How to Earn Points and Miles for Free Travel
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Travel Rewards Credit Cards
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We dive into fine print of 110 travel credit cards to help you estimate how much value in rewards you can get for the 1st year with a card. We consider annual fees, sign-up bonus offer, rewards for spending, spending categories and rotating categories for some banks.
5 cards found
United MileagePlus® Club Card
This card earns Mileage Plus Miles (Mileage Plus program by United)
Rewards for spending
Annual Fee
Bonus Offer
Rewards in 1st year
1.5-2 miles per $1
$450
50k miles
95,000 miles
- Card Details
- Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Terms apply.
- United ClubSM membership – up to a $550 value per year.
- Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on tickets purchased from United, and 1.5 miles per $1 spent on all other purchases. Terms apply.
- No miles limit or expiration as long as your credit card account is open.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Free first and second checked bags – a savings of up to $240 per roundtrip.
- Travel & purchase coverage.
- Pros
- Sign-up bonus
- No foreign transaction fees
- Free first and second checked bags
- Travel & purchase coverage
- Cons
- Has annual fee
Our Take
If you are the owner of United MileagePlus® Club Card, you can access any United Club lounge for free, enjoy Premier access to travel services and never have to pay for checking your first two bags.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® credit card
This card earns Ultimate Rewards Points that can be transferred to Mileage Plus Miles (Mileage Plus) with 1:1 ratio Other transfer options
Rewards for spending
Annual Fee
Bonus Offer
Rewards in 1st year
1-2 Mileage Plus Miles per $1
$95
waived first year
50k points
worth 50k Mileage Plus Miles
80,000 miles
- Card Details
- 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $625 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants - from airfare and hotels to fine dining and cafés.
- Plus, 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, after that $95.
- 1:1 Point Transfer to leading frequent travel programs.
- Travel & purchase coverage.
- 24/7 Access to a Customer Service Specialist.
- Pros
- High rewards rate on travel
- No Foreign transaction fees
- Sign-up bonus
- Get more points on travel and dining at restaurants
- Security & Benefits
- Cons
- Has annual fee
Our Take
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® credit card is, perhaps, the best way to participate in Chase Ultimate Rewards® loyalty program. The introductory bonus is huge, redemption value is above average, and the earn rate is reasonable.
UnitedSM Explorer Card
This card earns Mileage Plus Miles (Mileage Plus program by United)
Rewards for spending
Annual Fee
Bonus Offer
Rewards in 1st year
1-2 miles per $1
$95
waived first year
40k miles
70,000 miles
- Card Details
- 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Plus, an additional 25,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $10,000 total on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening.
- 2 miles per $1 spent on United purchases, at restaurants and on hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel.
- 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- No Foreign transaction fees.
- You can use MileagePlus miles toward travel on United®, currently starting as low as 12,500 miles for a one-way Saver Award within the continental U.S. and Canada.
- No miles limit or expiration as long as your credit card account is open.
- Free first checked bag – a savings of up to $100 per roundtrip. Terms Apply.
- Priority boarding.
- Travel & purchase coverage.
- Pros
- Generous signup bonus
- 2X miles on tickets purchased from United
- No foreign transaction fees
- Free first checked bag
- Priority boarding
- Cons
- Has annual fee
Our Take
The United Explorer Card is a co-branded rewards card that earns MileagePlus® miles and steers you towards flying United. While there is a long list of various minor benefits, conditions, and drawbacks, the balance of the card’s worth hangs on two things only. One, an annual fee of $95, which comes into force from the second year. Two, a free checked bag on each United flight you take.
The Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express
This card earns Starpoints that can be transferred to Mileage Plus Miles (Mileage Plus) with 2:1 ratio Other transfer options
Rewards for spending
Annual Fee
Bonus Offer
Rewards in 1st year
1-3 Mileage Plus Miles per $1
$95
waived first year
75k points
worth 37.5k Mileage Plus Miles
67,500 miles
- Card Details
- Earn 75,000 Bonus Points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months.
- $0 intro annual fee for the first 12 months, then $95.
- Use your Card and earn 6 Starpoints® for every dollar spent on eligible purchases at participating SPG® and Marriott Rewards® hotels.
- Earn 2 Starpoint for all other eligible purchases.
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 points) at a participating hotel. Select hotels have resort fees.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Receive complimentary Silver Elite status with your Card. Earn Gold Elite status after spending $30,000 or more in eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
- Receive free in-room, premium Internet access while staying at participating SPG® and Marriott Rewards ® hotels.
- Pros
- Generous signup bonus
- High rate of rewards
- No foreign transaction fees
- Cons
- Has annual fee
- Good to excellent credit score required
Our Take
Whatever aspects of The Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express you might consider, the only one that really matters is the incredible value of Starpoints®. Earning two of them per dollar is one of the best travel card offers that ever existed.
Starwood Preferred Guest® Luxury Card
This card earns Starpoints that can be transferred to Mileage Plus Miles (Mileage Plus) with 2:1 ratio Other transfer options
Rewards for spending
Annual Fee
Bonus Offer
Rewards in 1st year
1-3 Mileage Plus Miles per $1
$450
75k points
worth 37.5k Mileage Plus Miles
67,500 miles
- Card Details
- Earn 75,000 Bonus Points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months.
- Earn 6X points on eligible purchases at participating SPG® and Marriott Rewards® hotels.
- Earn 3X points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines.
- Earn 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy up to $300 in statement credits each year of Card Membership for eligible purchases at participating SPG® or Marriott Rewards® hotels.
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 points) at a participating hotel. Terms apply.
- Enjoy complimentary Gold Elite status with your Card. Earn Platinum Elite status after making $75,000 in eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Redeem points for free nights at over 6,500 participating SPG® and Marriott Rewards® hotels across 29 brands. Plus, redeem points for flights or car rentals with Air+Car, or transfer your points for travel program rewards with over 40 airline partners.
- Pros
- Generous signup bonus
- 6X points per $1 spent on hotels
- 0% purchase intro APR
- No foreign transaction fee
- Cons
- High annual fee