What is the best travel credit card in 2026?

The Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum are the top premium travel cards. The Sapphire Reserve is better for flexible travel and dining rewards; the Amex Platinum is better for lounge access and airline credits. If you don't want to pay $795 or $895 a year, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a strong pick at $95.

Are travel credit card annual fees worth it?

Only if you use the credits. Premium fees rose sharply over 2025 and 2026; as of October 2026 the Chase Sapphire Reserve is $795 and the Amex Platinum $895. The Reserve's $300 travel credit posts automatically, and The Edit hotel credits can add $500 more, which more than covers the fee. But most of these credits only work at specific merchants, so they're worth nothing if those aren't places you'd spend anyway. Travel a few times a year or less and a $95 card like the Sapphire Preferred is the better math.

What are transferable points and why do they matter?

Transferable points (Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles) can move to multiple airline and hotel programs. This flexibility lets you find the best redemption for any given trip, often getting 2–5 cents per point in value versus 1 cent with cashback.

How do I earn free flights with a travel credit card?

Sign up for a card with a large welcome bonus (typically worth $500–$1,500 in travel), meet the minimum spend requirement, and transfer the points to an airline partner. Business class flights to Europe frequently cost 60,000–75,000 points each way, which a single sign-up bonus can cover.

Best Travel Credit Cards for 2026

These are the six travel cards I’d recommend in 2026, including the three I carry myself. All of them skip foreign transaction fees and earn points you can transfer to airlines and hotels. The right one depends on how you travel and where your money goes each month, so start with the quick picks.

Quick picks

Question	Start with	Why
You travel often and eat out a lot	Sapphire Reserve	The $300 travel credit takes care of itself, dining earns 3x, and Hyatt transfers stay at 1:1.
You travel a few times a year	Sapphire Preferred	The same transfer partners for $95 instead of $795. The Reserve's credits only pay off if you travel enough to use them.
You fly Delta and live near a Centurion Lounge	Amex Platinum	Delta Sky Club visits, Centurion Lounges, 5x on flights, and points that transfer to Delta.
Your budget is mostly groceries and restaurants	Amex Gold	4x at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants, the best rate for that spending, for $325.
You want Delta status without a premium fee	Delta Platinum	$2,500 in Medallion Qualification Dollars a year and a yearly companion certificate.
You pay rent or a mortgage	Bilt Palladium	Points on housing with no transaction fee. If the $495 fee is more than you want, the lower Bilt tiers do the same housing trick.

Deciding between the two premium cards? The Amex Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve guide walks through it, including what you give up by putting your spending on one instead of the other.

The cards, side by side

I carry this

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Chase · $795 annual fee

Welcome offer: 100,000 points after $5,000 in purchases in 3 months
Earning: 8x through Chase Travel, 4x on flights and hotels booked direct, 3x on dining
Best for: You travel often, eat out a lot, and want Hyatt or United

$300 travel credit that applies automatically to almost any travel purchase
Up to $500 a year for prepaid stays with The Edit, plus up to $300 a year in dining credits
Chase Sapphire Lounges and 1,300+ Priority Pass lounges, with up to two guests
The only Sapphire card that still transfers to World of Hyatt at 1:1

Review Chase Sapphire Reserve →

Chase Sapphire Preferred®

Chase · $95 annual fee

Welcome offer: 100,000 points after $6,000 in purchases in 3 months
Earning: 5x through Chase Travel, 3x on dining, streaming, online groceries, gas, and EV charging, 2x on other travel
Best for: You want Chase transfer partners without a premium fee

Up to $100 a year for hotel stays booked through Chase Travel
Up to $120 every four years for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS
DashPass plus a $10 monthly DoorDash promo
Same transfer partners as the Reserve, though Hyatt is 4:3 instead of 1:1

Review Chase Sapphire Preferred →

I carry this

The Platinum Card® from American Express

American Express · $895 annual fee

Welcome offer: Up to 175,000 points after $12,000 in purchases in 6 months (offers vary by applicant)
Earning: 5x on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel, and on prepaid hotels through Amex Travel
Best for: You fly Delta, use Uber, and will keep up with monthly credits

$200 airline fee credit, $200 in Uber Cash, and up to $120 back on Uber One
$400 in Resy credits ($100 a quarter) and $300 in digital entertainment credits ($25 a month)
Centurion Lounges, 10 Delta Sky Club visits a year when flying Delta, and Priority Pass
$219 CLEAR+ credit, plus Global Entry or TSA PreCheck

Review The Platinum Card →

American Express® Gold Card

American Express · $325 annual fee

Welcome offer: Up to 100,000 points after $8,000 in purchases in 6 months (offers vary by applicant)
Earning: 4x at restaurants (first $50,000 a year) and U.S. supermarkets (first $25,000 a year)
Best for: Most of your spending is groceries and restaurants

$120 a year in dining credits ($10 a month at partners like Five Guys and The Cheesecake Factory)
$120 a year in Uber Cash ($10 a month)
$100 a year in Resy credits ($50 twice a year)
The same Membership Rewards transfer partners as the Platinum

Review American Express Gold Card →

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

American Express · $350 annual fee

Welcome offer: Bonus miles after $4,000 in purchases in 6 months (the amount varies by applicant)
Earning: 3x on Delta and hotel purchases
Best for: You fly Delta and want status faster without a premium fee

$2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars each year toward Delta status
A Main Cabin companion certificate each year after renewal (domestic, Caribbean, or Central America)
First checked bag free on Delta flights
Priority boarding

Review Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card →

I carry this

Bilt Palladium Card

Cardless · $495 annual fee

Welcome offer: 50,000 points and Bilt Gold status after $4,000 in purchases in 90 days (rent and mortgage excluded)
Earning: 2x on everyday purchases, and up to 1.25x on rent and mortgage with no transaction fee
Best for: You pay high rent or a mortgage and want one card for everything else

$400 a year in Bilt Travel hotel credits ($200 twice a year)
$200 of Bilt Cash each year
Points transfer 1:1 to partners including World of Hyatt and United

Review Bilt Palladium Card →

Combining cards

Most people should start with one card and add a second only when its credits would replace spending you already do. A few pairings work well. For full sets of cards from each bank, see the card packs guide.

Question	Pairing	Why it works
Sapphire Reserve + Amex Gold	Reserve for travel, Gold for food	The Gold's 4x at supermarkets and restaurants covers what the Reserve earns 1x or 3x on, and both annual fees are covered by credits you'd likely use.
Sapphire Reserve + Amex Platinum	Hyatt and dining on one, Delta and lounges on the other	What I carry. It only makes sense if both cards' credits already pay for themselves.
Either premium card + Bilt	Bilt for housing, the other for everything else	Bilt is one of the few ways to earn on rent or a mortgage. The no-fee Bilt Blue works for this too.

Common questions

What’s the catch with annual fees?

Fees rose a lot over 2025 and 2026. As of October 2026 the Reserve is $795 and the Amex Platinum $895. The credits can still outrun them: the Reserve’s $300 travel credit is nearly automatic, and the Gold’s dining, Resy, and Uber credits roughly cancel out its $325 fee. But most credits require spending at a specific merchant on a specific schedule. Skip them and you’re paying the sticker price.

How do I get the most value from points?

Transfer them to airline and hotel partners. Business class flights and Hyatt stays regularly get 2 cents or more per point. Booking through a card’s travel portal is simpler but usually worth about a cent per point, and cash back or gift cards are usually worth even less.

Can I have more than one of these?

Yes, and many people do. Add cards one at a time, and apply for Chase cards first: Chase usually declines applicants who’ve opened five or more cards from any bank in the past 24 months. The Chase 5/24 guide explains how to sequence them.

ⓘ Links on this page may earn me a small commission at no cost to you. I only recommend products I use myself. Affiliate policy →

Table of Contents

Best Travel Credit Cards for 2026

Quick picks