#Cathay Pacific Airways manage booking

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How to manage Cathay Pacific flight booking?

Cathay Pacific is considered the best airline in Hong Kong as it offers various facilities to its passengers. You can easily make a reservation for your flight online at the Cathay Pacific website or through their customer service team. Once you book your flight, you will be able to manage your Cathay Pacific flight booking and change our details. You can also add additional services to your seat and enjoy Cathay Pacific's managed booking feature.

There are many services that you can obtain in the manage reservation option, which are described below:

Cathay Pacific Reservation details:

If you do not know the details of your Cathay Pacific flight reservation, you can check them in the Cathay Pacific reservation management section.

Select or upgrade the seat at Cathay Pacific:

If you want more comfort on your journey, you can upgrade your current seat to a higher class. In addition to making an upgrade, you can select a seat on your Cathay Pacific flight from the seat map and confirm your reservation.

Add extra luggage:

If your baggage exceeds Cathay Pacific's baggage policy, you can add additional baggage to your trip. You must pay some charges for additional luggage to board the flight.

Cancel or change the Cathay Pacific flight:

You can cancel your Cathay Pacific flight at any time if you do not board the flight through managed booking. You can also change the flight date and take the new travel dates.

Steps to manage your Cathay Pacific flight reservation:

If you want to manage your Cathay Pacific reservation, you can follow the steps below and get details of your reservation:

Open the Cathay Pacific website on your device and look for the managed booking option.

Enter the reservation confirmation number and the passenger's last name.

Tap on the Continue button and you will get your flight details.

Once you get the information, you need to click on the edit button to change the details as per your needs.

The various options that you can change will be displayed on the screen. You should choose accordingly or add any additional services you need on the trip.

After a successful change, you will be required to pay the additional fee if you make changes more than 24 hours from the reservation.

You will get the confirmation message on your registered email id regarding the facilities you get from the managed booking.

If you change your travel dates, you will immediately receive a new e-ticket on your registered email ID.

In this way, you will be able to take advantage of the different Cathay Pacific services through a managed reservation. If you do not understand the above information, you can contact Cathay Pacific's customer service representative at +800 2747 5500. They will direct you to the services you can purchase from Cathay Pacific's managed reservations section. All contact details are available on the Cathay Pacific website, such as calls, chat, email or social media. You can connect with them anytime as they are available 24 hours for help.

Cathay Pacific PNR Status

Have you received confirmation of your Cathay Pacific flight reservation? If you are not sure, you can conveniently find out by checking the PNR status on the Internet.

Why Check Your PNR Status?

The PNR number is generated at the time of flight booking and is a unique code for each passenger. By entering your Passenger Name Record (PNR) number, you can unlock all your flight details. Information such as your destination, arrival and departure time, flight date and other details will be available for your reference.

If you are wondering where you can find this PNR number, also known as a reservation reference number, all you need to do is check your flight ticket.

Method To Check Cathay Pacific PNR Status

If you want to check the PNR status of your Cathay Pacific flight, you can simply visit the airline's official website. Click on the “Manage Tab” option and then press the “Manage Reservation” option. You can log in using your booking reference number or your account details. To log in with your booking reference number, you can enter your first name (as it appears on your booking), your surname and your booking reference number. Instead of the PNR number or booking reference number, you can also enter your e-ticket number.

If you want to check your Cathay Pacific PNR status using your account details, you can enter your membership number or email address and password. By clicking the 'Login' button you will be able to see if your reservation is confirmed or on a waiting list. You can also check your flight arrival and departure time and determine if your flight is canceled, delayed or on time.

For added convenience, you can view your PNR status through Cleartrip. The website provides the necessary details at your fingertips.

If you want to manage your Cathay Pacific reservation, you can take the following steps and get details of your reservation:

Open the Cathay Pacific website on your device and look for the managed booking option.

Enter the reservation confirmation number and the passenger's last name.

Tap on the Continue button and you will get your flight details.

Once you get the information, you need to click on the edit button to change the details as per your needs.

The various options that you can change will be displayed on the screen. You should choose accordingly or add any additional services you need on the trip.

After a successful change, you will be required to pay the additional fee if you make changes more than 24 hours from the reservation.

You will get the confirmation message on your registered email id regarding the facilities you get from the managed booking.

If you change your travel dates, you will immediately receive a new e-ticket on your registered email ID.

Managing Cathay Pacific Reservations Online

For the managed reservation process, the passenger must log in to the airline's website.

Once the website is launched, the passenger needs to look for the managed booking option and click on it.

Additionally, the passenger will be directed to a login page where they must enter account details to manage reservations.

Additionally, the passenger can also retrieve a reservation by entering the reservation code and his or her name.

After providing the details, the passenger will be provided with the details of their reservations.

The passenger must then select a service required for their reservations.

Cathay Pacific Flight Change And Cancellation

Those who wish to change or cancel their reservations must click on the Change and Cancel option.

In the event of a flight change, the passenger may be required to pay some additional fees to confirm the changes.

Also, once the changes and Cancellation are confirmed, an automated email is provided to you.

Adding Meals

And if the passenger wants to avail meals for their reservations, a separate option is provided in the reservation management section.

Simply select the additional meal option and from the option provided, the passenger must select one to use in their reservations.

Online Check-in

In addition to the above services, the passenger can also check-in online to obtain boarding passes for their reservations.

Simply provide your reservation details and select seat assignments for your reservations.

Once seats are confirmed, the passenger can easily print their boarding passes and use them later when needed.

In addition, the passenger can also manage the reservation service to reserve seats with extra legroom or reserve a rental car. And in case the passenger still has doubts about these online services, he can contact the airline by dialing the Cathay Pacific phone number and get the desired assistance.

So, this was the simple procedure to manage your Cathay Pacific reservations. And in case he still has any issues or queries regarding these procedures, simply contact the airline directly and make changes to your itinerary instantly.

[cheapairlines-fares]

How can I change my flight ticket date at Cathay Pacific Airways?

How can I change my flight ticket date at Cathay Pacific Airways?

You can acquire all the information you need by calling the Cathay Pacific customer support number. You can call them and ask, "How can I change the date of my Cathay Pacific flight ticket?" They will provide you with all of the information you require.

How to change the date of the flight:

To change the date, go to the official website. It's crucial to keep in mind that there could be a lot of different websites claiming to be helpful. Except for the official website, no other website can assist you with the Cathay Pacific date change.

The website address http://www.cathaypacific.com for the same. This is the official website's URL, which you can copy and paste.

You must first determine whether your ticket is eligible for a date change before going to the official website.

Only those tickets that were purchased through the official website can be changed. Other tickets purchased through a travel agent are not subject to modification.

A date change fee of $50 to $75 will be charged for tickets that have passed the Cathay Pacific Airways date change deadline.

When the website loads, look for the option to "manage my booking/my trip/my booking." When you click that, you'll be asked to provide the passenger's name as well as the ticket number.

The initiator and confirmation of the ticket change will be provided to your registered phone number by text message.

If you have any other doubt, please contact Cathay Pacific Airway customer care number. They are available round the clock (24*7).

         United States: +1(833) 933-2244

You can contact us in the following ways if you have any further questions:

Number to Call: +1-(800) 371-5014

Email: support@cheapairlinesfares.com

[travohelps]

How To Cancel Cathay Pacific Tickets Online

Want to know about Cathay Pacific flight ticket cancellation? Go through this post

Canceling a flight ticket on Cathay Pacific is nothing but a few simple clicks on your keyboard and mouse. You can cancel your flight ticket up to one hour before the flight departure. So, if you want to cancel your ticket, you should consider the given points on Cathay Pacific flight ticket cancellation.

You can cancel a ticket without paying any charges when you cancel the ticket within 24 hours of the purchase.

The 24 hours flight cancellation policy applies to flight bookings made seven or more days before the departure.

If you have booked a refundable flight ticket only then you can request a refund. Non-refundable flights don't achieve any refund however some travel points may be rewarded to the passengers.

Besides, if you wonder about the Cathay Pacific flight ticket cancellation process, you can go through the list of instructions mentioned below. In this way, you can cancel your ticket online from the website of the airline.

Follow the Steps to Cancel Your Flight Tickets on Cathay Pacific Airways

First and foremost, you have to go to the Cathay Pacific Airways website.

There you can see the Manage Booking tab, select that option.

Then enter the first name, last name, booking reference, and click Find My Booking.

Also, you can retrieve your flight details by signing in to your membership account on Cathay Pacific.

Moreover, once you sign in to your account, you can see your flight booking details.

Next, you need to choose the flight cancellation option and follow the instructions appearing on the screen.

If required, you need to pay the applicable charges and complete the flight cancellation.

Once the flight cancellation process completes, you get the confirmation for the action.

This is how you will be able to cancel Cathay Pacific tickets online without seeing any kind of trouble. Besides, if you find any trouble in canceling the flight ticket, you can contact the customer service team. The representatives are available over a phone call and provide you all support 24*7. So, without wasting time, contact the customer service team anytime from anywhere.

[flightchange]

are you able to cancel a flight

The only moving to warranty you’ll be able to get a restore for any reason is to book a refundable airfare. However, these behave are astronomically supercilious when obtain to no-refundable business. The main consumers of refundable airfares are businesses that necessity the ability to make manifold changes or refund a ticket and are self-moved to hire the premium. If you are traverse for leisure, you’ll most credible be buying a no-refundable ballot. In the for--coronavirus era, airline flight schedules would typically be solidified a pair of months before departure. Barring a mechanic issue, weather linger or other unforeseen circumstances, casualty were quite commendable that a flight would proceed correspondingly to schedule. are you able to cancel a flight In the unfortunate issue of a departure in the patronymic or other prodigious circumstances, you may be clever to have shift pasture waived by the airline, even without assurance. In these circumstances, call the air carrier and resolve your state. Be prepared to stipulate documentation. All other adult U.S. airlines simply follow requirements prepare by the DOT. However, possession your ticket via an online journey agency can be beneficial when it comes to familiar cancellation. Many third-party situation such as Expedia, Orbitz, or Priceline propound guiltless cancellation until conclusion of Time (alternate between 10 and 11:59pm) the ensuing business day after purchase, regardless of how remote in heighten you are procure your flight. This means you could buy a mounting departing the next Time and still be vigorous to blot out it risk-liberated. Also, you can potently purchase a ballot on Friday and have until Monday adversity to cancel your soaring without penalty. This could be lengthen to Tuesday obscurity if Monday happens to be a cheerful. In this scenario, you still penury (and scheme) to take your flight as primarily booked. However, there has been some kind of change that will stop you from deed so. Note as well that, while vary and cancellations are platitudinize due to COVID-19 perpendicular now, this same generalship betake even when the pandemic ends — just like it devote prior to the virus’ emergence. If you’re no longer planning to take a fleeing and scarceness a full repay, it always pays to wait until orderly before departure.flight rules Top offers from our partaker How we chose ✕ How we thing these game Our characteristic-obsessed staff uses a overfullness of trust cards on a help basis. If anyone on our team wouldn't mention an offer to a girlfriend or family member, we wouldn't recommend it on The Points Guy either. Our opinions are our own, and have not been retrace, approved, or indoors by our advertising partners. Lastly, it is likely to repeal your airfare and get a reimburse due to a detriment in your present family, but these deprivation refunds, and other such emergency refunds, are notoriously perplexed to get. It varies from airline to airline, but they often need a death debenture or other documentation as test of your privation. If your ticket is completely refundable, you can for the most part cancel your departure online. Look for a “My Trips” or “Manage My Flight” slice of the airline’s website; the name will vary per airline. Otherwise, you can call the air carrier’s patron avail. Singaporean low-charge airline Scoot is extending one-season liberated conclusion diversify to all bookings made between 10 March and 14 May. Unlike most Indian airlines, Scoot is admit travellers with bookings until mid-May to reschedule. Alitalia and Aer Lingus are concede rescheduling until the end of June and May, respectively. However,airlines such as Emirates, Cathay Pacific and British Airways are permit immoderate cancellation but do check the finished print. First, I tried to abrogate my flight on American's website but, like its competitors, the airline does not make it known to those who click destroy that they might be suitable for a reimburse. They want you to rebook to a puisne date or take a estimation, chiefly when no cash is coming in from modern bookings during a pandemic.

[crazy4tank]

My Best Travel Experiences of 2019: Flights and Hotels

New Post has been published on https://fashiondesigne.com/2021/01/01/my-best-travel-experiences-of-2019-flights-and-hotels/

My Best Travel Experiences of 2019: Flights and Hotels

Time to wrap up 2019 with an overview of my travel highlights of the year. In this post I review my best flight and hotel experiences of the year. In a second post, I talk about my favourite destinations of 2019.

Flights

2019 was another great aviation year for me with:

107 flights (152,446 miles) (6.1x around the earth, 370 hours up in the air)

3 First Class flights with British Airways and Qatar Airways

24 Business Class flights with Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Cathay Dragon, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Oman Air and Turkish Airlines

5 Premium Economy flights with Austrian Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa and Norwegian

Best First Class Flight: Qatar Airways

In June, I redeemed 50,000 British Airways avios + €112 for Qatar Airways First Class from Doha to Frankfurt on the A380. Check my Instagram TV for the full trip report. Consistent service & great value. Still my favourite airline whatever cabin I fly.

Best Error Fare: British Airways First Class

As my focus in travel shifted towards new destinations, I didn’t book as many error fares as in the past. Also the number of published error fares has been on the decline the past years. Still I managed to fly some great error fares in 2019.

Norwegian B789 Premium Economy from Singapore to London OW (€78)

LOT Polish Airlines B788 Business Class Copenhagen to Singapore RT (€653)

British Airways B747 First Class Cape Town to Barcelona RT (€774)

The Norwegian flight from Singapore to London Gatwick was the very last one before Norwegian suspended their service to Singapore. 14 hours in Premium Economy for €78 was a heck of a deal. I also received €100 in Norwegain CashPoints as compensation for my broken seat on the flight. The LOT Polish Airlines Business Class error fare earned me 16,206 status miles with Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles enough to renew my Star Alliance Gold status for another two years. But the title for “Best Error Fare of the Year” goes to the British Airways First Class Cape Town to Barcelona for €774 roundtrip earning me 40,420 avios and 560 tier points renewing my OneWorld Sapphire status. Check my British Airways First Class IG Stories: Part 1, Part 2.

Best Miles Redemption: Turkish Airlines Regional Business Class

In May, I redeemed 15,000 miles + €157 for a roundtrip Brussels to Izmir via Istanbul in Turkish Airlines Business Class. This deal was part of a promotion to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles loyalty program. Apart from the low number of miles required for this award, I also got to fly the new Turkish Airlines regional business class. Definitely the best Business Class you can get on European flights!

Other great redemption in 2019 worth a mention:

Turkish Airlines Business: Brussels to Muscat 35K Miles & More miles + €195

Oman Air Business: Muscat to Doha 6K Etihad Guest miles + €85

Ethiopian Airlines Business: Brussels to Mekelle RT 70K M&M miles + €134

Turkish Airlines Business: Brussels to Bahrain 29K KrisFlyer miles + €130

Hotels

Pic: El Patio Courtyard House Tunis (Apr 2019) In 2019, I stayed 107 nights at hotels:

Hilton: 46 nights

Hilton: 26

DoubleTree by Hilton: 12

Hilton Garden Inn: 7

Hampton by Hilton: 1

IHG: 13 nights

Holiday Inn: 8

Holiday Inn Express: 3

InterContinental: 2

Park Inn: 5 nights

Hyatt: 5 nights

Marriott: 2 nights

Airbnb: 3 nights

Other: 33 nights

TOTAL: 107 nights

Despite having Spire Elite Ambassador status at IHG Rewards Club, my business shifted to Hilton due to a lack of top tier elite recognition at IHG. I still don’t get it why no complimentary breakfast is offered to the highest elite members at IHG while it is a standard perk at Hilton Honors as soon as you hit Gold status. I status matched my IHG Spire Elite to Hilton Honors Diamond and stayed 30 times at Hilton this year to renew my Diamond status for 2020.

Best Error Rate: Hilton Phuket Arcadia

In February, I stayed 3 nights at a Superior Deluxe Suite at Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa. The 138 sq. m. suite featured panoramic ocean views, balcony with jacuzzi and more… Thanks to an error, it was possible to book this suite for €135 per night during Chinese New Year, the same price as a regular room. Check my Instagram Stories for a full tour of the suite & hotel grounds.

Best Hotel Redemption: Hyatt Regency Bali

In January, I stayed 5 nights in a Regency Suite at the new Hyatt Regency Bali. I bought the required 40K World of Hyatt points for ˜€600 instead of paying €2693 cash for the stay. An excellent deal which included complimentary breakfast and club lounge access. Full trip report on my Instagram Stories.

Best City Hotel: Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort

After having stayed at a few dozen hotels in Bangkok in the past 10 years, Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort is one of my absolute favourites. It offers a true sanctuary along the riverside of this bustling city with it huge pool, sundecks and outdoor jacuzzi. Using HotelsCombined you can usually book the hotel between €120 and €140 per night.

Best Elite Recognition: DoubleTree Resort Zanzibar – Nungwi

I november I stayed as Hilton Honors Diamond member at DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Zanzibar – Nungwi. I was upgraded to an Ocean view room with direct beach access, complimentary minibar, complimentary breakfast & dinner (!), 6PM late-checkout and 15-min free foot massage at the SPA. The staff was super friendly and service minded. The rooms weren’t fancy or newly renovated, but the service compensated for it. Full Zanzibar trip report on my Instagram Stories.

Conclusion

Despite not being my main focus anymore, loyalty programs and their points & miles combined with error fares and error rates uplifted my travel experiences once again in 2019. What were your flight and hotel highlights of 2019? Feel free to share them with us in the comments section below. Have an awesome travel year 2020!

[scottsnowden-blog]

Bali on its own, without sunrises and sunsets, is certainly a unique paradise. Jungles, rice fields, hidden beaches, happy people. You simply feel at home.

Tips for a trekking tour to Mount Batur (Gunung Batur) in Bali

But would you like to add a little adventure to your stay? How about one of the most spectacular sunrises you’ll ever see? Even better, what if you watched it from the top of an active volcano? Sounds exciting? It is!

How to get to Bali

To travel to Bali there are basically only two options: the boat and the airplane. Flights operate from many cities in Indonesia to Bali, but there are also plenty of international flights. These include e.g. Emirates from Dubai, Cathay Pacific from Hong Kong, Thai Airways from Bangkok and many more.

To find the best and cheapest flights for your trip to Bali, we suggest you check Skyscanner. There you can get all the information on prices, departure times, flight duration and the different airlines to find the best deal for you. This way you can get a good overview.

There are boats to Bali from Lombok, the Gili Islands or Nusa Penida/Nusa Lembongan. You have the choice between simple local ferries or speedboats. Not only the prices are different, but the duration of the boat trip is highly dependent on which boat you choose. An overview of times, prices and boats can be found on 12go.asia.

Accommodation in Ubud – our hotel tip

A great place to stay in Ubud is the Sapodilla Ubud, which offers a good location. If you want to stay in the midst of a green and well maintained complex, then you are in the right place. There is also a swimming pool and worth mentioning is the great service from the staff and the delicious breakfast. Find more hotels in Ubud here.

Ubud, Bali: Tours and tickets

Mount Batur on Bali

Those who go to Bali and have already spent one or two days here have probably also heard of Mount Batur.

View of Mount Batur (Gunung Batur)

Mount Batur is an active volcano, surrounded by a lake and various mountains. Lake Batur is the largest lake on Bali. The scenery itself is simply breathtaking and if you manage to climb up here early in the morning, you will be rewarded in every way. The sun rises in the early morning hours and offers an incredible colour show that you shouldn’t miss.

Some key facts: the volcano has a height of 1717 meters and the last eruption happened in 2000, not that long ago. Also: the volcano first erupted 30,000 years ago and it is still known as one of the largest eruptions on earth.

How do I get to Mount Batur?

The volcano is located in the north of Bali and there are tours offered from most places on the island.

A tour is recommended in any case, because you don’t want to climb the volcano alone. On average you should expect to pay € 15-20 per person. The price usually includes transportation, flashlights, breakfast and a guide who walks up and down with you.

How does the sunrise tour to Mount Batur work?

In the early morning hours (between 2 and 3 am) you will be picked up from your accommodation and taken to the foot of the volcano. Some tours also offer a breakfast stop – not a bad idea, as you shouldn’t walk up with an empty stomach.

So in my case we had pancakes to charge our batteries. Then you will be equipped with a flashlight and off you go! In the beginning you might think that this would be a easy walk, but beware! It goes steeply upwards and it feels like there are a thousand steps. There are stones and boulders everywhere, so you have to be careful and watch your step. From a distance you can see other tourists with their flashlights on. Good, you’re not alone.

After about 1 to 1.5 hours you made it! Completely sweaty you are standing on the volcano. First you have to process what you have just done.

Even if you associate Bali with tropical temperatures, the complete opposite is true at the top of Mt. Batur. It’s freezing cold! So be sure to bring a sweater and a warm jacket. Since you sweat during the demanding trek, it is even more important to keep yourself warm at the top.

When you get to the top, the sky is still dark and you can only see a few lights in the surrounding villages. Maybe it is cloudy – and you’ll be above the clouds! Then the unique show of colours begins. First in dark red tones, then orange, pink, yellow – a mix that only nature can come up with.

Fascinated by the colours you stand there and watch the sun slowly rising. Meanwhile don’t forget to take incredible pictures!

Tip: It is quite unlikely that you are alone at the top and can enjoy the view by yourself. On average, 200 tourists make their way up with a tour like this every morning to admire the sunrise. If possible, avoid the months of December, July and August. Otherwise, just try to get a good spot as high up as possible so you can take selfies without any photobombs.

When you can put your flashlights down and the sun shines bright enough, breakfast begins. Your guide prepares some snacks and you sit down and process the natural spectacle. There is also a small “kiosk” at the top where you can buy water and snacks. The sellers are certainly the fittest people in Bali when they walk up there every day.

View of the crater of Mount Batur

Then we start the descent from Mount Batur, where the guide will give you more information about the volcano. You’ll pass some very cute monkeys and probably get stuck taking pictures! Towards the end you will run past various fields and the trail ends in an asphalted road – how good it feels to walk on a normal road again!

The descent is not as easy as you would think – you can really start to slip. That’s why it’s a good idea to put on really solid shoes. Don’t let the locals confuse you – they run up and down in flip flops.

If you’re as scared as I am, you can let your guide take you by the hand, but that’s up to you.

The entire experience takes up the whole morning. But you won’t think about the restless night, the ascent and any effort anymore. After all, you have just seen the most beautiful sunrise in Bali!

General tips for Mount Batur Trekking:

Book a tour with pick-up from your accommodation

Take thick, warm clothes with you

Put on solid shoes

Bring water with you

Have enough memory on your camera + fully charged battery

Go to bed early to be fit in the morning of the ascent

Have you ever done the Mount Batur trek? Was it exhausting? How was your sunrise? Leave us a comment below.

Guest article by Sophia Niekler. Photos: Photo 1 – Amy Cora Megan/shutterstock.com. All others: Sophia Niekler

[joycesuchaniplacementexperi-blog]

I have been working with Cathay Pacific Airways for a month already that I feel like it is very fast and I have learned a lot new things that it is very useful for my future career. Today is Sunday and the flight is fully booked. I also received second red pocket from Manager Boris that is very nice and friendly every time when I have worked with him. It quite busy today and crowded of passengers on all of the counters either kiosks or Self-Serve bag drop. Many of passengers have the overweight for their baggage then they have to repackage but everything look settled after rush hours. Overall today the flight is fairly smooth and time go by fast.

[flyinghelpline]

how to book dummy ticket for visa?

how to book dummy ticket for visa application?

Where Is The Best option to how to book dummy ticket for visa application?

Dummy ticket?

flight itinerary

flight reservation

Booked Flight Itinerary

Flight booking for visa

Dummy Air Ticket for Visa

But wait, isn’t it all just confusing for you?

is the all points are same thing which is asked while applying for the visa. Embassy asks for such reservations like flight reservations or hotel reservation to make sure you have the place to stay and you will come back to your home country. It doesn’t have to be fully paid flight ticket, neither you should do that as it risks your money if you don’t get the visa. A ticket that has a 6-digit PNR booking number and can be checked on the airline’s website you can make it here

HERE IS THE FLIGHT BOOKING SAMPLE WITH VALID PNR

SAMPLE 1:

should we use dummy ticket for visa application?

A dummy air ticket is a flight reservation or flight itinerary.

It basically looks like a regular airline ticket with a valid PNR/ booking code or booking reference number.

simply this ticket PNR is verifiable on the airline’s websites and also this is the same process you can found on most airline websites.

can i use fully paid airline ticket for visa instead of dummy ticket?

No. it is not advisable to book flight advance, you really doesn’t have to buy a flight ticket before you apply for a visa.

Instead, you can present a Dummy ticket which you can book without paying the full price of the travel ticket.

once you obtain your visa you can purchase the real flight ticket.

without being sure that your Schengen Visa will not be denied.

let me explain:

“the European Union’s visa consulate advice has been amended: –Round trip reservation or itinerary with dates and flight numbers specifying entry and exit from Schengen state. Some Schengen authorities accept the itinerary when applying for the visa.”

CHECK IT OUT>>>>>>>

We do not suggest to risk your money on buying a full flight ticket before getting the visa,

There is always the opportunity to obtain a Flight Itinerary and Reserved Flight Ticket instead of buying a costly Flight Ticket.

A Fight reservation for Visa Application is not actually a real Flight or Air Ticket that you have to spend so much money buying it.

Is dummy ticket legal?

Yes, the Dummy flight ticket is officially accepted for schengen visa application,

however, some countries within the Schengen zone where you are applying for your visa may require you to furnish flight confirmed reservation.

so it is very important to select the right itinerary and right embassy at the same time.

Can i buy ticket before applying for visa?

No. You don’t have to buy a flight ticket before you apply for a visa.

Instead, you can present a dummy ticket which you can book without paying the full price of the travel ticket.

once you obtain your visa you can purchase the real flight ticket.

10 Best FAQ’s about Where you can use this Dummy ticket ?

Take 2 Minutes to Get understand about Where you can use this Dummy ticket?

Most embassies ask for a flight reservation for a visa during the visa application process.

Dummy tickets said that a you can use as a proof of return to show at immigration while traveling. Other usages of a dummy air ticket are as follows:

Visa applications

Proof of return or onward travel

Expedite US and other countries passport renewal

Show company HR/ Manager for leave and other purposes

Exit visa procedures in many GCC countries

use for immigration purpose to clear the immigration

Our flight reservation for visa or dummy ticket for visa is accepted by worldwide around 100+ countries for Tourist visa & immigration purpose

FLYINGHELPLINE.COM provide flight reservations for your visa application. An actual flight reservation is made with the airline and a PNR code is generated with your name and travel details.

Dummy Ticket for Dubai Visa from India

Visitor holding confirms airlines ticket for one way from India to Dubai requires having a dummy ticket to show at the airport. Ticket generated for dummy should be active at the time of your travel to avoid offloading. We provide confirmed dummy tickets. Round trip tickets are always safer to avoid immigration hassle. We provide dummy ticket if the visitor is travel from India in Indigo, Spice Jet, Air India Express, Emirates, Air Arabia, etc. airlines.

Dummy Ticket Booking Philippines

Filipino citizen holding Manila to Dubai required Dubai to Manila ticket reservation for showing at the time of boarding in the Philippines. We provide dummy ticket if you are traveling with Philippines Airlines, Emirates Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Thai Airways, Cathay pacific and airlines operating from the Philippines to Dubai. We also offer dummy tickets for third country travel like Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, etc.

Dummy Ticket for Schengen visa

A dummy ticket is very helpful when you are applying application for a Schengen visa.

Most of european airlines have non refundable fare so when you are applying for Schengen visa online so this dummy tickets is the best option to save your ticket refund cost.

What is the use of dummy ticket?

A dummy ticket is basically known as a flight itinerary you can also say flight reservation. It looks like a regular airline ticket with a valid PNR/ booking code or booking reference number. They can be verified on the airlines’ websites if checked using the “Manage my booking” tool or “My trips” section found on many airline websites.

how to book dummy ticket for visa application?

So here are the step-by-step instructions on how to create a dummy ticket for visa application.

You can get flight reservation tickets from Flyinghelpline.com for Visa easily for a very small fee.

1: Go to FLYINGHELPLINE website. and select a right package requirement. 2: Enter the country of origin, destination, and date. 3:submit your name and email. 4: After the payment, you will get a success message with instructions. 5: get your reservation ticket within 8 hours on your Email or WhatsApp from anywhere in the world.

What should I do after received the ticket on my Email id?

After receiving a ticket you have to take a printout the pdf and attach in your visa application as well if you want you can use it for immigration purpose also.

[bigyack-com]

Oakwood Opens Third Property in Jakarta, Indonesia

Oakwood has opened its third property in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Oakwood Apartments PIK Jakarta features 151 fully furnished serviced apartments offering city and ocean views. The property is located in Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) roughly 15 minutes’ drive from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

Facilities include a kids’ swimming pool and playground, an indoor and an outdoor swimming pool, fitness centre, and a restaurant. “Following the overwhelming success of Oakwood Premier Cozmo Jakarta and Oakwood Suites La Maison Jakarta, we recognise the need for a complementary product for the capital’s increasingly savvy guests,” said Dean Schreiber, interim CEO of Oakwood and Managing Director of Oakwood Asia Pacific. “Apartments PIK Jakarta appeals to a growing segment of independent travellers in search of chic and functional accommodation that is furnished with modern essentials. By showcasing a differentiated residential product, Oakwood grows with our guests’ evolving aspirations and needs in the market.” See latest Travel News, Interviews, Podcasts and other news regarding: Oakwood, Jakarta, Indonesia. Headlines: IATA: This is Aviation's Darkest Hour  Accor to Close More Hotels; Cut Costs  Airlines in Asia Pacific Need Urgent Financial Support  Thai Airways Staff on Temporary Leave From 4 April - 31 May  American Airlines Makes Further Changes to Flight Schedule  Air Canada to Operate More Repatriation Flights  Boeing to Suspend Production in Ridley Township, Pennsylvania  Oakwood Opens Third Property in Jakarta, Indonesia  Increasing ORs Hint at Early Signs of Recovery for Hotels in China  Air Cargo Demand Slumps in February  Vietnam Airlines to Operate Just Three Return Flights Per Day  Qatar Airways Suspends JFK Flights; Madrid and Barcelona Next  Airbus Sites in Germany and Spain Producing 3D Printed Visor Frames  EU Waives Airport Slots Use Rule for Summer Season  CapitaLand Appoints Kevin Goh as CEO - Lodging  Relais & Châteaux Adds First Hotel in Bangkok to Collection  Airlines Could Burn Through US$61 Billion of Cash Reserves in Q2  Marriott Warns Millions of Guests About Security Breach  Airbnb to Support Hosts During COVID19 Crisis  Vietnam Airlines Launches Cargo-Only Flights  774-Room Grand Richmond Convention Hotel in Nonthaburi Closes for Two Months  Sindhorn Midtown Bangkok Opens Tower with 49 Serviced Residences  Air Canada to Layoff 16,500 Employees; Reduce Q2 Capacity by 85-90%  Qatar Airways Launches Belly-Hold Cargo Flights to Six Destinations in China  Vietnam Airlines Closes Airport Lounges  RevPAR of Hotels in USA Forecast to Drop 50.6% in 2020  Delta Retains Cargo Tender and Acceptance Capabilities at Tokyo-Narita  Airbus Pauses Majority of Production in Spain  Vietnam Airlines to Reduce Frequency of Domestic Flights  WHO Launches COVID19 WhatsApp Service in Arabic, French and Spanish  Qatar Airways' FFP Offers 12-Month Tier Extension  Etihad Cargo Using Boeing 787-10 Aircraft as Freighters  Air Canada Continues COVID19 Repatriation Flights  Airbus Flies Over 4 Million More Face Masks to Europe  American Airlines Reduces Capacity Further  Hilton to Take Over 1,080-Room Hotel on Orchard Road, Singapore  AirAsia Suspending Most Flights Across Network  Asia Pacific Airlines Carried 17 Million Passengers in February  SIA to Issue S$5.3b in New Equity and Raise Up To S$9.7b via MCB  Qatar Airways Expands Flights to Australia to Help Get People Home  Virgin Atlantic Operates First Ever Cargo-Only Charter  IATA Calls for Urgent Financial Relief from European Governments  Bombardier Suspends 'All Non-Essential Work' in Canada  ANA Partners Skyscanner; Achieves IATA NDC Level 3  COVID19: 75 Million Travel and Tourism Jobs at Immediate Risk  Air Cargo Supply Lines Must Remain Open  American to Operate Repatriation Flights from Honduras and Brazil  Air Canada Launches Cargo Flights to Europe  Air New Zealand Ramps Up Cargo Operations  AirAsia Updates Rebooking Policy  Embraer Helping to Combat COVID19 in Brazil  Thai Airways Cancels Flights to Australia, Europe and Regionally  Tokyo 2020 to Take Place in 2021  Air Canada Organises Two Extra Flights from Quito, Ecuador  Korean Air Execs Take Pay Cut; Airline to Use Passenger Planes for Cargo  Aviation: IATA Calls on Governments to Give More Support  American Airlines Closes Lounges, Changes In-Flight Service and Seating  France's Daily Hotel Occupancy Plummets to Just 3.3%  A400M Delivers Critically-Needed Mask Supplies to Spain  Air Canada to Operate Six Special Flights to Barcelona, Lima and Quito  Bangkok Airways to Close All Airport Lounges  UAE to Ban ALL Passenger Flights for Two Weeks  Etihad Airways Suspends Transit Travel Through Abu Dhabi  Hong Kong's Airport Authority Launches New HK$1 Billion Relief Package  Ryan Jette Joins Capella Singapore as Executive Chef  Austrian Airlines Extends Flight Suspension to 19 April  Singapore Airlines to Ground 138 of 147 Aircraft  COVID19: Sabre to Cut Costs by US$200 Million  JR Central Opens Overseas Online Reseravtions for Shinkansen  Emirates to Suspend Most Passenger Flights  United Airlines Makes Further Reductions to International Schedule  Airbus to Partially Resume Production in France and Spain  IATA Thanks Regulators for Flexibility, Urges Others to Follow Suit  American Airlines Extends Change Fee Waivers Through May  China Airlines Asks All Passengers to Wear Face Masks  Vietnam Airlines to Suspend ALL International Flights  Air Astana and FlyArystan to Suspend ALL Flights  Thai Airways Offers Rebooking or Voucher Option on Tickets ex-UK  Etihad Offers Credit to Travellers Who Wish to Cancel Flights  AAPA Calls on Governments to Help Aviation Industry  American Airlines to Operate Cargo-Only Flights to Frankfurt, Germany  Bangkok Airways Makes Ticket Changes More Flexible  Thai Airways and Thai Smile Waive Ticket Change Fee on Domestic Flights in April  Qantas to Suspend ALL Scheduled International Flights Until at Least June  Marriott Reports COVID19 Impact on Global RevPAR  Air Canada to Reduce Int. Network from 101 Airports to 6  Mitsubishi SpaceJet M90 FTV10 Completes Maiden Flight  Thai Airways Appoints Chakkrit Parapuntakul as Acting President  Delta to Make Significant Capacity Reductions; Park Over Half of Fleet  Airlines Disappointed with EC Guidelines on EU261  Singapore Airlines Reduces Capacity; Warns of More Cuts to Come  Airbus Pauses Production in France and Spain  Banyan Tree Finds Treasure in Myanmar  Vietnam Airlines Suspends Flights to France and Malaysia  South East Asia Needs to Urgently Scale-Up Fight Against COVID19  Air Cargo Essential to Fight Against COVID19 Pandemic  Bangkok Airways Increases COVID19 Screening in Samui, Sukhothai and Trat  United Airlines Cuts International Flights by 85%  APG Airlines Joins IATA and Receives IOSA Certification  Accor Signs 24-Pool Villa Resort in Phuket, Thailand  Thai Airways Updates Flexible Fare Rules on Tickets Booked in UK and Ireland  Air New Zealand to Reduce Capacity by 85%  Finnair to Cut Capacity by 90%  Qantas / Jetstar to Cut International Capacity by 90%  Cathay Pacific Reports February Traffic; Will Reduce Capacity by 90%  Sabre Appoints Otto Gergye as VP/RGM North Asia - Travel Solutions Airline Sales  137 Pillars Appoints Anne Arrowsmith as Corporate GM  Oakwood Appoints Lina Abdullah as RGM  Hong Kong Welcomed Just 199,000 Visitor Arrivals in February  SAS to Halt Most Traffic; Layoff 90% of Workforce  HKIA Handled 1.9m Pax and 18,005 Flight Movements in February  Singapore Airlines Waives Rebooking Fees  American Airlines Suspends All Remaining Flights to Asia  EC Needs to Suspend 80-20 Airport Slots Rule Until October  Vietnam Airlines to Transport Passengers from Europe to Vietnam  Etihad Airways Suspends More Flights  Pictures from Miss International Queen 2020 in Pattaya, Thailand  IATA Reacts to US Ban on Travellers from Europe  Finnair Cancels All Flights to USA and Delhi, India  Qatar Airways Offers FFP Tier Status Extension  Ansat Helicopters Approved to Carry Neonatal Medical Module  American Airlines Outlines Changes to Europe and South America Flights  Eric Martel to Return to Bombardier as President and CEO  Okura Prestige Bangkok Launches Thai Residents Promotion  Finalists from Canada, Italy and UK Selected for Airbus GEDC Diversity Award  COVID19: US Bans ALL Travel from Europe  Vietnam Airlines to Reduce Flights to Europe  WTTC Postpones Global Summit in Cancun, Mexico  COVID19: AirAsia Adds Flexibility for Passengers to Change Tickets  Stephane Gras Appointed GM of Two Four Seasons Hotels in France  Mövenpick Hotel Apartments Downtown Dubai Opens Onsen Spa  Akaryn Hotels & Resorts Launches Travel Trade Promotion  CAAS Implements New Measures for Business Jets Flying to Singapore  COVID19: Thai Airways to Cancel Italy Flights  Accor to Take Over Historic Carton House in Ireland  Vietnam Airlines to Check Temperature of All Passengers Departing Europe  Rosaviatsiya Certifies Emergency Flotation System on Ansat Helicopters  Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi Airports Increase COVID19 Surveillance  Etihad Airways to Launch Daily Flights to Vienna, Austria  Heathrow Introduces New Charges for Night Time Flights  Pictures from Miss International Queen 2020 in Pattaya, Thailand  North Wales Tourism - Interview with Jim Jones, CEO  Dusit Launches Special Travel Trade Rates  COVID19: Cebu Pacific Changes Rebooking Policy  Montara Hospitality Unveils Details of Tri Vananda Wellness Project in Phuket  Qatar Airways Launches More Flexible Booking Policy for Travellers  Thai Airways Causes Confusion with COVID19 Certificate Requirement  ACI Reveals World's Best Airports for Customer Experience  Marriott Opens First Aloft Hotel in Bali, Indonesia  Thai Airways Cancels International Flights in Asia and Europe  Bangkok Airways Makes Major Changes to Domestic and Int. Flight Schedules  Air Astana Makes Changes to Int. Flight Schedules  Finnair to Increase Use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel  Airbus to Showcase A220, A350-900 and H145 at Wings India  Women's and Men's Rugby Africa Cup 2020 to Take Place at Same Time  Pictures from Miss International Queen 2020 in Pattaya, Thailand  IATA Updates Analysis of Financial Impact of COVID19 Outbreak  Capella Launches New Hotel Brand  15,000 Athletes Expected at Laguna Phuket Marathon 2020  Starlux Airlines Signs Distribution Agreement with Sabre  Korean Air Expands Temperature Checks to All Flights Departing Incheon  IDeaS Launches RevPlan  Singapore Airlines Cargo Renews CEIV Pharma Certification; Expands Network  Accor Opens Mövenpick Resort Waverly Phu Quoc  Saving the Elephants of Thailand - Interview with John Roberts, GTAEF  Aviation: COVID19 Hits January Passenger Demand  Aman to Launch New Hotel Brand  SITA Looks at How 5G Will Help to Transform Airports  COVID19: Finnair Makes Major Changes to Network and Resources  Air Cargo Demand Down 3.3% in January  British Airways Trials Autonomous Electric Mobility Devices at JFK  American Express GBT Appoints Mike Qualantone as Chief Revenue Officer  Thai Airways Extends Ticket Change Fee Waiver to More Flights  SilkAir to Suspend Hiroshima Flights Indefinitely  FlyArystan to Launch 8 Routes from New Karaganda Base  Aerobility to Expand Fleet with Former MOD Vigilant T1 Gliders  CWT Appoints David Pitts as VP Revenue and Global Supplier Management  COVID19: British Airways Launches Book with Confidence Policy  Bombardier Offers 4G In-Cabin Wi-Fi as Retrofit on Learjet Aircraft  Thai Airways Reports 2019 Operating Results  Universal Avionics' ClearVision EFVS with SkyLens HWD Certified by EASA  Minor to Operate Clinique La Prairie's First Medical Spa Outside of Europe  Royal Thai Navy Wins Elephant Boat Race for Second Year  IATA Requests Global Suspension of Slot Rules Due to COVID19 Outbreak  Pictures from Elephant Boat Race and Bangkok River Festival 2020  Hilton to Open Garden Inn Hotel at Adventure Parc Snowdonia, North Wales  HK7s and Singapore Sevens Rescheduled  Sustainable Inspiration from Farmer Gareth Wyn Jones in North Wales  Phuket to Host Thailand Travel Mart (TTM+) 2020 in June  Thailand: Did Strength of Thai Baht Affect Number of Arrivals from UK in 2019?  Seaplanes in Thailand? Interview with Dennis Keller, CBO of Siam Seaplane  Future of Airline Distribution and NDC - Interview with Yanik Hoyles, IATA  Cambodia Airways Interview with Lucian Hsing, Commercial Director  HD Videos and Interviews  Podcasts from HD Video Interviews  Travel Trade Shows in 2019, 2020 and 2021  High-Res Picture Galleries  Travel News Asia - Latest Travel Industry News  Read the full article

[babcouturiindia]

Terminal Information And Airport Facilities At Mumbai International Airport

Mumbai International Airport is also popularly known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. The airport was formerly known as Sahar International Airport and is the primary international airport serving the metropolitan area of Mumbai.

So, when you take flights to Mumbai, you are likely to land at this airport. Also, the airport is the second busiest airport in the country after Indira Gandhi International Airport when it comes to efficiently manage the passenger.

The title has been assigned to the airport as it handles both the total as well the international flight tickets to Mumbai India.

Not only this, the airport is ranked at the 14th position across Asia and 29th in the world in terms of passenger traffic.

Spread over an area of 750 hectares, the airport manages 49.8 million passengers on an annual basis. Moreover, the airport is the second busiest airport in terms of cargo traffic.

And, when it comes to honors and awards, Mumbai International Airport won ASQ Airport Award for the year 2015. The award was under the category of holding 25-40 million passengers annually.

Also, the airport was awarded the Skytrax World Airport Award for the year 2016 to be the best airport in India and Central Asia.

Source: Terminal Information And Airport Facilities At Mumbai International Airport

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[andrewdburton]

The best travel credit cards for 2020

Advertiser Disclosure: I Will Teach You To Be Rich has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. I Will Teach You To Be Rich and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

I’m not using credit cards just to maximize travel points on every penny I spend.

Some people love that stuff. I am not one of those people.

I want to get a few cards, have a few simple rules on when to use each, maximize my points with minimum effort, and get back to living my Rich Life. I have zero interest in trying to maximize every cent from any given point I earn.

Featured Travel Card – Chase Sapphire Preferred

Go get the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Seriously, it’s amazing. Learn More.

So I’m not going to teach you how to try and get 300 nights/year worth of free hotel rooms by using 38 different cards.

What I can promise you is that by the end of this post, you’ll have a simple rewards machine that racks up points for you while giving you a ton of perks. All without having to think about it.

It all comes down to picking the right 2-3 cards for you. You should pick one solid card in each of these categories:

General travel credit card

Airline credit card

Hotel credit card (optional)

Before we go any further, I assume you travel at least once per year or aspire to.

If you hate traveling, don’t get a travel credit card. All the points and perks are designed around folks that travel regularly. If you don’t travel, you’re better off getting a cash back credit card.

I’m also going to assume that you’ve already made the commitment to choose a travel rewards card over a cash back card. We go into detail on the difference between the two in our review of the best rewards credit card. Basically, get a travel rewards card if you want to maximize the value of your rewards program. And if you want to maximize simplicity, get a cash back card.

Travel credit cards do take a bit more effort, and in return you’ll get a ton of amazing perks while traveling.

Let’s start with the top 12 best travel cards for 2020 and how we selected them.

The Top 12 Best Travel Credit Cards for 2020

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Chase Sapphire Preferred

American Express Platinum

United Explorer Card

Gold Delta SkyMiles

Platinum Delta SkyMiles

Delta Reserve

Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card

Hilton Honors Aspire Card

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

When selecting cards, we used these factors:

Bonus value

Just about every card offers a bonus of some kind. For the cards that you sign up for, make sure to get the bonus if they offer one. Then move on to more important things.

In the long term, the exact bonus is a minor benefit. I never choose a card based on the bonus. Also keep in mind that the values of each “point” are slightly different depending on the card. That means a card offering a 60,000-point sign-up bonus isn’t necessarily better than a card offering a 50,000 bonus. Don’t let it worry you that much.

Points system

Depending on the travel card, the points system either matters a lot or it’s a minor consideration.

For your general travel card that serves as the hub of your points machine, the majority of the value comes from the card’s point system. So pay very close attention. You want a points system that aligns with your spending so you get as many bonus points as possible.

For airline and hotel cards that are more about the perks, the point system is a smaller consideration.

Fees

To get a decent travel credit card, you’ll need to accept a $95 annual fee at least. You’ll easily make this up with value of the points.

The really nice perks don’t open up until the annual fee hits $450. All the “high roller” cards with amazing perks are in this range.

For travel cards, annual fees are standard. It’s the price we pay to get more points and sweet perks.

Make sure to get travel cards that don’t have foreign transaction fees. These fees will add 1-3% to the total cost of any traveling that you do. That’s ridiculous, since there are plenty of amazing travel cards that don’t have any foreign transaction fees. Don’t accept this fee on any card.

Perks

Perks are where the travel credit cards really shine. Especially at the higher tiers, the primary selling point is the extra perks you get.

Lounge access, free hotel nights, companion fares, Uber credits, the list goes on.

Perks are the main reason to consider multiple travel credit cards. And the perks are awesome enough that it’s worth getting 2-3 cards in order to stack a bunch of perks.

Convenience factors

For travel credit cards, there are two convenience factors to watch for:

Keep credit cards within the same bank as your other accounts when possible. Having several dozen bank logins gets to be a real pain. So if you’re trying to decide between two cards, choosing the card at the bank you already use keeps things simple.

Try to avoid getting only American Express cards. Some places don’t accept them, especially internationally. You want at least one solid Visa or Mastercard as a backup.

Each of these will depend on your specific circumstances.

Bank reputation

It’s no secret that we hate big banks at I Will Teach You to Be Rich, especially Wells Fargo. For decades, they have aggressively charged their customers ridiculous fees and have been involved in multiple scandals.

Their reputation is so bad that I didn’t even consider their cards.

Chase tends to be the exception. While it’s a big bank, it has a much better reputation than its peers. Some of our favorite cards are from Chase.

General travel credit cards

My main recommendation: start with one general travel credit card.

This will be your primary spending card that you rack up the most points on. Consider it the “hub” of your points systems. Most of your points will sit on this card until you’re ready to spend them.

I prioritize my “general” card for most of my spending so that I have as much flexibility as possible with my points. Maybe I want to blow hundreds of thousands of points on a stay at the St. Regis. Or maybe I want a specific first-class seat on a Cathay Pacific flight. I could also string together a few flights for an “around-the-world” trip.

Whatever the goal, I strongly prefer having a points program “hub” that allows me to transfer points into other programs so I have complete flexibility.

Before considering specific cards for airlines or hotels, get one all-purpose card.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

The best overall travel credit card

Go get the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Seriously, it’s amazing.

If you’re looking for the single “best” travel credit card and don’t want to put any more thought into it, get this card and be done with it.

It has great points categories with 3X on all travel and restaurants, a travel statement credit, another credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck, no foreign transaction fees, and one of the most flexible point transfer programs out there.

The major downside is the $450 annual fee. If you make over $100,000 per year, get the card. With the $300 travel credit, the annual fee is really just $150.

Also, keep an eye on the airline partners that are part of the Chase points program. They currently include British Airways, Flying Blue, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, Southwest, United, Virgin Atlantic, Aer Lingus, and Iberia. The Chase travel portal lets you book flights on any airline, but those are the only miles programs that you can transfer your Chase points into. If you primarily fly Delta, it’s worth considering the American Express Platinum to make your point redemption on flights easier.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

If the annual fee is a stretch for you, consider our next recommendation instead.

Chase Sapphire Preferred

The best travel card with an annual fee that’s less than $100

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is very similar to the Sapphire Reserve, with two main differences:

You’ll collect fewer points and won’t have as many perks

The annual fee is $95 instead of $450

2X points on all travel and restaurants is still amazing. Plus there’s no foreign transaction fees. And you still get access to the same flexible points program.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

American Express Platinum

The best travel card for going all-out on perks

If you want to be the VIP and maximize your perks, get the American Express Platinum.

You get Uber statement credits, airline statement credits, and 5X points on flights and hotels booked through American Express Travel. It also has access to the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts program, which I use for room upgrades, late checkouts, and free spa treatments.

The standout perk is getting access to the Centurion and American Express airport lounges. They’re super nice. The downside is that they’re only in 18 airports. So if you happen to fly through one of these airports regularly, this alone makes the card worth it. It also gets you access to Delta lounges. While there is Lufthansa lounge access, it’s only from Munich and Frankfurt.

If I flew Delta as my primary airline, I’d get the American Express Platinum so I could easily transfer my American Express points to Delta miles and redeem them as international flights.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Airline travel cards

After you’ve gotten comfortable with your general travel credit card, it’s time to add a level to your points system.

A dedicated airline card gets you a bunch of perks not available on any other cards. A few of them are easily worth the cost of having an extra credit card.

I resisted this for years. I liked the simplicity of only having to manage a single card. After I finally got an airline card, I wish I had done it years earlier.

Every airline has a slightly different set of perks. Hopefully your primary airline gives you the perks that you care most about. For me, I love priority boarding and lounge access. The perks tend to include:

Free checked bags

Priority boarding

Companion fares (a second ticket on the same flight for a crazy low price)

Lounge access or discounts on lounge passes

Extra points when booking directly through the airline

Miles boosts or extra qualifying miles for program tiers

We won’t be using the airline card to maximize miles. Sure, we’ll get a few extra miles but that’s not our primary goal. Our goal is to get extra perks when we do fly.

How to pick the right airline credit card

Before we pick a card, we first need to pick our primary airline. I recommend committing to one of these three airlines as your primary airline:

United

Delta

American Airlines

Why only these three?

When managing airline miles, you also want an airline that’s part of one of the three major airline networks:

Star Alliance (United)

Oneworld (American Airlines)

SkyTeam (Delta)

Each network has a dozen or so different airline members. For networks within the same airline, it’s easy to book flights across the network and use your airline miles. Flights on partner airlines also usually accrue miles that end up on your main miles program.

Why does any of this matter?

When you want to redeem your miles, you’ll want to use them on international flights. Unless you absolutely need to, avoid spending miles on domestic flights. You’ll get more value from your points on international flights. Plus you get a sweet international trip out of the deal.

And if you’re flying internationally, your options will be confined to the airlines in the same network as your primary miles program. For example, I can’t easily use my United miles to book a ticket on a British Airways flight, since they’re part of different networks.

This is why I never considered the JetBlue or Southwest Airlines miles programs or their credit cards. I know folks who absolutely love both airlines, but not having international flight partners is a deal breaker for me.

Alaska Airlines is the major main exception to all this.

While they’re not part of any of the airline networks, they do have a lot of airlines that they’ve partnered with, like British Airways, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, and more. So if there’s a specific airline you really want, check their partner list. It is possible they’ve put together a network themselves.

So how do we pick between United, Delta, and American Airlines?

Honestly, you won’t have much choice in the matter unless you happen to live next to a major airport with a ton of airlines.

Most airports have 1-2 dominant airlines.

I happen to live in Seattle, so Delta is my best choice out of the three.

Why should you prioritize the largest airline at your airport? I do it in order to get the most direct flights possible. I’ll do anything for a direct flight. To me, every extra layover is another chance for something to go horribly wrong.

Years ago, I was traveling between Denver, CO, and Richmond, VA, regularly on Delta. All my flights went through Cincinnati, one of the major hubs for Delta.

On two trips back-to-back, I got delayed overnight. The first was a massive blizzard that hit Denver, the second was a plane malfunction on the last flight of the night. I almost got stranded for the third time in a row when my first flight was delayed and I missed my connection. I sprinted through several terminals and outran several other passengers for the same flight, managing to grab the last seat on the last flight.

Since then, I only consider flights with the fewest connections possible.

That’s why I pick the airline with the most flights out of my home airport. If you want to use another, go for it. Just pick one airline to prioritize over all the others.

Once you pick your primary airline, then it’s time to pick your card. Each airline tends to have 2-3 credit card options. The higher the annual fee you accept, the more perks you’ll get.

Remember that we’re not using our airline credit card to optimize points. We’ll get a few extra points when booking our flights with that card, but that’ll pale in comparison to all the points our general travel card generates. We want the card that’ll give us the best perks.

If the annual fee is worth the perks for you, get the card.

Here are your options.

United Explorer Card

The Chase United Explorer card is a solid entry-level perks card for United flyers.

You’ll get your first bag checked free, priority boarding, and 2 lounge passes per year. There’s also a Global Entry or TSA Precheck credit if your primary card doesn’t already have it.

I find that the 2 lounge passes per year is more than enough for most folks. While it’s nice to have lounge access at your home airport, it’s not a game changer since we control when we get to the airport for our first flight. We really need lounge access when getting stuck with 3+ hour layovers on bigger international trips. I did have to wait in Montreal for 8 hours when coming back to the U.S. from Brussels. I sure wish I had lounge access then.

Two passes to the United lounge is enough to cover most traveling for a year.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Gold Delta SkyMiles

A good entry-level Delta card at $95/year is the Gold Delta SkyMiles card. You’ll get three main perks:

First checked bag free

Priority boarding

Delta Sky Club access for $29/person for you and up to 2 guests. While this isn’t as nice as the 2 free passes per year on the United card, it’s a great rate in a pinch. If you and your family get stranded, you’ll be able to hide out in the Delta lounge without handing over your first-born in payment

The perks aren’t epic but they include all the standard stuff at this tier. The card is definitely a great deal at $95/year.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Platinum Delta SkyMiles

The Platinum Delta SkyMiles card is the “in-betweener” card for Delta travelers at $195/year.

It’s almost identical to the Gold Delta SkyMiles with the addition of an annual companion fare. In other words, someone can travel with you basically for free. You’ll have to pay taxes, the flight must be domestic, and you get your first companion fare after your first card renewal.

The vast majority of domestic flights exceed $100, so as long as you do one domestic trip per year with someone else, you’ll easily come out ahead on this card.

If you’re a Delta flyer and you’re planning on signing up with the Gold Delta SkyMiles card, you should get the Platinum Delta SkyMiles instead. It’s a better deal.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Delta Reserve Credit Card

The Delta Reserve card is the “VIP” Delta card at a $450/year annual fee.

This includes everything from the Platinum Delta SkyMiles, with a few extras:

Full Delta Sky Club access for you, $29/person for up to 2 guests

A miles boost when you spend $30,000 within any given calendar year. You’ll receive 15,000 bonus miles and 15,000 Medallion Qualification Miles

Upgrade priority

Like the other airline cards, the major advantage is full access to the airline’s lounge. If that’s worth the $450/year fee to you, get the card. If not, get the Platinum Delta SkyMiles card instead.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

Pretty standard offering for American Airlines flyers. For a $99 annual fee, you’ll get the first checked bag for free and “preferred” boarding on American Airlines and 2X miles at gas stations and restaurants.

The flight discount is pretty nice. As long as you average $1,700 per month in credit card spending, you’ll hit the $20,000 milestone each year. Then you’ll get a discount that more than covers your annual fee.

The 2X miles on restaurants and gas stations is nice too in case your general travel card doesn’t give 2X points or more on these spending categories.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

The Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard has a similar set of VIP perks as the other airlines for an annual fee of $450:

Unfortunately, the Executive World Elite does lose a few perks that the Platinum Select World Elite has. The 2X miles at gas stations and restaurants aren’t available on this card. That’s lame. But that’s the cost of getting American Airlines lounge access.

Like the other airline cards, only get this card if lounge access is worth the $450 annual fee to you. Otherwise get the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard if American Airlines is your primary airline.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

How to use your airline card

Since this is the second credit card that we have, we’ll want to follow a few simple rules to get the most out of it.

Set up a few monthly subscriptions on the card so there’s always active charges on the account. This will keep the bank from marking your account as inactive in case you go a long time without using it. A Netflix subscription is perfect.

Set up automatic payments. Since you won’t be using the card heavily, it’ll be easy to forget about it. The last thing we ever want is to miss a credit card payment. We’ll get screwed on fees and it’ll ruin our credit score for years. Automatic payments ensure that this won’t happen.

When booking a flight on your primary airline, use the card to book the flight. All the airline cards give more points when booking directly through them.

That’s it, you’ll now get great perks while flying.

Hotel travel cards

In general, I’m not a huge fan of hotel travel cards for one reason.

I almost never stay in the same hotel twice.

Even when I return to a city, I almost always try a different hotel. Or I grab an Airbnb that I’ve never used before.

When I travel, even for work, I love trying new things. New neighborhoods, new food, new everything. One of my favorite things is discovering something amazing that I never knew existed.

One of the ways that I get my “new” fix is by trying new hotels. Occasionally, I’ll find a hotel that completely blows my mind, like The Peninsula Beijing or 1 Hotel Central Park. In those cases, I love going back. But it doesn’t happen often.

Where airlines only have a few options and you don’t lose that much flexibility by prioritizing a single airline, you’ll lose a ton of flexibility by only staying in one hotel chain. And the hotels I tend to love are unique, small chains. I have no personal interest in staying at dozens of Marriotts across the world.

But maybe you’re in a different situation. Maybe you travel for business all the time and stay at the same hotels. Or maybe you prefer the consistency from staying at the same hotel chain.

In that case, you should have a hotel credit card.

The choice will be pretty simple too: get the card for the hotel chain that you want to use.

If you’re not sure or have flexibility, go with one of the Marriott Bonvoy cards. You get access to W, St. Regis, and The Ritz-Carlton hotels, which are all super nice. And it includes tons of perks. If I was going to get a hotel card myself, I’d get this one.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card from Chase

The free night award is the most straightforward benefit on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card from Chase, and easily covers the $95 annual fee.

Otherwise, think of this card as a booster to climbing up the rewards tiers at Marriott. Here’s how many nights you need to spend in Marriott hotels per year to qualify for the different tiers:

Member = 0 nights

Silver Elite = 10 nights

Gold Elite = 25 nights

Platinum Elite = 50 nights

Titanium Elite = 75 nights

Ambassador Elite = 100 nights and $20,000 in annual spending

The higher you go up the tiers, the more perks you get. Everything from bonus points during your stay, faster internet, late checkout, welcome gifts, and room upgrades. The higher your tier, the more perks you get.

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card starts you at Silver Elite status, which includes 10% bonus on points during your stay along with priority late checkout. And with the 15 Elite Night credits, you have a head start on hitting the higher tiers that have increasingly better perks.

That makes it a lot easier to hit whichever status tier that you’re going for.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Other hotel credit cards

If you want to use other hotel chains, these are the major options to consider.

Hilton Honors Aspire Card

This is the primo Hilton credit card. It’s a fantastic deal for two reasons.

First, the $250 resort credit knocks the annual cost of this card down to $200. Then the free night per year easily takes care of the rest. As long as you stay at a Hilton hotel once per year, you basically get the card for free.

Second, you also get Diamond status, which is Hilton’s highest rewards tier. It’s the only card that gives status at the highest tier for any hotel membership program. You’ll get:

Free room upgrades

5th night free on reservations

Late checkout

Welcome gifts

Complimentary breakfast

In other words, getting the Hilton Honors Credit Card gets you all the perks that come with Diamond Status, and it’s basically free once you factor in the statement credit and free night.

If you enjoy Hilton hotels and want to load up on as many perks as possible without the least amount of effort, this is a fantastic way to do it. There’s no hotel status tier to manage. Just book your hotel and walk in like a baller. Then rack up points to splurge on Hilton properties around the world.

This card’s good enough that even I’m considering staying at more Hilton hotels.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

The World of Hyatt credit card is a comparable hotel card to the other options. You’ll get a free night each year, free status in the middle of the hotel membership tiers, night credits to get higher tiers, and tons of bonus points when staying at Hyatt hotels.

There’s nothing that makes this card superior to the other hotel credit cards. But it’s a great option if you prefer Hyatt hotels.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

To wrap things up here are our picks for the top 12 best travel credit cards for 2020. Check them all out and find the best travel card for you.

Top 12 Best Travel Credit Cards

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Chase Sapphire Preferred

American Express Platinum

United Explorer Card

Gold Delta SkyMiles

Platinum Delta SkyMiles

Delta Reserve

Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card

Hilton Honors Aspire Card

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

Advertiser Disclosure: I Will Teach You To Be Rich has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. I Will Teach You To Be Rich and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

The best travel credit cards for 2020 is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

from Finance https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/best-travel-credit-cards/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[kennethherrerablog]

The best travel credit cards for 2020

Advertiser Disclosure: I Will Teach You To Be Rich has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. I Will Teach You To Be Rich and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

I’m not using credit cards just to maximize travel points on every penny I spend.

Some people love that stuff. I am not one of those people.

I want to get a few cards, have a few simple rules on when to use each, maximize my points with minimum effort, and get back to living my Rich Life. I have zero interest in trying to maximize every cent from any given point I earn.

Featured Travel Card – Chase Sapphire Preferred

Go get the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Seriously, it’s amazing. Learn More.

So I’m not going to teach you how to try and get 300 nights/year worth of free hotel rooms by using 38 different cards.

What I can promise you is that by the end of this post, you’ll have a simple rewards machine that racks up points for you while giving you a ton of perks. All without having to think about it.

It all comes down to picking the right 2-3 cards for you. You should pick one solid card in each of these categories:

General travel credit card

Airline credit card

Hotel credit card (optional)

Before we go any further, I assume you travel at least once per year or aspire to.

If you hate traveling, don’t get a travel credit card. All the points and perks are designed around folks that travel regularly. If you don’t travel, you’re better off getting a cash back credit card.

I’m also going to assume that you’ve already made the commitment to choose a travel rewards card over a cash back card. We go into detail on the difference between the two in our review of the best rewards credit card. Basically, get a travel rewards card if you want to maximize the value of your rewards program. And if you want to maximize simplicity, get a cash back card.

Travel credit cards do take a bit more effort, and in return you’ll get a ton of amazing perks while traveling.

Let’s start with the top 12 best travel cards for 2020 and how we selected them.

The Top 12 Best Travel Credit Cards for 2020

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Chase Sapphire Preferred

American Express Platinum

United Explorer Card

Gold Delta SkyMiles

Platinum Delta SkyMiles

Delta Reserve

Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card

Hilton Honors Aspire Card

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

When selecting cards, we used these factors:

Bonus value

Just about every card offers a bonus of some kind. For the cards that you sign up for, make sure to get the bonus if they offer one. Then move on to more important things.

In the long term, the exact bonus is a minor benefit. I never choose a card based on the bonus. Also keep in mind that the values of each “point” are slightly different depending on the card. That means a card offering a 60,000-point sign-up bonus isn’t necessarily better than a card offering a 50,000 bonus. Don’t let it worry you that much.

Points system

Depending on the travel card, the points system either matters a lot or it’s a minor consideration.

For your general travel card that serves as the hub of your points machine, the majority of the value comes from the card’s point system. So pay very close attention. You want a points system that aligns with your spending so you get as many bonus points as possible.

For airline and hotel cards that are more about the perks, the point system is a smaller consideration.

Fees

To get a decent travel credit card, you’ll need to accept a $95 annual fee at least. You’ll easily make this up with value of the points.

The really nice perks don’t open up until the annual fee hits $450. All the “high roller” cards with amazing perks are in this range.

For travel cards, annual fees are standard. It’s the price we pay to get more points and sweet perks.

Make sure to get travel cards that don’t have foreign transaction fees. These fees will add 1-3% to the total cost of any traveling that you do. That’s ridiculous, since there are plenty of amazing travel cards that don’t have any foreign transaction fees. Don’t accept this fee on any card.

Perks

Perks are where the travel credit cards really shine. Especially at the higher tiers, the primary selling point is the extra perks you get.

Lounge access, free hotel nights, companion fares, Uber credits, the list goes on.

Perks are the main reason to consider multiple travel credit cards. And the perks are awesome enough that it’s worth getting 2-3 cards in order to stack a bunch of perks.

Convenience factors

For travel credit cards, there are two convenience factors to watch for:

Keep credit cards within the same bank as your other accounts when possible. Having several dozen bank logins gets to be a real pain. So if you’re trying to decide between two cards, choosing the card at the bank you already use keeps things simple.

Try to avoid getting only American Express cards. Some places don’t accept them, especially internationally. You want at least one solid Visa or Mastercard as a backup.

Each of these will depend on your specific circumstances.

Bank reputation

It’s no secret that we hate big banks at I Will Teach You to Be Rich, especially Wells Fargo. For decades, they have aggressively charged their customers ridiculous fees and have been involved in multiple scandals.

Their reputation is so bad that I didn’t even consider their cards.

Chase tends to be the exception. While it’s a big bank, it has a much better reputation than its peers. Some of our favorite cards are from Chase.

General travel credit cards

My main recommendation: start with one general travel credit card.

This will be your primary spending card that you rack up the most points on. Consider it the “hub” of your points systems. Most of your points will sit on this card until you’re ready to spend them.

I prioritize my “general” card for most of my spending so that I have as much flexibility as possible with my points. Maybe I want to blow hundreds of thousands of points on a stay at the St. Regis. Or maybe I want a specific first-class seat on a Cathay Pacific flight. I could also string together a few flights for an “around-the-world” trip.

Whatever the goal, I strongly prefer having a points program “hub” that allows me to transfer points into other programs so I have complete flexibility.

Before considering specific cards for airlines or hotels, get one all-purpose card.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

The best overall travel credit card

Go get the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Seriously, it’s amazing.

If you’re looking for the single “best” travel credit card and don’t want to put any more thought into it, get this card and be done with it.

It has great points categories with 3X on all travel and restaurants, a travel statement credit, another credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck, no foreign transaction fees, and one of the most flexible point transfer programs out there.

The major downside is the $450 annual fee. If you make over $100,000 per year, get the card. With the $300 travel credit, the annual fee is really just $150.

Also, keep an eye on the airline partners that are part of the Chase points program. They currently include British Airways, Flying Blue, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, Southwest, United, Virgin Atlantic, Aer Lingus, and Iberia. The Chase travel portal lets you book flights on any airline, but those are the only miles programs that you can transfer your Chase points into. If you primarily fly Delta, it’s worth considering the American Express Platinum to make your point redemption on flights easier.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

If the annual fee is a stretch for you, consider our next recommendation instead.

Chase Sapphire Preferred

The best travel card with an annual fee that’s less than $100

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is very similar to the Sapphire Reserve, with two main differences:

You’ll collect fewer points and won’t have as many perks

The annual fee is $95 instead of $450

2X points on all travel and restaurants is still amazing. Plus there’s no foreign transaction fees. And you still get access to the same flexible points program.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

American Express Platinum

The best travel card for going all-out on perks

If you want to be the VIP and maximize your perks, get the American Express Platinum.

You get Uber statement credits, airline statement credits, and 5X points on flights and hotels booked through American Express Travel. It also has access to the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts program, which I use for room upgrades, late checkouts, and free spa treatments.

The standout perk is getting access to the Centurion and American Express airport lounges. They’re super nice. The downside is that they’re only in 18 airports. So if you happen to fly through one of these airports regularly, this alone makes the card worth it. It also gets you access to Delta lounges. While there is Lufthansa lounge access, it’s only from Munich and Frankfurt.

If I flew Delta as my primary airline, I’d get the American Express Platinum so I could easily transfer my American Express points to Delta miles and redeem them as international flights.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Airline travel cards

After you’ve gotten comfortable with your general travel credit card, it’s time to add a level to your points system.

A dedicated airline card gets you a bunch of perks not available on any other cards. A few of them are easily worth the cost of having an extra credit card.

I resisted this for years. I liked the simplicity of only having to manage a single card. After I finally got an airline card, I wish I had done it years earlier.

Every airline has a slightly different set of perks. Hopefully your primary airline gives you the perks that you care most about. For me, I love priority boarding and lounge access. The perks tend to include:

Free checked bags

Priority boarding

Companion fares (a second ticket on the same flight for a crazy low price)

Lounge access or discounts on lounge passes

Extra points when booking directly through the airline

Miles boosts or extra qualifying miles for program tiers

We won’t be using the airline card to maximize miles. Sure, we’ll get a few extra miles but that’s not our primary goal. Our goal is to get extra perks when we do fly.

How to pick the right airline credit card

Before we pick a card, we first need to pick our primary airline. I recommend committing to one of these three airlines as your primary airline:

United

Delta

American Airlines

Why only these three?

When managing airline miles, you also want an airline that’s part of one of the three major airline networks:

Star Alliance (United)

Oneworld (American Airlines)

SkyTeam (Delta)

Each network has a dozen or so different airline members. For networks within the same airline, it’s easy to book flights across the network and use your airline miles. Flights on partner airlines also usually accrue miles that end up on your main miles program.

Why does any of this matter?

When you want to redeem your miles, you’ll want to use them on international flights. Unless you absolutely need to, avoid spending miles on domestic flights. You’ll get more value from your points on international flights. Plus you get a sweet international trip out of the deal.

And if you’re flying internationally, your options will be confined to the airlines in the same network as your primary miles program. For example, I can’t easily use my United miles to book a ticket on a British Airways flight, since they’re part of different networks.

This is why I never considered the JetBlue or Southwest Airlines miles programs or their credit cards. I know folks who absolutely love both airlines, but not having international flight partners is a deal breaker for me.

Alaska Airlines is the major main exception to all this.

While they’re not part of any of the airline networks, they do have a lot of airlines that they’ve partnered with, like British Airways, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, and more. So if there’s a specific airline you really want, check their partner list. It is possible they’ve put together a network themselves.

So how do we pick between United, Delta, and American Airlines?

Honestly, you won’t have much choice in the matter unless you happen to live next to a major airport with a ton of airlines.

Most airports have 1-2 dominant airlines.

I happen to live in Seattle, so Delta is my best choice out of the three.

Why should you prioritize the largest airline at your airport? I do it in order to get the most direct flights possible. I’ll do anything for a direct flight. To me, every extra layover is another chance for something to go horribly wrong.

Years ago, I was traveling between Denver, CO, and Richmond, VA, regularly on Delta. All my flights went through Cincinnati, one of the major hubs for Delta.

On two trips back-to-back, I got delayed overnight. The first was a massive blizzard that hit Denver, the second was a plane malfunction on the last flight of the night. I almost got stranded for the third time in a row when my first flight was delayed and I missed my connection. I sprinted through several terminals and outran several other passengers for the same flight, managing to grab the last seat on the last flight.

Since then, I only consider flights with the fewest connections possible.

That’s why I pick the airline with the most flights out of my home airport. If you want to use another, go for it. Just pick one airline to prioritize over all the others.

Once you pick your primary airline, then it’s time to pick your card. Each airline tends to have 2-3 credit card options. The higher the annual fee you accept, the more perks you’ll get.

Remember that we’re not using our airline credit card to optimize points. We’ll get a few extra points when booking our flights with that card, but that’ll pale in comparison to all the points our general travel card generates. We want the card that’ll give us the best perks.

If the annual fee is worth the perks for you, get the card.

Here are your options.

United Explorer Card

The Chase United Explorer card is a solid entry-level perks card for United flyers.

You’ll get your first bag checked free, priority boarding, and 2 lounge passes per year. There’s also a Global Entry or TSA Precheck credit if your primary card doesn’t already have it.

I find that the 2 lounge passes per year is more than enough for most folks. While it’s nice to have lounge access at your home airport, it’s not a game changer since we control when we get to the airport for our first flight. We really need lounge access when getting stuck with 3+ hour layovers on bigger international trips. I did have to wait in Montreal for 8 hours when coming back to the U.S. from Brussels. I sure wish I had lounge access then.

Two passes to the United lounge is enough to cover most traveling for a year.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Gold Delta SkyMiles

A good entry-level Delta card at $95/year is the Gold Delta SkyMiles card. You’ll get three main perks:

First checked bag free

Priority boarding

Delta Sky Club access for $29/person for you and up to 2 guests. While this isn’t as nice as the 2 free passes per year on the United card, it’s a great rate in a pinch. If you and your family get stranded, you’ll be able to hide out in the Delta lounge without handing over your first-born in payment

The perks aren’t epic but they include all the standard stuff at this tier. The card is definitely a great deal at $95/year.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Platinum Delta SkyMiles

The Platinum Delta SkyMiles card is the “in-betweener” card for Delta travelers at $195/year.

It’s almost identical to the Gold Delta SkyMiles with the addition of an annual companion fare. In other words, someone can travel with you basically for free. You’ll have to pay taxes, the flight must be domestic, and you get your first companion fare after your first card renewal.

The vast majority of domestic flights exceed $100, so as long as you do one domestic trip per year with someone else, you’ll easily come out ahead on this card.

If you’re a Delta flyer and you’re planning on signing up with the Gold Delta SkyMiles card, you should get the Platinum Delta SkyMiles instead. It’s a better deal.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Delta Reserve Credit Card

The Delta Reserve card is the “VIP” Delta card at a $450/year annual fee.

This includes everything from the Platinum Delta SkyMiles, with a few extras:

Full Delta Sky Club access for you, $29/person for up to 2 guests

A miles boost when you spend $30,000 within any given calendar year. You’ll receive 15,000 bonus miles and 15,000 Medallion Qualification Miles

Upgrade priority

Like the other airline cards, the major advantage is full access to the airline’s lounge. If that’s worth the $450/year fee to you, get the card. If not, get the Platinum Delta SkyMiles card instead.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

Pretty standard offering for American Airlines flyers. For a $99 annual fee, you’ll get the first checked bag for free and “preferred” boarding on American Airlines and 2X miles at gas stations and restaurants.

The flight discount is pretty nice. As long as you average $1,700 per month in credit card spending, you’ll hit the $20,000 milestone each year. Then you’ll get a discount that more than covers your annual fee.

The 2X miles on restaurants and gas stations is nice too in case your general travel card doesn’t give 2X points or more on these spending categories.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

The Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard has a similar set of VIP perks as the other airlines for an annual fee of $450:

Unfortunately, the Executive World Elite does lose a few perks that the Platinum Select World Elite has. The 2X miles at gas stations and restaurants aren’t available on this card. That’s lame. But that’s the cost of getting American Airlines lounge access.

Like the other airline cards, only get this card if lounge access is worth the $450 annual fee to you. Otherwise get the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard if American Airlines is your primary airline.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

How to use your airline card

Since this is the second credit card that we have, we’ll want to follow a few simple rules to get the most out of it.

Set up a few monthly subscriptions on the card so there’s always active charges on the account. This will keep the bank from marking your account as inactive in case you go a long time without using it. A Netflix subscription is perfect.

Set up automatic payments. Since you won’t be using the card heavily, it’ll be easy to forget about it. The last thing we ever want is to miss a credit card payment. We’ll get screwed on fees and it’ll ruin our credit score for years. Automatic payments ensure that this won’t happen.

When booking a flight on your primary airline, use the card to book the flight. All the airline cards give more points when booking directly through them.

That’s it, you’ll now get great perks while flying.

Hotel travel cards

In general, I’m not a huge fan of hotel travel cards for one reason.

I almost never stay in the same hotel twice.

Even when I return to a city, I almost always try a different hotel. Or I grab an Airbnb that I’ve never used before.

When I travel, even for work, I love trying new things. New neighborhoods, new food, new everything. One of my favorite things is discovering something amazing that I never knew existed.

One of the ways that I get my “new” fix is by trying new hotels. Occasionally, I’ll find a hotel that completely blows my mind, like The Peninsula Beijing or 1 Hotel Central Park. In those cases, I love going back. But it doesn’t happen often.

Where airlines only have a few options and you don’t lose that much flexibility by prioritizing a single airline, you’ll lose a ton of flexibility by only staying in one hotel chain. And the hotels I tend to love are unique, small chains. I have no personal interest in staying at dozens of Marriotts across the world.

But maybe you’re in a different situation. Maybe you travel for business all the time and stay at the same hotels. Or maybe you prefer the consistency from staying at the same hotel chain.

In that case, you should have a hotel credit card.

The choice will be pretty simple too: get the card for the hotel chain that you want to use.

If you’re not sure or have flexibility, go with one of the Marriott Bonvoy cards. You get access to W, St. Regis, and The Ritz-Carlton hotels, which are all super nice. And it includes tons of perks. If I was going to get a hotel card myself, I’d get this one.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card from Chase

The free night award is the most straightforward benefit on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card from Chase, and easily covers the $95 annual fee.

Otherwise, think of this card as a booster to climbing up the rewards tiers at Marriott. Here’s how many nights you need to spend in Marriott hotels per year to qualify for the different tiers:

Member = 0 nights

Silver Elite = 10 nights

Gold Elite = 25 nights

Platinum Elite = 50 nights

Titanium Elite = 75 nights

Ambassador Elite = 100 nights and $20,000 in annual spending

The higher you go up the tiers, the more perks you get. Everything from bonus points during your stay, faster internet, late checkout, welcome gifts, and room upgrades. The higher your tier, the more perks you get.

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card starts you at Silver Elite status, which includes 10% bonus on points during your stay along with priority late checkout. And with the 15 Elite Night credits, you have a head start on hitting the higher tiers that have increasingly better perks.

That makes it a lot easier to hit whichever status tier that you’re going for.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Other hotel credit cards

If you want to use other hotel chains, these are the major options to consider.

Hilton Honors Aspire Card

This is the primo Hilton credit card. It’s a fantastic deal for two reasons.

First, the $250 resort credit knocks the annual cost of this card down to $200. Then the free night per year easily takes care of the rest. As long as you stay at a Hilton hotel once per year, you basically get the card for free.

Second, you also get Diamond status, which is Hilton’s highest rewards tier. It’s the only card that gives status at the highest tier for any hotel membership program. You’ll get:

Free room upgrades

5th night free on reservations

Late checkout

Welcome gifts

Complimentary breakfast

In other words, getting the Hilton Honors Credit Card gets you all the perks that come with Diamond Status, and it’s basically free once you factor in the statement credit and free night.

If you enjoy Hilton hotels and want to load up on as many perks as possible without the least amount of effort, this is a fantastic way to do it. There’s no hotel status tier to manage. Just book your hotel and walk in like a baller. Then rack up points to splurge on Hilton properties around the world.

This card’s good enough that even I’m considering staying at more Hilton hotels.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

The World of Hyatt credit card is a comparable hotel card to the other options. You’ll get a free night each year, free status in the middle of the hotel membership tiers, night credits to get higher tiers, and tons of bonus points when staying at Hyatt hotels.

There’s nothing that makes this card superior to the other hotel credit cards. But it’s a great option if you prefer Hyatt hotels.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

To wrap things up here are our picks for the top 12 best travel credit cards for 2020. Check them all out and find the best travel card for you.

Top 12 Best Travel Credit Cards

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Chase Sapphire Preferred

American Express Platinum

United Explorer Card

Gold Delta SkyMiles

Platinum Delta SkyMiles

Delta Reserve

Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card

Hilton Honors Aspire Card

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

Advertiser Disclosure: I Will Teach You To Be Rich has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. I Will Teach You To Be Rich and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

The best travel credit cards for 2020 is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

The best travel credit cards for 2020 published first on https://justinbetreviews.tumblr.com/

[mcjoelcain]

The best travel credit cards for 2020

Advertiser Disclosure: I Will Teach You To Be Rich has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. I Will Teach You To Be Rich and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

I’m not using credit cards just to maximize travel points on every penny I spend.

Some people love that stuff. I am not one of those people.

I want to get a few cards, have a few simple rules on when to use each, maximize my points with minimum effort, and get back to living my Rich Life. I have zero interest in trying to maximize every cent from any given point I earn.

Featured Travel Card – Chase Sapphire Preferred

Go get the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Seriously, it’s amazing. Learn More.

So I’m not going to teach you how to try and get 300 nights/year worth of free hotel rooms by using 38 different cards.

What I can promise you is that by the end of this post, you’ll have a simple rewards machine that racks up points for you while giving you a ton of perks. All without having to think about it.

It all comes down to picking the right 2-3 cards for you. You should pick one solid card in each of these categories:

General travel credit card

Airline credit card

Hotel credit card (optional)

Before we go any further, I assume you travel at least once per year or aspire to.

If you hate traveling, don’t get a travel credit card. All the points and perks are designed around folks that travel regularly. If you don’t travel, you’re better off getting a cash back credit card.

I’m also going to assume that you’ve already made the commitment to choose a travel rewards card over a cash back card. We go into detail on the difference between the two in our review of the best rewards credit card. Basically, get a travel rewards card if you want to maximize the value of your rewards program. And if you want to maximize simplicity, get a cash back card.

Travel credit cards do take a bit more effort, and in return you’ll get a ton of amazing perks while traveling.

Let’s start with the top 12 best travel cards for 2020 and how we selected them.

The Top 12 Best Travel Credit Cards for 2020

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Chase Sapphire Preferred

American Express Platinum

United Explorer Card

Gold Delta SkyMiles

Platinum Delta SkyMiles

Delta Reserve

Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card

Hilton Honors Aspire Card

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

When selecting cards, we used these factors:

Bonus value

Just about every card offers a bonus of some kind. For the cards that you sign up for, make sure to get the bonus if they offer one. Then move on to more important things.

In the long term, the exact bonus is a minor benefit. I never choose a card based on the bonus. Also keep in mind that the values of each “point” are slightly different depending on the card. That means a card offering a 60,000-point sign-up bonus isn’t necessarily better than a card offering a 50,000 bonus. Don’t let it worry you that much.

Points system

Depending on the travel card, the points system either matters a lot or it’s a minor consideration.

For your general travel card that serves as the hub of your points machine, the majority of the value comes from the card’s point system. So pay very close attention. You want a points system that aligns with your spending so you get as many bonus points as possible.

For airline and hotel cards that are more about the perks, the point system is a smaller consideration.

Fees

To get a decent travel credit card, you’ll need to accept a $95 annual fee at least. You’ll easily make this up with value of the points.

The really nice perks don’t open up until the annual fee hits $450. All the “high roller” cards with amazing perks are in this range.

For travel cards, annual fees are standard. It’s the price we pay to get more points and sweet perks.

Make sure to get travel cards that don’t have foreign transaction fees. These fees will add 1-3% to the total cost of any traveling that you do. That’s ridiculous, since there are plenty of amazing travel cards that don’t have any foreign transaction fees. Don’t accept this fee on any card.

Perks

Perks are where the travel credit cards really shine. Especially at the higher tiers, the primary selling point is the extra perks you get.

Lounge access, free hotel nights, companion fares, Uber credits, the list goes on.

Perks are the main reason to consider multiple travel credit cards. And the perks are awesome enough that it’s worth getting 2-3 cards in order to stack a bunch of perks.

Convenience factors

For travel credit cards, there are two convenience factors to watch for:

Keep credit cards within the same bank as your other accounts when possible. Having several dozen bank logins gets to be a real pain. So if you’re trying to decide between two cards, choosing the card at the bank you already use keeps things simple.

Try to avoid getting only American Express cards. Some places don’t accept them, especially internationally. You want at least one solid Visa or Mastercard as a backup.

Each of these will depend on your specific circumstances.

Bank reputation

It’s no secret that we hate big banks at I Will Teach You to Be Rich, especially Wells Fargo. For decades, they have aggressively charged their customers ridiculous fees and have been involved in multiple scandals.

Their reputation is so bad that I didn’t even consider their cards.

Chase tends to be the exception. While it’s a big bank, it has a much better reputation than its peers. Some of our favorite cards are from Chase.

General travel credit cards

My main recommendation: start with one general travel credit card.

This will be your primary spending card that you rack up the most points on. Consider it the “hub” of your points systems. Most of your points will sit on this card until you’re ready to spend them.

I prioritize my “general” card for most of my spending so that I have as much flexibility as possible with my points. Maybe I want to blow hundreds of thousands of points on a stay at the St. Regis. Or maybe I want a specific first-class seat on a Cathay Pacific flight. I could also string together a few flights for an “around-the-world” trip.

Whatever the goal, I strongly prefer having a points program “hub” that allows me to transfer points into other programs so I have complete flexibility.

Before considering specific cards for airlines or hotels, get one all-purpose card.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

The best overall travel credit card

Go get the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Seriously, it’s amazing.

If you’re looking for the single “best” travel credit card and don’t want to put any more thought into it, get this card and be done with it.

It has great points categories with 3X on all travel and restaurants, a travel statement credit, another credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck, no foreign transaction fees, and one of the most flexible point transfer programs out there.

The major downside is the $450 annual fee. If you make over $100,000 per year, get the card. With the $300 travel credit, the annual fee is really just $150.

Also, keep an eye on the airline partners that are part of the Chase points program. They currently include British Airways, Flying Blue, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, Southwest, United, Virgin Atlantic, Aer Lingus, and Iberia. The Chase travel portal lets you book flights on any airline, but those are the only miles programs that you can transfer your Chase points into. If you primarily fly Delta, it’s worth considering the American Express Platinum to make your point redemption on flights easier.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

If the annual fee is a stretch for you, consider our next recommendation instead.

Chase Sapphire Preferred

The best travel card with an annual fee that’s less than $100

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is very similar to the Sapphire Reserve, with two main differences:

You’ll collect fewer points and won’t have as many perks

The annual fee is $95 instead of $450

2X points on all travel and restaurants is still amazing. Plus there’s no foreign transaction fees. And you still get access to the same flexible points program.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

American Express Platinum

The best travel card for going all-out on perks

If you want to be the VIP and maximize your perks, get the American Express Platinum.

You get Uber statement credits, airline statement credits, and 5X points on flights and hotels booked through American Express Travel. It also has access to the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts program, which I use for room upgrades, late checkouts, and free spa treatments.

The standout perk is getting access to the Centurion and American Express airport lounges. They’re super nice. The downside is that they’re only in 18 airports. So if you happen to fly through one of these airports regularly, this alone makes the card worth it. It also gets you access to Delta lounges. While there is Lufthansa lounge access, it’s only from Munich and Frankfurt.

If I flew Delta as my primary airline, I’d get the American Express Platinum so I could easily transfer my American Express points to Delta miles and redeem them as international flights.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Airline travel cards

After you’ve gotten comfortable with your general travel credit card, it’s time to add a level to your points system.

A dedicated airline card gets you a bunch of perks not available on any other cards. A few of them are easily worth the cost of having an extra credit card.

I resisted this for years. I liked the simplicity of only having to manage a single card. After I finally got an airline card, I wish I had done it years earlier.

Every airline has a slightly different set of perks. Hopefully your primary airline gives you the perks that you care most about. For me, I love priority boarding and lounge access. The perks tend to include:

Free checked bags

Priority boarding

Companion fares (a second ticket on the same flight for a crazy low price)

Lounge access or discounts on lounge passes

Extra points when booking directly through the airline

Miles boosts or extra qualifying miles for program tiers

We won’t be using the airline card to maximize miles. Sure, we’ll get a few extra miles but that’s not our primary goal. Our goal is to get extra perks when we do fly.

How to pick the right airline credit card

Before we pick a card, we first need to pick our primary airline. I recommend committing to one of these three airlines as your primary airline:

United

Delta

American Airlines

Why only these three?

When managing airline miles, you also want an airline that’s part of one of the three major airline networks:

Star Alliance (United)

Oneworld (American Airlines)

SkyTeam (Delta)

Each network has a dozen or so different airline members. For networks within the same airline, it’s easy to book flights across the network and use your airline miles. Flights on partner airlines also usually accrue miles that end up on your main miles program.

Why does any of this matter?

When you want to redeem your miles, you’ll want to use them on international flights. Unless you absolutely need to, avoid spending miles on domestic flights. You’ll get more value from your points on international flights. Plus you get a sweet international trip out of the deal.

And if you’re flying internationally, your options will be confined to the airlines in the same network as your primary miles program. For example, I can’t easily use my United miles to book a ticket on a British Airways flight, since they’re part of different networks.

This is why I never considered the JetBlue or Southwest Airlines miles programs or their credit cards. I know folks who absolutely love both airlines, but not having international flight partners is a deal breaker for me.

Alaska Airlines is the major main exception to all this.

While they’re not part of any of the airline networks, they do have a lot of airlines that they’ve partnered with, like British Airways, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, and more. So if there’s a specific airline you really want, check their partner list. It is possible they’ve put together a network themselves.

So how do we pick between United, Delta, and American Airlines?

Honestly, you won’t have much choice in the matter unless you happen to live next to a major airport with a ton of airlines.

Most airports have 1-2 dominant airlines.

I happen to live in Seattle, so Delta is my best choice out of the three.

Why should you prioritize the largest airline at your airport? I do it in order to get the most direct flights possible. I’ll do anything for a direct flight. To me, every extra layover is another chance for something to go horribly wrong.

Years ago, I was traveling between Denver, CO, and Richmond, VA, regularly on Delta. All my flights went through Cincinnati, one of the major hubs for Delta.

On two trips back-to-back, I got delayed overnight. The first was a massive blizzard that hit Denver, the second was a plane malfunction on the last flight of the night. I almost got stranded for the third time in a row when my first flight was delayed and I missed my connection. I sprinted through several terminals and outran several other passengers for the same flight, managing to grab the last seat on the last flight.

Since then, I only consider flights with the fewest connections possible.

That’s why I pick the airline with the most flights out of my home airport. If you want to use another, go for it. Just pick one airline to prioritize over all the others.

Once you pick your primary airline, then it’s time to pick your card. Each airline tends to have 2-3 credit card options. The higher the annual fee you accept, the more perks you’ll get.

Remember that we’re not using our airline credit card to optimize points. We’ll get a few extra points when booking our flights with that card, but that’ll pale in comparison to all the points our general travel card generates. We want the card that’ll give us the best perks.

If the annual fee is worth the perks for you, get the card.

Here are your options.

United Explorer Card

The Chase United Explorer card is a solid entry-level perks card for United flyers.

You’ll get your first bag checked free, priority boarding, and 2 lounge passes per year. There’s also a Global Entry or TSA Precheck credit if your primary card doesn’t already have it.

I find that the 2 lounge passes per year is more than enough for most folks. While it’s nice to have lounge access at your home airport, it’s not a game changer since we control when we get to the airport for our first flight. We really need lounge access when getting stuck with 3+ hour layovers on bigger international trips. I did have to wait in Montreal for 8 hours when coming back to the U.S. from Brussels. I sure wish I had lounge access then.

Two passes to the United lounge is enough to cover most traveling for a year.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Gold Delta SkyMiles

A good entry-level Delta card at $95/year is the Gold Delta SkyMiles card. You’ll get three main perks:

First checked bag free

Priority boarding

Delta Sky Club access for $29/person for you and up to 2 guests. While this isn’t as nice as the 2 free passes per year on the United card, it’s a great rate in a pinch. If you and your family get stranded, you’ll be able to hide out in the Delta lounge without handing over your first-born in payment

The perks aren’t epic but they include all the standard stuff at this tier. The card is definitely a great deal at $95/year.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Platinum Delta SkyMiles

The Platinum Delta SkyMiles card is the “in-betweener” card for Delta travelers at $195/year.

It’s almost identical to the Gold Delta SkyMiles with the addition of an annual companion fare. In other words, someone can travel with you basically for free. You’ll have to pay taxes, the flight must be domestic, and you get your first companion fare after your first card renewal.

The vast majority of domestic flights exceed $100, so as long as you do one domestic trip per year with someone else, you’ll easily come out ahead on this card.

If you’re a Delta flyer and you’re planning on signing up with the Gold Delta SkyMiles card, you should get the Platinum Delta SkyMiles instead. It’s a better deal.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Delta Reserve Credit Card

The Delta Reserve card is the “VIP” Delta card at a $450/year annual fee.

This includes everything from the Platinum Delta SkyMiles, with a few extras:

Full Delta Sky Club access for you, $29/person for up to 2 guests

A miles boost when you spend $30,000 within any given calendar year. You’ll receive 15,000 bonus miles and 15,000 Medallion Qualification Miles

Upgrade priority

Like the other airline cards, the major advantage is full access to the airline’s lounge. If that’s worth the $450/year fee to you, get the card. If not, get the Platinum Delta SkyMiles card instead.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

Pretty standard offering for American Airlines flyers. For a $99 annual fee, you’ll get the first checked bag for free and “preferred” boarding on American Airlines and 2X miles at gas stations and restaurants.

The flight discount is pretty nice. As long as you average $1,700 per month in credit card spending, you’ll hit the $20,000 milestone each year. Then you’ll get a discount that more than covers your annual fee.

The 2X miles on restaurants and gas stations is nice too in case your general travel card doesn’t give 2X points or more on these spending categories.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

The Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard has a similar set of VIP perks as the other airlines for an annual fee of $450:

Unfortunately, the Executive World Elite does lose a few perks that the Platinum Select World Elite has. The 2X miles at gas stations and restaurants aren’t available on this card. That’s lame. But that’s the cost of getting American Airlines lounge access.

Like the other airline cards, only get this card if lounge access is worth the $450 annual fee to you. Otherwise get the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard if American Airlines is your primary airline.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

How to use your airline card

Since this is the second credit card that we have, we’ll want to follow a few simple rules to get the most out of it.

Set up a few monthly subscriptions on the card so there’s always active charges on the account. This will keep the bank from marking your account as inactive in case you go a long time without using it. A Netflix subscription is perfect.

Set up automatic payments. Since you won’t be using the card heavily, it’ll be easy to forget about it. The last thing we ever want is to miss a credit card payment. We’ll get screwed on fees and it’ll ruin our credit score for years. Automatic payments ensure that this won’t happen.

When booking a flight on your primary airline, use the card to book the flight. All the airline cards give more points when booking directly through them.

That’s it, you’ll now get great perks while flying.

Hotel travel cards

In general, I’m not a huge fan of hotel travel cards for one reason.

I almost never stay in the same hotel twice.

Even when I return to a city, I almost always try a different hotel. Or I grab an Airbnb that I’ve never used before.

When I travel, even for work, I love trying new things. New neighborhoods, new food, new everything. One of my favorite things is discovering something amazing that I never knew existed.

One of the ways that I get my “new” fix is by trying new hotels. Occasionally, I’ll find a hotel that completely blows my mind, like The Peninsula Beijing or 1 Hotel Central Park. In those cases, I love going back. But it doesn’t happen often.

Where airlines only have a few options and you don’t lose that much flexibility by prioritizing a single airline, you’ll lose a ton of flexibility by only staying in one hotel chain. And the hotels I tend to love are unique, small chains. I have no personal interest in staying at dozens of Marriotts across the world.

But maybe you’re in a different situation. Maybe you travel for business all the time and stay at the same hotels. Or maybe you prefer the consistency from staying at the same hotel chain.

In that case, you should have a hotel credit card.

The choice will be pretty simple too: get the card for the hotel chain that you want to use.

If you’re not sure or have flexibility, go with one of the Marriott Bonvoy cards. You get access to W, St. Regis, and The Ritz-Carlton hotels, which are all super nice. And it includes tons of perks. If I was going to get a hotel card myself, I’d get this one.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card from Chase

The free night award is the most straightforward benefit on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card from Chase, and easily covers the $95 annual fee.

Otherwise, think of this card as a booster to climbing up the rewards tiers at Marriott. Here’s how many nights you need to spend in Marriott hotels per year to qualify for the different tiers:

Member = 0 nights

Silver Elite = 10 nights

Gold Elite = 25 nights

Platinum Elite = 50 nights

Titanium Elite = 75 nights

Ambassador Elite = 100 nights and $20,000 in annual spending

The higher you go up the tiers, the more perks you get. Everything from bonus points during your stay, faster internet, late checkout, welcome gifts, and room upgrades. The higher your tier, the more perks you get.

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card starts you at Silver Elite status, which includes 10% bonus on points during your stay along with priority late checkout. And with the 15 Elite Night credits, you have a head start on hitting the higher tiers that have increasingly better perks.

That makes it a lot easier to hit whichever status tier that you’re going for.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Other hotel credit cards

If you want to use other hotel chains, these are the major options to consider.

Hilton Honors Aspire Card

This is the primo Hilton credit card. It’s a fantastic deal for two reasons.

First, the $250 resort credit knocks the annual cost of this card down to $200. Then the free night per year easily takes care of the rest. As long as you stay at a Hilton hotel once per year, you basically get the card for free.

Second, you also get Diamond status, which is Hilton’s highest rewards tier. It’s the only card that gives status at the highest tier for any hotel membership program. You’ll get:

Free room upgrades

5th night free on reservations

Late checkout

Welcome gifts

Complimentary breakfast

In other words, getting the Hilton Honors Credit Card gets you all the perks that come with Diamond Status, and it’s basically free once you factor in the statement credit and free night.

If you enjoy Hilton hotels and want to load up on as many perks as possible without the least amount of effort, this is a fantastic way to do it. There’s no hotel status tier to manage. Just book your hotel and walk in like a baller. Then rack up points to splurge on Hilton properties around the world.

This card’s good enough that even I’m considering staying at more Hilton hotels.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

The World of Hyatt credit card is a comparable hotel card to the other options. You’ll get a free night each year, free status in the middle of the hotel membership tiers, night credits to get higher tiers, and tons of bonus points when staying at Hyatt hotels.

There’s nothing that makes this card superior to the other hotel credit cards. But it’s a great option if you prefer Hyatt hotels.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

To wrap things up here are our picks for the top 12 best travel credit cards for 2020. Check them all out and find the best travel card for you.

Top 12 Best Travel Credit Cards

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Chase Sapphire Preferred

American Express Platinum

United Explorer Card

Gold Delta SkyMiles

Platinum Delta SkyMiles

Delta Reserve

Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card

Hilton Honors Aspire Card

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

Advertiser Disclosure: I Will Teach You To Be Rich has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. I Will Teach You To Be Rich and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

The best travel credit cards for 2020 is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

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The best travel credit cards for 2020

Advertiser Disclosure: I Will Teach You To Be Rich has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. I Will Teach You To Be Rich and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

I’m not using credit cards just to maximize travel points on every penny I spend.

Some people love that stuff. I am not one of those people.

I want to get a few cards, have a few simple rules on when to use each, maximize my points with minimum effort, and get back to living my Rich Life. I have zero interest in trying to maximize every cent from any given point I earn.

Featured Travel Card – Chase Sapphire Preferred

Go get the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Seriously, it’s amazing. Learn More.

So I’m not going to teach you how to try and get 300 nights/year worth of free hotel rooms by using 38 different cards.

What I can promise you is that by the end of this post, you’ll have a simple rewards machine that racks up points for you while giving you a ton of perks. All without having to think about it.

It all comes down to picking the right 2-3 cards for you. You should pick one solid card in each of these categories:

General travel credit card

Airline credit card

Hotel credit card (optional)

Before we go any further, I assume you travel at least once per year or aspire to.

If you hate traveling, don’t get a travel credit card. All the points and perks are designed around folks that travel regularly. If you don’t travel, you’re better off getting a cash back credit card.

I’m also going to assume that you’ve already made the commitment to choose a travel rewards card over a cash back card. We go into detail on the difference between the two in our review of the best rewards credit card. Basically, get a travel rewards card if you want to maximize the value of your rewards program. And if you want to maximize simplicity, get a cash back card.

Travel credit cards do take a bit more effort, and in return you’ll get a ton of amazing perks while traveling.

Let’s start with the top 12 best travel cards for 2020 and how we selected them.

The Top 12 Best Travel Credit Cards for 2020

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Chase Sapphire Preferred

American Express Platinum

United Explorer Card

Gold Delta SkyMiles

Platinum Delta SkyMiles

Delta Reserve

Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card

Hilton Honors Aspire Card

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

When selecting cards, we used these factors:

Bonus value

Just about every card offers a bonus of some kind. For the cards that you sign up for, make sure to get the bonus if they offer one. Then move on to more important things.

In the long term, the exact bonus is a minor benefit. I never choose a card based on the bonus. Also keep in mind that the values of each “point” are slightly different depending on the card. That means a card offering a 60,000-point sign-up bonus isn’t necessarily better than a card offering a 50,000 bonus. Don’t let it worry you that much.

Points system

Depending on the travel card, the points system either matters a lot or it’s a minor consideration.

For your general travel card that serves as the hub of your points machine, the majority of the value comes from the card’s point system. So pay very close attention. You want a points system that aligns with your spending so you get as many bonus points as possible.

For airline and hotel cards that are more about the perks, the point system is a smaller consideration.

Fees

To get a decent travel credit card, you’ll need to accept a $95 annual fee at least. You’ll easily make this up with value of the points.

The really nice perks don’t open up until the annual fee hits $450. All the “high roller” cards with amazing perks are in this range.

For travel cards, annual fees are standard. It’s the price we pay to get more points and sweet perks.

Make sure to get travel cards that don’t have foreign transaction fees. These fees will add 1-3% to the total cost of any traveling that you do. That’s ridiculous, since there are plenty of amazing travel cards that don’t have any foreign transaction fees. Don’t accept this fee on any card.

Perks

Perks are where the travel credit cards really shine. Especially at the higher tiers, the primary selling point is the extra perks you get.

Lounge access, free hotel nights, companion fares, Uber credits, the list goes on.

Perks are the main reason to consider multiple travel credit cards. And the perks are awesome enough that it’s worth getting 2-3 cards in order to stack a bunch of perks.

Convenience factors

For travel credit cards, there are two convenience factors to watch for:

Keep credit cards within the same bank as your other accounts when possible. Having several dozen bank logins gets to be a real pain. So if you’re trying to decide between two cards, choosing the card at the bank you already use keeps things simple.

Try to avoid getting only American Express cards. Some places don’t accept them, especially internationally. You want at least one solid Visa or Mastercard as a backup.

Each of these will depend on your specific circumstances.

Bank reputation

It’s no secret that we hate big banks at I Will Teach You to Be Rich, especially Wells Fargo. For decades, they have aggressively charged their customers ridiculous fees and have been involved in multiple scandals.

Their reputation is so bad that I didn’t even consider their cards.

Chase tends to be the exception. While it’s a big bank, it has a much better reputation than its peers. Some of our favorite cards are from Chase.

General travel credit cards

My main recommendation: start with one general travel credit card.

This will be your primary spending card that you rack up the most points on. Consider it the “hub” of your points systems. Most of your points will sit on this card until you’re ready to spend them.

I prioritize my “general” card for most of my spending so that I have as much flexibility as possible with my points. Maybe I want to blow hundreds of thousands of points on a stay at the St. Regis. Or maybe I want a specific first-class seat on a Cathay Pacific flight. I could also string together a few flights for an “around-the-world” trip.

Whatever the goal, I strongly prefer having a points program “hub” that allows me to transfer points into other programs so I have complete flexibility.

Before considering specific cards for airlines or hotels, get one all-purpose card.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

The best overall travel credit card

Go get the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Seriously, it’s amazing.

If you’re looking for the single “best” travel credit card and don’t want to put any more thought into it, get this card and be done with it.

It has great points categories with 3X on all travel and restaurants, a travel statement credit, another credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck, no foreign transaction fees, and one of the most flexible point transfer programs out there.

The major downside is the $450 annual fee. If you make over $100,000 per year, get the card. With the $300 travel credit, the annual fee is really just $150.

Also, keep an eye on the airline partners that are part of the Chase points program. They currently include British Airways, Flying Blue, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, Southwest, United, Virgin Atlantic, Aer Lingus, and Iberia. The Chase travel portal lets you book flights on any airline, but those are the only miles programs that you can transfer your Chase points into. If you primarily fly Delta, it’s worth considering the American Express Platinum to make your point redemption on flights easier.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

If the annual fee is a stretch for you, consider our next recommendation instead.

Chase Sapphire Preferred

The best travel card with an annual fee that’s less than $100

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is very similar to the Sapphire Reserve, with two main differences:

You’ll collect fewer points and won’t have as many perks

The annual fee is $95 instead of $450

2X points on all travel and restaurants is still amazing. Plus there’s no foreign transaction fees. And you still get access to the same flexible points program.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

American Express Platinum

The best travel card for going all-out on perks

If you want to be the VIP and maximize your perks, get the American Express Platinum.

You get Uber statement credits, airline statement credits, and 5X points on flights and hotels booked through American Express Travel. It also has access to the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts program, which I use for room upgrades, late checkouts, and free spa treatments.

The standout perk is getting access to the Centurion and American Express airport lounges. They’re super nice. The downside is that they’re only in 18 airports. So if you happen to fly through one of these airports regularly, this alone makes the card worth it. It also gets you access to Delta lounges. While there is Lufthansa lounge access, it’s only from Munich and Frankfurt.

If I flew Delta as my primary airline, I’d get the American Express Platinum so I could easily transfer my American Express points to Delta miles and redeem them as international flights.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Airline travel cards

After you’ve gotten comfortable with your general travel credit card, it’s time to add a level to your points system.

A dedicated airline card gets you a bunch of perks not available on any other cards. A few of them are easily worth the cost of having an extra credit card.

I resisted this for years. I liked the simplicity of only having to manage a single card. After I finally got an airline card, I wish I had done it years earlier.

Every airline has a slightly different set of perks. Hopefully your primary airline gives you the perks that you care most about. For me, I love priority boarding and lounge access. The perks tend to include:

Free checked bags

Priority boarding

Companion fares (a second ticket on the same flight for a crazy low price)

Lounge access or discounts on lounge passes

Extra points when booking directly through the airline

Miles boosts or extra qualifying miles for program tiers

We won’t be using the airline card to maximize miles. Sure, we’ll get a few extra miles but that’s not our primary goal. Our goal is to get extra perks when we do fly.

How to pick the right airline credit card

Before we pick a card, we first need to pick our primary airline. I recommend committing to one of these three airlines as your primary airline:

United

Delta

American Airlines

Why only these three?

When managing airline miles, you also want an airline that’s part of one of the three major airline networks:

Star Alliance (United)

Oneworld (American Airlines)

SkyTeam (Delta)

Each network has a dozen or so different airline members. For networks within the same airline, it’s easy to book flights across the network and use your airline miles. Flights on partner airlines also usually accrue miles that end up on your main miles program.

Why does any of this matter?

When you want to redeem your miles, you’ll want to use them on international flights. Unless you absolutely need to, avoid spending miles on domestic flights. You’ll get more value from your points on international flights. Plus you get a sweet international trip out of the deal.

And if you’re flying internationally, your options will be confined to the airlines in the same network as your primary miles program. For example, I can’t easily use my United miles to book a ticket on a British Airways flight, since they’re part of different networks.

This is why I never considered the JetBlue or Southwest Airlines miles programs or their credit cards. I know folks who absolutely love both airlines, but not having international flight partners is a deal breaker for me.

Alaska Airlines is the major main exception to all this.

While they’re not part of any of the airline networks, they do have a lot of airlines that they’ve partnered with, like British Airways, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, and more. So if there’s a specific airline you really want, check their partner list. It is possible they’ve put together a network themselves.

So how do we pick between United, Delta, and American Airlines?

Honestly, you won’t have much choice in the matter unless you happen to live next to a major airport with a ton of airlines.

Most airports have 1-2 dominant airlines.

I happen to live in Seattle, so Delta is my best choice out of the three.

Why should you prioritize the largest airline at your airport? I do it in order to get the most direct flights possible. I’ll do anything for a direct flight. To me, every extra layover is another chance for something to go horribly wrong.

Years ago, I was traveling between Denver, CO, and Richmond, VA, regularly on Delta. All my flights went through Cincinnati, one of the major hubs for Delta.

On two trips back-to-back, I got delayed overnight. The first was a massive blizzard that hit Denver, the second was a plane malfunction on the last flight of the night. I almost got stranded for the third time in a row when my first flight was delayed and I missed my connection. I sprinted through several terminals and outran several other passengers for the same flight, managing to grab the last seat on the last flight.

Since then, I only consider flights with the fewest connections possible.

That’s why I pick the airline with the most flights out of my home airport. If you want to use another, go for it. Just pick one airline to prioritize over all the others.

Once you pick your primary airline, then it’s time to pick your card. Each airline tends to have 2-3 credit card options. The higher the annual fee you accept, the more perks you’ll get.

Remember that we’re not using our airline credit card to optimize points. We’ll get a few extra points when booking our flights with that card, but that’ll pale in comparison to all the points our general travel card generates. We want the card that’ll give us the best perks.

If the annual fee is worth the perks for you, get the card.

Here are your options.

United Explorer Card

The Chase United Explorer card is a solid entry-level perks card for United flyers.

You’ll get your first bag checked free, priority boarding, and 2 lounge passes per year. There’s also a Global Entry or TSA Precheck credit if your primary card doesn’t already have it.

I find that the 2 lounge passes per year is more than enough for most folks. While it’s nice to have lounge access at your home airport, it’s not a game changer since we control when we get to the airport for our first flight. We really need lounge access when getting stuck with 3+ hour layovers on bigger international trips. I did have to wait in Montreal for 8 hours when coming back to the U.S. from Brussels. I sure wish I had lounge access then.

Two passes to the United lounge is enough to cover most traveling for a year.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Gold Delta SkyMiles

A good entry-level Delta card at $95/year is the Gold Delta SkyMiles card. You’ll get three main perks:

First checked bag free

Priority boarding

Delta Sky Club access for $29/person for you and up to 2 guests. While this isn’t as nice as the 2 free passes per year on the United card, it’s a great rate in a pinch. If you and your family get stranded, you’ll be able to hide out in the Delta lounge without handing over your first-born in payment

The perks aren’t epic but they include all the standard stuff at this tier. The card is definitely a great deal at $95/year.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Platinum Delta SkyMiles

The Platinum Delta SkyMiles card is the “in-betweener” card for Delta travelers at $195/year.

It’s almost identical to the Gold Delta SkyMiles with the addition of an annual companion fare. In other words, someone can travel with you basically for free. You’ll have to pay taxes, the flight must be domestic, and you get your first companion fare after your first card renewal.

The vast majority of domestic flights exceed $100, so as long as you do one domestic trip per year with someone else, you’ll easily come out ahead on this card.

If you’re a Delta flyer and you’re planning on signing up with the Gold Delta SkyMiles card, you should get the Platinum Delta SkyMiles instead. It’s a better deal.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Delta Reserve Credit Card

The Delta Reserve card is the “VIP” Delta card at a $450/year annual fee.

This includes everything from the Platinum Delta SkyMiles, with a few extras:

Full Delta Sky Club access for you, $29/person for up to 2 guests

A miles boost when you spend $30,000 within any given calendar year. You’ll receive 15,000 bonus miles and 15,000 Medallion Qualification Miles

Upgrade priority

Like the other airline cards, the major advantage is full access to the airline’s lounge. If that’s worth the $450/year fee to you, get the card. If not, get the Platinum Delta SkyMiles card instead.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

Pretty standard offering for American Airlines flyers. For a $99 annual fee, you’ll get the first checked bag for free and “preferred” boarding on American Airlines and 2X miles at gas stations and restaurants.

The flight discount is pretty nice. As long as you average $1,700 per month in credit card spending, you’ll hit the $20,000 milestone each year. Then you’ll get a discount that more than covers your annual fee.

The 2X miles on restaurants and gas stations is nice too in case your general travel card doesn’t give 2X points or more on these spending categories.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

The Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard has a similar set of VIP perks as the other airlines for an annual fee of $450:

Unfortunately, the Executive World Elite does lose a few perks that the Platinum Select World Elite has. The 2X miles at gas stations and restaurants aren’t available on this card. That’s lame. But that’s the cost of getting American Airlines lounge access.

Like the other airline cards, only get this card if lounge access is worth the $450 annual fee to you. Otherwise get the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard if American Airlines is your primary airline.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

How to use your airline card

Since this is the second credit card that we have, we’ll want to follow a few simple rules to get the most out of it.

Set up a few monthly subscriptions on the card so there’s always active charges on the account. This will keep the bank from marking your account as inactive in case you go a long time without using it. A Netflix subscription is perfect.

Set up automatic payments. Since you won’t be using the card heavily, it’ll be easy to forget about it. The last thing we ever want is to miss a credit card payment. We’ll get screwed on fees and it’ll ruin our credit score for years. Automatic payments ensure that this won’t happen.

When booking a flight on your primary airline, use the card to book the flight. All the airline cards give more points when booking directly through them.

That’s it, you’ll now get great perks while flying.

Hotel travel cards

In general, I’m not a huge fan of hotel travel cards for one reason.

I almost never stay in the same hotel twice.

Even when I return to a city, I almost always try a different hotel. Or I grab an Airbnb that I’ve never used before.

When I travel, even for work, I love trying new things. New neighborhoods, new food, new everything. One of my favorite things is discovering something amazing that I never knew existed.

One of the ways that I get my “new” fix is by trying new hotels. Occasionally, I’ll find a hotel that completely blows my mind, like The Peninsula Beijing or 1 Hotel Central Park. In those cases, I love going back. But it doesn’t happen often.

Where airlines only have a few options and you don’t lose that much flexibility by prioritizing a single airline, you’ll lose a ton of flexibility by only staying in one hotel chain. And the hotels I tend to love are unique, small chains. I have no personal interest in staying at dozens of Marriotts across the world.

But maybe you’re in a different situation. Maybe you travel for business all the time and stay at the same hotels. Or maybe you prefer the consistency from staying at the same hotel chain.

In that case, you should have a hotel credit card.

The choice will be pretty simple too: get the card for the hotel chain that you want to use.

If you’re not sure or have flexibility, go with one of the Marriott Bonvoy cards. You get access to W, St. Regis, and The Ritz-Carlton hotels, which are all super nice. And it includes tons of perks. If I was going to get a hotel card myself, I’d get this one.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card from Chase

The free night award is the most straightforward benefit on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card from Chase, and easily covers the $95 annual fee.

Otherwise, think of this card as a booster to climbing up the rewards tiers at Marriott. Here’s how many nights you need to spend in Marriott hotels per year to qualify for the different tiers:

Member = 0 nights

Silver Elite = 10 nights

Gold Elite = 25 nights

Platinum Elite = 50 nights

Titanium Elite = 75 nights

Ambassador Elite = 100 nights and $20,000 in annual spending

The higher you go up the tiers, the more perks you get. Everything from bonus points during your stay, faster internet, late checkout, welcome gifts, and room upgrades. The higher your tier, the more perks you get.

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card starts you at Silver Elite status, which includes 10% bonus on points during your stay along with priority late checkout. And with the 15 Elite Night credits, you have a head start on hitting the higher tiers that have increasingly better perks.

That makes it a lot easier to hit whichever status tier that you’re going for.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Other hotel credit cards

If you want to use other hotel chains, these are the major options to consider.

Hilton Honors Aspire Card

This is the primo Hilton credit card. It’s a fantastic deal for two reasons.

First, the $250 resort credit knocks the annual cost of this card down to $200. Then the free night per year easily takes care of the rest. As long as you stay at a Hilton hotel once per year, you basically get the card for free.

Second, you also get Diamond status, which is Hilton’s highest rewards tier. It’s the only card that gives status at the highest tier for any hotel membership program. You’ll get:

Free room upgrades

5th night free on reservations

Late checkout

Welcome gifts

Complimentary breakfast

In other words, getting the Hilton Honors Credit Card gets you all the perks that come with Diamond Status, and it’s basically free once you factor in the statement credit and free night.

If you enjoy Hilton hotels and want to load up on as many perks as possible without the least amount of effort, this is a fantastic way to do it. There’s no hotel status tier to manage. Just book your hotel and walk in like a baller. Then rack up points to splurge on Hilton properties around the world.

This card’s good enough that even I’m considering staying at more Hilton hotels.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

The World of Hyatt credit card is a comparable hotel card to the other options. You’ll get a free night each year, free status in the middle of the hotel membership tiers, night credits to get higher tiers, and tons of bonus points when staying at Hyatt hotels.

There’s nothing that makes this card superior to the other hotel credit cards. But it’s a great option if you prefer Hyatt hotels.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

To wrap things up here are our picks for the top 12 best travel credit cards for 2020. Check them all out and find the best travel card for you.

Top 12 Best Travel Credit Cards

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Chase Sapphire Preferred

American Express Platinum

United Explorer Card

Gold Delta SkyMiles

Platinum Delta SkyMiles

Delta Reserve

Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card

Hilton Honors Aspire Card

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

Advertiser Disclosure: I Will Teach You To Be Rich has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. I Will Teach You To Be Rich and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

The best travel credit cards for 2020 is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

from Surety Bond Brokers? Business https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/best-travel-credit-cards/

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The best travel credit cards for 2020

Advertiser Disclosure: I Will Teach You To Be Rich has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. I Will Teach You To Be Rich and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

I’m not using credit cards just to maximize travel points on every penny I spend.

Some people love that stuff. I am not one of those people.

I want to get a few cards, have a few simple rules on when to use each, maximize my points with minimum effort, and get back to living my Rich Life. I have zero interest in trying to maximize every cent from any given point I earn.

Featured Travel Card – Chase Sapphire Preferred

Go get the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Seriously, it’s amazing. Learn More.

So I’m not going to teach you how to try and get 300 nights/year worth of free hotel rooms by using 38 different cards.

What I can promise you is that by the end of this post, you’ll have a simple rewards machine that racks up points for you while giving you a ton of perks. All without having to think about it.

It all comes down to picking the right 2-3 cards for you. You should pick one solid card in each of these categories:

General travel credit card

Airline credit card

Hotel credit card (optional)

Before we go any further, I assume you travel at least once per year or aspire to.

If you hate traveling, don’t get a travel credit card. All the points and perks are designed around folks that travel regularly. If you don’t travel, you’re better off getting a cash back credit card.

I’m also going to assume that you’ve already made the commitment to choose a travel rewards card over a cash back card. We go into detail on the difference between the two in our review of the best rewards credit card. Basically, get a travel rewards card if you want to maximize the value of your rewards program. And if you want to maximize simplicity, get a cash back card.

Travel credit cards do take a bit more effort, and in return you’ll get a ton of amazing perks while traveling.

Let’s start with the top 12 best travel cards for 2020 and how we selected them.

The Top 12 Best Travel Credit Cards for 2020

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Chase Sapphire Preferred

American Express Platinum

United Explorer Card

Gold Delta SkyMiles

Platinum Delta SkyMiles

Delta Reserve

Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card

Hilton Honors Aspire Card

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

When selecting cards, we used these factors:

Bonus value

Just about every card offers a bonus of some kind. For the cards that you sign up for, make sure to get the bonus if they offer one. Then move on to more important things.

In the long term, the exact bonus is a minor benefit. I never choose a card based on the bonus. Also keep in mind that the values of each “point” are slightly different depending on the card. That means a card offering a 60,000-point sign-up bonus isn’t necessarily better than a card offering a 50,000 bonus. Don’t let it worry you that much.

Points system

Depending on the travel card, the points system either matters a lot or it’s a minor consideration.

For your general travel card that serves as the hub of your points machine, the majority of the value comes from the card’s point system. So pay very close attention. You want a points system that aligns with your spending so you get as many bonus points as possible.

For airline and hotel cards that are more about the perks, the point system is a smaller consideration.

Fees

To get a decent travel credit card, you’ll need to accept a $95 annual fee at least. You’ll easily make this up with value of the points.

The really nice perks don’t open up until the annual fee hits $450. All the “high roller” cards with amazing perks are in this range.

For travel cards, annual fees are standard. It’s the price we pay to get more points and sweet perks.

Make sure to get travel cards that don’t have foreign transaction fees. These fees will add 1-3% to the total cost of any traveling that you do. That’s ridiculous, since there are plenty of amazing travel cards that don’t have any foreign transaction fees. Don’t accept this fee on any card.

Perks

Perks are where the travel credit cards really shine. Especially at the higher tiers, the primary selling point is the extra perks you get.

Lounge access, free hotel nights, companion fares, Uber credits, the list goes on.

Perks are the main reason to consider multiple travel credit cards. And the perks are awesome enough that it’s worth getting 2-3 cards in order to stack a bunch of perks.

Convenience factors

For travel credit cards, there are two convenience factors to watch for:

Keep credit cards within the same bank as your other accounts when possible. Having several dozen bank logins gets to be a real pain. So if you’re trying to decide between two cards, choosing the card at the bank you already use keeps things simple.

Try to avoid getting only American Express cards. Some places don’t accept them, especially internationally. You want at least one solid Visa or Mastercard as a backup.

Each of these will depend on your specific circumstances.

Bank reputation

It’s no secret that we hate big banks at I Will Teach You to Be Rich, especially Wells Fargo. For decades, they have aggressively charged their customers ridiculous fees and have been involved in multiple scandals.

Their reputation is so bad that I didn’t even consider their cards.

Chase tends to be the exception. While it’s a big bank, it has a much better reputation than its peers. Some of our favorite cards are from Chase.

General travel credit cards

My main recommendation: start with one general travel credit card.

This will be your primary spending card that you rack up the most points on. Consider it the “hub” of your points systems. Most of your points will sit on this card until you’re ready to spend them.

I prioritize my “general” card for most of my spending so that I have as much flexibility as possible with my points. Maybe I want to blow hundreds of thousands of points on a stay at the St. Regis. Or maybe I want a specific first-class seat on a Cathay Pacific flight. I could also string together a few flights for an “around-the-world” trip.

Whatever the goal, I strongly prefer having a points program “hub” that allows me to transfer points into other programs so I have complete flexibility.

Before considering specific cards for airlines or hotels, get one all-purpose card.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

The best overall travel credit card

Go get the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Seriously, it’s amazing.

If you’re looking for the single “best” travel credit card and don’t want to put any more thought into it, get this card and be done with it.

It has great points categories with 3X on all travel and restaurants, a travel statement credit, another credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck, no foreign transaction fees, and one of the most flexible point transfer programs out there.

The major downside is the $450 annual fee. If you make over $100,000 per year, get the card. With the $300 travel credit, the annual fee is really just $150.

Also, keep an eye on the airline partners that are part of the Chase points program. They currently include British Airways, Flying Blue, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, Southwest, United, Virgin Atlantic, Aer Lingus, and Iberia. The Chase travel portal lets you book flights on any airline, but those are the only miles programs that you can transfer your Chase points into. If you primarily fly Delta, it’s worth considering the American Express Platinum to make your point redemption on flights easier.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

If the annual fee is a stretch for you, consider our next recommendation instead.

Chase Sapphire Preferred

The best travel card with an annual fee that’s less than $100

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is very similar to the Sapphire Reserve, with two main differences:

You’ll collect fewer points and won’t have as many perks

The annual fee is $95 instead of $450

2X points on all travel and restaurants is still amazing. Plus there’s no foreign transaction fees. And you still get access to the same flexible points program.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

American Express Platinum

The best travel card for going all-out on perks

If you want to be the VIP and maximize your perks, get the American Express Platinum.

You get Uber statement credits, airline statement credits, and 5X points on flights and hotels booked through American Express Travel. It also has access to the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts program, which I use for room upgrades, late checkouts, and free spa treatments.

The standout perk is getting access to the Centurion and American Express airport lounges. They’re super nice. The downside is that they’re only in 18 airports. So if you happen to fly through one of these airports regularly, this alone makes the card worth it. It also gets you access to Delta lounges. While there is Lufthansa lounge access, it’s only from Munich and Frankfurt.

If I flew Delta as my primary airline, I’d get the American Express Platinum so I could easily transfer my American Express points to Delta miles and redeem them as international flights.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Airline travel cards

After you’ve gotten comfortable with your general travel credit card, it’s time to add a level to your points system.

A dedicated airline card gets you a bunch of perks not available on any other cards. A few of them are easily worth the cost of having an extra credit card.

I resisted this for years. I liked the simplicity of only having to manage a single card. After I finally got an airline card, I wish I had done it years earlier.

Every airline has a slightly different set of perks. Hopefully your primary airline gives you the perks that you care most about. For me, I love priority boarding and lounge access. The perks tend to include:

Free checked bags

Priority boarding

Companion fares (a second ticket on the same flight for a crazy low price)

Lounge access or discounts on lounge passes

Extra points when booking directly through the airline

Miles boosts or extra qualifying miles for program tiers

We won’t be using the airline card to maximize miles. Sure, we’ll get a few extra miles but that’s not our primary goal. Our goal is to get extra perks when we do fly.

How to pick the right airline credit card

Before we pick a card, we first need to pick our primary airline. I recommend committing to one of these three airlines as your primary airline:

United

Delta

American Airlines

Why only these three?

When managing airline miles, you also want an airline that’s part of one of the three major airline networks:

Star Alliance (United)

Oneworld (American Airlines)

SkyTeam (Delta)

Each network has a dozen or so different airline members. For networks within the same airline, it’s easy to book flights across the network and use your airline miles. Flights on partner airlines also usually accrue miles that end up on your main miles program.

Why does any of this matter?

When you want to redeem your miles, you’ll want to use them on international flights. Unless you absolutely need to, avoid spending miles on domestic flights. You’ll get more value from your points on international flights. Plus you get a sweet international trip out of the deal.

And if you’re flying internationally, your options will be confined to the airlines in the same network as your primary miles program. For example, I can’t easily use my United miles to book a ticket on a British Airways flight, since they’re part of different networks.

This is why I never considered the JetBlue or Southwest Airlines miles programs or their credit cards. I know folks who absolutely love both airlines, but not having international flight partners is a deal breaker for me.

Alaska Airlines is the major main exception to all this.

While they’re not part of any of the airline networks, they do have a lot of airlines that they’ve partnered with, like British Airways, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, and more. So if there’s a specific airline you really want, check their partner list. It is possible they’ve put together a network themselves.

So how do we pick between United, Delta, and American Airlines?

Honestly, you won’t have much choice in the matter unless you happen to live next to a major airport with a ton of airlines.

Most airports have 1-2 dominant airlines.

I happen to live in Seattle, so Delta is my best choice out of the three.

Why should you prioritize the largest airline at your airport? I do it in order to get the most direct flights possible. I’ll do anything for a direct flight. To me, every extra layover is another chance for something to go horribly wrong.

Years ago, I was traveling between Denver, CO, and Richmond, VA, regularly on Delta. All my flights went through Cincinnati, one of the major hubs for Delta.

On two trips back-to-back, I got delayed overnight. The first was a massive blizzard that hit Denver, the second was a plane malfunction on the last flight of the night. I almost got stranded for the third time in a row when my first flight was delayed and I missed my connection. I sprinted through several terminals and outran several other passengers for the same flight, managing to grab the last seat on the last flight.

Since then, I only consider flights with the fewest connections possible.

That’s why I pick the airline with the most flights out of my home airport. If you want to use another, go for it. Just pick one airline to prioritize over all the others.

Once you pick your primary airline, then it’s time to pick your card. Each airline tends to have 2-3 credit card options. The higher the annual fee you accept, the more perks you’ll get.

Remember that we’re not using our airline credit card to optimize points. We’ll get a few extra points when booking our flights with that card, but that’ll pale in comparison to all the points our general travel card generates. We want the card that’ll give us the best perks.

If the annual fee is worth the perks for you, get the card.

Here are your options.

United Explorer Card

The Chase United Explorer card is a solid entry-level perks card for United flyers.

You’ll get your first bag checked free, priority boarding, and 2 lounge passes per year. There’s also a Global Entry or TSA Precheck credit if your primary card doesn’t already have it.

I find that the 2 lounge passes per year is more than enough for most folks. While it’s nice to have lounge access at your home airport, it’s not a game changer since we control when we get to the airport for our first flight. We really need lounge access when getting stuck with 3+ hour layovers on bigger international trips. I did have to wait in Montreal for 8 hours when coming back to the U.S. from Brussels. I sure wish I had lounge access then.

Two passes to the United lounge is enough to cover most traveling for a year.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Gold Delta SkyMiles

A good entry-level Delta card at $95/year is the Gold Delta SkyMiles card. You’ll get three main perks:

First checked bag free

Priority boarding

Delta Sky Club access for $29/person for you and up to 2 guests. While this isn’t as nice as the 2 free passes per year on the United card, it’s a great rate in a pinch. If you and your family get stranded, you’ll be able to hide out in the Delta lounge without handing over your first-born in payment

The perks aren’t epic but they include all the standard stuff at this tier. The card is definitely a great deal at $95/year.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Platinum Delta SkyMiles

The Platinum Delta SkyMiles card is the “in-betweener” card for Delta travelers at $195/year.

It’s almost identical to the Gold Delta SkyMiles with the addition of an annual companion fare. In other words, someone can travel with you basically for free. You’ll have to pay taxes, the flight must be domestic, and you get your first companion fare after your first card renewal.

The vast majority of domestic flights exceed $100, so as long as you do one domestic trip per year with someone else, you’ll easily come out ahead on this card.

If you’re a Delta flyer and you’re planning on signing up with the Gold Delta SkyMiles card, you should get the Platinum Delta SkyMiles instead. It’s a better deal.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Delta Reserve Credit Card

The Delta Reserve card is the “VIP” Delta card at a $450/year annual fee.

This includes everything from the Platinum Delta SkyMiles, with a few extras:

Full Delta Sky Club access for you, $29/person for up to 2 guests

A miles boost when you spend $30,000 within any given calendar year. You’ll receive 15,000 bonus miles and 15,000 Medallion Qualification Miles

Upgrade priority

Like the other airline cards, the major advantage is full access to the airline’s lounge. If that’s worth the $450/year fee to you, get the card. If not, get the Platinum Delta SkyMiles card instead.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

Pretty standard offering for American Airlines flyers. For a $99 annual fee, you’ll get the first checked bag for free and “preferred” boarding on American Airlines and 2X miles at gas stations and restaurants.

The flight discount is pretty nice. As long as you average $1,700 per month in credit card spending, you’ll hit the $20,000 milestone each year. Then you’ll get a discount that more than covers your annual fee.

The 2X miles on restaurants and gas stations is nice too in case your general travel card doesn’t give 2X points or more on these spending categories.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

The Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard has a similar set of VIP perks as the other airlines for an annual fee of $450:

Unfortunately, the Executive World Elite does lose a few perks that the Platinum Select World Elite has. The 2X miles at gas stations and restaurants aren’t available on this card. That’s lame. But that’s the cost of getting American Airlines lounge access.

Like the other airline cards, only get this card if lounge access is worth the $450 annual fee to you. Otherwise get the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard if American Airlines is your primary airline.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

How to use your airline card

Since this is the second credit card that we have, we’ll want to follow a few simple rules to get the most out of it.

Set up a few monthly subscriptions on the card so there’s always active charges on the account. This will keep the bank from marking your account as inactive in case you go a long time without using it. A Netflix subscription is perfect.

Set up automatic payments. Since you won’t be using the card heavily, it’ll be easy to forget about it. The last thing we ever want is to miss a credit card payment. We’ll get screwed on fees and it’ll ruin our credit score for years. Automatic payments ensure that this won’t happen.

When booking a flight on your primary airline, use the card to book the flight. All the airline cards give more points when booking directly through them.

That’s it, you’ll now get great perks while flying.

Hotel travel cards

In general, I’m not a huge fan of hotel travel cards for one reason.

I almost never stay in the same hotel twice.

Even when I return to a city, I almost always try a different hotel. Or I grab an Airbnb that I’ve never used before.

When I travel, even for work, I love trying new things. New neighborhoods, new food, new everything. One of my favorite things is discovering something amazing that I never knew existed.

One of the ways that I get my “new” fix is by trying new hotels. Occasionally, I’ll find a hotel that completely blows my mind, like The Peninsula Beijing or 1 Hotel Central Park. In those cases, I love going back. But it doesn’t happen often.

Where airlines only have a few options and you don’t lose that much flexibility by prioritizing a single airline, you’ll lose a ton of flexibility by only staying in one hotel chain. And the hotels I tend to love are unique, small chains. I have no personal interest in staying at dozens of Marriotts across the world.

But maybe you’re in a different situation. Maybe you travel for business all the time and stay at the same hotels. Or maybe you prefer the consistency from staying at the same hotel chain.

In that case, you should have a hotel credit card.

The choice will be pretty simple too: get the card for the hotel chain that you want to use.

If you’re not sure or have flexibility, go with one of the Marriott Bonvoy cards. You get access to W, St. Regis, and The Ritz-Carlton hotels, which are all super nice. And it includes tons of perks. If I was going to get a hotel card myself, I’d get this one.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card from Chase

The free night award is the most straightforward benefit on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card from Chase, and easily covers the $95 annual fee.

Otherwise, think of this card as a booster to climbing up the rewards tiers at Marriott. Here’s how many nights you need to spend in Marriott hotels per year to qualify for the different tiers:

Member = 0 nights

Silver Elite = 10 nights

Gold Elite = 25 nights

Platinum Elite = 50 nights

Titanium Elite = 75 nights

Ambassador Elite = 100 nights and $20,000 in annual spending

The higher you go up the tiers, the more perks you get. Everything from bonus points during your stay, faster internet, late checkout, welcome gifts, and room upgrades. The higher your tier, the more perks you get.

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card starts you at Silver Elite status, which includes 10% bonus on points during your stay along with priority late checkout. And with the 15 Elite Night credits, you have a head start on hitting the higher tiers that have increasingly better perks.

That makes it a lot easier to hit whichever status tier that you’re going for.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

Other hotel credit cards

If you want to use other hotel chains, these are the major options to consider.

Hilton Honors Aspire Card

This is the primo Hilton credit card. It’s a fantastic deal for two reasons.

First, the $250 resort credit knocks the annual cost of this card down to $200. Then the free night per year easily takes care of the rest. As long as you stay at a Hilton hotel once per year, you basically get the card for free.

Second, you also get Diamond status, which is Hilton’s highest rewards tier. It’s the only card that gives status at the highest tier for any hotel membership program. You’ll get:

Free room upgrades

5th night free on reservations

Late checkout

Welcome gifts

Complimentary breakfast

In other words, getting the Hilton Honors Credit Card gets you all the perks that come with Diamond Status, and it’s basically free once you factor in the statement credit and free night.

If you enjoy Hilton hotels and want to load up on as many perks as possible without the least amount of effort, this is a fantastic way to do it. There’s no hotel status tier to manage. Just book your hotel and walk in like a baller. Then rack up points to splurge on Hilton properties around the world.

This card’s good enough that even I’m considering staying at more Hilton hotels.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

The World of Hyatt credit card is a comparable hotel card to the other options. You’ll get a free night each year, free status in the middle of the hotel membership tiers, night credits to get higher tiers, and tons of bonus points when staying at Hyatt hotels.

There’s nothing that makes this card superior to the other hotel credit cards. But it’s a great option if you prefer Hyatt hotels.

*Terms apply – Learn how to apply online.

To wrap things up here are our picks for the top 12 best travel credit cards for 2020. Check them all out and find the best travel card for you.

Top 12 Best Travel Credit Cards

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Chase Sapphire Preferred

American Express Platinum

United Explorer Card

Gold Delta SkyMiles

Platinum Delta SkyMiles

Delta Reserve

Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card

Hilton Honors Aspire Card

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

Advertiser Disclosure: I Will Teach You To Be Rich has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. I Will Teach You To Be Rich and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

The best travel credit cards for 2020 is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

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The Hidden World of Invitation-Only Airline Clubs

Private invitation-only airport lounges behind unmarked doors, the lofty privileges and perks that come with “Very VIP status” — welcome to the world of the high-flying elite. That roster includes politicians and unelected power-brokers, A-list celebrities and the upper ranks of the largest companies.

They probably don’t travel anywhere near as much as a top-tier frequent flyer, but who needs a platinum airline membership card when yours is a coveted and rarely-seen black one?

Here’s a rundown of some of the world’s most exclusive airline clubs and elite status tiers:

Chairman’s Lounge (Qantas)

Described by Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce as “probably the most exclusive club in the country,” Australia’s Qantas Chairman’s Lounge isn’t just a “secret” frequent flyer tier: it’s also a network of private, invitation-only airport lounges.

Located in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, and Perth, guests enjoy restaurant-style dining and an all-day bar while taking in the serenity of the generally quiet space, or enjoying the artwork, which is rotated every fortnight to give regular visitors something new to look at.

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 A post shared by Ryan Pierse (@ryanpierse) on Jun 11, 2017 at 3:21pm PDT

Members also receive the highest priority when requesting upgrades, and have their preferences tracked and remembered from flight to flight, such as their usual drink and favorite seat.

Qantas has never published a list of Chairman’s Lounge members, but this VIP card is typically held by the CEO and chair of major companies which have sizable travel contracts with the airline, and by other invited guests who work in fields such as politics, show business, and media.

Qantas arch-rival Virgin Australia sought to emulate the Chairman’s Lounge with its equivalent VIP tier, The Club. It offers similar benefits across a network of five private lounges, with the add-on of escorts from lounge to aircraft, (at least) eight free business-class upgrades every 24 months, and complimentary airport limousine transfers when taking cross-country or long international flights.

Diamond Plus and Diamond Invitation (Cathay Pacific)

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific has not one, but two secret tiers beyond the lofty heights of Marco Polo Club Diamond: Diamond Plus, which recognizes the airline’s highest-spending flyers, and Diamond Invitation, for the VVIP set.

Take the same benefits as “regular” Marco Polo Club Diamond — access to Cathay Pacific and Oneworld first-class lounges, for example — and stir in perks in like an airport “meet and greet” service to skip past any queues, and that’s your above-Diamond cocktail.

Read: Five Backdoor Hacks to Win Elite Status at Hotels and Airlines

It’s been said that Diamond Plus may be within your reach if your yearly spend on Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon flights ranks among the top 1% of passengers. But as for Diamond Invitation, if you have to ask, you don’t belong!

Interestingly, rival Singapore Airlines chooses not to have a private VIP tier in its own frequent flyer scheme, which tops out at Solitaire PPS Club. In previous years, it was possible to earn Solitaire status for life, although that club is closed to new members.

Centurion (American Express)

While neither an airline nor a frequent flyer program, American Express has its own invitation-only airport lounge and restaurant in Hong Kong, reserved for holders of the elite Centurion Card.

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Finally managed to tick an @americanexpress Centurion lounge off the list, with the HK airport having the only one in Asia. The food and drinks were yummy, just a pity that the showers were an 1.5 hour wait. The lounge is small but I guess proportionate to the number of Amex Plat / Centurion members. I guess I’ll just have to come again. Oh and we ended up doing a 15 minute very brisk walk cos it was on the other end of HKIA from the gate lol. Oops. #amex #americanexpress #amexplat #amexcenturion #amexcenturionlounge #hkia #lounge #airport #airportlounge #centurionlounge #centurion #platinumcharge

A post shared by Robyn Burgess (Lee) ✈️😘👨🏻‍✈️ (@robynleeburgess) on Sep 5, 2019 at 9:13am PDT

Separate to Hong Kong’s general AMEX Centurion Lounge — which actually caters to AMEX Platinum cardholders — the Centurion Dining Room’s menu covers everything from Champagne and caviar through to dishes with truffles, bird’s nest and more.

There’s no way to directly apply for a Centurion Card, but the path generally begins by holding and spending heavily on an AMEX Platinum Charge Card, from which you may be invited to upgrade to Centurion.

iO: Invitation Only (Emirates)

Launched in 2010, “iO,” or Invitation Only, is Emirates’ secret tier above Skywards Platinum. Getting this card is tough: The nod comes directly from Emirates’ President Sir Tim Clark, and membership lasts for two years at a time.

In an iO welcome kit seen by this author, Clark describes the program as being “a very special and extremely exclusive club of Emirates travellers,” adding that “this select group is reserved for our most valued customers.”

iO members receive complimentary chauffeur-driven airport transfers every time they fly Emirates, and can expect to find a private car waiting for them if their aircraft arrives at a remote stand in Dubai.

In the air, what the member wants, the member gets — including special meals customized to specific tastes and preferences, with such requests handled personally by Emirates’ Senior Vice President Airport Catering Services.

Fellow Gulf airline Etihad’s own VIP scheme, Etihad Guest Exclusive, offers similar personalized attention and private cars between aircraft and terminal, but with the addition of Residence Lounge access in Abu Dhabi: A space normally reserved for passengers booked to fly in The Residence, a three-room private suite on Etihad’s Airbus A380s.

ConciergeKey (American Airlines)

Made famous by Ryan Bingham — George Clooney’s high-flying character in “Up in the Air” — American Airlines’ ConciergeKey is less a frequent flyer tier than a personal concierge service when you fly.

Expect to be greeted upon arrival at the airport, whisked through security and, time permitting, driven from the lounge to your departing flight in places like New York’s JFK Airport. On landing, a similar fast-track experience awaits.

Delta’s version, 360 Diamond Medallion, offers comparable VIP perks and is again invitation-only, although United’s private tier, Global Services, can be attained by anybody who racks up four million lifetime Premier Qualifying Miles via United MileagePlus.

British Airways: Executive Club Premier

British Airways recognizes its crème de la crème through Executive Club Premier status, granting access to the airline’s exclusive Concorde Rooms at London Heathrow and New York JFK: ordinarily reserved for BA’s first class passengers.

Whether jetting near or far, the Concorde Room experience offers a dining room with table service, private cabanas, a social bar, and a terrace space.

When it’s time to board, VIPs are whisked directly from lounge to aircraft by Jaguar: but as to how you’d qualify in the first place, well, that’s a secret.

Originally published by Executive Traveller.

The post The Hidden World of Invitation-Only Airline Clubs appeared first on Businessliveme.com.

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