The Best Travel Credit Cards of May 2025 based on signup bonuses and category spend bonuses are listed here–these are public offers, available to U.S. residents. Credit card offers such as these, category spend bonuses and some modest mile purchases are How We Earned Nearly 1 Million Miles and Points in Without Flying. With this post, I'll go into some detail as to why we rank these credit card offers the way we do, and separate them into the best ones for signup bonuses and the best ones for everyday spend. We do receive referral credit for some of the cards listed, but not all of them. I'll also aim to keep this blog post up to date to track changing offers and spend bonuses.
Note that there are sometimes targeted offers that are better than public offers, such as the 60K Alaska Visa or 90K AMEX Gold Business Card, so make sure to check your email regularly and subscribe to our daily newsletter.
Also note that the value of miles and points varies enormously depending on how you plan to use them. Someone redeeming for U.S. domestic flights that are normally inexpensive will typically get much less face value out of the same number of miles or points than someone redeeming for an international first class award ticket, which could have a retail value of $20,000 or more. If you only fly inexpensive domestic flights you may be best off with a cash back card.
The other part of the equation is redeeming miles and points for first and business class. If you don't have time or need help, consider using our paid Award Booking Service, if you book at least $9000 in hotels or cruises with us for your travel itinerary.
Keep in mind that for all Chase cards below, Chase 5/24 applies: if your credit report shows that you've applied for 5 or more new accounts over the past 24 months, you won't be approved. Note that this is from ALL issuers, not just Chase, but that certain business credit cards are NOT reported to the credit bureaus, and if you're denied, that of course doesn't count as a new account either.
Best Travel Credit Cards for Sign-Up Bonuses
In ranking these, I've taken into account not only the bonus, but the spend to get that bonus. I apply the highest value use, so be sure to read my notes to decide if you would value the card as highly.
1. Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card – 90,000 Ultimate Rewards points
- 90,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $8000 in 3 months from account opening
- Credit card (may carry a balance, although don't be tempted to!)
- 3X points per dollar on the first $150,000 in combined purchases each anniversary year on travel, shipping purchases, Intternet, cable and phone services, and on advertising purchases made with social media sites.
- 1:1 point transfer to Singapore KrisFlyer, Hyatt, United Airlines, Southwest, Ritz-Carlton, Marriott, InterContinental, Priority Club, Amtrak
- No foreign transaction fees
- Annual fee of $95 is NOT waived the first year, unless you apply in a Chase branch
Why #1: The Ink Bold and Ink Plus have been eliminated for new applications, so now the only Ultimate Rewards linked Ink card is the Ink Business Preferred. The 90K sign up bonus has a lower minimum spend of just $8000 within the first 3 months of account opening (it used to require $15,000 spend to earn the signup bonus). Note that this card is subject to Chase 5/24, so you'll most likely not be approved for it unless you have opened 4 or fewer new credit cards within the past 24 months.
Points may be transferred 1:1 to Singapore KrisFlyer, United MileagePlus, British Airways, Southwest, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, JetBlue, Flying Blue, Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton, Marriott, Intercontinental/Priority Club, Amtrak.
Ultimate Rewards points are great for transferring to United to redeem for awards on Lufthansa, ANA, Asiana, Thai and other Star Alliance partners.
Another thing I love about business cards is that unlike personal cards, credit utilization is not reported to credit agencies. So as long as you're paying it off in full by the due date, no need to zealously pay off high spend right after it occurs.
2. 75K Ink Business Cash or 90K Ink Business Unlimited
- 75,000 points after $6000 spend within the first 3 months of account opening
- 5X points for spend on Internet, Cable, Cell Phone Services and Office Supply Stores
- 2X points for spend on restaurants and gas stations
- No annual fee
- If you also have a card such as the Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred or Ink Business Preferred you can combine points with that card and transfer these Ultimate Rewards points out to frequent flyer programs such as United MileagePlus, British Airways Executive Club, Aeroplan, Singapore KrisFlyer, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, JetBlue TrueBlue, etc.
- 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after $4000 spend within the first 3 months of account opening
- 3X points per dollar on dining, online grocery (excludes Target, Walmart, wholesale clubs) and select streaming services
- 3X points per dollar on travel spend
- $300 annual statement credit for travel purchases
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit (up to $100 statement credit every four years as reimbursement)
- No foreign transaction fees
- $550 annual fee (effectively $250 per year, given the $300 annual statement credit for travel)
Why #3: The Chase Sapphire Reserve is now my most used card in terms of dollar value of purchases, thanks to earning 3X on all travel and dining, and also because of its travel insurance benefit (which is still more generous than AMEX: see AMEX Trip Cancellation Insurance: Chase Sapphire Still Better). If you travel, this should be your go-to card for virtually all purchases, and in my view it's the best card to have if you opt to have just one travel rewards credit card. Yes, it has a high $550 annual fee, but effectively it's a $250 per year card because of the $300 travel statement credit each year (December to December billing cycle). This reimburses you for $300 per year of all kinds of travel–airfare, hotel spend, taxis, car rentals, etc. 2020 Update: Unfortunately, the Chase Sapphire Reserve annual fee has increased to $550.
Even if you're not positive you're going to keep the card for the long term (although personally I will) you can make about $950 off the card in the first year. Get a $300 travel statement credit plus the 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points as a signup bonus (worth $1200 at a valuation of 2 cents per point. That gives you $1200 + $300 – $550 = 950.
Since you earn 3X on all travel and dining, anyone who spends $2500 or more per year on some combination of travel and dining will easily earn back the annual fee on an annual basis, at least if you value Chase Ultimate Rewards points at ~2 cents per point. That's because your $2500 in spend will earn you 7500 Ultimate Rewards points, and at a valuation of 2 cents per point, that's $150. And this is in addition to the trip interruption, cancellation, delay, Chase Sapphire Reserve Priority Pass Select lounge access and other card benefits.
4. 60K Chase Sapphire Preferred
- 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points signup bonus after spending $4000 in the first 3 months of account opening
- $300 Travel Statement Credit per year automatically applied for travel purchases charged to your card
- Earn 3X Ultimate Rewards points on dining purchases and online grocery spend (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs) and 2X on all travel spend
- No foreign transaction fees
- 1:1 Ultimate Rewards point transfer to Singapore KrisFlyer, United, Hyatt, Southwest, Marriott, InterContinental, Priority Club, Amtrak
- Travel insurance: Up to $10,000 per person ($20,000 maximum per trip) trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance, up to a maximum of $40,000 per 12 month period.
- Annual fee of $95
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5. 60K Chase Aeroplan Card
- Up to 70,000 Aeroplan points: Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Then earn 10,000 points after you pay your card's annual renewal fee.
- 3X points per dollar spent on Aeroplan Air Canada, grocery spend, and dining (including takeout and eligible delivery services that are classified as restaurants) as well as 500 bonus points for each $2,000 spent each calendar month on up to $6,000 in purchases (for a possible total of 1,500 bonus points each calendar month).
- No foreign transaction fees
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck or NEXUS Application Fee Statement Credit up to $100 once every 4 years
- Free first checked bag for the cardmember and up to eight companions on the same Air Canada reservation (does not apply on partner flights)
- Annual fee of $95 is NOT waived; note that Chase generally doesn't approve new card applications for applicants who have gotten 5 or more new credit cards over the past 24 months (this includes ALL personal credit cards and some business credit cards, not just Chase credit cards)
Why #5: Aeroplan is Air Canada's frequent flyer program, and since Air Canada is a member of Star Alliance, Aeroplan points can book award flights such as SWISS Business Class, Austrian Business Class, Turkish Airlines Business Class, ANA First Class, United Polaris Business Class, and other Star Alliance awards.
- 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8000 spend in the first 6 months of card membership
- 5 points per dollar spent on airline flights booked directly with airlines or with AMEX Travel; also 10 points per dollar on eligible restaurant purchases worldwide and when you shop small in the U.S. on up to $25,000 in combined purchases during the first 6 months of card membership
- No foreign transaction fees
- 1:1 point transfer to partners such as Air Canada Aeroplan, ANA, British Airways, Delta SkyMiles, Emirates Skywards, Singapore KrisFlyer, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and more
- Access to AMEX Centurion Lounges and Global Lounge Collection (includes Delta Sky Club if flying Delta, Priority Pass Select lounges, Lufthansa Business Class Lounges if flying Lufthansa, Plaza Premium Lounges, Airspace Lounges)
- Annual fee of $695 is NOT waived; note that the 100K bonus offer is NOT available if you have or have had this card
Why #6: 100,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points are worth $2000 at a valuation of 2 cents per point, so even if you don't use any of the associated card benefits, you're buying points for ~.7 cents per point. Chances are you'll be able to recoup at least some of the hefty $695 annual fee, for example with visits to a Centurion Lounge; $100 Global Entry fee credit; $179 CLEAR credit; $20 per month digital entertainment credit for Audible, SiriusXM; and/or $200 airline incidental fee credit per year.
7. 170K AMEX Business Platinum Card
- 120,000 United MileagePlus miles signup bonus after spending $15,000 in the first 3 months of account opening
- Earn 5X points per dollar on flights booked with AMEXTravel.com
- Earn 1.5X points per dollar on on business categories and purchases of $5000 or more on up to $2 million of purchases per calendar year
- 1:1 point transfer to partners such as Air Canada Aeroplan, ANA, British Airways, Delta SkyMiles, Emirates Skywards, Singapore KrisFlyer, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and more
- Access to AMEX Centurion Lounges and Global Lounge Collection (includes Delta Sky Club if flying Delta, Priority Pass Select lounges, Lufthansa Business Class Lounges if flying Lufthansa, Plaza Premium Lounges, Airspace Lounges)
- Access to AMEX Centurion Lounges and Global Lounge Collection (includes Delta Sky Club if flying Delta, Priority Pass Select lounges, Lufthansa Business Class Lounges if flying Lufthansa, Plaza Premium Lounges, Airspace Lounges)
- $100 Global Entry fee credit, $179 Clear fee credit
- Priority boarding for the Cardholder and companions on the same reservation
- No foreign transaction fees
- $695 annual fee is NOT waived the first year
Why #7: Normally the AMEX Business Platinum bonus is 100K, so 170,000 bonus points is a superior offer, assuming the $15,000 minimum spend in the first 3 months isn't a problem to meet. That said, the high minimum spend, high annual fee of $695 and the inferior benefits (AMEX Business Platinum only awards 5X points per dollar for airlines when reserving with AMEXTravel.com, while the AMEX Platinum awards 5X per dollar for airlines when booking directly with airlines, as well as with AMEX Travel) lower this ranking on our list.
8. 70K United Explorer (Targeted; public 60K offer also available)
- 60,000 United MileagePlus miles signup bonus after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months of account opening
- Earn additional 10,000 MileagePlus miles per dollar after spending another $3000 in the first 3 months of account opening (total spend of $6000)
- Earn 2X MileagePlus miles per dollar on eligible United Airlines purchases, hotels when booked directly with the hotel, restaurants including eligible delivery services such as GrubHub, Caviar, Seamless and DoorDash
- 2 United Club passes after account opening and on each card anniversary date
- Free first checked bag for the primary Cardholder and one companion traveling on the same reservation when the Cardholder includes his/her MileagePlus number on a flight reservation purchased from United with the United Business Card.
- Priority boarding for the Cardholder and companions on the same reservation
- No foreign transaction fees
- $95 annual fee is waived the first year
Why #8: This is a limited time offer, available until 1/13/21. 70,000 United miles will cover a one way business class Saver award to Hawaii (50,000 miles vs. the regular Everyday award rate of 95,000 miles) or a roundtrip United Polaris Business Class Saver award for a transcon JFK-LAX which is 35,000 miles each way (70,000 roundtrip). United is finally returning to New York JFK: see United Airlines Will Fly from New York JFK from February 2021.
9. 65K Citi AAdvantage Business Card
- Earn 65K AAdvantage miles after $4000 in spend within the first 4 months of account opening
- No foreign transaction fees
- 2 AAdvantage miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and on purchases at telecommunications merchants, gas stations and car rental agencies
- $99 annual fee is waived the first year
- First checked bag free on domestic American Airlines flights
- Note that you are not eligible for the bonus miles if you have received a bonus for this card in the past 48 months.
Why #9: See the below for the AAdvantage Platinum Select; this 60K offer ranks above the personal card.
10. 60K Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select
Note that you shouldn't apply for more than one Citi card of any kind on the same day–wait at least a week between Citi applications, if you're hoping to be approved for both.
- Earn 60K AAdvantage miles after $3000 in spend within the first 3 months of account opening
- No foreign transaction fees
- 2 AAdvantage miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and on purchases at telecommunications merchants, gas stations and car rental agencies
- $99 annual fee is waived the first year
- First checked bag free on domestic American Airlines flights
- Note that you are not eligible for the bonus miles if you have received a bonus for this same card within the past 48 months.
Why #10: Even after the major AAdvantage award chart devaluation, AAdvantage miles still have their uses. For example, you can fly JAL Sky Suite Business Class between the U.S. and Japan for 60,000 miles each way, JAL Business Class from Tokyo to Sydney for 40,000 miles each way, or JAL First Class Tokyo to Sydney for 60,000 miles each way. If you need more miles more quickly than you can earn them via credit card signup bonuses, you may want to top up your account by buying AAdvantage miles.
11. 50K JetBlue Plus Card
- Earn 50,000 TrueBlue points after spending $1000 on purchases within the first 90 days of card membership and paying the annual fee
- Earn 6X points per dollar on JetBlue purchases
- Earn 2X points per dollar on restaurants and grocery stores
- Earn 5000 bonus points each year on your account anniversary
- Earn a 10% rebate of your TrueBlue points after redeeming for award flights
- 50% inflight savings on cocktails and food purchases with the card
- No foreign transaction fees
- $99 annual fee is NOT waived the first year
Why #11: This offer is only available via the JetBlue mobile app; normally the bonus is 40K-50K bonus points, so this is a good offer for the card, even though the JetBlue TrueBlue award chart isn't as lucrative as some other frequent flyer award charts, because it's revenue based. The amount of TrueBlue points required for an award ticket is based on the cash cost of the ticket, which results in typically only getting 1.1-1.2 cents per point in value for JetBlue Mint redemptions, which is very little compared to some other frequent flyer miles and points currencies.
12. British Airways Visa: 100,000 Avios
- 100,000 bonus Avios after $5000 spend within the first 3 months of account opening
- Take 10% off British Airways flights that originate in the U.S. at britishairways.com/Chase10 when paying with your British Airways Visa
- Receive statement credits of $100 for Economy and Premium Economy and $200 for Business Class and First Class up to three times a year (up to $600 total per year) when booking a reward flight to London on British Airways and paying taxes, fees, and carrier charges using your British Airways Visa
- 5 Avios for every $1 spent on British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus purchases within the first 18 months of account opening, thereafter 3 Avios per $1 spent. 3 Avios per $1 spent on hotels within the first 18 months of account opening, thereafter 2 Avios per $1 spent. 1 Avios per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Smart chip
- No foreign transaction fees
- Travel Together companion ticket valid for 2 years after $30,000 spend within a calendar year
- $95 annual fee is NOT waived for this offer
Why #12: We now rank this card more highly than its previous bonus offer, thanks to just $5000 required to earn the 100,000 bonus Avios. Keep in mind, however, that Avios are much less valuable than they used to be, due to the various award chart devaluations over the past few years. For example, see the New British Airways Avios Devaluation which really made first class and business class awards a terrible value, especially for peak travel dates on British Airways and on partners, since all partner awards are at the peak travel rate. British Airways First Class from the West Coast to London has increased from 150,000 Avios roundtrip to 170,000-200,000 roundtrip for non-peak and peak dates, respectively, and it's next to impossible to find first class award availability from the West Coast. Also note the $95 annual fee is NOT waived the first year.
Additionally, even if your goal happens to be short flights on American Airlines within the U.S., AA has sharply reduced their saver award space (which is the space open to partners such as British Airways) so Avios are less useful for those awards.
Make sure to take the increased award rates and lack of British Airways first class award availability into account when deciding whether or not to apply for the card, and if you're considering getting the card for the 2 for 1 companion voucher, see How to Maximize the British Airways Companion Ticket on Award Travel.
13. Iberia Visa: 100,000 Avios
- 100,000 bonus Iberia Avios after $5000 spend within the first 3 months of account opening
- Take 10% off Iberia flights that originate in the country of purchase at iberia.com/chase10 when paying with your Iberia Visa
- Earn 5 Avios for every $1 spent on flight purchases with Iberia, British Airways, and Aer Lingus within the first 18 months from account opening, thereafter earn 3 Avios.
- Earn 3 Avios for every $1 spent on hotel accomodations booked directly with the hotel within the first 18 months from account opening, thereafter earn 2 Avios. Earn 1 Avios for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
- No foreign transaction fees
- $1000 discount voucher towards two paid roundtrip flights on Iberia, after $30,000 spend within a calendar year
- $95 annual fee is NOT waived for this offer
Why #13: Very similar to the British Airways Visa offer, this Iberia offer does not waive the $95 annual fee the first year, but the 100K offer for $5000 spend is better than the previous bonus offer. Iberia also charges lower fuel surcharges than British Airways for award flights between the U.S. and Europe, so this can be a good alternative to British Airways for getting to Europe, especially if your destination is Spain or another European destination served by Iberia's Madrid hub.
Avios in my view are good to have for miles and points diversification, since they can offer the best deal for short direct flights in the U.S., Asia, Australia, and even in Europe, to a lesser extent (due to all the low fares from easyjet, Ryanair etc.)
14. Aer Lingus Visa: 100,000 Avios
- 100,000 bonus Aer Lingus Avios after $5000 spend within the first 3 months of account opening
- Earn 5 Avios for every $1 spent on flight purchases with Iberia, British Airways, and Aer Lingus within the first 18 months from account opening, thereafter earn 3 Avios.
- Earn 3 Avios for every $1 spent on hotel accomodations booked directly with the hotel within the first 18 months from account opening, thereafter earn 2 Avios. Earn 1 Avios for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
- No foreign transaction fees
- Every calendar year you make purchases of $30,000 on your Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card, receive an economy companion ticket good for 12 months
- $95 annual fee is NOT waived for this offer
Why #14: Similar to its counterpart British Airways and Iberia card offers, see above, although the travel together companion ticket offer is inferior to the British Airways Visa, as the Aer Lingus companion ticket is only for economy class, not Aer Lingus business class.
- 80,000 ThankYou points after $4000 spend within 3 months of account opening
- 3X on travel spend, including gas stations
- 2X on dining and entertainment
- $95 annual fee waived the first 12 months
- No foreign transaction fees
- Offer not available if you have opened or closed a Citi ThankYou Preferred, ThankYou Premier or Citi Prestige card within the past 24 months
Why #15: I rank this card above the 75K AMEX Business Platinum due to the high spend requirement for the 75K AMEX bonus offer, but below the Citi AAdvantage offers, which provide 60K miles for less minimum spend ($3000 instead of $4000) and below higher Chase Ultimate Rewards offers, since Ultimate Rewards points are more valuable than Citi ThankYou points.
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16. 60K AMEX Gold
- 60,000 Membership Rewards points after $4000 spend within 3 months of account opening
- 4X points on U.S. restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year at supermarkets)
- 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- $250 annual fee is NOT waived the first year, but each year you can get a $100 airline incidental fee credit for one qualifying airline that you choose (for baggage, in-flight meal purchases) and $10 per month statement credit for participating dining partners: Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth's Chris Steak House and participating Shake Shack locations
- No foreign transaction fees
- Offer not available if you have or have had the AMEX Premier Rewards Gold card. AMEX also reserves the right to consider the number of American Express cards you have opened and closed as well as other factors in making a decision on welcome offer eligibility.
Why #16: If you're able to use the $100 airline incidental fee credit each year, this is effectively a $150 per year card; it could even be a $30 per year card if you also use the $10 statement credit per month, for example because you use order food via Seamless or visit Shake Shack each month. The 4X per dollar on U.S. restaurants and grocery stores is a good benefit, but keep in mind the 4X is just one point more than the Chase Sapphire Reserve, and usually the Chase Freedom has one quarter where grocery stores are 5X, so if you have 4 Chase Freedom cards in your household, as we do, that's $6000 in grocery spend per year at 5X.
17. Up to 60K World of Hyatt Visa
- 30,000 Hyatt points after $3000 spend within the first 3 months of account opening; additional 30,000 Hyatt points (total of 60K points) from 2X points per dollar spent on up to $15,000 within 6 months of account opening
- 4X per dollar spent at Hyatt hotels, including Hyatt-managed restaurants
- 2X on non-Hyatt restaurants, airline tickets purchased directly with the airline, local transit/commuting, fitness club and gym memberships
- $95 annual fee is NOT waived
- No foreign transaction fees
- Free night certificate for a Category 1-4 Hyatt awarded on your account anniversary
Why #17: It won't be worth it for some to earn the full 60,000 bonus, given that 30,000 of it is from spending $15,000 for 2X points, not a great deal unless you have significant organic Hyatt spend that would earn you additional points. Also note that the annual fee of $95 is higher than the previous card's annual fee of $75, so depending on how you value the annual free night at a Category 1-4 Hyatt and how often you have paid stays at Hyatts, this may be a card mostly worth picking up for the bonus.
18. 80K Lufthansa Miles & More
- 80K bonus Miles & more miles after spending $3000 on the card within the first 90 days of card membership
- 2X miles per $1 for tickets purchased directly with Lufthansa and partner airlines such as Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and SWISS
- $89 annual fee is NOT waived the first year
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2. 50K Chase Sapphire Reserve Visa
- 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4000 spend in the first 3 months
- 3 points per dollar spent on travel and dining at restaurants & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
- 1:1 point transfer to Singapore KrisFlyer, Korean Air, Air France/KLM, British Airways, United, Hyatt, Southwest, Marriott, InterContinental, Priority Club
- Direct access to expert service advisors anytime
- $450 annual fee; but you receive a $300 travel credit per membership year, so effectively a $150 annual fee card
- 15,000 points signup bonus after spending $500 in 3 months
- 2500 points after adding an authorized and making your first purchase within 3 months of account opening
- If you travel, get this card for points, not cash back. Note that you'll need the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Ink Bold or Ink Plus to transfer points out to Ultimate Rewards partners such as United and Hyatt
- 5X points on up to $1,500 spent each quarter.
- No annual fee
4. 15K AMEX Blue Business Plus – 2X Membership Rewards Points on Everything
- 2X Membership Rewards points on all purchases on the first $50,000 per year (1 point per dollar thereafter)
- No annual fee
- 1:1 point transfer to Membership Rewards partners such as Singapore KrisFlyer, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Delta SkyMiles, Emirates Skywards, etc.
- 3x Membership Rewards points for airfare
- 2x Membership Rewards points for groceries and gas
- $175 annual fee waived the first year
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You need to update some of the chase cards. Now all subject to 5/25