign passport & Visa
• EU and EEA National Identity Card

Proof of address documents:

• Driver's Licence 
• UK utility bill (gas, electricity, water, home telephone)
• Bank/Building Society statement
• Council tax bill

More details on Proof of ID and address

Something else we can help you with?

Compare travel credit cards for 2024

The right travel credit card can give your trip an extra lift. choose from cards with no foreign transaction fees, or perks like lounge access..

• Loans & credit cards
• Building credit
• Financial health

In this guide

Compare travel credit cards

Priority pass discounts, how to choose your travel credit card, avoid non-sterling transaction conversion fees, spread the cost of your getaway, get yourself some hotel perks, travel in comfort with airport lounge access, collect air miles with a frequent flyer card, enjoy peace of mind with complimentary travel insurance, earn rewards and no fx fees.

• How to use a credit card in...

We compare the following card issuers

Airport lounge guides

Airport lounge schemes

Using your card abroad

What makes a credit card a good travel companion? There are many ways credit cards can improve your trip abroad, from saving a few pounds on fees to making you feel like a VIP with airport lounge access.

The best travel credit card option for you is going to depend on what you need the card to do. Let’s break it down.

0% purchases Up to 15 months interest free

Hotel perks 20,000 bonus points

Travel insurance Free protection

Lounge access Travel in comfort

Frequent flyer Earn Avios points

Rewards 10,000 bonus points

Approval for any credit card depends on your status. The representative APRs shown represent the interest rate offered to most successful applicants. Depending on your personal circumstances, the APR you're offered may be higher, or you may not be offered credit at all. Fees and rates are subject to change without notice. It's always wise to check the terms of any deal before you borrow. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables is provided by Moneyfacts.

Lounge access with Priority Pass

Even if you go on holiday only once a year, it’s a good idea to have a separate credit card for when you travel. That’s because your needs will be different when you’re on the road or enjoying the sun on a tropical beach from when the longest distance you travel is that between your house and the office. But how do you go about picking a good travel credit card?

The main decision you have to make is which features you want to prioritise. Here’s a basic list of things you may want to consider when comparing travel credit cards:

When travelling abroad, avoiding foreign exchange fees can be a tough task, but it’s not impossible. When using your credit card overseas, there are three main kinds of fees you should expect and learn how to dodge:

• Foreign transaction fees charged by your credit card provider. They’re charged every time you pay in a foreign currency and can amount up to 3% of the transaction. The only way of avoiding them when paying on plastic is getting a credit card that allows fee-free spending abroad.
• Fees charged by local merchants. When paying with your card, you may be offered the option of paying in pounds instead of the local currency. If you’ve taken out a credit card designed for use abroad (one that offers fee-free non-sterling transactions) you should opt to pay in the local currency, since you know that your own bank is giving you a favourable currency conversion deal. Outside the EU merchants sometimes also apply a surcharge if you want to pay by card and not in cash. If you’re concerned that this may be the case, it’s worth asking about it before picking a payment method.
• Cash advance fees. Almost all credit cards charge you extra for withdrawing cash, both in the UK and abroad. Out of the country, it’s even more expensive because the cash advance fee will add up to the foreign currency transaction fee, so you should only get cash with your credit card in case of emergency.

Compare 0% foreign fees credit cards

Planning a great holiday but not sure you can afford to pay for it in one go? With a 0% purchase credit card, you’ll be able to spread the cost over a few months without having to pay any interest on it.

0% purchase credit cards can be great for breaking down the cost of a trip into more affordable instalments, but you really need to have paid the sum back by the time the introductory deal expires. Otherwise, your balance will start accruing interest at the card’s standard rate (which is usually not very competitive). It’s essential to work out a repayment plan (divide your expenditure by the number of months in the 0% deal to work out what you should repay each month) and stick to it to make sure you pay the whole sum back on time.

Compare 0% purchase credit cards

Pros and cons

• No foreign transaction fees
• Over a year to spread the cost of purchases
• Earn 0.5% cashback
• No balance transfer fee
• 15 months of no interest on balance transfers
• Account fee of £3 per month
• Minimum annual income requirement of least £10,500
• Applicants with low credit scores are unlikely to be eligible

Eligibility criteria

More details

A small number of credit cards offer special hotel benefits like room upgrades, priority check-in, later check-out times or the opportunity to earn points that can be redeemed for free stays.

These cards are often offered by the hotel companies themselves and are more suitable to people that travel quite often and stay at the same kind of hotel. If that sounds like you, you’ll be able to make the most of the perks while also earning points quite quickly.

• Earn points on purchases
• Earn 20,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points
• Free Travel Inconvenience Insurance
• £95 annual account fee
• A relatively high interest rate on purchases

Airports – not much fun are they? But if you can relax in an airport lounge, you’ll cut out much of the stress and feel pretty smug at the same time. You’ll need to be comfortable with the idea of paying an annual or monthly account fee in return for complimentary lounge access (if that’s a deal-breaker, consider a one-off membership to a scheme like Priority Pass ). But on the plus side, lounge access won’t be the only benefit these cards offer.

Compare cards with airport lounge access

• Earn cashback on purchases
• 0% interest on purchases and balance transfers
• No balance transfer fee within introductory period
• Mastercard Concierge.
• Free LoungeKey airport lounge membership, with complimentary access for additional cardholders.
• No extra fees for up to three additional cardholders.
• £15 monthly account fee
• Must be a Santander Select or Private banking customer.
• High annual income requirement to open Select or Private bank accounts.

Just like credit cards that offer hotel perks, frequent flyer credit cards are meant for people who fly, well, frequently. If you get on a plane once a year, you won’t be able to make the most of them; if it’s more like once a month, they can really be worth it.

They work just like rewards credit cards, but let you earn air miles on all your spending instead of points or cashback. Usually, you’ll earn even more miles when you use the card to purchase tickets with the card’s partner airlines. You can get both basic options without annual fees and premium options that do charge an annual fee in return for a higher earn rate.

Compare frequent flyer credit cards

• No annual fee
• Earn Avios as you spend
• Generous welcome offer
• Free supplementary cards
• Companion flight voucher each year you spend £12,000
• Use Amex’s referral programme to boost your points earnings. For every friend who is approved, you receive 4,000 Avios (up to 9,000 Avios). Check out our guide to Amex's referral programme
• Travel accident insurance up to £75,000 (subject to enrolment), plus access to Global Assist® 24/7 emergency assistance
• Refund Protection (90 days to return, receive max £200 per item, £750 per year)
• Big spenders who clear their balance in full each month may get more from the Premium Plus card
• If you carry an outstanding balance month-to-month, the relatively high interest rate will cancel out any benefits
• Welcome bonus limited to new Cardmembers or those who have not held a personal American Express card in the past 24 months.
• This card carries a 2.99% foreign usage charge

There are a few premium cards out there that come with travel insurance included and save you the hassle of having to purchase it separately. Expect fairly pricey annual fees in return for a whole lot of benefits, such as airport lounge access.

It’s not easy to calculate when it’s better to get a card that offers it and when it’s more convenient to purchase it separately, but as we said, the travel insurance will usually be combined with other perks, so it’s a good idea to check whether those are appealing to you or not.

• Use your points towards any flights
• Worldwide travel insurance cover
• Earn rewards points on your everyday spending
• Stylish design and made out of metal
• Access to Mastercard World Elite benefits
• No spending fees abroad
• Smart fraud protection with the Yonder app (available on iOS and Android)
• Uses open banking rather than traditional credit checks to see if you're eligible for the card
• Account fee of 1 month for £0, £15 per month thereafter (which is fairly high)
• Fairly high annual purchase rate compared to other cards
• Not all banks have integrated with Yapily, the open banking provider Yonder uses, this might draw out your application process
• Currently, rewards can only be redeemed in London (but it plans to expand and select retailers offer online experiences which can be redeemed anywhere).

There are a few cards out there that offer both no FX and rewards, saving you the hassle of dealing with extra charges while earning points on your purchases. Expect fairly pricey annual fees in return for a whole lot of benefits, such as cashback, travel rewards and exclusive discounts.

How to use a credit card in…

• Czech Republic
• Dominican Republic
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Philippines
• South Africa
• Switzerland
• United States

We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use . When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.

Chris Lilly

Chris Lilly is Head of publishing at finder.com. He's a specialist in personal finance, from day-to-day banking to investing to borrowing, and is passionate about helping UK consumers make informed decisions about their money. In his spare time Chris likes forcing his kids to exercise more. See full bio

Read more on this topic

Consider a card with fee-free spending abroad and decline decline dynamic currency conversion to avoid card charges in Taiwan.

A comprehensive guide to London Gatwick’s airport lounges across both the North and South terminals and how to access them.

Here’s everything you need to know about using a credit card in Turkey. How much it may cost you and holiday spending tricks.

Planning to use your UK credit card in Sweden? Read our guide to find out which cards are best, plus payment and card advice before and while you travel.

A comprehensive guide to London Heathrow’s airport lounges across all four terminals and how to access them.

If you’re planning a trip to Switzerland and want to use your UK credit card, read our guide to ensure you don’t face any challenges with spending on your travels.

Learn everything you need to know about using your credit card in Thailand before you travel.

All the most important things that you need to know about using a credit card in UAE. Read our helpful guide before setting off on your holiday in the United Arab Emirates.

Everything you need to know about using your credit card in the USA. We do the homework for you before you head across the pond.

Find out how you can enjoy the luxury and services of airport lounges all around the world with a credit card that offers complimentary airport lounge access.

How likely would you be to recommend Finder to a friend or colleague?

Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.

Advertiser Disclosure

finder.com is an independent comparison platform and information service that aims to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions. While we are independent, the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which finder.com receives compensation. We may receive compensation from our partners for placement of their products or services. We may also receive compensation if you click on certain links posted on our site. While compensation arrangements may affect the order, position or placement of product information, it doesn't influence our assessment of those products. Please don't interpret the order in which products appear on our Site as any endorsement or recommendation from us. finder.com compares a wide range of products, providers and services but we don't provide information on all available products, providers or services. Please appreciate that there may be other options available to you than the products, providers or services covered by our service.

We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.

Learn how we maintain accuracy on our site.

• Budget Travel

5 Travel Credit Cards for UK Residents That'll Help You Earn Free Flights, Stays & More!

Travel Begets Travel

There are plenty of credit cards for UK residents that will let you rack up points to redeem for travel related expenses. Rewards vary, but qualifying purchases can get you things like free flights, hotel stays or car rentals depending on the card.

If you’re ready to get the most out of your credit card purchases, let us help you make an informed decision on what travel rewards card in the UK is right for you.

Choosing a Travel Rewards Card

In order to choose the best travel rewards card, it’s important to examine all the different aspects of the card that might affect you. While obviously travel rewards cards have attractive perks, you’ll need to figure out if they outweigh any downsides of using the card such as a high APR or annual fee.

Many cards also have a minimum spending amount in order to take advantage of the advertised introductory offer, which means they may not be worth the hassle unless you were already planning a large purchase.

It’s also a good idea to only choose a card that you can pay off over time due to a 0% APR promo or because you actually have the money available. Carrying a balance will often end up costing you more than the reward was actually worth in the first place once you start racking up interest.

Keeping all those things in mind, we’ve compiled the best travel rewards cards in the UK that are suitable for most people.

British Airways American Express® Credit Card

Frequent British Airways flyers benefit the most from their American Express Credit Card. Earn currency (called Avios) to their rewards program much faster by collecting one Avios point per £1 spent using this card.

An introductory offer of 5,000 Avios points are available if you spend £1,000 within the first three months. That’s enough points right off the bat for an economy seat on a flight between London and Edinburgh, or Dublin and Brussels. If you’re typically a big spender, you’ll even have the option of earning a two-for-one companion voucher when spending £20,000 in a single year.

SPG American Express

If you’d rather earn free hotel stays over airline miles, Starwood Hotels offers its own credit card for their 11 hotel brands around the world. U.K. residents can apply for the SPG American Express card, earning a one-night stay right off the bat with 10,000 points upfront.

Not only can you earn points by spending on everyday purchases, but your purchases at SPG and Marriott Rewards® hotels will earn double points through the end of 2019. Even if you do feel like redeeming points for flights instead, it’s possible to redeem them for flights on 150 different airlines or even transfer them to a corresponding frequent flyer program.

Hilton Honors Platinum Visa®

With one of the lowest variable APR’s (18.9%) for a travel rewards card in the UK, the Hilton Honors Platinum Visa® is a top pick. You need only spend £750 in the first three months to get your first reward — a free night certificate for any participating Hilton Hotel worldwide.

All purchases earn two points per £1, with those made at Hilton properties earning a whopping three points in addition to base points. Essentially, this card offers the best bang for your buck, whether you’re a big spender or not.

8 Ways to Find Free Accommodation While Traveling

Kelly Dunning / July 6, 2015

Wouldn’t it be great if there were a way to stay in amazing places all over the world for free? Here are some ideas for arranging free accommodation.

The Preferred Rewards Gold Card

Although this card has a £140 annual fee, its benefits are plentiful and worth it if you don’t carry a balance. With 20,000 rewards points upfront, if you spend £2,000 in your first three months, you’ll have enough for at least a return flight to London from over 100 destinations.

As a Preferred Rewards Gold Card member you have access to exclusive airport lounges, with two free visits per year. You’ll also get exclusive invites for special events and ticket presales not available to the general public. Membership points don’t expire and you’ll also have the option of hotel credits and upgrades with The Hotel Collection.

Virgin Atlantic Black Card

Travel frequently and loyal to Virgin Atlantic? With their Black Card, you’ll get two separate cards — a Visa and Mastercard — to rack up points with. A single purchase will get you 18,500 bonus miles, which is enough for a premium economy fare to Boston.

After spending £5,000 you’ll also have access to an upgrade, with a maximum of two per year. A companion fare award flight can also be yours when you spend £7,500 in the first year. With the capability of adding up to three extra people to the account for free, all these rewards are easily attainable — especially since you get four miles for every £1 spent directly with Virgin Atlantic.

Want more? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and stay up-to-date on all our latest guides, tips, and inspiration!

To help us customize your newsletter experience, let us know which country you currently reside in.

• Preparation
• United Kingdom

Related Articles

The Expert Guide to Finding the Cheapest Flights

K.C. Dermody / August 15, 2017

Knowing how to find the cheapest flights can save you tons of money on your trip. Learn how to score great deals so you can spend more money on experiences!

These Cheap Airports Make It Easy to Explore Europe for Less

Petrina Darrah / August 24, 2017

If you're looking for the cheapest place to fly into Europe, all 10 of these are great options.These airports don't skimp on conveniences, either!

6 Travel Credit Cards for US Residents That'll Help You See the World for Free

Petrina Darrah / August 31, 2017

Choosing the best travel rewards credit card for your lifestyle can be your ticket to big savings on your future trips or even seeing the world for free!

"Sleigh" at Holiday Travel with These Tips for Flying on Christmas Day

Kelly Dunning / November 27, 2018

Flying on Christmas Day might be expensive, but it's substantially less busy. Use these tips to successfully navigate traveling on December 25.

© 2024 travel wise™ All rights reserved.

• Skip to content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

Thrifty Points

A world of ideas and opportunities...

Best Rewards Credit Cards UK – Fancy £2,000 in FREE Perks?

March 2, 2020 By Ben @ Thrifty Points Leave a Comment

A Full Review of the Best Rewards Cards UK

The wonderful world of UK rewards credit cards can be a confusing place at times. Making the right choice between a credit card offering 1% cashback or a 2-4-1 voucher at £10,000 of spend may seem daunting. To help our readers, we thought it was about time we provided a detailed review of the best rewards credit cards currently available in the UK.

Now one thing you should know from the outset is that not all UK rewards credit cards are made equal! There are reward credit cards which provide excellent cashback, those that are better for flying, cards which are better for hotels – the list goes on. HOWEVER there are also rewards cards you should avoid altogether…

Within this review of the best rewards cards UK, we’ll cover everything from the do’s and don’ts of spending on rewards cards, to the various types of cards available and finally help you select the most suitable card… read on to find out more.

Let's break this post down...

The Benefits of a Reward Credit Card UK

I was lucky enough to stumble upon my first rewards credit card some 10 years ago and from that point I’ve been earning a combination of airline frequent flyer miles, hotel loyalty points and cashback on nearly all of my everyday spending.

I’ve used some of the perks of the best rewards credit cards in the UK to fly First Class with British Airways from London to Sao Paulo ( reviewed in full here ), experienced the wonders that are the Emirates First Class suite ( reviewed here ) and enjoyed a completely free weekend at the luxury 5 star Waldorf Astoria Rome ( reviewed here ).

Whilst the benefits of the best rewards cards change over time (sadly the Hilton credit card no longer offers a free night’s stay!), the competitive nature of the UK credit card market means that credit card providers are continually offering excellent benefits to both attract new customers and retain existing cardholders.

The Different Types of Rewards Credit Cards UK

As at the end of October 2018, there were a total of 59.9 million credit cards in issuance within the UK market. With the UK population estimated to be in the region of 66 million, that’s nearly one credit card for every person in the UK!

These cards make a total of 293 million purchases each month. With this in mind, it’s no wonder that UK credit card companies have cottoned on to the fact that there is significant appetite to use credit cards for everyday spending.

Whilst this space is beginning to be touched by fin-tech disruptors, the big names still tend to be prevalent including Mastercard, Visa and American Express. With fierce competition between existing credit card providers to win and retain customers, we’ve seen the evolution of the best rewards credit cards over the last 10 years.

One method adopted by all the largest credit card companies is a rewards-based scheme to encourage customers to sign up to cards and continue to spend money. These rewards-based schemes broadly fall into two main categories:

• Cashback : These cards provide rewards by way of returning a percentage of everything you spend on the card as a tax-free ‘rebate’. As we’ll see below, the best rewards cards offer up to 5% cashback in the first 3 months and then 1% on all spend after that. Depending on your spending habits this can add up to £100s each year.
• Reward Points : Whilst the benefits for rewards points credit cards vary significantly, the general principle of each one is the same. For every £1 spent on the card, you’ll receive a certain number of reward points. These points can then be redeemed for a variety of uses as we’ll cover in more detail below.

How can providers afford to offer these benefits?

Most people correctly know that a significant proportion of credit card company profits come from the interest charged on overdraft facilities. Here at Thrifty Points we strongly recommend avoiding using credit cards to borrow money – there are significantly cheaper alternatives. So how do credit card providers make money from those of us who pay off our balances each month?

Credit card companies also charge retailers a processing fee every time you use your credit card. This is known as an interchange fee. With this fee varying from 0.3% to 3% of every transaction, it can be in the interest of a credit card provider to encourage customers to spend as much money as possible on their cards.

With up to 3% of every transaction to play with, credit card companies can be very generous with the bonuses and rewards they offer customers.

The Do’s and Don’ts

Before we jump head first into this best rewards credit cards UK review, I wanted to firstly take the time to run through a couple of do’s and don’ts when using rewards credit cards.

• Do Set up Direct Debits : UK rewards credit cards are notorious for charging high interest rates on outstanding balances. To avoid any risk of being charged extortionate rates make sure you set up a direct debit to pay off your card at the end of each month.
• Do make sure that the rewards are right for you : There’s no point signing up to the Starwood Preferred Guest credit card if you’ll never stay at a Starwood-branded hotel. Make sure the benefits suit your needs and spending habits.
• Do use the card for normal spending: Try to put all of your normal spending onto your credit card. Work expenses can also help significantly towards spending thresholds.
• Don’t use these cards to borrow money: Avoid borrowing money on rewards credit cards at all costs.
• Don’t withdraw money on these cards: Nearly all rewards credit cards will charge you a significant fee for withdrawing cash from ATMs.
• Don’t spend for the sake of earning rewards: This may sound simple but I’ve heard it numerous times – I’ve just got to hit my 3 month £2,000 spend requirement so let’s treat ourselves to a nice, expensive lunch . If you weren’t planning on treating yourself to an expensive lunch then this will likely wipe out the value of the benefit. Avoid spending for the sake of it!

Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards UK for Air Miles

Frequent-flyer credit cards receive a significant amount of attention here at Thrifty Points and so they should! These credit cards offer some of the most generous credit cards rewards currently available in the UK market.

Something that I haven’t mentioned as yet within this best rewards credit card review is that some rewards credit cards come with an annual fee. In certain instances these fees can be significant – very significant!!

Whilst the benefits of these cards can outweigh the annual fee (I’ll touch upon this in more detail later), I’ll provide examples of both a free credit card and premium credit card to help you decide which may be best suited to your spending habits…

Best Free Frequent-Flyer Credit Cards

American Express Gold Card (reviewed here)

The Amex Gold Card is currently one of the most generous free credit cards available to UK residents. The card provides its rewards by way of American Express Membership Rewards points which can be transferred to 14 airline frequent-flyer programmes (including the likes of British Airways and Virgin at a rate of 1 reward point to every 1 frequent-flyer mile).

Whilst the card is free for the first year, from the 2nd year there is a fee of £140 each year. Most people would be better off cancelling the card rather than paying this fee.

Sign-Up Bonus : The card provides an strong sign-up bonus of 10,000 points when you spend £3,000 in the first 3 months. This bonus can be increased to 12,000 points by using this link .

Ongoing Benefits : You will earn 1 reward point for every £1 spent on the card. This is in line with market norms.

Other Benefits : You’ll receive two free airport lounge passes when you sign up to the card.

Thrifty Points Conclusion : With a market-leading sign-up bonus and strong, continued earnings rate, the Amex Gold Card wins the award for the Best Rewards Credit Card for frequent flyers.

British Airways American Express (reviewed here)

Probably one of the most widely known frequent-flyer credit cards is the BA Amex credit card. Whilst the card is completely free, we’ve included this credit card as a comparison rather than a suggestion because, as you’ll see, the benefits of the Gold Card are head and shoulders above this card.

Sign-Up Bonus : When you spend £1,000 on the card in the first 3 months you’ll receive a bonus of 5,000 Avios points. This bonus can be increased to 6,000 points by using this link and scrolling down to the free version of the card.

Ongoing Benefits : You will earn 1 Avios point for every £1 spent on the card. Note that these have to be redeemed as Avios, which provides less flexibility than the Gold Card.

Other Benefits : Should you spend £20,000 on the credit card in a year, you’ll receive a 2-4-1 reward flight redemption voucher. Whilst the benefit of this voucher can be significant, you’d be far better off choosing the Premium BA card as I explain in detail within my full review here .

Thrifty Points Conclusion : With an uninspiring sign-up bonus and an ongoing rewards benefit which has to be redeemed as Avios, we believe that there are alternative cards on the market that offer significantly better value for customers. Whilst the 2-4-1 voucher is attractive you’d need to spend £10,000 more than the premium version of the card and it also expires after 1 year compared with the 2 years of the premium card.

Best Premium Frequent-Flyer Credit Cards

British Airways Premium Plus Card (reviewed here)

Whilst this card comes with a £195 annual fee, in certain instances the benefits of this card can be worth a great deal more. In fact they can be worth as much as £2,000 as we’ll see below.

Sign-Up Bonus : The card provides a strong sign-up bonus of 25,000 points when you spend £3,000 in the first 3 months. This bonus can be increased to 26,000 points by using this link and scrolling down to the correct card.

Ongoing Benefits : You will earn 1.5 reward points for every £1 spent on the card. This is one of the most generous offers in the market.

Other Benefits : The greatest benefit of this card is the 2-4-1 reward flight redemption voucher when you spend £10,000 in a year. Why’s this so much better than the 2-4-1 voucher which comes with the free version?

Well! Let’s assume you’d like to use the 2-4-1 voucher for a flight during peak times on a business class trip from London to say Santiago in Chile. With limited availability on this flight you’d need to consider booking 355 days in advance if you wanted to secure 2 business class seats. If the voucher with the free card runs out in a year, this leaves little, if any, time to book your flight. Worth considering!

The same return flight would normally require a total of 420,000 Avios during peak times. You can reduce this by half with the 2-4-1 voucher, saving a heady 210,000 Avios points. I tend to value Avios points in the region of 1p (read my full value of an Avios point article here) and as such this saving could be worth nearly £2,100!

Thrifty Points Conclusion : With a 2-4-1 voucher which could be worth as much as £2,000 and a further sign-up bonus of 26,000 Avios points, the BA Premium Plus Card could actually offer great value for money. As such this is our favourite luxury travel rewards credit card.

Clearly, if you wouldn’t spend £10,000 on the card or alternatively wouldn’t redeem the 2-4-1 voucher for a flight over say 40,000 Avios points then the value of this card is likely to be limited…

American Express Platinum Card (reviewed here)

If you thought the fee for the previous card was expensive, then you may be shocked to hear that the Amex Platinum Card comes with an eye-watering annual fee of £575 pa. HOWEVER, similarly to the other card, for certain people the benefits of the card can far outweigh the costs…

Sign-Up Bonus : The card provides an exceptional sign-up bonus of 30,000 points when you spend £2,000 in the first 3 months. This bonus can be increased to 35,000 points by using this link and scrolling down to the correct card.

Ongoing Benefits : You will earn 1 reward point for every £1 spent on the card.

Other Benefits : The other benefits are extensive with this card and include:

• Unlimited free airport lounge access
• Free international family travel insurance
• Gold status with Hilton / Radisson / Starwood / Melia / Hertz / Avis
• Jade status with Shangri-la
• Free Eurostar lounge access
• Lounge access with Delta airlines

Thrifty Points Conclusion : Whilst I’m adverse to spending money (I run a website with Thrifty in the name!!), I’ve recently forked out the £575 pa to sign up to the Platinum Card . As someone who travels a fair amount, the free travel insurance and airport lounge access provide enough value to justify the cost. The rest is a bonus!

Best Rewards Credit Card UK for Cashback

For those of you who may not use their points to travel, another alternative option would be a Cashback credit card. These can also be combined with cashback websites such as TopCashback when shopping online to increase your rewards further (you can earn £7.50 by signing up through this link ). Two of the best rewards credit cards for offering cashback are the free Everyday Platinum Cashback American Express and £25-a-year premium version of the card. Let’s take a look at each of these cards below:

Free Everyday Platinum Cashback American Express

Sign-Up Bonus : Using this link and scrolling down to the Platinum Cashback Everyday card you can benefit from £10 cashback when you spend just £1 on the card. Ordinarily there is no sign-up bonus.

Ongoing Benefits : There is an enhanced bonus of 5% for the first 3 months (capped at £100 cashback). You will then earn 0.5% cashback on all spend up to £5,000 and 1% on all spend over £5,000.

Other Benefits : No other benefits.

Thrifty Points Conclusion : This is a good entry-level cashback card. Most people however will be better off with the premium version of the card (even with the £25 pa fee!).

Platinum Cashback American Express (reviewed here)

Sign-Up Bonus : Using this link and scrolling down to the Platinum Cashback credit card you can benefit from £25 cashback when you spend just £1 on the card. This will offset the first year’s cost of £25 for the card!

Ongoing Benefits : There is an enhanced bonus of 5% for the first 3 months (capped at £125 cashback). You will then earn 1.0% cashback on all spend up to £10,000 and 1.25% on all spend over £10,000.

Thrifty Points Conclusion : As we’ve seen, the referral bonus of £25 almost offsets the first year’s annual cost. With a bonus of £10 on the other card, you’d initially be £10 worse off upon signing up. With a higher cashback rate of 1% compared to 0.5% you’d need to spend £3,000 on the card to be in a break even position.

As such for those who expect to spend less than £3,000 a year on a credit card then the free version of the card is likely to provide best value, with the premium version providing a larger overall benefit to those who will spend more than £3,000 a year.

Best Credit Card Rewards UK for Hotels

I’ve recently written articles covering the various options to earn loyalty points with the likes of IHG ( full review here ), Marriott ( full review here ) and Accor ( full review here ). There was a clear winner for the best hotel travel rewards credit card UK. Drum roll please…

The Starwood Preferred Guest American Express (reviewed here)

Sign-Up Bonus : A sign-up bonus of 30,000 SPG points is available when you spend £1,000 in the first 3 months. This can be increased to 33,000 points if you use this link .

Ongoing Benefits : You’ll receive 3 SPG points for every £1 spent the card. We value an SPG at roughly 0.5p, so this ongoing benefit would be better than the approximate 1p per £1 spent on the Gold.

Other Benefits : You’ll receive SPG Gold elite status when you spend £15,000 in a year. This offers guaranteed 4pm checkout and a possible room upgrade (subject to availability).

Thrifty Points Conclusion : Whilst the SPG Amex is our best hotel branded rewards credit card, I’d highlight that it offers a very similar sign-up bonus to the American Express Gold Card when adjusted for the annual and a marginally better earnings rate. With the increased flexibility of rewards points (which can be converted to SPG points) offered with the Amex Gold Card and no charge for the first year, we’d nearly always recommend the free Gold over the SPG Amex .

FAQs – Best Rewards Cards

What’s the best free reward card for a newbie.

As I’ve alluded to throughout this review, one of the Best Rewards Credit Cards for UK citizens is the American Express Gold Card . With an good sign-up bonus, good continued earnings rate, 2 free airport lounge passes and no annual fee for the first year, we would recommend this card for most. You will just need to work out whether you should cancel the card at the end of the first year – I personally would…

What protection is there on reward credit cards?

Another great positive about using a rewards credit card is that you have far greater consumer protection than an ordinary debit card. As a result of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, if you purchase anything on the card between £100 and £30,000 and something goes wrong, the card issuer is equally as liable.

How many reward credit cards can I have?

Whilst there’s no limit to the number of rewards credit cards you can hold, we’d recommend against signing up for too many. Not only could it damage your credit rating but it could also limit your ability to receive the free sign-up bonuses as well.  Recent changes to American Express rules now mean that to qualify for the sign up bonus you cannot have held a personal American Express credit card in the last 24 months.  There are however 3 exceptions which can be combined for a maximum of 83,000 points – learn more about the sign up bonus restrictions and our suggested strategy here .

Let’s Wrap this Up

It’s no surprise that the majority of cards featured above are offered by American Express. It’s no secret that American Express charged retailers the highest interchange fees and as such is able to pass this benefit on to its customers as rewards.

The Best Rewards Credit Card UK is likely to vary depending on both your spending habits and the way that you’d plan on using the rewards.

The free Everyday Cashback credit card provides good flexibility for those who are likely to spend less than £3,000 in a year – sign up here to receive a £10 credit .

Similarly, the American Express Gold Card provides a strong sign-up bonus and a reasonable ongoing spend. American Express Rewards points can in a worst case scenario be converted to Amazon vouchers at 0.5p per point. As such the sign-up bonus could be worth £55 in vouchers should you rather redeem in this way – although it could be worth significantly more if redeemed for hotel stays or flights.  Benefit from an enhanced sign up bonus of 12,000 here .

Enjoy what you’ve read? Join our mailing list to receive our best articles on luxury worldwide travel and points earning opportunities. No charge. No Spam. Only Inspiration.

The best travel credit cards for 2024

Jul 11, 2024 • 23 min read

Your guide to upgrading to the high life by utilizing the best cards © Chris Dong / The Points Guy

This series of articles about credit cards, points and miles, and budgeting for travel is brought to you in partnership with The Points Guy .

Advertiser Disclosure:  This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. This relationship may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card and the Wells Fargo Autograph Card has been collected independently by Lonely Planet. These cards are not available through Lonely Planet.  Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit  americanexpress.com  to learn more.

Whether you're headed to a meditation retreat in Sedona or a lakeside castle in the Dolomites, everyone loves to feel pampered when they travel. Travel credit cards can help you easily upgrade your trip with perks that feel luxurious. Whether it's access to a bougie lounge, seat upgrades to business class or free Global Entry, travel credit cards are a straightforward way to reduce travel costs and journey in style.

With the right travel credit card, you can earn valuable rewards for every dollar you spend. These can be redeemed for free flights, hotel stays, car rentals and more. You can also take advantage of exclusive discounts and promotions at participating merchants. Additionally, many travel cards offer practical perks such as trip insurance to cover your losses in case of illness or other issues.

The market, however, is saturated with travel credit cards for every type of traveler. We’re here to help you choose the best one. 

When choosing our list of the best travel credit cards, we focused on a combination of welcome bonuses and recurring card benefits. And of course, credit cards that waive foreign transaction fees are a must. You don’t want to be on the hook for a 3% fee every time you use your card overseas.

Here are Lonely Planet’s picks for the best travel credit cards.

How to choose the best travel credit card for you 

When choosing the best travel credit card, it’s important to consider a few factors. First, you should look at the rewards offered by the card. The rewards will vary by card, and will most commonly take the form of cashback, airline miles, hotel points or transferable rewards. Secondly, it's important to consider the annual fees associated with the card and compare them against the benefits. Most often, you'll be able to offset a card's annual fees with the benefits it offers, as long as you remember to use them. Lastly, consider how often you will be using and traveling with your card and choose one that best suits your needs.

• Best starter card: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• Best for earning rewards on travel purchases: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Best for dining: American Express® Gold Card *
• Best for airline miles : Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
• Best for hotel perks: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card*
• Best for travel insurance:   The Platinum Card® from American Express *
• Best for no annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
• Best for business: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

How to make a travel budget using points and miles

Chase Sapphire Preferred: Best starter card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is the best starter travel card because of its flexible yet straightforward rewards program that makes earning and redeeming points easy to understand for the average cardholder. (More on that later.) The card offers a generous welcome bonus, ongoing rewards and valuable travel protection benefits. The annual $50 hotel credit partially offsets the reasonable $95 annual fee.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is great for earning points on travel purchases and everyday spending. The card provides extra peace of mind when traveling with complimentary rental car insurance, trip delay reimbursement, trip cancellation and interruption insurance and baggage delay insurance. Car rental coverage even extends to rentals made abroad.

Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Rewards: Earn 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠ (excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 Annual Chase Travel℠ hotel credit); 3X points on dining at restaurants, including eligible delivery services and takeout; 3X points on online grocery purchases; 3X points on select streaming services; 2X points on all other travel; 1X on other purchases.

Travel benefits: Annual $50 Chase Travel℠ hotel credit, no foreign transaction fees, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, primary rental car insurance, trip delay reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, travel and emergency assistance services.

Credit score required: Good to Excellent. 

Annual fee: $95

• Generous category bonuses.
• Excellent rewards program with high-value airline and hotel transfer partners.
• $50 annual travel credit.
• Generous travel protections, including primary rental car insurance abroad. 
• Subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule. (You won’t be approved if you’ve opened five credit cards at any bank in the last 24 months.)
• The $50 annual hotel credit is limited to Chase Travel℠ bookings and does not earn bonus points.

Best option to redeem Ultimate Rewards

The Sapphire Preferred ’s 60,000-point welcome bonus can go a long way in reducing your travel expenses. The easiest option is to redeem your points through the Chase Travel℠ portal at a value of 1.25 cents each. You can book flights, hotels, cruises, rental cars and activities using your points. The best part is that you can earn airline miles on flight bookings by providing your frequent flyer number. 

However, the best way to get maximum value from your points is by transferring them to one of 14 travel partners. They include popular airline and hotel loyalty programs like United Mileage Plus, Southwest Rapid Rewards, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and World of Hyatt. With 60,000 points from the Sapphire Preferred , you can book up to 17 free nights at a Hyatt hotel or three round-trip economy tickets to the UK, for example. You can even splurge on a Delta One first-class ticket to Europe, starting at 47,500 points.

Chase Sapphire review: an in-depth look at the card loved by travelers

Chase Sapphire Reserve: Best for earning rewards on travel purchases

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is ideal if you want to earn maximum rewards on travel purchases. The card earns 3 points per dollar on all travel purchases, regardless of the booking platform. However, booking through Chase Travel℠ earns you 5 points per dollar on flights. Just note: the first $300 in travel purchases is excluded from the 5X bonus since that amount is eligible for the $300 statement credit.

Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Rewards: Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

Travel benefits: Receive up to $300 in annual travel statement credits, including airfare, hotels and rental cars; get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.; Priority Pass Select membership; application fee credit towards Global Entry, TSA Precheck or NEXUS every four years; travel protections including cancellation/interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement, primary rental car insurance (up to $75,000 in the U.S. and abroad) and lost luggage reimbursement.

Credit score: Good to Excellent.

Annual fee:  $550 (plus $75 per authorized user).

• Generous rewards on travel purchases.
• The $300 annual travel credit partially offsets the high annual fee. 
• Points are worth 1.5 cents each towards Chase Travel℠ bookings. 
• Approval is subject to the Chase 5/24 rule. (You won’t be approved if you’ve opened five credit cards at any bank in the last 24 months.)
• Subject to a $75 authorized user fee, which most travel cards don’t charge.

The easiest way to redeem the Sapphire Reserve ’s 75,000-point welcome bonus is through the Chase Travel℠ portal. Your points will be worth 1.5 cents, making the bonus worth $900. This is an excellent option if you just want a straightforward redemption without worrying about blackout dates or award inventory. 

If you want to stretch your points further, you can transfer these points to World of Hyatt, for example.

Best travel credit cards for hotels

American Express Gold Card: Best for dining

The American Express Gold Card offers many perks, making it ideal for travel. The Amex Gold Card earns 4 points per dollar spent on dining worldwide at restaurants (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar for the rest of the year) and at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar for the rest of the year). The card also earns 3 points per dollar on flights (booked directly or via Amex Travel) and 1X on all other purchases. Cardholders earn 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines on amextravel.com.

Cardholders also receive up to a $10 monthly statement credit towards Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required. You’ll also get up to $10 in monthly Uber Cash, which you can use on rides or Uber Eats orders. These benefits make the Amex Gold Card ideal for maximizing every dollar spent on dining. (You must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App and your eligible American Express Gold Card must be a method of payment in your Uber account. The Amex benefit may only be used in the United States.) $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.

Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24.

Rewards: Earn 4X points at restaurants; 4X points at US supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X); 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel; 1X points per dollar on all other purchases. 

Travel benefits: Receive up to $10 in monthly Uber Cash (valid for rides or Uber Eats orders); $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required. Earn up to $10 in monthly dining credit at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required. $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Dunkin' locations. secondary rental car coverage*; baggage insurance plan*; Global Assist hotline; access to experience credits and travel perks through The Hotel Collection.  See rates and fees .

Annual fee: $325.  See rates and fees .

• Up to $400 in value with the Gold Card annually
• Extra savings potential on travel and regular purchases through Amex Offers.
• Includes valuable travel protections.
• The current welcome bonus isn’t the highest to date. 
• The card is subject to American Express’s once-per-lifetime rule. (You can only earn a card’s welcome bonus once unless you get targeted for special offers.)

Best option to redeem American Express Membership Rewards

With 60,000 Membership Rewards points, you can book quite a lot of travel. You can transfer 50,000 points to Avianca Lifemiles, for example, and cover a round-trip business-class flight within the US. If you’re looking for a great international redemption, you can transfer 50,000 miles to Etihad Airways and book an American Airlines flight to Japan. 

Membership Rewards are incredibly valuable; your miles can go a long way depending on your travel goals. 

American Express Gold Card review: a 'gold' standard with impressive benefits

The Platinum Card from American Express: Best for travel insurance

The American Express Platinum Card is a premium travel rewards card that offers an unparalleled range of benefits. From generous travel rewards and complimentary access to airport lounges to exclusive discounts and experiences, the Amex Platinum Card is the perfect choice for frequent travelers who want to make the most of their journeys. In a sea of luxury travel perks, the card shines when it comes to travel insurance.

The Amex Platinum Card offers a range of travel insurance benefits, making it an attractive choice for frequent travelers. Its comprehensive coverage includes trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay insurance, secondary rental car coverage*, access to the Premium Global Assist Hotline and baggage insurance. With the Amex Platinum Card , you can rest assured that your travels will be covered in case of any unexpected events*.

Welcome bonus: 80,000 points after $8000 spent within six months of account opening. 

Rewards: Earn 5 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel (up to $500,000 per calendar year); 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel; 1 point per dollar on everything else.

Travel benefits: Up to $1500 in annual travel, dining and entertainment credits; Hilton and Marriott Gold elite status; elite status with Avis, Hertz and National rental car; access to Amex’s Lounge Network; trip delay insurance; trip cancellation and interruption insurance*; no foreign transaction fees.

Credit score required: Excellent.

Annual fee: $695.  See rates and fees .

• Wide range of travel credits that offset the annual fee (if you use them).
• Earns valuable Membership Rewards points.
• Exceptional travel protections.
• High annual fee.
• Category bonuses are limited to Amex Travel and direct bookings.
• The current welcome bonus isn’t the highest to date, and the card is subject to the Amex once-per-lifetime rule. (You can only earn a card’s welcome bonus once unless you get targeted for special offers.)

The best way to redeem your Amex Platinum ’s 80,000-point welcome bonus is for travel. You can redeem points for travel bookings at 0.7 cents each or transfer them for even more value. American Express Membership Rewards has 17 airline and three hotel transfer partners. With 80,000 points, you can book up to four round-trip economy flights to the UK using Virgin Atlantic points. If you’d rather fly in a premium cabin, you can transfer your points to the Flying Blue program and book a one-way award flight to Europe, with enough leftover for an economy-class return. 

One of the best ways to use your miles is for an 80,000-mile round-trip business class ticket to Europe through All Nippon Airways (ANA). ANA even has 75,000-mile round-trip flights to Japan, which the Amex Platinum Card ’s welcome bonus will cover entirely.

The best credit cards for airport lounge access

Capital One Venture X Credit Card: Best for airline miles

It may sound strange to recommend the Capital One Venture X Card as a travel card for airline miles, but it has several things going for it. The card earns up to 10 miles per $1 on travel purchases and a generous 75,000-mile welcome bonus. You can even convert the rewards to airline miles at a 1:1 ratio or better. Capital One has 15 airline and three hotel transfer partners available for miles transfers. Most of the airlines are foreign carriers, offering a ton of value over domestic airline programs.

The Venture X card provides an annual 10,000-mile bonus. You can redeem these miles with the aforementioned transfer partners or use them to cover travel purchases at 1 cent per mile. The advantage of doing so is that you’ll also earn miles through the airline’s loyalty program. You’ll essentially earn and redeem miles simultaneously, making it a win-win.

Welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Rewards: Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel; 2X miles on all other purchases.

Travel benefits: $300 annual credit for travel booked through Capital One Travel; up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years; 10,000 bonus miles every card anniversary; access to Capital One Lounges and Priority Pass Select membership; complimentary PRIOR subscription, 6-month Cultivist membership; $300 towards Gravity Haus social club membership; cell phone protection (up to $800); Hertz President’s Circle status; access to Premier Collection hotels for discounts and perks; primary rental coverage; trip cancellation and interruption; trip delay reimbursement; travel accident insurance; lost luggage reimbursement; travel and emergency assistance services.

Credit score: Excellent.

Annual fee: $395.

• Generous welcome bonus. 
• Reasonable annual fee compared to other premium travel cards.
• High earning potential and recurring benefits.
• $300 annual travel credit is limited to Capital One Travel bookings.
• Capital One lounge network is limited and Priority Pass membership excludes restaurant access. 

Best option to redeem Capital One miles

With 75,000 Capital One miles, you can book up to $750 in flights, hotels, car rentals and vacation packages. The best way to maximize rewards is by transferring them to one of Capital One’s 18 travel partners. 

One of the best transfer options is to Turkish Airlines’ Miles&Smiles program. Turkish charges just 15,000 miles round-trip for a United economy class ticket to Hawaii — half of what United often charges. With 75,000 Capital One miles, you can book up to five of these flights, getting you much more than $750 in value. You can also use your miles for international business class tickets starting at 45,000 miles each way. 

Best credit cards for adventure travel

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Best for hotel perks

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is an excellent travel card for hotel perks. This card offers various travel benefits, including top-tier Hilton Diamond elite status and $500 in annual airline and resort credits. As a Hilton Diamond member, you’ll receive valuable perks like a daily food and beverage credit, space-available room upgrades, executive airport lounge access, early check-in, late checkout and 100% bonus points on paid stays. 

Cardholders also earn generous rewards on travel purchases and an annual free night award. Big spenders can earn a second free night after spending 60,000 per calendar year. These recurring perks make earning free nights for hotel stays incredibly easy and offset the card’s $450 annual fee. 

Welcome bonus: 180,000 points after you spend $6,000 in purchases in the first six months of card membership. 

Rewards: Earn 14X points on Hilton purchases; 7X points on flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel, 7X on rental cars booked directly with rental companies;  7X points on dining at U.S. restaurants; 3X points on all other purchases.

Travel benefits: Complimentary Hilton Diamond status; Priority Pass Select membership; annual $250 Hilton resort statement credit; annual free weekend night reward; annual $250 airline fee credit; secondary rental car coverage* (excludes certain international destinations); baggage insurance plan*. 

Annual fee: $450.

• Generous welcome bonus.
• Includes valuable hotel and airline benefits that can offset the annual fee.
• The only hotel credit card that awards top-tier elite status. 
• Standard free nights can cost as much as 150,000 points per night.
• Limited redemption options outside of the Hilton portfolio.

Best option to redeem  Hilton Honors Points

Hilton no longer publishes an award chart, but standard free nights generally range from 5,000-150,000 points per night. With the 150,000-point welcome bonus from the Hilton Aspire Card, you can cover up to 10 nights at a property like the Hilton Gaden Inn Konya or one night at the exclusive Waldorf Astoria Maldives. As a Hilton Diamond member, you’ll receive the fifth night free when booking award stays, allowing you to stretch your points further. 

Even if Hilton doesn’t have standard rooms available, you can pay a higher points rate to book premium rooms and suites. This can be ideal when paid rates are high, and you want to save money with points. The annual free weekend night can help you piece together an even longer stay. It’s valid at most Hilton hotels, with a few exceptions.

10 incredible branded hotels that have boutique hotel vibes

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card: Best for no annual fee

The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card is an excellent choice if you want a travel credit card with no annual fee. The card earns above-average rewards on travel-centric spending categories like travel, gas, dining and transit. The card also offers valuable travel protections, including primary rental car insurance on rentals made abroad. If you lose or damage your phone during your travels, Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card is one of the few travel rewards cards offering cell phone protection. 

While the welcome bonus isn’t very high at 20,000 points (worth $200), the card does offer an introductory 0% APR on purchases for the first 12 months. Overall, the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card provides exceptional value for a no-annual-fee card.

Welcome bonus: Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first three months.

Rewards: Earn 3X points on travel, gas, restaurant, transit and popular streaming purchases; 1X points on all other purchases. 

Travel benefits: Secondary rental car insurance in the U.S.; primary rental car coverage abroad, travel and emergency services assistance; emergency cash disbursement and card replacement; cell phone protection (up to $600 per year). 

Annual fee: $0.

• 0% intro purchase APR for 12 months.
• High earning potential in popular travel spending categories.
• Reasonable spending requirement to earn the welcome bonus.
• Primary rental car coverage abroad and secondary in the U.S.
• Low welcome bonus.
• Points are not transferable to airline or hotel loyalty programs.
• No travel protections outside of rental car insurance. 

Best option to redeem  Wells Fargo points

The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card makes redeeming points straightforward. Cardholders can redeem points for travel at a rate of 1 cent each by logging into their account. Points can be redeemed for statement credits, gift cards or booking travel directly through Wells Fargo's website. This simplicity is ideal for anyone who doesn’t want to learn different loyalty programs' various rules and regulations. You can just book the flights and hotels you want without worrying about blackout dates, then redeem points towards those purchases. 

Traveling to Europe using points and miles

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Best for business

Chase's  Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card  is an excellent choice for small business owners who want to maximize their rewards and take advantage of great benefits. With a generous sign-up bonus, 3 points per dollar on select business categories and access to an excellent rewards program, this card makes it easy to earn rewards while traveling or making everyday business purchases.

Plus, the card offers access to a suite of travel protection benefits like trip cancellation and interruption insurance, primary rental car coverage and cell phone protection. With all these features combined, the Ink Business Preferred® is ideal for business owners looking for a reliable travel credit card with great rewards and benefits.

Welcome bonus:  Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠.

Rewards: Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on select business categories each account anniversary year; Earn 1X points on all other purchases.

Travel benefits: Trip cancellation and interruption insurance; primary rental car insurance (covers up to the full vehicle value) and cell phone protection (up to $1,000 per claim). 

Annual fee: $95.

• The card offers a substantial welcome bonus.
• Cardholders receive extensive travel and purchase protections. 
• Free authorized user cards for employees.
• High spending requirement to earn the welcome bonus.
• Subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule (you won’t be approved if you’ve opened five credit cards at any bank in the last 24 months).

How to redeem rewards

The Chase Ink Business Preferred® earns valuable Ultimate Rewards points, which provide a lot of redemption flexibility. Cardholders can redeem points through the Chase Travel Portal at 1.25 cents each. The 90,000 bonus can be $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠. That’s incredibly generous for a card with a $95 annual fee.

You can get additional value from the bonus by transferring points to one of Chase’s airline or hotel transfer partners. With 90,000 points, you can have over a dozen free nights at a Hyatt hotel or book an ultra-luxury all-inclusive stay at the Ventana Big Sur for up to two nights. The possibilities are virtually endless. 

Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners: How to get the best value

Who should get a travel card?

A travel card is ideal for those who frequently travel. It offers travelers a secure way to handle payments on the road. These cards are designed to make spending on travel-related purchases easier. Travel cards offer higher rewards on travel expenses while providing other great features like mobile payments, travel insurance coverage and airport lounge access. Many travel cards also offer free foreign transaction fees, avoiding the 3% fee that can add up fast. A travel card is great for frequent travelers who want to simplify their lives while on the road. 

How to travel to the Seychelles with points and miles

How to choose the best travel credit card

When selecting a travel credit card, it’s important to consider the welcome bonus, annual fee, extra perks and rewards provided. The best travel credit cards will have a generous welcome bonus and earn high rewards in popular spending categories.

While some travel cards have high annual fees, they can be worth it depending on the perks offered. For example, many premium credit cards offer travel statement credits that can offset the annual fee entirely. Many credit cards include airport lounge access. In an era of overcrowded airports and packed flights, this perk can be a lifesaver. It’s worth looking for a card that provides either one of these options along with no foreign transaction fees on purchases made abroad. 

Another key factor to consider when selecting a travel credit card is the rewards program. If you’re loyal to a single airline, you should consider getting a co-branded airline credit card for added benefits to improve your travel experience and earn elite status faster.

How to travel to Italy with points and miles

Travel credit cards FAQ

What is the best travel credit card.

The best travel credit card depends on your individual needs and preferences. Some of the most popular travel credit cards include the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card , Capital One Venture X and American Express Platinum Card .

How to travel to New Zealand with points and miles

Which travel credit card earns the most points on travel?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred and American Express Platinum Card earn the most points on travel booked through their respective travel portals. However, the Sapphire Reserve Card earns the most points on general travel, with 3 points per dollar spent.

How to travel to Spain using points and miles

Is it worth getting a travel credit card?

Whether or not it is worth getting a travel credit card depends on your spending habits and travel goals. Travel credit cards offer some of the highest welcome bonuses and ongoing earn rates on everyday spending. If your goal is to earn lots of points for travel (plus a few extra perks), then a travel credit card makes sense. 

How to travel to Australia with points and miles

* Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit  americanexpress.com/ benefitsguide  for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

This article was first published Jul 28, 2023 and updated Jul 11, 2024.

Explore related stories

Sep 10, 2024 • 7 min read

Find the best ski resorts in Valais, Switzerland, whether you're a powder fiend, all about the après, or content to meander down gentle, tree-lined slopes.

Sep 10, 2024 • 5 min read

Sep 10, 2024 • 11 min read

Sep 10, 2024 • 12 min read

Sep 10, 2024 • 8 min read

Sep 9, 2024 • 4 min read

Sep 9, 2024 • 8 min read

Sep 9, 2024 • 7 min read

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

Card Accounts

Business Accounts

Help & Support

Personal Cards

Business Cards

Corporate Solutions

Online Travel

Travel Resources

Business Travel

Travel Money

All Insurance

Benefits and Offers

Manage Membership

American Express® Travel Membership Benefits

The Platinum Card®

The American Express® Card

American Express® Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card

Travel with Membership Rewards®

Book your adventures with us at American Express Travel Online and you can earn points as you spend. You'll be amazed at where your Membership Rewards points can take you. Why not also put them towards your next trip? You can use points for flights, prepaid hotels, prepaid car hire or holiday package. Where will your points take you?  *Terms apply

Fine Hotels + Resorts

Enjoy escaping to luxury hotels that are destinations unto themselves. Platinum Cardmembers who book through Fine Hotels + Resorts with American Express Travel will get an average total value of GBP400*  at over 1,500 extraordinary properties worldwide.

*Average value based on Fine Hotels + Resorts bookings in 2020 for stays of two nights. Actual value will vary based on property, room rate, upgrade availability, and use of benefits. Terms apply

Daily breakfast for two

Guaranteed 4pm check-out

US$100 Credit to use towards eligible charges 

Room upgrade upon arrival when available

12pm check-in when available

Complimentary WiFi

The Hotel Collection

Upscale hotels in desirable destinations. Chosen for you. Eligible Gold and Platinum Cardmembers can enjoy signature benefits with The Hotel Collection when booked through American Express Travel.

Book a minimum two-night stay and enjoy a US$100 credit to use at the hotel. Plus, 12pm check-in, late check-out and a room upgrade upon arrival, all when available.* 

* Terms Apply.

US$100 Credit to use towards eligible charges 1 

Noon check-in when available

Room upgrade upon arrival ,when available 2

Late check-out, when available

1 Credit use varies by property

2 Certain room categories are not eligible for upgrade

International Airline Program

Platinum Cardmembers can enjoy exclusive access to lower fares in First, Business and Premium Economy with the International Airline Program. Enjoy savings on selected seats for you and up to seven other travellers. Plus you'll earn Membership Rewards points on your booking.  *Terms apply .

Membership Rewards ®

Airline miles

Travel with friends and family

American Express Global Lounge Collection®

The American Express Global Lounge Collection allows select Cardmembers to escape the crowds and enjoy relaxing pre-flight, with access to 1,400 airport lounges in over 140 countries worldwide. Check out what’s available and start your journey in style.  *Terms apply

Important Information*

Membership Rewards® Programme

Cardmembers enrolled in the American Express Membership Rewards® programme will earn one additional bonus Membership Rewards point in addition to their standard earn rate (for a total of 2 points) for every full £1 spent on flights, prepaid hotels, car hire and experiences booked through the American Express Travel website  americanexpress.co.uk/travel . Specific Card products or limited time promotions may offer additional Membership Rewards points, please see individual Card or promotion Terms and Conditions for more information. Additional Membership Rewards points cannot be earned on products which are not prepaid but are paid directly to the supplier, including cruise bookings and select hotel bookings. These bookings will not earn two Membership Rewards points for every £1 spent but will be earned at the normal rate of one point for every £1 spent. Full Terms and Conditions apply, please visit  americanexpress.co.uk/termsandconditions .

To use Pay with Points, you must book your eligible purchase through American Express Travel and charge to a Membership Rewards programme-enrolled American Express® Card. Eligible purchases through American Express Travel exclude non prepaid car rentals and non-prepaid hotels. Points will be debited from your Membership Rewards account, and credit for corresponding amount will be issued to the American Express® Card Account used. If points redeemed do not cover entire amount, the balance of purchase price will remain on the American Express Card Account. When paying with a combination of your American Express Card and Membership Rewards points, only the value applied to the Card is eligible to earn Membership Rewards points. Membership Rewards Terms and Conditions apply when booking on  americanexpress.co.uk/travel . Please visit  www.americanexpress.com/uk/mr-terms for the Membership Rewards programme information and terms and conditions or call +44 0800 917 8053 to request a copy.  For more information on Pay With Points visit  americanexpress.com/uk/travel/how-to-pay-with-points . To earn or exchange Membership Rewards points, Cards must be registered to the American Express Membership Rewards programme and be active and current in their payments. Please allow up to ten weeks for Membership Rewards points to be credited to your Account. Bookings are subject to the full American Express Travel Terms and Conditions. To view these, please visit  americanexpress.co.uk/termsandconditions .

Fine Hotels + Resorts Terms and Conditions 

Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR) program benefits are available for new bookings made through Platinum Travel & Dining Concierge, Business Platinum Travel & Dining Concierge, the Dedicated Centurion® Team or American Express Travel (americanexpress.com/en-gb/travel/) with participating properties and are valid only for eligible Platinum Cardmembers or Centurion® Members and excludes Platinum Credit Companion Cards. Bookings must be made using an eligible Card and must be paid using that Card, or another American Express® Card, in the eligible Card Member's name, and that Card Member must be traveling on the itinerary booked. The average total value of the program benefits is based on prior-year bookings for stays of two nights; the actual value varies. Noon check-in and room upgrade are subject to availability and are provided at check-in; certain room categories are not eligible for upgrade. The type of US$100 Credit and additional amenity (if applicable) varies by property; the credit will be applied to eligible charges up to the amount of the credit. To receive the credit, the eligible spend must be charged to your hotel room. The credit will be applied at check-out. Advance reservations are recommended for certain credits. The type and value of the daily breakfast (for two) varies by property; breakfast will be valued at a minimum of US$60 per room per day. To receive the breakfast credit, the breakfast bill must be charged to your hotel room. The breakfast credit will be applied at check-out. If the cost of Wi-Fi is included in a mandatory property fee, a daily credit of that amount will be applied at check-out. Benefits are applied per room, per stay (with a three-room limit per stay). Back-to-back stays booked by a single Card Member, Card Members staying in the same room or Card Members traveling in the same party within a 24-hour period at the same property are considered one stay and are ineligible for additional FHR benefits (“Prohibited Action”). American Express and the property reserve the right to modify or revoke FHR benefits at any time without notice if we or they determine, in our or their sole discretion, that you may have engaged in a Prohibited Action, or have engaged in abuse, misuse, or gaming in connection with your FHR benefits. Benefit restrictions vary by property. Benefits cannot be redeemed for cash and are not combinable with other offers unless indicated. Benefits must be used during the stay booked. Any credits applicable are applied at check-out in USD or the local currency equivalent. Benefits, participating properties, and availability and amenities at those properties are subject to change. To be eligible for FHR program benefits, your eligible Card Account must not be cancelled. For additional information, call the number on the back of your Card.

The Hotel Collection Terms and Conditions

 The Hotel Collection (THC) benefits are available for new bookings of two consecutive nights or more made through American Express Travel  ( americanexpress.co.uk/travel ), Platinum Travel & Dining Concierge, Business Platinum Travel & Dining Concierge or the Dedicated Centurion® Team,  with participating properties and are valid only for eligible Preferred Rewards Gold Cardmembers, Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Cardmembers, Platinum Cardmembers or Centurion® Members and excludes Platinum Credit Companion Cardmembers. Bookings must be made using an eligible Card and must be paid using that Card, or another American Express Card, in the eligible Card Member's name, and that Card Member must be traveling on the itinerary booked. Noon check-in, late check-out and the room upgrade are subject to availability; certain room categories are not eligible for upgrade. The type of US$100 credit and additional amenity (if applicable) varies by property; the US$100 credit will be applied to eligible charges up to US$100. To receive the US$100 credit, the eligible spend must be charged to your hotel room. The US$100 credit will be applied at check-out. Advance reservations are recommended for certain credits. Benefit restrictions vary by property. Benefits are applied per room, per stay (with a three-room limit per stay). Back-to-back stays booked by a single Card Member, Card Members staying in the same room or Card Members traveling in the same party within a 24-hour period at the same property are considered one stay and are ineligible for additional THC benefits (“Prohibited Action”). American Express and the Property reserve the right to modify or revoke the THC benefits at any time without notice if we or they determine, in our or their sole discretion, that you have engaged in a Prohibited Action, or have engaged in abuse, misuse, or gaming in connection with your THC benefits. Benefits cannot be redeemed for cash and are not combinable with other offers unless indicated. Benefits must be used during the stay booked. Any credits applicable are applied at check-out in US Dollars or the local currency equivalent. Benefits, participating properties, and availability and amenities at those properties are subject to change. To be eligible for THC program benefits, your eligible Card Account must not be cancelled. For additional information, call the number on the back of your Card.

International Airline Program (IAP)

1. Current International Airline Program Partners: Air Europa, American Airlines, British Airways, Delta, Etihad Airways, Emirates Airlines, Iberia, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. 2. American Express reserves the rights to change these conditions from time to time with 21 days prior notice and/or to discontinue the whole program. 3. Airlines reserve the right to change, cancel or restrict flight operations without notice. IAP upgrades or specially negotiated fares may be limited by airlines to certain flights and/or dates (“blackouts”). IAP is subject to the terms and conditions of each participating carrier. American Express does not guarantee that seats or tickets will be available. Cabins of service and discounts vary by airline and route. Discounts are applicable to adult fares however some airlines extend savings to child fares. 4. To qualify for the IAP upgrades or specially negotiated fares:

a) Your journey must start and end at the same port as designated by the participating airline and be completed within the period during which your selected carrier participates in the program. You will be advised of any applicable dates at the time of booking;

b) IAP tickets must be purchased through the Platinum Travel Service and must be charged to a valid American Express Platinum Card which is in good standing;

c) The Platinum Cardmember who purchases the ticket(s) must be one of the travellers;

d) IAP tickets are non-transferable and non endorsable. 5. Any travel on non-participating airlines must be ticketed and paid for separately and is not part of the IAP. Certain code share or flights on the worldwide partners of the participating airlines may not apply. 6. Certain IAP airlines or non-participating airlines impose restrictions such as ticketing time limit on advance booking to indicate a timeline for ticketing upon making your reservations. For each individual airline Terms & Conditions, please check with the Platinum Travel Service for details. 7. IAP upgrade offers or specially negotiated fares may not be combined with any other promotion, discount, negotiated or corporate rate. 8. American Express acts only as an agent for travel service providers and does not own or operate any airline or means of transportation. American Express is not liable for service deficiencies on the part of airlines or other service providers, including but not limited to: accidents and injuries; delays; changes in routes or itineraries; loss, theft or damages to possessions. American Express strongly advises travellers to insure themselves against travel risks. Travellers are responsible for ensuring that they have valid documentation and for complying with the health, customs, currency and other laws of any country they enter or attempt to enter.

9. IAP is available to Platinum Cardmembers from a variety of participating airlines each with specifically designated ports of departure and arrival. Please refer to the Platinum Travel Service for details of participating airlines, applicable routing and timetables and fares in force at any particular time.

10. Other International Airline Program Terms & Conditions may apply. 

Global Lounge Collection®

For full Terms and Conditions for Global Lounge Collection®, please visit our  Global Lounge page .

• American Express Travel Checklist
• COVID-19 Travel Information Hub

Travel services

• Membership Rewards
• American Express Travel sitemap

Travel support

• Travel Support
• Manage My Booking
• Frequently Asked Questions

Featuring reviews from

American Express Europe LLC (AEELLC) trading as American Express Travel, Belgrave House, 76 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 9AX, United Kingdom is a member of  ABTA  (ABTA number C4330) and  ATOL  (ATOL number 0151). Being a member of ABTA (ABTA number C4330) means you have the benefit of ABTA’s assistance and Code of Conduct and this allows you to book with confidence. All the package and Flight-Plus holidays we sell are covered by a scheme protecting your money if the supplier goes out of business or is no longer able to provide the intended holiday. Other services such as hotels or flights on their own may not be protected and you should ask us what protection is available. American Express’s ABTA membership does not cover cruise bookings and should therefore not be relied upon when booking cruises or cruise packages. These bookings are covered by our third-party provider, ICE Cruise’s ABTA membership (ABTA number L6366). Many of the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are also protected by the ATOL scheme, this ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed on this website. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to:  www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate  . Please contact us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking.

The 7 Best UK Travel Credit Cards for Airline Miles

Ever thought about leveraging your credit cards to earn free flights? It might sound too good to be true, but an airline miles credit card allows you to cash in on your day-to-day spending for endless travel perks. Yet, with so many to choose from, you might be wondering which is the best card for you.

Travel credit cards are usually linked to a particular airline loyalty scheme where customers can bag points for flights they’ve taken and other money spent with certain retailers. These points can then be cashed in for rewards like priority boarding, lounge access , flights, and upgrades. While the fares might be free, it’s important to note you’ll still have to pay airline taxes, but you could save a fortune with the right card.  

You want to have your credit situation in order first because high-interest rates can outweigh the perks if you’re not on top of your spending. Nevertheless, there’s a loyalty scheme out there for everyone and our guide contains all of the best credit cards for airline miles on the market. Let’s get into it. 

Table of Contents

American Express Preferred Reward Gold Credit Card

Clinching the number one spot, the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card is one of the most versatile travel credit cards available, coming with a host of key benefits and rewards. A ‘Welcome Bonus’ applies, with American Express offering 20,000 points for customers who spend £3,000 in their first three months of membership and no annual fee for the first year.

The best thing about this American Express card is getting to choose the rewards you want based on your spending. You can use points whenever you want, pay with points, and transfer your points to other travel programs. 

Gold Cardmembers can earn 1x points for every £1 spent and 2x points for all airline and foreign currency purchases on your card. You can then use your points against anything you’ve purchased with your card, or redeem them with a range of American Express travel, retail, and lifestyle partners.  

An exclusive benefit with this card is the Deliveroo loyalty scheme which allows Gold Cardmembers to claim £5 cashback on all eligible delivery orders, twice every month. Users also get two free lounge visitors a year at over 1,300 worldwide airport lounges. 

Representative APR : 61% APR variable

Annual Fee : £140 after your first year

Credit Limit : Assumed credit limit of £1,200

Purchase Rate : 25.3% variable for purchases

British Airways American Express Credit Card

Partnered with British Airways, this card allows members to collect Avios with no annual fee on day-to-day purchases already being made. Avios is British Airway’s exclusive reward currency for members of the British Airways Executive Club. There’s a 5,000 Avios bonus when you spend £1,000 in your first three months and 4,000 Avios up for grabs when you invite a friend and they get approved. 

This British Airways American Express card also offers 1x Avios for every £1 that’s spent on purchases across the board. Members can also earn a Companion Voucher when they spend £12,000 per membership year, allowing you to bring a friend on the same flight and cabin, or receive a 50 percent discount on the Avios used for paying for the flight if you’re traveling alone. Vouchers are only redeemable through British Airways when you book with the airline. 

Add a family member or partner to your account to earn Avios faster. Around 10,000 Avios is enough for a one-way economy flight to over 25 destinations, while 30,000 Avios can amount to an off-peak return from London to over 50 destinations, with an added fee of just £1 per passenger. You can also use your Avios against upgrades to business and first class, as well as priority boarding.    

Representative APR : 25.3% APR variable

Annual Fee : No annual fee

Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card 

Exclusively tied to Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Holidays, with a Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card you can earn 0.75x Virgin Points for every £1 you spend every time you shop whether it’s a coffee, the weekly groceries, or a train ticket you’re buying. You’ll also get 1.5x points for every £1 spent on Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Holidays and every point earned goes toward flights, upgrades, and other airline rewards.

On top of Virgin Points, your card can also be used to get up to 15 percent cashback with selected UK retailers. 

There’s a 0 percent representative APR variable for the first six months and a 22.9% p.a. variable thereafter. Virgin Atlantic offers no annual fee and if you spend £20,000 in one year you can unlock rewards of your choosing from companion tickets to bumping yourself up to first class on your next flight. 

Representative APR : 22.9% APR variable

Purchase Rate : 22.9% variable for purchases

American Express Nectar Credit Card

If you’re a keen Nectar point collector or regular shopper in Nectar point partnership stores, then this is the travel credit card for you. When you spend at Nectar partners using the American Express Nectar Credit Card and Loyalty Card, you can earn a minimum of 3x points for every £1 spent, and 2x points for every £1 on other purchases. 

As a welcome gift, American Express will waive the £25 annual fee for your first year and offer 20,000 bonus Nectar points if you spend just £2,000 in your first three months. When you invite a friend and they get approved for their own card, you’ll also earn 5,000 points, with a maximum of 90,000 points per year – that’s 18 possible friend referrals. 

When it comes to redeeming your Nectar points, 20,000 points amount to at least £100 to spend with Nectar partners. Nectar has a number of travel-related UK partners, including British Airways, Eurostar, Expedia, and Nectar Hotels. 

You can also collect even more points with complimentary supplementary cards which can be requested for anyone over the age of 18 on your Nectar Card. You will be responsible for any spending made on your account by a supplementary card member. 

Representative APR : 30.7% APR variable

Annual Fee : £25 after your first year

Virgin Atlantic Rewards Plus Credit Card

This Virgin Atlantic Rewards card is similar to the one mentioned above but packs even more rewards. It might come with a £160 annual fee and a 63.9 percent representative APR variable, but you’ll earn 15,000 bonus points if you make any purchase using your Reward+ card in the first three months. That’s with no minimum spend. 

This card also offers 1.5x Virgin points for every £1 spent on everyday purchases and 3x points for every £1 spent with Virgin Atlantic and Virgin holidays – twice as many reward points as the Virgin Atlantic Reward Card. You only need to spend £10,000 a year to unlock exclusive benefits like upgrades, companion flights, and solo-travel discounts too. 

Cardholders also get to make use of free Boingo Wi-Fi which can be found at 1 million hotspots worldwide. Other Virgin perks include Apply Pay secure payments and no charges for foreign currency transactions. 

Representative APR : 63.9% APR variable

Annual Fee : £160 annual fee

Barclaycard Avios Credit Card and Credit Card Plus

With a Barclaycard Avios card you can cash in on points earned from spending to claim them against flights, cabin upgrades, hotel stays, car hire, and more. New customers to Barclaycard will collect 5,000 Avios for spending £1,000 or more in your first three months on your Barclaycard Avios Credit Card, and Barclaycard Avios Plus members get 25,000 points for spending £3,000 in the same time frame, with a £20 monthly fee. 

Collect 1x Avios for every £1 spent on eligible purchases with Barclaycard Avios, but 1.5x points with Barclaycard Avios Plus. Spend £20,000 within 12 months on your Barclaycard Avios to received a British Airways cabin upgrade voucher to use on an Avios Reward Flight booking, and spend just £10,000 on your Barclay Avios Plus in one year for the same reward. 

All Barclaycard Avios Credit Cards come with five months of free Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple News+, and Apple Arcade. If you don’t have a British Airways Executive Club account, Barclaycard will set one up for you when you’re approved and transfer all Avios to your account. 

Representative APR : 23.9% APR variable / 72.4% APR variable

Annual Fee : £0 annual fee / £240 annual fee

Purchase Rate : 23.9% variable for purchases

British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card

Bigger deals, even bigger rewards. American Express partners with British Airways again with this card to bring their Premium Plus Credit Card offering even greater benefits for big spenders and real travel buffs. You’ll earn 1.5x Avios for every £1 spent on daily purchases and as many as 3x Avios for every £1 spent with British Airways and British Airways Holidays. 

Companion Vouchers or 50 percent solo travel discounts come with just £10,000 of spending each membership year on your Premium Plus card. Premium Plus Cardmembers also get access to additional reward flight seats within Club World (business) when using a Companion Voucher. 

With 30,000 Avios, you could cash in your points earned on the British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card for a Club Europe (business class) off-peak return from London to destinations like Milan, Amsterdam, and Geneva at just £1 extra per person. Invite a friend and if they get approved you’ll collect a 9,000 bonus Avios to put towards food on board, upgrades, and flights. 

Representative APR : 102.5% APR variable

Annual Fee : £250 annual fee

Are travel credit cards for airline miles worth it?

If you’re a frequent flyer and tend to spend a lot, especially with specific retailers and airlines with which credit card companies have partnerships, then a travel credit card could definitely be worth it. For example, if you use Virgin Atlantic for regular business flights overseas, a Virgin Atlantic Reward or Reward Plus Credit Card could harness great benefits for you. Likewise, if you shop with Argos, Sainsbury’s, and eBay regularly, then an American Express Nectar Credit Card could get you savings with Eurostar, British Airways, and Expedia. 

However, travel credit cards, like any credit cards, are only rewarding if you have your credit under control and can rely on yourself to make regular repayments. Some cards come with very high representative APR variables, and if you aren’t able to meet repayment deadlines, your card will end up costing you more than it saves. 

What is the difference between credit card rewards and airline rewards?

Simply put, credit card rewards can cover a range of retailers, incentives, discounts, and subscriptions across the board, while airline rewards are more travel-specific. Some cards allow you to convert airline points into other rewards, bridging the gap. However, while you can earn points from spending with both types of cards, you can generally only earn points from your air miles with an airline rewards card. 

Are there any debit cards that earn airline miles?

There are a few remaining debit cards that offer airline rewards for uncredited payments. The PayPal Business Mastercard, the Chase Disney Visa, and the UFB Direct Airline Rewards all give their members miles, points, and cashback for spending, but on a much smaller scale than with credit cards, and rewards can take longer to accumulate. 

I'm Jamie, your travel enthusiast and trusted source for all things related to travel gear and travel credit cards.

As someone who's always had an insatiable wanderlust, I've explored numerous corners of the globe, from the bustling streets of Bangkok to the serene landscapes of Patagonia. Along the way, I've learned that the key to a successful trip often lies in the gear you bring and the financial choices you make.

Related posts

The 7 Best UK Business Credit Cards for Airline Travel

Best Travel Credit Card UK, Airport Lounge Access And More

• Privacy Policy

From Miles to Smiles Stylish travel for professionals seeking luxury at affordable prices

• Which wins out of Virgin Upper Class or British Airways Club Class?
• How To Book A Luxury Bali Honeymoon For Less
• How Can Anyone Fail To Be Seduced By The Durham Hotel Indigo?
• Prepare To Be Seduced By The Delights Of The Harrogate Hotel Du Vin
• Welcome To The Super Cool Canopy By Hilton Zagreb
• How To Indulge At The Falkensteiner Iadera For 20% Of The Usual Cost
• Is The Moxy Heathrow Airport As Cool As You Might Think?
• Come Stay And Play At The Chic Moxy Seattle Downtown Hotel
• Introducing An Awesome Wellness Option At The Even Hotel Seattle
• Discover Why You Should Escape To The Real Abadia Hotel Spa

Which Is The Best Air Miles Credit Card In The UK?

Anne 09/18/2022 AVIOS , Credit Cards 38 Comments 59,645 Views

Table of Contents

Despite changes to many credit card rewards programmes , air miles credit cards are still the best way to earn air miles in the UK unless you happen to be a frequent transatlantic flyer. The problem is that there are lots of air miles credit cards and some are considerably better than others. Some UK air miles credit cards are so restrictive they may turn out to be a waste of time.  This post shows you the various options and highlights the best air miles credit card in the UK (in my opinion).

The best air miles credit card for you

To help you decide which is the best air miles credit card for you, you need to consider;

• Whether you are willing to pay an annual fee – it can be worthwhile!
• Which airline you wish to accumulate points for (see this handy airline alliance infographic if you are unsure. This post also explains the benefits of airline alliances
• Whether you want to be able to choose from more than one airline when you redeem points
• Whether you can meet the minimum spending requirement in the allotted time

Once you have considered these questions, read on to find out more about your options.

UK American Express air miles credit cards

American Express (AMEX) cards allow you to earn membership rewards which can be converted into air miles with many frequent flyer programmes. These include British Airways AVIOS , Etihad Guest, Emirates Skywards, Singapore Airlines, Delta Airlines and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. You can see the full list on the AMEX membership rewards page.

This offers great flexibility as you can defer the choice of airline until you are ready to book. Membership rewards can then be converted to any of the partner airlines at a 1:1 conversion rate. It also means you can book reward flights with one of your favourite airlines.

The American Express Rewards Credit Card

The American Express Rewards Credit Card offers a sign up bonus of 10,000 membership rewards when you spend £2,000 in your first 3 months of membership!

It has no annual fee and you earn 1 reward point for every £1 you spend. This card is fine if you do not want to pay an annual fee but it will take a long time to earn enough rewards for a long haul flight in business class.

American Express Rewards Credit card fast facts

American Express Gold card

The American Express Gold  card does not have the highest reward rate but offers flexibility, no annual fee for the first year and a few ancillary benefits.

American Express Gold card sign up bonus and earnings

The American Express Gold card  offers 20,000 Membership Rewards when you sign up and spend £3,000 within three months. If you use this referral link , you earn 2,000 more reward points which gives you a huge 22,000 Rewards in your first 3 months.

You also earn;

• 1 point for every £1 of standard spend on the card
• 2 points for every £1 spent on airlines and foreign currency exchange.
• 3 points if you book travel through AMEX Travel.

The card is hugely flexible with a selection of partner airlines and includes two complimentary airport lounge passes per annum worth at least £50.

American Express Gold card annual reward bonus

There is an annual fee of £140 which is waived in year one so I recommend you churn this air miles credit card before the annual anniversary. Then wait 24 months, and reapply to benefit from another sign up bonus and avoid the annual fee. Note, if you have held an American Express card in the last 24 months, you will not qualify for the sign-up bonus so please read the small print.

If you do retain the card, you can earn an additional 10,000 Membership Rewards for each year of membership.  However, to qualify for this bonus, you must spend £15,000 during the year and pay the £140 annual fee.

In my opinion, it is better to bag the points after you have spent the £3,000 and cancel the card. You then only need to spend £3,000 when you reapply to earn the same amount of rewards you would earn if you held onto the card for 2 years and spent £15,000 per annum. Not good value!

American Express Gold card fast facts

Get your card now

American Express Platinum Card

The American Express Platinum card  offers an absolutely huge 60,000 points if you sign up before 25th October (normally 30,0000) and spend £6,000 in the first six months. The current offer also offers new cardholders a £200 Credit with Amex Travel Online.

You earn Membership Rewards of;

• 1 per £1 of standard spend
• 2 per £1 of spend on Amex Travel

It offers a huge range of extra travel benefits including unlimited airport lounge access, concierge service and extra perks in many hotel chains. There is however a whopping annual fee of £575. Check out my review of the American Express Platinum card before you apply to see if it is worth the investment.

American Express Platinum Card fast facts

British Airways American Express Standard Card

The British Airways American Express standard card is perfect for those wishing to earn a companion voucher and avoid an annual fee . You will need to be flexible with your travel plans however as you only have 12 months to redeem this voucher and you can only use it in economy class.

This American Express air miles card has the same earnings rate as the Gold card of one AVIOS for £1 of spend. It has a lower sign up bonus of 5,000 Avios however when you spend £1,000 in three months. Although, when you spend £12,000 in a policy year you earn a companion voucher.

That £12,000 spend earns you 17,000 points including the sign-up bonus whereas the British Airways Premium card will earn you 44,000 points for the same amount of spend (don’t forget to use our referral link for the BA Premium card, otherwise it will be 43,000). Sorry, I don’t have a referral link for this card because I don’t think it is good value as I explain in this post .

British Airways American Express fast facts

British airways american express premium card.

The British Airways Premium Card pays a whopping 25,000 bonus (or 26,000 if you apply using this referral link ) Avios when you spend £3,000 within the first three months. It also pays an attractive earnings rate of three Avios for every £1 spent with BA and 1.5 Avios for every £1 spent elsewhere.

You earn a companion voucher each year when you spend £10,000 meaning you only need to redeem enough points for one person to fly (albeit you do pay taxes and fees for both travellers!).

There is an annual fee of £250 which discourages some people. However, I have earned companion vouchers for travel in business or first class to Montreal, India, Beijing ,  South Korea , Abu Dhabi and Japan using this card. I paid less than the cost of economy tickets each time. If you are not convinced, read this post which explains why you should NOT opt for the free British Airways American Express Card .

Get your British Airways Premium Card now

British Airways American Express Premium Card fast facts

British airways amex nectar card.

Although this card is not really an air miles card, it has been included because you can convert every 400 Nectar points to 250 AVIOS.

For new cardholders who spend £2,000 in the first 3 months, you will earn 20,000 bonus Nectar points. If you convert the whole amount into AVIOS, this bonus is worth 12,500 AVIOS and has a lower spend threshold than some of the other AMEX cards.

You also earn 2 Nectar points for every £1 of spend and 3 Nectar points for spend at Nectar partners.

Although this card offers better value than the AMEX Standard card, it still falls short of the American Express Gold card . If you spend £10,000 on this card and qualify for the sign up bonus, you earn:

• 20,000 sign up bonus
• 20,000 Nectar points based on spend
• This converts to 25,000 AVIOS

The same spend on the American Express Gold card would give up a 22,000 sign up bonus plus 10,000 of rewards from spend which could be converted to 32,000 Avios.

British Airways AMEX Nectar card fast facts

Uk white label air miles credit cards, barclaycard avios.

This is definitely a good alternative to the British Airways American Express card as it has the same sign up and earnings rate but the upgrade voucher is valid for 24 months.

When you sign up for the Barclaycard AVIOS card you collect 5,000 Avios if you spend £1,000 in your first three months. You then collect 1 Avios for every £1 spent on eligible purchases and if you spend £20,000 on the card within 12 months, you will receive a British Airways cabin upgrade voucher to use on an Avios Reward Flight booking.

Cardholders also benefit from up to five months of Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple News+ and Apple Arcade for free with your new Barclaycard.

Barclaycard Avios fast facts

Barclaycard avios plus.

The Barclaycard AVIOS Plus is an alternative to the British Airways American Express Premium Card but just not as good. If you’re new to Barclaycard, you’ll collect 25,000 Avios when you spend £3,000 in your first three months which is the same as the AMEX card (if you don’t use our referral link).  You also collect 1.5 Avios for every £1 spent on eligible purchases but do not earn a higher rate for select spend as you do on the AMEX card.

The card has a £20 monthly fee so is a comparable cost to the AMEX card but instead of a companion voucher, you will earn an upgrade voucher when you spend £10,000 on the card within 12 months. This could be useful for short haul economy class flights but less useful if you want to use your Avios to fly business.

You also benefit from up to five months of Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple News+ and Apple Arcade for free with your new Barclaycard.

Barclaycard Avios Plus fast facts

Virgin Atlantic Credit card

The Virgin Atlantic Reward credit card offers no sign up bonus and a relatively poor earnings rate of 0.75 Flying Miles per £1 spent or a higher rate of 1.5 Flying Miles for spend on Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays.

You can select from a choice of rewards once you have spent £20,000 in a policy year but the Virgin Atlantic companion voucher only allows you to book seats in Upper Class if you have tier status or wish to pay an extra 50% in Flying Miles.

Both Virgin cards now also cap the Virgin Points you can earn each month based on your credit limit. So if your credit limit is £5,000, you’ll earn points on the first £5,000 of card purchases in a month but nothing on the excess.

Virgin Atlantic Credit card fast facts

Virgin Atlantic Reward + Credit card

This card offers a sign-up bonus of 15,000 miles after your first purchase in the first three months. For every £1 you spend you will also earn 1.5 Flying Miles and 3 Miles for every £1 spend on Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays.

Once you spend £10,000 you will receive additional rewards. These are still not very attractive unless you hold tier status with the airline. See the small print for full details.

I would always opt for the British Airways Premium Card in preference to this card. Although the annual fee is more expensive, the redemption potential is so much greater.

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit card fast facts

So which is the best airmiles credit card in the UK?

Here are the two best credit cards for air miles in my humble opinion.

Sign up bonus and earnings rate : British Airways Premium Plus card

Flexibility : American Express Gold card

Have your say

Which card do you think is the best airmiles credit card in the UK? And why? I would love to know so feel free to have your say in the comments.

Important notice

From Miles to Smiles  is a travel blog. None of the above commentary should be regarded as financial advice, and it is your responsibility to ensure that a credit card you apply for is appropriate for your circumstances. You should read the full terms and conditions of any credit cred before you sign up.

Tags Avios British Airways Virgin Atlantic

Related Articles

How to use this whopping american express offer to quickly bag a reward flight.

Could this be the best ever American Express Gold card offer?

AMEX BA vs American Express Gold: How do the cards compare now?

38 comments.

Airmiles credit cards are a great way to get rewarded for everyday purchases. With an Airmiles card, you can earn points for every dollar spent on

The BA card allows the avios to be used in one world flights not just BA. Only the companion voucher has that restriction.

I think this is an informative post and it is very helpful and knowledgeable. So I want to thank you for your efforts in writing this article. All content is well thought out.

very useful post about credit card, thanks for sharing

Thanks for sharing this information

Sometimes I use my credit card. But,mostly i use debit card.

But think about how you will use the points. Sometimes you can buy a flight for a few quid more than the taxes. One other thing to remember is that partners and routes can change. I started collecting avios on BA Amex but suddenly you need millions of points to get to Australia and I don’t think you get good value redeeming short haul with BA so I switched and now I have saved enough Virgin points for a business class return to Australia/NZ but when I go to book I discover Air New Zealand are no longer flying to uk from June/July 2020. Singapore don’t do Business class rewards to uk and whilst I can book LON-HKG on Virgin and HKG-SYD Virgin Australia but it’s classed as two trips so nearly double the mileage of Air NZ! DOH – back to the drawing board.

Totally agree short haul is a bad move for redemptions. I’d even go one further and say that economy isn’t a good redemption. I cover this topic in the long haul v short haul post.

Sadly there is no getting over the sad fact that companies can and do move the goalposts at times. I take it you don’t have enough AVIOS and/or a BA companion voucher?

American Express Gold one the best credit card for miles

Airmiles helps for those who are frequent travelers, but its good with all the details you have provided. I believe you had done a lot of research for CC before posting. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for this great credit card advice! I fly British Airways quite a bit, so I may consider the AMEX Standard Card for the reasons you’ve pointed out.

I currently have a Amex Platinum card and IHG Platinum which I like and want to keep. I spend between £20-25k per year. I thinking of getting the BAPP. Once i get the 241 voucher and sign up bonus, should I just cancel the card and get the Amex gold? Am I better off with the Amex gold card in the long run, If I rarely use 241 voucher. Is the gold card better value using for booking Cathay Pacific? I always fly Cathay Pacific, because there’s no direct BA fly from Manchester…..

Hi Vincent thanks for stopping by and asking this question. With the BAPP it would be wise to hold on to the card until you have used the voucher. I will need to check but I don’t think you lose it if you cancel but I would definitely check. You can always downgrade after you have secured it, get a refund of your annual fee (Pro-rated) and then cancel once you use the voucher which I have done before. The Gold card gives you more flexibility than the BAPP as obviously you can redeem with a greater choice of airlines including those that are not Oneworld but the cost of redemption won’t be any difference as you transfer points to your chosen programme and then redeem. I tend to fly Manchester to London and onwards with BA but only because I have to fly BA to redeem the voucher which is something else to be wary of. If you do definitely want to fly Cathay you will not be able to use the voucher for that purpose. Give me a shout if you think of anything else.

Hi Vincent, check out my updated video about how to maximise your points moving over from an MR card to BA Premium Plus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBWHUxF9tc4

Wow! Such an informative post, Anne. Your post has given me food for thought! This list is truly helpful! 😉

I was just thinking about signing up for a credit card with air miles! I don’t why I didn’t do it years ago! I am going to look into the Lloyds & Amex as these work with the airlines I fly with.

Interesting to read this post, I was just having a conversation with my family about travel hacking yesterday. I always just thought this was something reserved for Americans, but I see several Canadian credit cards (and British too now it seems) got on the travel reward bandwagon. Being a frequent traveler, I really need to read more closely into this!

I recommend you make haste as a ton of cards in this post have sadly been withdrawn. I’m in the process of updating the post to reflect this and will shortly republish. It is really limiting our options.

Hi Amelie, there’s a really great way to max points with Amex & Avios in the UK, starting with Gold and moving up to BA Premium Plus in year 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqGjChsjZp4

I signed up for the Virgin/MBNA credit cards nine years ago just so as to be able to fly and spend my way across Australia for my fiftieth birthday, I have since added my husband and daughter onto the account so we get triple spending and we have saved up all our flying club miles which to date is over 200,000. My next dream trip is to The Great Wall of China and India’s Taj Mahal, I was told this very evening with this many miles I could fly in the upper cabin to anywhere in the world WHOPPEE1111

Now that is a definite result. I started collecting with Virgin but there are so fewer opportunities to earn miles, I reverted back to British Airways. I definitely want to check out their Upper Class though so may take another look.

I need to get on this! Thanks for sharing this guide and some tips for your fellow travelers! Happy travels!

Wow, this list is awesome and a great resource. I wish we had this many choices too. IT would really be helpful

Great tips and suggestions. Cards are definitely a great way to get a bunch of points! We signed up for the British Airways card when it was a 100,000 mile bonus–it was amazing! It was a card offered in the states though, so not sure if they ran that in the UK. Glad to hear there are so many great options in the UK as well!

Definitely never been a 100,000 bonus in the Uk while I have been travel hacking (last five years mainly!) sob sob, that would be awesome!

The many travel benefits of credit cards never ceases to amaze me. Although they do require a bit of effort, thank you for breaking it down!

Super helpful, thanks for sharing! I need to look into some of these.

A great round up for those in the UK thanks!

Wow, these are great tips and suggestions, now what would you recommend for cards for US based travelers? Loved the thorough details you provided for UK clients.

You can check US CREDIT CARDS from Jackie of the Globetrotting teacher or LeAnna of Economical Excursionists For advice on US credit cards. They usually speak highly of Chase Sapphire

That is a very extensive and helpful list! I just signed up for a Chase preferred card and I receive 50,000 bonus points if I reach 4k spending in 3 months, which means I get a free roundtrip flight! I also want to get into travel hacking a bit more. I’m also interested in the American Express card that you mentioned as well.

The AMEX Gold is also available in the US but be sure to check the sign up bonus first

As always, what a great post, Anne!!! I absolutely love that I have a full website to direct UK travel hackers too, but this one takes the cake with specific cards that can get people travel hacking ASAP!

Thanks LeAnna. Likewise – really helps knowing I can direct people with questions on the USA to another site

awesome list!! i wish Canada had this many options! We do try and use rewards programs here to our benefit as well and i was able to get a free Disneyland Ticket and a Free Car Rental for our So Cal trip later this month!

We just booked free tickets to Asia using credit card points.

Ooh fabulous. Where are you going?

I’m not sure of the differences between UK and US travel credit cards. But, I will say that I use a travel credit card for my go-to airline, and though I haven’t earned a free flight yet, I have enjoyed the other perks of having the credit card. For example, I don’t have to worry about a baggage fee, which is one less travel expense when on the road … or in the air, as the case may be!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Hillary Travels

About Abbey

Trending News

Uncategorized

Destinations.

• Budget Travels

10 Game-Changing Travel Rewards Cards for UK Budget Adventurers: Unlock Hidden Perks Now!

Have you ever imagined traveling to different countries on the same budget without any financial strain?

With our extensive selection of travel rewards cards in the UK, you can trust us to offer both top-notch experiences and exciting offers. Whether for serious thrill seekers or those seeking more luxurious extravagances on their first trips abroad, these credit card options are surefire smart deals from over £1,000 towards worldwide savings.

As a UK budget traveler, you can trust us when we discover these rewards cards are not only for low-cost travellers but also thousands of miles worth of air mile. These top 10 gift ideas offer everything from attractive signup bonuses to unexpected flight extras that will leave your journey feeling like it’s never been easier on longer trips; they cater specifically to backpackers and active adventurers alike who want the best value around town or in every location worldwide.

Ensure that you buckle down and start packing your bags. Then read on to discover how to increase weight loss, enhance travel style, and enjoy lifelike experiences with the top 10 rewards cards for travelling!

1. American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card.

Kicking off our list is the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card – a true powerhouse for UK travellers. This card offers an impressive array of benefits that can supercharge your travel experiences:

• Welcome bonus: Earn 20,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend £3,000 in your first three months
• Earn rate: 1 point per £1 spent, with double points on travel bookings
• Annual fee: £0 for the first year, then £140
• Key perks: Two complimentary airport lounge visits per year, travel inconvenience insurance, and purchase protection

Why it’s a game-changer: The generous welcome bonus alone can be converted into 20,000 Avios points, potentially funding a return flight to many European destinations. The complimentary lounge access adds a touch of luxury to your travels, while the first-year fee waiver makes it an attractive option for budget-conscious adventurers.

2. Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card

For those with their sights set on transatlantic adventures, the Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card is a stellar choice:

• Welcome bonus: Earn 5,000 Virgin Points after your first purchase within 90 days
• Earn rate: 0.75 Virgin Points per £1 spent, with 1.5 points per £1 spent directly with Virgin Atlantic
• Annual fee: £0
• Key perks: Companion voucher or upgrade voucher after £20,000 annual spend

Why it’s a game-changer: With no annual fee, this card is perfect for budget travellers looking to accumulate points towards Virgin Atlantic flights. The companion voucher can effectively halve the cost of a trip for two, making those dream holidays much more attainable.

3. British Airways American Express Credit Card

A classic choice for UK travellers, the British Airways American Express Credit Card offers:

• Welcome bonus: 5,000 Avios points when you spend £1,000 in your first three months
• Earn rate: 1 Avios point per £1 spent
• Key perks: Companion voucher after £20,000 annual spend

Why it’s a game-changer: This no-fee card is an excellent entry point into the world of Avios points, which can be redeemed for flights with British Airways and its oneworld alliance partners. The companion voucher is a valuable perk for couples or friends travelling together, potentially doubling the value of your points.

4. HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

For those who can meet the eligibility criteria, the HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard is a premium option packed with benefits:

• Welcome bonus: 40,000 HSBC points when you spend £2,000 in your first three months
• Earn rate: 2 HSBC points per £1 spent in foreign currency, 1 point per £1 spent in the UK
• Annual fee: £195
• Key perks: Airport lounge access, travel insurance, and £0 non-sterling transaction fees

Why it’s a game-changer: While the annual fee is higher, the perks more than make up for it for frequent travellers. The generous earn rate on foreign currency spending makes this card ideal for use abroad, while the comprehensive travel insurance can save you money on separate policies.

5. Barclaycard Avios Plus Credit Card

A relatively new entrant to the UK travel rewards scene, the Barclaycard Avios Plus Credit Card offers:

• Welcome bonus: 25,000 Avios points when you spend £3,000 in your first three months
• Earn rate: 1.5 Avios points per £1 spent
• Annual fee: £20 per month
• Key perks: Cabin upgrade voucher after £10,000 annual spend, travel insurance

Why it’s a game-changer: The high earn rate and substantial welcome bonus make this card a strong contender for Avios collectors. The cabin upgrade voucher can add a touch of luxury to your travels, potentially moving you from economy to premium economy or business class.

6. American Express Rewards Credit Card

For those new to credit card rewards, the American Express Rewards Credit Card is an excellent starting point:

• Welcome bonus: 5,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend £2,000 in your first three months
• Earn rate: 1 Membership Reward point per £1 spent
• Key perks: Flexibility to transfer points to various airline and hotel partners

Why it’s a game-changer: This no-fee card offers great flexibility, allowing you to accumulate points and decide later how to use them. Whether you prefer flights, hotel stays, or other travel experiences, the Membership Rewards program has you covered.

7. NatWest Reward Credit Card

While not strictly a travel card, the NatWest Reward Credit Card can be a valuable tool for budget travellers:

• Welcome bonus: None
• Earn rate: 1% back in Reward Points on supermarket spend, 0.5% back on other purchases
• Annual fee: £24
• Key perks: 0% foreign transaction fees, ability to convert Reward Points to cash or gift cards

Why it’s a game-changer: The absence of foreign transaction fees makes this card ideal for use abroad, potentially saving you significant amounts on currency conversion. The cashback earned can be put towards your travel fund, helping you save for your next adventure.

8. Santander All in One Credit Card

Another versatile option for budget travellers is the Santander All in One Credit Card:

• Earn rate: 0.5% cashback on all purchases
• Annual fee: £3 per month
• Key perks: 0% foreign transaction fees, 26 months 0% on balance transfers

Why it’s a game-changer: Like the NatWest card, the absence of foreign transaction fees is a major plus for international travellers. The cashback earned can contribute to your travel savings, while the long 0% balance transfer period can help you manage any existing credit card debt.

9. Lloyds Bank Avios Rewards Credit Card

For Avios enthusiasts, the Lloyds Bank Avios Rewards Credit Card is worth considering:

• Earn rate: 1.25 Avios points per £1 spent
• Key perks: Upgrade voucher after £7,000 annual spend, 0% foreign transaction fees

Why it’s a game-changer: The combination of a good Avios earn rate and no foreign transaction fees makes this card particularly attractive for use both at home and abroad. The upgrade voucher can add a touch of luxury to your travels, potentially moving you to a higher cabin class.

10. Tesco Clubcard Credit Card

Rounding out our list is the Tesco Clubcard Credit Card, a great option for those who frequently shop at Tesco:

• Earn rate: 1 Clubcard point per £4 spent at Tesco, 1 point per £8 spent elsewhere
• Key perks: 0% interest on purchases for up to 23 months

Why it’s a game-changer: While not a traditional travel card, Tesco Clubcard points can be converted to Avios at a favourable rate. This card allows you to earn travel rewards on your everyday shopping, potentially funding your next getaway without any additional spend.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q1 : Are travel rewards cards worth it for budget travellers?

A : Absolutely! Travel rewards cards can offer significant value, even for budget-conscious travellers. By strategically using these cards for your everyday spending, you can accumulate points or miles that translate into free or discounted travel. The key is to choose a card that aligns with your spending habits and travel goals.

Q2 : How do I choose the right travel rewards card?

A : Consider factors such as your travel preferences (e.g., specific airlines or hotel chains), spending habits, and willingness to pay an annual fee. Look at the earn rates, welcome bonuses, and additional perks like travel insurance or lounge access. It’s also important to weigh the potential rewards against any associated costs.

Q3 : Can I really travel for free with these cards?

A : While it’s rare to travel completely for free, these cards can significantly reduce your travel costs. Points and miles can cover flights and hotel stays, while perks like travel insurance and lounge access can save you money on additional travel expenses.

Q4 : What’s the catch with cards that offer large welcome bonuses?

A : Often, these cards require you to meet a minimum spend within a specific timeframe to earn the bonus. They may also come with annual fees. It’s important to ensure you can comfortably meet these requirements without overspending or incurring debt.

Q5 : How can I maximize the benefits of my travel rewards card?

A: Use your card for all eligible purchases to accumulate points faster. Take advantage of bonus categories and special promotions. Always pay your balance in full to avoid interest charges that could negate the value of your rewards. Consider using your card for work expenses if you’re reimbursed, as this can quickly boost your points balance.

Embarking on budget-friendly adventures has never been easier, thanks to these game-changing travel rewards cards. From the versatile American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card to the airline-specific options like the Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card, there’s a perfect fit for every type of traveller.

Remember, the key to maximizing these cards is to use them strategically and responsibly. Always pay your balance in full, keep an eye out for special promotions, and choose a card that aligns with your travel goals and spending habits.

By leveraging these powerful financial tools, you can unlock a world of travel opportunities that might have seemed out of reach. Whether you’re dreaming of sun-soaked beaches, bustling cityscapes, or serene mountain retreats, these cards can help turn your travel aspirations into reality – all while keeping your budget intact.

So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to choose your perfect travel companion card and start planning your next adventure. The world is waiting, and with these rewards cards in your wallet, it’s more accessible than ever before. Happy travels, and may your journeys be filled with unforgettable experiences and incredible savings!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Related News

Best Websites For Booking Budget Accommodation?

18 Affordable Weekend Escapes from the UK

Affordable Holidays from Travel Rewards Company

Download Our App

Download our mobile app for Android or IOS, click the link below for your relevant device.

Need help with your booking?

For new & existing bookings call 0161 393 6108

Alternatively click the button below to make an enquiry

Call our travel experts on 0161 393 6108

Alternatively click the button below to enquire via email

MAJORCA THIS SUMMER From £186 pp

To search for your holiday please download our APP

CORFU Flights and hotel from £174pp

Just search for OASIS BEACH CLUB, KAVOS

An absolute Oasis in the heart of Kavos! Combining sunny holidays, cool atmosphere, elegant style with quality Greek hospitality.

Search Greece/Corfu/Kavos/ date/ airport to find prices and booking

Why book with Us?

We have cut out the wastage to give you affordable holidays. No huge staff, or millions spent on advertising, (which you pay for) Just the basics of good quality holidays at prices you can't beat.

So don't waste your own time searching for holidays when it's easier and cheaper to search with us. Just search and see.

ABTA Bonded For your added peace of mind, The Travel Rewards Company is ABTA bonded (number P7541).

Deal alert: Points and miles travel deals for September 2024

Editor's Note

From lucrative deals for bonus points on hotel stays to generous sales of airline miles, we're finding plenty of travel deals to help you earn and redeem your points and miles so you can book the vacation of your dreams.

Recently, we found discounted flights to Europe starting at $446 round-trip, new Hyatt promotions and double points on Best Western stays . We also learned about Bilt's new health care partnership with Walgreens . But that's not all.

We help our readers each week by rounding up ongoing monthly promotions so you don't have to scour the internet for the best reward redemptions and offers. From frequent flyer programs and hotel rewards programs to credit card offers that help maximize your spending , you can make the most of your points and miles redemptions with these lucrative offers.

Here's our list of some noteworthy new points and miles promotions for September.

Airline loyalty program promotions (September 2024)

Airline loyalty programs can offer trip discounts on certain dates, the chance to earn more miles for future travel and deals to rack up points toward elite status. Below are some of the offers we found for September.

Delta SkyMiles and perks for Seattle Seahawks fans

In an effort to build its presence in Seattle, Delta Air Lines is trying to win over the city's football fans. Delta 12Status is an annual promotion that's been running since 2016, and it's back for the 2024-2025 football season.

• Earn 1 mile for every yard the Seahawks throw on the field at regular and postseason home and away games.
• You'll also get priority (Group 5) boarding on departure flights at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) from Sept. 8, 2024, to the end of the Seahawks' 2024-2025 season and a 12% discount at Seahawks Pro Shop retail stores on the 12th of each Seahawks in-season month.
• You must first register here (even if you've registered for Delta 12Status in previous years).
• To be eligible, you must be a Washington State resident who is at least 18 years old.

Lufthansa companion sale: Up to 50% off premium-cabin tickets

Lufthansa's Companion Special is back with deep discounts on premium cabin seats when you book two tickets together on flights out of the U.K.

• Save up to 50% in first class , 40% in business class and 30% in premium economy on select flights out of London and Manchester.
• You can see some of the eligible destinations on this page , but Lufthansa states that "the offer is also valid for many other worldwide destinations."
• Book by Sept. 3, 2024, and travel by June 30, 2025.

Related: Best airline credit cards

Hotel loyalty program promotions (September 2024)

Hotel loyalty programs occasionally offer discounted stays, ways to earn extra points and deals at various properties. We collected some of this month's best deals below.

Bonus Hyatt points for cardholders at The Unbound Collection

If you hold a World of Hyatt Credit Card , you're in luck — you can earn up to 20,000 bonus points this fall when you stay at The Unbound Collection.

• Earn 1,000 bonus World of Hyatt points per night (up to 20,000 points) at participating hotels within The Unbound Collection by Hyatt.
• Register here by Oct. 31, 2024. Stay between Sept. 1 and Nov. 30, 2024.
• You must be a World of Hyatt Credit Card or a World of Hyatt Business Credit Card holder to participate.

Bonus Marriott points when you rent a car with Hertz

If renting a vehicle is in your fall travel plans, don't forget that you can earn Marriott Bonvoy points on select car rentals. With this promotion, Marriott is offering double rewards when you rent with Hertz.

• Earn double Marriott Bonvoy points on Hertz rentals of three or more days in Canada and worldwide that are booked via Marriott's car rental platform . This includes both base points (all members will earn 1,000 points instead of 500 per rental) and elite bonus points (elite Bonvoy members will earn 400 instead of 200 additional points per rental).
• Book by Sept. 30, 2024, and pick up your rental by Nov. 30, 2024.

Targeted bonus points on Best Western stays

For travelers planning a fall trip in North America or the Caribbean, Best Western is offering a potentially lucrative promotion. (This promotion is targeted, so some members may not be eligible or may see a slightly different offer.)

• Earn 7,770 Best Western Rewards bonus points per eligible stay (up to 10 stays maximum) at any Best Western-branded hotel in the U.S., Canada or the Caribbean.
• An eligible stay is defined as a stay of at least one night at a rate eligible for earning points, with the exception of stays booked through an online travel agency , through a tour operator or at a special discounted rate. So, if you took a road trip and stayed one night at 10 different hotels, you could maximize this promotion and earn over 77,000 points.
• Go here to see if you're eligible and can register for the promotion.
• Book by Sept. 2, 2024, and complete your stay by Nov. 18, 2024.

Related: Best hotel credit cards

Credit card promotions (September 2024)

Card issuers sometimes offer deals and discounts for certain cardholders on everything from airfare to restaurant dining. Here are some of the offers we've rounded up this week.

Targeted American Express Offer at CoralTree

If you're heading to Hawaii or Colorado, check your Amex Offers. We found this one on The Platinum Card® from American Express :

• Get a one-time $200 statement credit when you spend a minimum of $1,000 on one or more room rate and room charge purchases at CoralTree Residence Collection properties. CoralTree has several locations in Hawaii, as well as Snowmass and Vail, Colorado.
• As with all Amex Offers, you must register your card and use your registered eligible card to make the purchase.
• This offer expires Nov. 6, 2024.

Targeted American Express Offer at MGM Resorts

Here's another offer we found on the Amex Platinum, this time at select MGM Resorts in the U.S.

• Get a one-time $80 statement credit when you spend a minimum of $400 on one or more room rate and room charge purchases at participating MGM Resorts properties.
• This offer expires Nov. 30, 2024.

Targeted American Express Offer at Aria Resort & Casino, Bellagio Las Vegas and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

You could save even more if you stay at certain MGM brands with this Amex Offer:

• Get a one-time $140 statement credit when you spend a minimum of $700 on one or more room rate and room charge purchases at Aria Resort & Casino, Bellagio Las Vegas and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

Targeted Chase Offer at Marriott

Planning a last-minute getaway? Check your Chase Offers — we found this on the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card :

• Earn 10% cash back on your Marriott Bonvoy stay when you spend $100 or more. (Note that there's an $80 cash-back maximum.)
• Payment must be made directly with the merchant (as opposed to an online travel agency, for instance) for the offer to apply.
• As with all Chase Offers, you must add the offer to your card and make the payment with your enrolled card.
• This offer expires Sept. 15, 2024.

Related: The ultimate guide to saving money with Amex Offers

Ongoing travel deals

In addition to these new offers, many others from previous weeks are still available:

• Enroll in a Sixt rental car status match with multiple airline and hotel program partners .
• Enroll in an Air France-KLM Flying Blue status match opportunity if you're a resident of an eligible country (including the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Germany and Spain; others can be found here ). Successful enrollment in the status match is contingent upon submitting an application , proving equivalent elite status in one of 18 eligible airline loyalty programs and paying a fee determined by your status match level. There is no publicly available end date for this promotion.
• Earn bonus World of Hyatt points for attending a virtual timeshare presentation. You must reside in an eligible U.S. state and meet an annual income requirement, among other requirements . You must request information to learn more about this promotion. There is no publicly available end date for this offer.
• Some IHG One Rewards members are being targeted for a promotion to earn 12,000 bonus points by staying twice in 60 days. There is no minimum night requirement as long as you spend $30 each stay. See if you're eligible and register for the promotion here .
• Earn double Wyndham Rewards points at these new hotels . You don't need to register for this promotion, and there is no published end date.
• If you hold elite status with Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines or United Airlines, you can earn comparable JetBlue Mosaic status for three months with the airline's Match to Mosaic offer. See what level you're eligible for and submit your status match application here . There is no published end date for this offer.
• Earn triple ANA Mileage Club miles (9 miles per dollar) when you stay at an IHG property through Aug. 31. Register for the promotion and set ANA Mileage Club miles as your point-earning preference.
• Earn bonus Marriott Bonvoy points when you stay at The Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho, a Luxury Collection Hotel. Use "M11," the deal's promotional code , at checkout. Book and stay by Aug. 31, 2024.
• Take advantage of United MileagePlus and Marriott Bonvoy's partner offer to earn 750 Bonvoy points on each qualifying United flight and 500 MileagePlus miles for each qualifying stay at participating Marriott hotels. Also, earn a one-time bonus of 350 miles and 350 points after your first combined flight and stay. Register for this offer and complete your travel by Aug. 31, 2024.
• Earn 2,000 bonus Radisson Rewards points per stay at select Radisson hotels in Europe, Africa, the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East. Register here , then book and stay by Aug. 31, 2024.
• Receive a discount on an IHG One Rewards redemption when booking at a select new or renovated property this summer. Book and stay by Aug. 31, 2024.
• Earn bonus Wyndham Rewards points for staying with the brand. Your bonus is determined by how many consecutive nights you stay. Register for the deal by Aug. 31, 2024 , for stays completed by Sept. 3, 2024.
• Earn bonus Marriott Bonvoy points when you stay at The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna. Use "M11," the deal's promotional code , at checkout. Book by Aug. 31, 2024, for stays through Sept. 13, 2024.
• Earn 6,000 bonus Air Canada Aeroplan points — enough for a one-way short-haul flight within North America — when you take one round-trip or two one-way Air Canada flights from the U.S. to Canada. Register for this promotion here . Book by Sept. 1, 2024, and travel by March 31, 2025.
• Earn bonus Best Western Rewards points when you register before your stay and book at least three nights (separate or consecutive). Complete your eligible nights by Sept. 2, 2024.
• Get up to a 35% discount when you purchase a one-year membership to Ennismore's "Dis-loyalty" program by Sept. 2, 2024 (new members only). See full terms and conditions here .
• Earn double points on each qualified stay at any Best Western-branded hotel globally. To register for this offer, log into your Best Western Rewards account, click the blue button in the upper right corner and select "Special Offers." On the next page, click "Offers" under "Manage Your Account," find this one in the "North America" tab and check the "Register" box next to it. Then, book and complete your qualifying stay between Sept. 3 and Nov. 18, 2024.
• Earn bonus Marriott Bonvoy points for stays in the Caribbean and Latin America. Register with "MRP," the deal's promotional code , and book by Sept. 3, 2024. Stay by Sept. 9, 2024.
• Earn 2,500 bonus Hilton Honors points per stay (with no earning cap) completed between Sept. 3 and Dec. 31, 2024, at any hotel or resort within Hilton's portfolio. You must register for this promotion here .
• Choice Privileges members in the U.S. and Canada can earn 8,000 Choice points for every two separate stays at participating Choice hotels. You can then redeem 8,000 points for a selection of $50 gift cards at retailers like Amazon, Mastercard and Walmart. Register here , then book and complete two stays by Sept. 4, 2024, and redeem your gift card within 60 days.
• Earn bonus points for joining IHG One Rewards and staying at an IHG property within 21 days of joining. The promotion ends Sept. 13, 2024.
• Earn double World of Hyatt points (up to 25,000 points) when you stay at Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels. Register for this promotion by Sept. 15, 2024, and book and complete your stay by Oct. 15, 2024.
• Earn 10,000 bonus Radisson Rewards points when you stay four or more nights at a participating resort in Africa, Asia, Europe or the Middle East. Register and book by Sept. 15, 2024, and complete your stay between Oct. 27, 2024, and Feb. 28, 2025.
• Get a discount at participating Fairmont properties when you book directly with the brand . Book by Sept. 15, 2024. Stay by Dec. 30, 2024.
• Earn quadruple Accor Live Limitless points at select new and reopened Accor hotels. Register and book by Sept. 29, 2024, for stays by Nov. 17, 2024. Click "Please see the sales terms for details" to see a full list of participating hotels.
• Earn bonus World of Hyatt points for every three qualifying nights at participating hotels in Latin America and the Caribbean. Register for the promotion before booking. You have until Sept. 30, 2024, to register.
• Save 15% on award nights when you stay at a new or newly renovated property in IHG's portfolio. You can register and see the list of participating properties here . Book and stay by Sept. 30, 2024.
• Enjoy three months of complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status , which you can extend through February 2026 by staying three qualifying nights. Register by Sept. 30, 2024, then book your qualifying nights directly through Marriott and complete your stay before the end of your three-month period.
• Receive up to a $200 hotel credit per stay when you redeem Marriott Bonvoy points for five consecutive nights at a participating hotel or resort in the Caribbean and Latin America. Book by Oct. 1, 2024, with promo code "MRW" and stay by Nov. 19, 2024.
• Earn 250 bonus Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles when you join Marriott Bonvoy. Create your free Bonvoy account here by Oct. 18, 2024, and be sure to enter your KrisFlyer number and set your earning preference to KrisFlyer miles when you sign up.
• Earn bonus Hilton Honors points on car rentals with Alamo, Enterprise and National. Earn 1,000 bonus points on each qualifying rental of four or more days before Oct. 24, 2024, plus 500 points per day on rentals completed by Dec. 31, 2024. Reserve your car here .
• Earn triple World of Hyatt base points per dollar spent on eligible room rates at properties booked through Homes & Hideaways, Hyatt's vacation rental platform . Book and complete your stay by Nov. 3, 2024. See the full terms and conditions here .
• Earn 250 miles in the Lufthansa Miles & More program by registering for the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program using this link . The offer expires Nov. 30, 2024.
• Get 3,000 or 5,000 bonus Avios when you join Qatar Airways Privilege Club and take your first flight. Sign up using promo code "JOIN0324" by Dec. 31, 2024, then book your first flight and travel by June 30, 2025.
• If you book hotels, car rentals and attractions through the Citi travel portal with your Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees ), you will earn 3 additional bonus Citi ThankYou Rewards points per dollar spent. This gets you a total of 5 ThankYou Rewards points per dollar spent on eligible bookings through the Citi travel portal. The offer expires Dec. 31, 2024.
• Earn bonus Spirit Airlines Free Spirit points for completing an eligible round-trip flight at any time in 2024. Register with your Free Spirit number to redeem this offer. Travel must be completed by Dec. 31, 2024.
• If you haven't set up a Free Spirit account yet, you can get bonus points by registering as a new member through this promotional link . You must register by Dec. 31, 2024.
• If you aren't a member of Qatar Airways Privilege Club, you can earn bonus Avios if you join by Dec. 31, 2024. Register with "PCAMER24," the deal's promo code , and book a flight by June 30, 2025, to earn bonus Avios.
• Those who hold Citi rewards credit cards , including the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (see rates and fees ), the Citi Rewards+® Card (see rates and fees ) and the Citi Double Cash, can earn both Citi ThankYou Rewards points and Select Guest points through Omni's loyalty program if you book a stay at one of 50 Omni Hotels & Resorts through the Citi travel portal. This offer is also available to those with the Citi Simplicity® Card and the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card (see rates and fees ).

The information for the Citi Simplicity has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Additionally, there are many stand-alone Amex Offers and some Chase Offers still available across a variety of credit cards.

Targeted Amex Offers

• Get a one-time statement credit on purchases across multiple Boyne Golf resorts in Michigan. The offer expires Sept. 1, 2024.
• Earn 5 Membership Rewards points (up to 50,000) for each dollar spent on purchases made directly with AmaWaterways. The deal expires Sept. 1, 2024.
• Earn a one-time statement credit on a stay at participating Langham Hotels and Resorts in North America. The offer expires Sept. 2, 2024.
• Get a one-time statement credit when you use your enrolled eligible card on purchases with Avis Car Rental. The offer expires Sept. 9, 2024.
• Earn cash back or extra Membership Rewards points on purchases at U.S. supermarkets, gas stations and spa and personal care centers. These deals expire Sept. 13, 2024.
• Earn a one-time statement credit when you spend at The Unbound Collection by Hyatt. The offer expires Sept. 15, 2024.
• Get a one-time $150 statement credit when you spend a minimum of $750 on one or more room rate and room charge purchases at select WorldHotels in the U.S. and internationally. This offer expires Sept. 30, 2024.
• Get a one-time statement credit at participating Hilton all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean and Latin America booked directly through Hilton. This offer expires Sept. 30, 2024.
• Get a one-time statement credit when you spend a minimum of $1,800 on one or more purchases at Virgin Atlantic's website. This offer expires Sept. 30, 2024.
• Earn cash back as a one-time statement credit on purchases at participating Hilton properties. The offer expires Sept. 30, 2024.
• Earn a one-time statement credit on stays with Omni Hotels & Resorts in the U.S. and Canada. The offer expires Sept. 30, 2024.
• Get a one-time statement credit when you spend at least $750 on one or more room rate and room charge purchases at participating Waldorf Astoria, Conrad and LXR properties. This deal expires Sept. 30, 2024.
• Earn cash back as a one-time statement credit on a stay at select Opal Collection properties, PGA National Resort or Margaritaville Beach House Key West. These offers expire Sept. 30, 2024.
• Earn cash back on online purchases with ResortPass. The offer expires Sept. 30, 2024.
• Earn cash back as a one-time statement credit on stays at Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. The offer expires Oct. 4, 2024.
• Get a one-time statement credit when you spend a minimum of $1,000 on one or more purchases at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. This offer expires Oct. 14, 2024.
• Earn a $100 statement credit when you make a single purchase of $500 or more on room rate and room charges at participating Mandarin Oriental properties in the U.S., Europe and Asia. This offer ends Oct. 17, 2024.
• Earn cash back as a one-time statement credit on a stay at Lotte Hotel Seattle. The offer expires Oct. 29, 2024.
• Get a one-time statement credit when you spend at least $300 on one or more purchases at participating Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Las Vegas properties by Oct. 31, 2024.
• Earn a $100 statement credit when you spend at least $500 in one or more purchases on room rates and room charges at participating Relais & Chateaux properties in the U.S., Canada and Europe. This offer expires Oct. 31, 2024.
• Earn a one-time statement credit when you use your card to spend with Micato Safaris. The offer expires Nov. 15, 2024.
• Earn a one-time statement credit when you use your card to pay for a stay at Lotte New York Palace. The offer expires Nov. 22, 2024.
• Earn a one-time statement credit when you use your card for a stay at a U.S. AKA property. The offer expires Nov. 22, 2024.
• Get a one-time statement credit when you spend at least $500 on one or more purchases on room rates and room charges at the Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood, California. This offer expires Dec. 31, 2024.
• Get a one-time statement credit when you spend at least $250 on one or more purchases on room rates and room charges at participating Staypineapple boutique hotels. This offer ends Jan. 25, 2025.

Targeted Chase Offers

• Earn cash back on a Sandals or Beaches stay of at least $400 by Sept. 19, 2024.
• Earn cash back when you rent a car with Turo and pay directly through the Turo site or app. This offer expires Nov. 7, 2024.

Remember that these are targeted, and you must activate the offers before making eligible purchases to enjoy the cash back or bonus points.

Related reading:

• Best travel credit cards
• The best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
• The best credit cards to reach elite status
• What are points and miles worth? TPG's current monthly valuations

Samsung Shop app

Get $500 welcome voucher on login. Downlad the app now.

What are you looking for?

No suggestions, suggested searches, popular keyword, search history, recommended search, sign in/sign up above for free delivery and earn samsung rewards points to spend on samsung.com..

• Smartphones
• Galaxy Books
• Galaxy Buds
• Galaxy Ring
• Accessories

Smartphone Accessories

Cases and more

Tablet Accessories

Covers, keyboards and more

Watch Accessories

Bands, chargers and other watch essentials

Galaxy Book Accessories

Mice, pouches and more

Tag it. Find it.

Chargers and more

All Accessories

Accessories for all Galaxy devices

Chargers & Battery Packs

Get 30% off 25W travel adaptors! 1

Price without VAT:

Price with discount:

Price before:

Add another product from the list

Incomparable product type

Free delivery

Sign in / Sign up to get free delivery.

Free returns

Free, easy and convenient returns.

28 days to return

Change your mind? Just let us know and return your order within 28 days.

24/7 parcel tracking

Once you've place your order with us, you can track when it’s coming.

1. Purchase from Samsung.com by 30.06.24. [Discount based on regular Samsung.com price.] While stocks last.

Amazing add-ons

Total VAT Inclusive

Get stock alerts

Provide your email address below to be notified when this item is back in stock and available to buy.

Please make sure you have provided the correct address.

Please double check your email address.

We will email you when inventory is added. Thank you.

Estimate your installment plan

Compare models.

Instalment Plans Disclaimer