American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp Card
This basic airline card, issued by Citibank, is best for non-commital fans of American Airlines who have excellent credit and are looking to ease into a frequent flyer program. There’s no annual fee, and you don’t have to spend much to get the modest sign-up bonus. The card rewards even the occasional traveler, since charging your groceries earns you just as many miles as flying. Just don’t expect the travel perks you’ll get with most airline cards. If you want those, consider an alternative like the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard.
pros and cons
Rewards for groceries
Valuable miles
No annual fee
Small sign-up bonus
Foreign transaction fee
May require excellent credit
Few travel benefits
Cost
Annual Fee
0%
Purchase APR
3%
Foreign Transaction Fee
Cash Back
None
Credit Score
Very Good
Long Hotel Stays
Frequent travelers have had a long-lasting love affair with the Citi Prestige® Card (Review). This card offer is unique for its fourth night free on hotel stays of four nights or more, a valuable perk that could help you save hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year, if you stay at high-end properties. The Prestige used to be a powerhouse because you could use that benefit as often as you wanted, but now it’s capped at two uses per year. This new limitation is a bit of a downer, but most people shouldn’t mind too much because Citi stated that the average cardholder didn’t use that perk more than twice per year anyway.
Premium Travel Rewards
Frequent travelers can get a lot out of the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Review). Cardholders enjoy an excellent rewards rate on travel and dining, valuable travel benefits that are easy to take advantage of, and diverse travel partners for point transfers. Wondering if you should go with the Sapphire Reserve or the less-expensive Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Review)? Read our comparison of the Chase Sapphire Reserve vs. Sapphire Preferred.
Travel Rewards with No Annual Fee
The Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card (Review) is the top no fee travel card because it offers a decent reward rate for every purchase you make, with the ability to transfer your miles to a variety of airline partners. It can help you travel for free without putting an extra strain on your wallet, as long as you avoid interest and other fees.
Various Hotels
The Citi Prestige® Card (Review) has an excellent rewards program for anyone who tends to stay with different hotel brands, with 3X points for every stay (plus other handy categories for travel). But the best part? You’ll get your fourth night free on hotel bookings, up to twice per year, when you book with ThankYou.com. Plan to use those on a nice vacation, at a fancy hotel or resort, and they could easily be worth over $1K per year. There’s also solid airport lounge access through Priority Pass, and a travel credit to help offset the annual fee.
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