Have you ever taken a look at the terms and conditions for a frequent flyer or hotel rewards program? Sometimes it feels like you need a law degree to decipher them, which probably isn’t the experience you want when just want to take a vacation.
The credit card industry seems to have gotten the message, and they now offer several cards with rewards that are very easy to redeem. To be sure, these cards won’t offer you some of the great deals for the incredible business and first class awards that award travel enthusiasts are sometimes able to coax out of the airlines. But if you just want to book the flights and hotels you need without spending hours hunting for award availability, then these are the cards for you:
1. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
This card can offer you the best of both worlds, as you earn Ultimate Rewards points that can be redeemed directly for travel reservations, or transferred to points and miles in airline or hotel programs. New applicants earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 within three months of account opening. You also earn 2x points on all travel and dining, and one point per dollar spent elsewhere. These points are worth 1.25 cents each when easily redeemed for reservations from the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Center, which works like an online travel agency. But rewards can also be transferred to airline and hotel programs, if you choose. There’s a $95 annual fee for this card that’s waived the first year, and no foreign transaction fees.
2. Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
This card allows you to earn points that can be redeemed for statement credit to pay for flights, hotels, vacation packages, cruises, rental cars, or baggage fees. You start off with 25,000 bonus points after making $1,000 in purchases within 90 days of account opening. You also earn 1.5 points per dollar spent on all purchases, and points are worth one cent each as statement credits towards travel reservations and fees. Furthermore, you can get an additional 10% customer points bonus on every purchase when you have an active Bank of America® checking or savings account, and being a Preferred Rewards client can increase that bonus to 25% - 75%. There’s no annual fee for this card, and no foreign transaction fees.
3. Barclaycard Arrival® Plus World Elite Mastercard®
This card features double miles on all purchases, which can be redeemed as statement credits towards any travel reservations. New applicants receive 60,000 bonus miles, worth $600 in travel statement credits, after making $5,000 in purchases within 90 days of account opening. You also earn 2x miles on all purchases and miles are worth one cent each as statement credits towards travel reservations and fees. Furthermore, you can get an additional 5% of your redeemed miles back, every time. There’s an $89 annual fee for this card that’s waived the first year, and no foreign transaction fees.
This card simply offers you 2% of your spending back towards airfare redemptions and includes several luxury benefits. You get 24/7 Luxury Card concierge access, exclusive Luxury Card Travel Benefits, and a subscription to the members-only LUXURY MAGAZINE. There’s a $195 annual fee, and no foreign transaction fees.
This card also offers you the option of redeeming your points directly for travel reservations or transferring them to airline miles. You earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 within three months of account opening. You also earn 3x points on travel, including gas stations, 2x points on dining out and entertainment and one point per dollar spent elsewhere. Points are worth 1.25 cents each towards airfare purchases through the ThankYou® Travel Center, or one cent each towards gift cards from the Thank You® Rewards collection. There’s a $95 annual fee for this card that’s waived the first year, and no foreign transaction fees.
Above image by A. and I. Kruk via Shutterstock
