If you love to travel, you probably already know that not all travel cards are created equal! If you shop around, you’ll find that some cards come with not-so-little extras that can save you money and make your trip that bit more special. We’ve uncovered 5 enviable perks to look for when you choose your next travel rewards credit card.
This guide is a paid content promotion brought to you by American Express.
The Marriott Bonvoy® American Express® Card – earn 20,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy ® points when you spend £3,000 in the first 3 months of Cardmembership (representative 52.5% APR, variable). Subject to Status. Terms apply. Learn more
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 29.1% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £95 per year, your representative rate is 52.5% APR (variable).
Several travel credit cards offer a welcome bonus to new customers. These can include things like bonus points, free nights at hotels, or statement credits. For example, the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express® Card, which costs £75 a year, offers a welcome bonus of 20,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points after you spend £3,000 in the first 3 months – enough for a long weekend at a Marriott hotel.
If you’ve got a big trip planned, choosing a card with a welcome bonus can earn you a nice little getaway later in the year.
Whether it means getting bumped up to business class or scoring a suite in a swish hotel, everyone loves an upgrade. If you’re a frequent traveller, the right card can earn you tons of points which you can put towards a cabin upgrade, or a lounge pass so you can wait for your flight in style. Perfect for impressing your travel companion (or your Insta followers).
What’s more, a select few credit cards offer special hotel benefits like room upgrades, priority check-in, and later check-out times, for a more luxurious stay.
Some travel reward cards offer bonus points on specific purchases, such as flights or hotel stays, so it’s smart to pick one that will get you the max bonus points for the type of travel you’ll be doing.
These cards can be offered by the hotel companies themselves, and are best suited to people who travel often and like to stay in a particular hotel group. For example, the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card offers 6x points on eligible Marriott hotel stays and 2x points on everything else, so if you’re a regular visitor to the Marriott hotel empire you’ll be able to earn points quickly.
You can also earn points with this card by referring a friend: score 9,000 points if they’re approved – up to 90,000 points a year.
If you refer 5 friends and they’re approved for the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card, you’ll have more than enough for a free night in any of Marriott’s “category 5” locations, which includes the Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, the luxury Domes Miramare in Corfu, and more than 70 other major hotels around the world. T&Cs apply.
If there’s one thing every traveller’s learned over the past few years, it’s that travel insurance is crucial. In fact, that was true even before the pandemic: in 2019, UK travel insurers paid out £377 million in claims to people who needed help while abroad.
It’s important to ensure you have insurance that covers medical care when abroad, but that’s not the only consideration.
Choosing a card that comes with trip interruption or cancellation insurance can ensure you get reimbursed for expenses like non-refundable flights or hotel stays if you have to call off or change your trip for an unexpected reason outside your control.
Using a concierge when you’re on a trip is such an underrated travel hack. They can help you with making restaurant reservations, getting tickets to sold-out events, arranging transport – it’s like having your own fixer.
Some travel credit cards give you access to your very own concierge service to make sure your trip goes smoothly and to help you arrange those little extra touches. For example, the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card offers a 24/7 concierge service that can help you with everything from recommending a restaurant to booking a Billie Eilish gig.
When you’re choosing a travel credit card, look for one that offers perks to make your trip run smoothly and feel special. That might mean a welcome bonus, free upgrades, bonus points that add up to freebies, or even a concierge service. But remember that, with any type of rewards card, it’s important to pay your balance each month, or your interest payments could wipe out the value of the rewards.
To compare all credit cards, narrow down which type could suit you best, and check which ones you’re eligible for, use our full comparison guide.
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 Defaqto.
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