The best travel credit cards of 2021

CNN
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While travel hasn’t yet returned to its formerly robust level, there’s still a lot of pent-up demand to get back on the road and into the air in the next year. And when that happens, a lot of Americans are undoubtedly going to want — no, they’re going to need — a well-deserved vacation.

That’s where CNN Underscored’s list of the best travel credit cards for 2021 can come in handy. The right credit card can earn you enough in travel rewards to make your getaway easier, or more enjoyable, or — dare we say it — even almost free. Our comprehensive methodology compares every aspect of each travel credit card to our “benchmark credit card” — the Citi® Double Cash Card — to determine which cards can get you the most perks or rewards.

So take a few minutes to check out our list of the best travel credit cards in 2021 and think about which one might get you to that getaway as planes soar back into the skies again.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Best overall travel card
American Express® Gold Card: Best “non-travel” travel card
Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Best for travel purchases
The Platinum Card® from American Express: Best luxury travel perks
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: Best airline travel card
World of Hyatt Credit Card: Best hotel travel card
Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card: Best for easy-to-use travel rewards

Why did we select these cards as our best travel credit cards for 2021? Dive into the details of each card with us and see how they stack up.

Why it’s great in one sentence: The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns valuable Ultimate Rewards points for every dollar you spend on it, and the points can be redeemed for travel and other eligible categories at 1.25 cents per point, or transferred to the program’s airline and hotel partners for potentially even more useful travel redemptions.

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