Best Credit Cards For Travel

February 13th, 2010

Travel credit cards offer a lot more than just airline tickets, and if you are planning on doing any type of traveling then you can use these best credit cards for travel to purchase many different things such as car hire, cruises and hotel accommodations.

frequent flyer points'); generateRow('6', '0% p.a. for 6 months offer as well as a low interest rate on purchases.'); generateRow('14', '24/7 international concierge service, Complimentary lounge access in Australia and Dubai'); generateRow('149', 'This card is unique because it has special frequent flyer offers such as 2-for-1 flights on specific services from Virgin Blue'); generateRow('136', 'Complimentary Qantas Frequent Flyer membership, Earn double points until end of June 2010‘); generateRow(‘12′, ‘Additional rewards and benefits, shorter balance transfer period but lower interest rate on balance transfer’); generateRow(‘13′, ‘A Low balance transfer offer, 1.9% for 15 months plus Citibank Reward points for every $1 spend’); generateRow(‘76′, ‘Similar to gold card but receive extended product warranty, complimentary access to Qantas Frequent Flyer’); generateRow(‘78′, ‘Similar to gold card however receive 24/7 platinum concierge service as well as access to Visa Entertainment’); generateRow(‘80′, ‘Receive 15000 bonus Altitude points as well as receive 3 Altitude points for every $1 spend on you’re American Express card.’); generateRow(‘155′, ‘Receive A complimentary Virgin Blue domestic economy return flight every year, plus lots of other platinum benefits.’); generateRow(‘67′, ‘24/7 personal concierge serivce, international travel insurance. Access to St. George Instant Benefit rewards.’); generateRow(‘2′, ‘Same features as Gold card however receive complementary 24/7 concierge service.’); tableFoot(); ?>

How to choose the best credit cards for travel:

There are a few things you should keep in mind when you are looking for the best credit cards for travel so that you choose the one that works best for you. Here are a few things you should look for when you’re comparing these cards.

Credit card partners

One of the most important things you can do is find out which services, airlines or companies are partnered with the rewards programs. You should look for partners that offer rewards you can really use, or rewards that you already purchase anyway.

Introductory incentives

Some cards offer bonus points within the first three months of receiving a new card. You can gain rewards points quite quickly with these offers since some are triple or double points.

Frequent flyer schemes

If you are looking for an Air Miles card or other frequent flyer scheme, make sure that the airlines that are partnered with the card fly where you want to go.

How many points for each dollar?

Usually the rate is one point for one dollar; however when it comes to retention that is not always the rule. Every credit card gives their points their own value, and this should be a determining factor when choosing the best credit cards for travel.

Reward variety

You should find out if the points are limited to spending on airport parking, car hire, cruises, hotel stays, holidays and flights. If at some point you cannot travel, it would be nice to be able to spend these points on something else.

Fees for the program

If you have to pay an annual fee for the program, in addition to the credit card annual fee, then it may not be worth getting that card depending on the charge for the program. If you are choosing a Platinum card this fee may be justified by the added benefits that go along with this type of card.

Added benefits

You may be offered free travel insurance with their rewards program. This may come with a Platinum or Gold card, or you may have to pay a fee for it if you register for an Air Miles program.

Interest charges

Remember that the card is not just a rewards program, it is still a credit card and you must look at all of the regular features on it as well. There is no use in choosing the best credit cards for travel if you have to pay ridiculously high interest rates, and cannot pay off the balance every month.

By using the guidelines mentioned above, you can find the best credit cards for travel, and made good use of them. Use this guide wisely to help you find the best card for your travel purposes.

Editors Choice: Featured Credit Card Deals

	Interest Rate (p.a.)	Balance Transfer Rate (p.a.)	Annual fee	Cash Advance Rate (p.a.)