Which Credit Cards I Use to Save Thousands on Travel, Plus Ones I Skip

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us and terms apply to offers listed (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate credit cards to write unbiased product reviews.

• As a frequent traveler, I’ve been spending about $1,300 a year on credit card fees to get great perks. 
• I think airport lounge access is worth it, I love travel upgrades, and I always need a card without foreign transaction fees. 
• I’m not sure priority boarding is worth the price, and I don’t love keeping track of monthly credits.

I used to think that paying an annual fee for a credit card was a terrible idea and a waste of money. 

For years, I prided myself on using no annual fee credit cards that offered a small amount of cash back on purchases. But I changed my mind once I started traveling more and learning about the perks some credit cards offered.

I dove in head first. This year I’ve spent about $1,300 on annual fees. Most of the fees are worth every penny and have easily paid for themselves, though there are some I’m not sure about. 

Here are my favorite travel card perks, plus a few I’ve enjoyed but would be OK losing.  

I love having airport-lounge access and travel upgrades

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express comes with a hard-to-swallow $695 annual fee (rates and fees), but the perks have more than outweighed the cost. For context, I’m a freelance writer and use this card for expenses associated with my business, but American Express offers a personal version that’s very similar.

I’ve used this card’s benefits to get CLEAR® Plus and Global Entry, both of which have helped me speed through security lines at airports. It got me an upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold elite status after enrollment, which has scored me free breakfast and room upgrades throughout my travels. Terms Apply.

However, my favorite perk of this card is my Priority Pass membership. With it, I’ve gained access to several airport lounges for myself and up to two travel companions, usually my children. Enrollment is required and terms apply.

This benefit alone has saved me hundreds of dollars since I no longer have to buy pricey food at the airport — most lounges offer plenty of it for free. Plus, lounge access has made long travel days and layovers so much easier. I wish I had gotten this card sooner. 

Being able to avoid foreign transaction fees has saved me a lot of money

The first credit card I applied for with an annual fee is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which has a $95 annual fee. Many of my cards charge up to 3% for every transaction made in a currency other than US dollars, but this one doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. 

Foreign transaction fees can add up quickly, even on a short trip. Because I take a couple of international trips a year, the Sapphire Preferred Card’s annual fee more than pays for itself. 

The Sapphire Preferred Card also has other money-saving perks for travelers I like, including competitive travel insurance and car-rental insurance for trips charged to the card. 

Although my Amex Business Platinum Card does not charge foreign transaction fees and provides travel insurance (terms apply), American Express isn’t as widely accepted internationally. I’ve had Chase credit cards accepted almost everywhere I’ve traveled so I will keep this one in my wallet. 

Rewards Credit Cards

The best rewards credit cards can be a great way to earn cash back or travel rewards on your everyday purchases. Popular cards include the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and the Bank of America Travel Rewards card.

The author has access to a range of airport lounges through her credit cards.

Taylor Rains/Business Insider

I paid several hundred dollars to get an Amex Gold, but I got points galore 

I applied for an American Express® Business Gold Card card when the company ran one of its high welcome bonus promotions. The card’s $375 annual fee is high (rates and fees), but the generous welcome bonus more than made up for it for me. The current welcome bonus on the card is 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the card within the first three months of card membership (terms apply).

I have several international trips planned this year, and I expect that the points I plan to redeem for airline tickets will easily save me at least triple the annual fee. For example, a ticket on a flight I’m eyeing to New Delhi from Washington, DC, costs $1,488 and is 148,000 points.

With this card, I also receive monthly statement credits — up to $20 a month — offsetting more than half of the annual fee I paid. However, it’s a pain to keep track of earning the monthly credits that you must enroll in, and the card’s other benefits aren’t that valuable to me.

I probably won’t keep this card for a second year since American Express offers a personal version of it with similar perks and a lower annual fee.

Priority boarding has been nice, but not quite worth the price

I’m a frequent flyer on United but have never accrued enough points to gain status with the airline. To get more perks on United, I applied for a United℠ Explorer Card card, which charges $0 intro for the first year, then $95 annual fee.

My favorite perk of this card is priority boarding. Combined with other perks like single-entry passes to United Club lounges and free checked bags, I thought this card was a good value. 

However, I now get lounge access and credit for checked bags with my Amex Business Platinum Card (enrollment with an eligible airline is required), and I don’t think priority boarding is valuable enough to make up for the annual fee. 

I would also rather earn points that can be transferred to several airlines and hotels rather than being locked into United. I plan on canceling this card when the next annual fee comes due, but I might reapply if I find that I miss priority boarding a lot. 

Don’t know where to start? Consider a financial advisor. 

Finding a financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three fiduciary financial advisors who serve your area in minutes. Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. Start your search now.

This story was originally published on August 22, 2024 and most recently updated on January 24, 2025.

_{Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.}