The Best Premium Travel Credit Cards

Posted: 7/28/2023 | July 28th, 2023

When it comes to choosing a travel credit card, most people balk at paying an annual fee, especially for the premium cards where the fees are $500 or more per year.

I get that. When you first start out travel hacking, there’s cheaper options to choose from.

But frequent travelers can easily get more value out of these cards than the cost of the annual fee thanks to the host of benefits that premium cards offer.

Most premium cards come with unlimited airport lounge access, free Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®, travel insurance, high welcome bonuses, higher points-earning capabilities than lower fee cards, and other perks, such as statement credits for travel, dining, or delivery — all of which help offset the annual cost of the card.

That means that having a premium card in your wallet makes your travel experience easier and more comfortable, which can make a big difference since flight delays and cancellations are more common than ever.

To help you decide what card is best for you and your travel goals, here is my list of the best premium travel credit cards out there:

MY TOP PICK: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

This is my favorite premium rewards card. It’s the upgraded version of one of the most popular travel credit cards out there (the Chase Sapphire Preferred) and includes a lot of fantastic perks for avid travelers. While the $550 fee is steep on paper, the $300 annual travel credit is very easy to get, effectively reducing the annual fee to a more reasonable $250. The Reserve also offers lounge access, great travel insurance, and an array of statement credits that, when used right, can give you benefits worth even more than $250.

I like this card better than the AMEX Platinum because of it comes with better points earning bonus categories and more practical, everyday perks like DoorDash, Instacart, and Lyft perks.

With this card, you get:

• 60,000 points (after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months)
• 3x points on travel
• 3x points on dining
• 5x points on flights when booked through Chase
• 10x points on hotels and rental cars when booked through Chase
• 10x points on Lyft + 2-year Lyft Pink membership
• $300 annual travel credit
• Priority Pass Membership for lounge access
• $100 credit toward Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check
• Travel insurance including trip delay coverage, primary car rental insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, and trip cancellation insurance
• 1 year of complimentary Instacart+ membership…