The travel-card landscape shifted significantly this year with large changes to premium cards’ benefits and fees, bigger welcome offers on mid-tier cards, and fresh competition between bank-branded flexible currencies. Below we compare the top picks across categories (premium, best value, no-fee, hotel & airline co-brands) and explain which card suits your travel style.
Quick context: 2025 has brought big premium refreshes (including higher annual fees but richer credits) from major issuers — so a card’s raw fee matters less than the net value you can extract from credits and perks. We highlight where that math usually favors the cardholder.
Top Best Business Credit Cards 2025 You Can’t Miss for Maximum Benefits
What’s changed in 2025 (short summary)
- Premium cards (American Express Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve) received benefit refreshes and higher annual fees in 2025 — issuers are packaging more credits and services to justify the increases.
- Mid-tier travel cards (like Capital One’s offerings) are leaning into large, frequent welcome offers and expanding transfer partners.
- Flexibility and transfer partner depth remain king for most travelers: cards that let you transfer to multiple airlines/hotels tend to deliver the most value when you redeem smartly.
At-a-glance comparison: Top 10 travel cards (2025)
| Rank | Card | Annual Fee (typical) | Typical Welcome Offer | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Platinum Card® from American Express | $895 (2025 updated fee) | Very large travel credits & high-value welcome (varies) | Luxury travelers & lounge access seekers |
| 2 | Chase Sapphire Reserve® | $795 (new 2025 fee on some versions) | Large points bonus (varies by period) | Flexible redemptions through Chase & premium benefits |
| 3 | Capital One Venture X Rewards | $395 | ~75,000 miles after minimum spend (offers vary) | Value-focused premium card; transfer partners |
| 4 | Chase Sapphire Preferred® | $95 | Strong points bonus for moderate spenders | New-to-travel-rewards or value seekers |
| 5 | Amex® Gold Card | $250 | Points bonus & dining/grocery earn | Foodies & those who split travel/dining spend |
| 6 | Capital One Venture Rewards | $95 | Generous miles bonus (varies) | Simple travel credit model & tons of transfer partners |
| 7 | Chase Ink Business Preferred® | $95 | Large points for business spend | Small business owners who travel |
| 8 | Delta SkyMiles®/United/AA co-brands | Varies | Airline miles + perks | Loyalists to a single airline |
| 9 | Marriott Bonvoy / Hilton Honors cards | Varies (no-fee to premium) | Free-night certificates & bonus points | Hotel loyalists |
| 10 | Wells Fargo Autograph / Bank of America Travel | Usually no fee or low fee | Moderate bonus | Occasional travelers who want no-fee options |
Sources used to build and verify the list above include issuer pages and major travel-finance outlets (Kiplinger, The Points Guy, issuer benefit pages). See citations in each card section for specifics.
How we chose and ranked these cards
Ranking weighed these factors: flexibility of redemptions (transfer partners), the net value after credits vs. annual fee, lounge access and airport perks, insurance & travel protections, and how strong the welcome bonus is for a typical spender. We also considered issuer changes announced during 2025 because the premium-card benefit refreshes materially change yearly value calculations.
In-depth: The top picks (what makes each card special)
1. The Platinum Card® from American Express — Best for premium perks & lounges
Why it’s high on the list: Amex positioned the Platinum as the go-to for travelers who want broad lounge access, premium hotel benefits and concierge-level service. In 2025 Amex updated the card’s benefits and increased the annual fee — but it also added a large slate of statement credits and perks designed to offset that fee for frequent users. The issuer states the card can deliver $3,500+ in annual perks for heavy users after the 2025 refresh.
Key perks (typical)
- Extensive lounge access (Centurion Lounges, partner lounges, Priority Pass in select versions).
- Hotel credits through Fine Hotels & Resorts or partner programs (enrollment required).
- Monthly/annual statement credits for things like Uber, dining/Resy, and streaming (terms vary).
- Superior concierge and purchase protections.
Who should get it
If you’re chasing premium airport experiences, hotel upgrades, and you’ll use several of the card’s credits each year, the Amex Platinum still makes sense despite the higher fee — but run the math before you apply.
What a Savings Account That Is Insured by the FDIC/NCUA Means for Your Money Safety
2. Chase Sapphire Reserve® — Best for flexible points + travel protections
Why it’s high on the list: Chase keeps evolving the Reserve product; in 2025 Chase refreshed benefits and adjusted pricing on some versions while expanding lounge access and travel credits that can offset the annual fee. The card shines for people who value flexible Chase Ultimate Rewards points that transfer to many airlines/hotels and for robust travel protections.
Key perks (typical)
- Elevated points on travel and dining when booked through Chase Travel (varies by campaign).
- Priority Pass + Chase lounges access where available.
- Travel and purchase protections (trip delay/cancellation, primary rental car insurance).
Who should get it
Great for frequent travelers who want flexible redemptions and strong insurance protections; extremely valuable if you maximize travel credits and book through Chase Travel when it gives boosted redemption value.
3. Capital One Venture X Rewards — Best value premium card
Why it’s high on the list: Venture X blends premium perks with a lower annual fee than many ultra-luxury cards. It offers a solid annual travel credit, Priority Pass lounge benefits and strong transferable mileage mechanics. Capital One promoted big 2025 welcome offers (e.g., ~75,000 miles for a qualifying spend window), making first-year value especially strong.
Key perks (typical)
- $300+ annual travel credit (when booking certain travel through Capital One Travel).
- Anniversary miles bonus (often 10k/year) and Priority Pass lounge access.
- Excellent transfer partners and 5–10x on travel booked via Capital One Travel in some categories.
Who should get it
If you want a premium experience without the highest tier fee, and you’ll use the travel credit plus lounge access, Venture X often delivers strong net value.
4. Chase Sapphire Preferred® — Best all-around value for most travelers
With a moderate annual fee and broad transfer partners, the Preferred is a favorite for people starting in rewards or looking for a strong points-earning everyday card. It’s easier to offset the fee than the highest-tier products and offers excellent transfer flexibility. (See Chase site for current welcome bonus windows.)
5. Amex® Gold Card — Best for dining & groceries (and travel flexibility)
The Amex Gold pairs high earning on dining and U.S. supermarkets with access to the Amex Membership Rewards currency — which has many airline/hotel transfer partners. It’s a top pick for travelers who spend heavily on food and still want good travel redemption options.
6. Capital One Venture Rewards — Best simple miles system
Venture Rewards is simple: earn a flat rate on nearly all purchases and redeem against travel or transfer to partners. Good for people who want straightforward earning without juggling category multipliers. Capital One has continued to build travel transfer relationships in 2025, expanding the usefulness of Venture miles.
7. Chase Ink Business Preferred® — Best for small business travel
Business spend categories (advertising, shipping, travel) give high-earning buckets. If you combine Ink business points with a personal Sapphire card you gain exceptional value through point transfers and redemptions. Good for owners who travel for work and can meet welcome-spend thresholds.
8. Airline co-brands (Delta, United, American) — Best for loyal flyers
If you fly one carrier frequently, a co-branded airline card can deliver elite-qualifying perks, companion certificates, and enhanced earning on that airline — which sometimes outranks flexible currency value for loyalty-focused travelers. Always compare the co-brand’s elite perks vs. the value of flexible points.
9. Hotel co-brands (Marriott, Hilton, IHG) — Best for hotel loyalists
Hotel-branded cards include free-night certificates, elite-night credits, and accelerated earnings for stays. If you earn status or stay often at one chain, a co-brand card can reduce nightly costs dramatically.
10. No-fee / low-fee travel cards — Best for occasional travelers
For occasional travelers wanting travel perks without paying a fee, cards such as Wells Fargo Autograph, certain Bank of America travel cards, or issuer no-fee travel products are useful. They won’t match premium benefits, but they avoid fee drag while still offering flexible redemption or simple travel credits.
JEPI vs JEPQ Dividend: Compare Yields, Pros & Cons, and Income Potential
Detailed comparison table (benefits you’ll actually use)
Below is a condensed table of the features most travelers use when deciding between cards: welcome bonus, point transfer flexibility, lounge access, travel credits, and approximate net first-year value when typical credits are used.
| Card | Welcome Bonus (example) | Transfer Partners / Flexibility | Lounge Access | Estimated First-Year Net Value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amex Platinum | Large (varies) | Membership Rewards (many partners) | Centurion + partners | $1,500–$3,500 (heavy user) |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | Large (varies) | Ultimate Rewards (many partners) | Priority Pass + Chase Lounges | $1,200–$3,000 |
| Capital One Venture X | ~75,000 miles | Capital One transferrable partners | Priority Pass + Capital One lounges | $900–$1,700 |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred | Very good | Ultimate Rewards transferrable | None (some partner perks) | $400–$1,000 |
| Amex Gold | Moderate | Membership Rewards | No | $300–$900 |
*Estimated net value assumes you use the card’s headline credits (hotel/airline/travel credits, dining or grocery credits where applicable) in the first 12 months. Individual results vary; always model your expected usage against the fee.
Case studies — which card for which traveler
Frequent international traveler (loves lounges)
Recommended: Amex Platinum or Chase Sapphire Reserve. If you value the absolute best lounge network and top-tier hotel perks, Amex Platinum is often the top pick if you use the credits and Fine Hotels & Resorts benefits. Chase Reserve is the best alternative if you want the strong travel protections and flexible Ultimate Rewards ecosystem. Make sure to evaluate the new 2025 credits vs. fee before deciding.
Value-oriented premium traveler
Recommended: Capital One Venture X. Lower fee than top-tier luxury cards but still offers lounge access, a meaningful travel credit and transferable miles — often the best net-first-year value for mid-to-high spenders.
Occasional traveler / beginner
Recommended: Chase Sapphire Preferred or a no-fee travel card. These offer easy path to travel rewards, sensible annual fees, and strong transfer partner value without the complexity or cost of premium cards.
Business owner who travels
Recommended: Chase Ink Business Preferred + a personal transferable-points card (Sapphire). Business points stack with personal cards to unlock outsized redemptions and business cover for travel purchases.
How to compare offers and avoid common mistakes
- Don’t anchor only to the annual fee. Look at the *net* value after credits and likely usage. A higher-fee card can produce better value for the right user. (2025 issuer refreshes emphasize this.)
- Model your redemptions. If you transfer points often, simulate a few sample redemptions (e.g., one international biz-class ticket or two hotel upgrades) to see which currency yields the most value.
- Check welcome-offer spending requirements carefully. Large bonuses often require several thousand dollars of spend in short windows — make sure you can hit them comfortably without manufactured spending.
- Factor in perks you’ll actually use. Lounge access, credits (hotel, dining, Uber), and statement credits are only helpful if you redeem them. If you never use hotel credits or dining credits, they shouldn’t be counted toward the card’s value for your situation.
- Watch authorized-user and foreign-transaction fees. Authorized-user costs rose for some cards in 2025; if you plan to add family members, include that in your cost calculation.
Maximizing value — a 90-day plan after approval
Here’s a simple plan to extract the most from a new travel premium or mid-tier card in your first 3 months:
- Confirm the welcome-offer requirements and calendar the spend target.
- Register for any required portal/benefit (e.g., Chase Travel boosts, Amex Fine Hotels enrollment, Capital One Travel offers).
- Use card benefits deliberately: book one hotel via the card’s partner program for elite/credits, plan to use monthly or annual credits, and add authorized user(s) only if the fee is worth the extra benefit.
- Transfer a subset of points to partners only after confirming availability for the flights/hotels you want; don’t transfer speculatively.
FAQ
Q: Have annual fees increased in 2025 for premium cards?
A: Yes — several issuers refreshed benefits and increased fees in 2025 (notably Am