Summertime fun is just around the corner. And with airplane ticket costs rising due to surging fuel prices, consumers may be looking for ways to save on their summer vacations.
One of the ways you can make travel more affordable is by using miles and points to book your trips. If you don’t already have a travel credit card, or if your rewards balances are running low, there’s still time to apply for a new card before finalizing your reservations. Here’s how to save money on summer travel with credit card rewards and benefits.
[Read: Travel Credit Cards]
Top Travel and Sign-up Bonus Credit Cards
These cards have healthy sign-up bonuses, great travel perks and competitive travel rewards that could make your travel more affordable or more enjoyable.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
— Sign-up bonus: 75,000 Miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
— Annual fee: $395
— Rewards rate: Ten miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, five miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, and two miles on all other purchases
— Travel benefits: Receive a $300 annual travel credit when booking through Capital One Travel, get 10,000 bonus miles every card anniversary and receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
— Sign-up bonus: Earn up to $1,000 towards travel once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
— Annual fee: $95
— Rewards rate: Five miles per dollar spent on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, and two miles on all other purchases
— Travel benefits: Get a $250 travel credit to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, and receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
— Sign-up bonus: Earn 125,000 points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
— Annual fee: $795
— Rewards rate: Eight points per dollar spent on all purchases made through Chase Travel?, four points on flights and hotels booked directly, three points on dining worldwide, and one point on all other purchases
— Travel benefits: Get up to $300 in statement credits for travel purchases each account anniversary year; get complimentary access for you and up to two guests to Chase Sapphire Lounges by The Club and more than 1,300 Priority Pass airport lounges worldwide; and receive one statement credit of up to $120 every four years for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
— Sign-up bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
— Annual fee: $95
— Rewards rate: Five points per dollar spent on travel booked through Chase Travel?; three points on dining, select streaming services and online grocery purchases; two points on all other travel purchases; and one point on all other purchases
— Travel benefits: Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays booked through Chase Travel?
American Express Platinum Card®
— Welcome offer: Earn 175,000 points after you spend $12,000 in the first six months
— Annual fee: $895
— Rewards rate: Five points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 per year, and on prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com; one point on other eligible purchases
— Travel benefits: Receive up to $200 in statement credits for incidental charges from one airline of your choice, and get up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you sign up and pay for a Clear+ membership
[Read: Credit Cards With Sign-up Bonuses]
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
— Sign-up bonus: Earn three free night awards after spending $3,000 on eligible purchases within three months of account opening, earn one additional free night award after spending $4,000 total on eligible purchases within four months of account opening, and get up to $100 in statement credits after spending $500 on eligible airline purchases
— Annual fee: $95
— Rewards rate: Up to 17 points for every dollar spent at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy; three points on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases annually on grocery stores, gas stations and dining; and two points on all other purchases
— Travel benefits: Earn a free night award every year after your account anniversary, valid for a one night hotel stay at a property with a redemption level up to 35,000 points
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
— Sign-up bonus: Earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $2,500 in the first three months
— Annual fee: $99, which is waived for the first year
— Rewards rate: 2 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases, restaurants and gas; and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases
— Travel benefits: Get the first checked bag free on domestic flights for you and up to four travel companions on the same reservation, preferred boarding, and 25% back on in-flight purchases
Is There Enough Time to Earn the Bonus?
While some of the best deals happen when you book far in advance, it’s also possible to score last-minute bargains. By applying now for one of these travel credit cards, you can still earn the welcome bonus in time for your trip.
It can take several months to hit a minimum spending requirement. And once you do, it’s likely that the bonus won’t post until the next billing cycle. However, “There is absolutely enough time to get the bonus in time for summer travel,” says Lisa Kulpa, who posts about using points and miles under the Instagram handle Basic Travel Couple. “This is especially true if you have big expenses coming due.“ Large payments that help you earn the welcome bonus include annual home or auto insurance premiums, home improvement projects, car repairs and school tuition.
Attractive Bonuses and Benefits That Can Save You Money
There are many different types of travel credit cards, and each one has specific benefits and perks that reward you for the way you spend, improve your travel experience or save you money.
— General travel cards: Earn points that can be used to book travel, redeemed for cash or gift cards or transferred to airline and hotel partners.
— Co-branded airline cards: Earn miles that are specific to the airline and include benefits specific to flying, like free checked bags, priority boarding and in-flight discounts.
— Co-branded hotel cards: Earn points that are specific to the hotel chain and offer hotel-specific benefits, like annual free nights, automatic elite status and bonus points on hotel purchases.
Greg Johnson, co-founder of Club Thrifty, a personal finance and travel blog, says, “Many of the top credit cards come with perks like primary rental car insurance, airport lounge access and annual statement credits.” Even though you may pay an annual fee, he says that these benefits may outweigh any fee that the bank charges.
[Read: Airline Credit Cards]
What If You Don’t Earn the Bonus in Time to Book Your Trip?
Even if you don’t earn the sign-up bonus in time to book your summer travel plans, these cards and others like them offer benefits to make travel easier and more affordable, such as:
— Annual travel credits
— Priority boarding
— Annual free hotel night
— Airport lounge access
— Automatic elite status (or an accelerated path)
— Travel protection benefits
— TSA PreCheck or Global Entry reimbursement
Kulpa says that her favorite benefit is “lounge access in airports because they save money on food and drinks when transiting through.” She also likes the trip reimbursement protections because they take care of cardholders if they have a delayed or canceled flight.
[Read: Hotel Credit Cards]
The Bottom Line
The clock is ticking for you to apply for a new credit card and earn the bonus before the summer travel season starts. If you can time large purchases with your application, it is even easier to meet the minimum spending requirements to receive your bonus.
Even if you don’t earn the welcome bonus in time for your trip, getting a travel credit card before your summer travel can still be worthwhile. The benefits can save money and provide perks that enhance your vacation, such as airport lounge access, free checked bags, elite status or travel protections.
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Travel and Sign-up Bonus Cards to Book Your Summer Travel originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 04/06/26: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
