When I first discovered frequent flyer miles, it was like unlocking a hidden level in a video game. I thought I’d cracked the code—free flights! So naturally, I did what any travel enthusiast would: I booked coach seats because, well, they were free.
But as time passed, I learned I was playing the game on the easiest difficulty level with the lowest rewards. Soon, I realized I could do so much more—like fly business class and even first class on Emirates twice. Turns out, when you choose the right credit cards and rack up points strategically, the sky’s the limit—literally.
Today, I’m sharing the best credit cards to help you maximize your points and get you out of coach (if that’s what you want!) and into the more luxurious cabins of business and first class, along with my favorite cards that also allow lounge access, and their current welcome offers:
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Everyday Spending: Retail, Amazon, Gadgets, Toys, and Diapers
Best Card: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
This is the card I use the most often. If you’re ever buying everyday essentials—diapers, pet food and toys, tech gadgets, or anything off of Amazon—the Capital One Venture X is the perfect go-to.
You earn 2X miles on all purchases, meaning it’s all pretty simple-straightforward, double earning on everything. Plus, you get access to Capital One airport Lounges, Priority Pass (a consortium of airport lounges worldwide), and a $300 annual travel credit, making this card a serious contender for frequent travelers.
Current Welcome Offer is 75,000 points when you sign up through this referral link and spend $4000 in the first 3 months. Here are some additional perks:
- Hertz President’s Circle Membership (We got upgraded to a 4WD vehicle, which would have cost almost double, thanks to this on our trip to Namibia!)
- Priority Pass airport lounge network membership.
- Global Entry/TSA Precheck up to $100 credit.
- Up to $300 travel credit (this offsets the $395 fee making it more like a $95 fee).
- Access to the Capital One lounge network which is small, but growing.
Frequent Flyers
Best Card: Platinum Card® from American Express
This is the best travel card out there for people who fly often. I keep this card solely to pay for flights because it offers 5x points per dollar spent. When I can get these Amex points in addition to airline miles for paid flights, I feel like I’m double dipping, and it’s awesome.
Many people shy away from the high the annual fee (of $695 – see Rates and Fees) but I never truly ‘pay’ it – this is how I use all of the card perks they offer, like a Disney+, Walmart+, Uber, and Fine Hotels and Resorts credit, to more than pay for the fee. Plus with lounge access at most major airports, and access to cheaper flight deals than I can sometimes find elsewhere (like the time I booked Japan Airlines for our winter Japan trip for $1000 less than the published rate), it’s been worth holding onto for me.
Here are the other perks:
- Airport Lounge access (with a major caveat, see below).
- Priority Pass membership.
- Up to $200 Airline credit – Pick an airline for the year and checked bags and other fees up to $200 will be refunded.
- Up to $15 monthly Uber and Uber Eats Credit
- Free Walmart+ ($12.95 monthly value which includes free Paramount+)
- Up to $240 Digital Entertainment Credit (up to $20 back on Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal.)
- Up to $200 credit on fine hotels booked through Amex
- Discounts on some premium flights (I’ve saved 30% on business class flights when paying cash this way!).
- Up to $300 Equinox credit.
They are also partnered with Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Aer Lingus, Aeromexico, Aeroplan, Air France KLM, ANA, Avianca, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Delta Skymiles, Choice Privileges, Etihad, Hawaiian Airlines, Hilton, Ibera, Jet Blue, Qantas, Virgin Atlantic, Qatar Airways, and Marriott.
Groceries, Restaurants, and Food Delivery
Best Card: American Express® Gold Card
The American Express® Gold Card offers 4x points at supermarkets and 3x points on air travel. Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. (Offer ends 11/6/24.)
Business Expenses
Best Card: Chase Ink Business Preferred®
I’ve had the Chase Ink for nearly 8 years, and recommend it to anyone running a business that has a lot of travel expenditures. I love the 3x points on any kind of travel, whether it’s Airbnbs (or any other vacation rental), hotels, tours, or flights (though I use the American Express Platinum for those for the 5x points).
I love that Chase is a transfer partner with United and Hyatt, two of my favorite brands, in addition to many others like Emirates, Singapore, Etihad, and many more.
This also has a generous welcome offer (usually 90,000 Bonus Points) considering the $95 annual fee. You can also get 3x points on social media advertising, shipping, and cable and internet, and 5x on Lyft rides through March 2025.
Hotel Loyalty
Best Card: World of Hyatt Business Card
It pays to be loyal to one or two major hotel brands, which often come with extra earning potential at their brand of hotels, automatic status, and free night awards, but the key is finding the one you like most. After testing out a few hotel loyalty cards, my preference is the World of Hyatt card, which gets you access not only to Hyatt, but to the Alila, Mr & Mrs. Smith, Andaz, Miraval, Thompson Hotels, and more. Some of the most amazing properties around the world fall within the Hyatt umbrella, and I love using Hyatt points with Chase transfer points to get what I feel are some of the best values for hotels.
For example, I paid 45,000 points per night for a $2000+ per night Alila property on the California coast. That’s a great value if you ask me, and with this card, you can get 60,000 points as a Welcome Offer. Earn 9x points per dollar spent at Hyatt resorts worldwide as well.
Paying Rent
Paying rent is a monthly headache, but with the Bilt Mastercard, you can turn that massive payment into 1X points toward your next flight. Even better, Bilt allows you to pay rent without fees, which is rare for this category. On top of that, you’ll get 3X points on dining and 2X on travel, making this card a win for anyone looking to leverage their rent payments into serious travel rewards.
These are our favorite cards of the moment, check back for more ideas on where to best earn throughout the year, or whenever it’s time to open a new card.
Have lots of points and don’t know how to best spend them? We offer a concierge planning service to help you plan your dream trip, and read our best ways to use points for business class here.
Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included on this website.
kidsmartialarts says
“Great roundup of credit cards for earning points quickly! It’s so helpful to see a variety of options, along with the key benefits of each. I appreciate the insights on maximizing rewards—this will definitely help in making an informed decision. Thanks for sharing!”