The miles and points we’ve collected from travel credit cards have easily saved us over $10,000+ in travel expenses, and they have enabled us to enjoy luxurious experiences like business class flights and luxury hotel stays that we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford.
We believe a good travel credit card (or a few) is a tool that all financially responsible travelers should be using. However, knowing which travel credit card(s) to apply for can be confusing.
Between restrictions like Chase’s 5/24 rule and some bonus offers being available for only a limited-time, it’s important to strategize the time and order in which you sign up for new credit cards. To help you prioritize your credit card sign-ups, we want to share a post with you every month with what we believe are the top credit card offers on the market. Since we’re covering what we consider to be the best offers — not just limited time offers — some of the cards on this list may remain consistent from month to month.
If you still need help choosing a card after reading this post, we’d be more than happy to recommend a card (or two) for you! All you need to do is fill out this form.
Nate’s Note: Due to advertising restrictions, I am not allowed to link directly to any of these cards from this blog post. However, if you’d like to support our work, you can find the best offering of travel credit cards in the menu bar at the top of every page on our site or using the link below. If you use any of these links, we will receive a commission, and we’ll be super grateful for your support 🙂
1. Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Current offer: 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 within the first three months.
Annual fee: $450
Why it’s great: The incredible travel rewards you’ll earn from this card more than makeup for the high annual fee. To start, you’ll get a $300 travel credit every year that’s super easy to use. This basically brings the annual fee down to $150. Our favorite perk is the free Priority Pass membership that gets the card holder and up to 2 guests free access to over 1,000+ airline lounges around the world! If you’ve ever watched our Youtube videos, you know we put this benefit to use almost every time we travel. We would gladly pay $150 for this membership every year! Plus, when you have this card, your Chase Ultimate Reward points are worth more when redeemed through the Chase Travel Portal. The points are worth 1.5 cents each. So your 50,000 bonus points are worth $750 in free travel! Or you can also transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio to the following airlines: United, Singapore, British Airways, Korean, Southwest, and Virgin Atlantic.
*** Chase Bank only allows you to sign up for one Sapphire card. So you have to choose between the Sapphire Reserve (mentioned above) and the Sapphire Preferred (mentioned below). For serious travelers who will benefit from the lounge access, $300 travel credit, and increased value of the Ultimate Reward points, I would highly recommend signing up for the Reserve (this card) over the Preferred.
Other benefits worth mentioning:
- No foreign transaction fees
- 3x points on travel and dining purchases
- $100 application credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck
- Lost luggage reimbursement
- Car rental insurance
- Travel accident insurance
2. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Current offer: 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 within the first three months, plus an additional 5,000 Ultimate Rewards points when you add an authorized user to the card who makes a purchase within the first three months.
Annual fee: $95 (waived the first year)
Why it’s great: This card consistently ranks in the top 3 best travel credit cards for it’s generous 60,000 point sign-up bonus and the flexibility with which you can use those points. After meeting the minimum spending requirement, you’ll receive 60,000 Ultimate Reward points which can be redeemed for $750 worth of free flights when booking through the Chase travel portal. Or, if you want to get even more value out of your points, you can transfer them to the following airlines: United, Singapore, British Airways, Korean, Southwest, or Virgin Atlantic.
Other benefits worth mentioning:
- No foreign transaction fees
- 2x points on travel and dining purchases
- Trip cancellation insurance
- Travel accident insurance
- Car rental insurance
- Zero fraud liability
3. Citi ThankYou® Premier Card
Current offer: 60,000 ThankYou points after spending $4,000 within the first three months.
Annual fee: $95 (waived the first year)
Why it’s great: This card’s sign-up bonus has been increased to 60,000 points for the first time ever! You can transfer Citi ThankYou points to 12 different airlines, or you can redeem them for flights any time on any airline through the ThankYou Travel Center. ThankYou you points can be redeemed through the Travel Center for 1.25 cents each. This means the increased sign up bonus is worth $750 in free travel!
Other benefits worth mentioning:
- No foreign transaction fees
- 3x points on travel (including gas stations!)
- 3x points on dining & entertainment
- Travel accident insurance
- Car rental insurance
- Lost Luggage Insurance
4. The Platinum Card® from American Express
Current offer: 80,000 Membership Rewards after spending $8,000 in the first six months.
Annual fee: $695
Why it’s great: The Platinum Card has the highest annual fee of any of the cards on this list, but it also offers some of the best benefits. Depending on your travel habits, this card could offer more value than other cards on this list. To start, you have the 80,000 point welcome bonus which is worth $800 in free travel when redeemed through the Membership Rewards travel portal. Alternatively, you can get way more value out of your points by transferring them to one of the following airlines: Delta, British Airways, Air Canada, Air France, Singapore, Etihad, and more.
If you use your Platinum Card strategically, you can get up to $200 in travel credits each year with a $200 airline fee credit (good for one airline that you choose at the beginning of the year)! Our favorite benefit of the Platinum Card is the lounge access. In addition to free Priority Pass membership that will get you into over 1,400 airport lounges around the world, you also get access to American Express’s Centurion Lounges! These lounges are by far our favorite domestic airport lounges! The food is always incredible, and some of them even offer free massages!
Other benefits worth mentioning:
- Earn 5x points on flights booked with airlines or American Express Travel
- Earn 5x points on hotels booked on amextravel.com
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card(R) on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber
Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
5. Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®
Current offer: For a limited time earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage(R) bonus miles after making $2,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
Annual fee: $99 (waived the first year)
Why it’s great: Once you meet the minimum spending requirement, you’ll almost have enough frequent flyer miles for a round-trip ticket to Europe (60,000)! Plus, the annual fee is waived for the first year which makes this an awesome opportunity to earn 75,000 AA miles for $0 in fees!
Other benefits worth mentioning:
- No foreign transaction fees
- Your first checked bag is free on domestic AA flights
- You get preferred boarding on AA flights
6. Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Current offer: 70,000 Delta SkyMiles after spending $3,000 in the first 6 months.
Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for first year, then $150
Why it’s great: 70,000 is a generous welcome bonus for an airline credit card. I personally don’t make it a point to earn Delta SkyMiles because I’ve found their award availability to be the worst of the three major U.S. airlines. However, if you live near a Delta hub (Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle) this card could be a great choice for you.
Delta has done away with their award chart, so you have to search on the website to find the exact price (in miles) for a flight. In most cases, 70,000 will be more than enough for a ticket to Europe!
If you fly Delta a few times per year, this card could also save you a lot of money on baggage fees because you get your first checked bag for free when you use this card to pay for your flight.
Other benefits worth mentioning:
- No foreign transaction fees
- Priority Boarding
7. United℠ Explorer Card
Current offer: 40,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 in the first three months. Earn an additional 5,000 miles after adding an authorized user to your account who makes a purchase with your card in the first 3 months as a cardmember.
Annual fee: $95 (waived the first year)
Why it’s great: United is currently my favorite frequent flyer program because I’ve found they have the best award space availability. This means the points are easier to use, and you usually have more options. This card is a great way to earn 40,000 United miles quickly.
Other benefits worth mentioning:
- $100 rebate on Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fees
- 2 one-time use United Club passes that entitle you to United Club lounge access
- Priority Boarding on United flights
- Your first checked bag is free on United flights when you use your card to pay for the flight
8. British Airways Visa Signature® Card
Current offer: 75,000 British Airways Avios after spending $5,000 within three months from the account opening. Plus, if you’re a big spender, you can earn an additional 25,000 points after spending $10,000 during your first year of card membership, and another 25,000 point bonus (for a total of 100,000) if you spend $20,000 in the first year of card membership.
Annual fee: $95
Why it’s great: You can get a ton of value out of British Airways Avios if you learn how to strategically redeem them using British Airways’ distance based award chart. For example, if you wanted to fly from Nashville to Dallas on American Airlines (a One World Partner), you would only need to pay 6,500 Avios each way. So with the 75,000 Avios you’d earn from the sign-up bonus, you could fly from Nashville to Dallas 7 times!
Other benefits worth mentioning:
- No foreign transaction fees
- Earn a companion ticket after spending $30,000 in a calendar year
- Lost luggage reimbursement
- Car rental insurance
- Travel accident insurance
- Trip cancelation insurance
9. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Current offer: 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in the first three months.
Annual fee: $95 (waived the first year)
Why it’s great: If you want to keep your credit card strategy super simple, but still save a ton of money on travel, this is the card for you. To start, you’ll earn a 50,000 point early spend bonus that is worth $500 in free travel. Moving forward, you’ll earn 2x points on every purchase without having to worry about bonus/rotating categories. When it comes time to redeem your points, it’s super simple. All you have to do is make a travel purchase using your card. Then, you have 90 days to log in to your account and erase that purchase using your points!
Other benefits worth mentioning:
- $100 rebate on Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fees
- No foreign transaction fees
- Use your points on any airline
- Earn 5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
10. Barclaycard Arrival® Plus World Elite Mastercard®
Current offer: 60,000 Barclay Arrival miles after spending $5,000 in the first 90 days and paying the annual fee.
Annual fee: $89
Why it’s great: If you need a card with super flexible rewards, this is the card for you! Arrival miles are worth 1 cent each when redeemed for travel so the 60,000 point sign up bonus is worth $600 in free travel. When you take into account the $89 annual fee you have to pay, you still come out on top by $511!
Arrival Miles are super easy to use. All you have to do is pay for travel using your card, then you can go into your online account and use your points to erase the charge within 120 days of making the purchase.
Other benefits worth mentioning:
- Get 5% miles back every time you redeem your miles
- No foreign transaction fees
- International chip and PIN for use at self-service terminals around the world
- Lost luggage reimbursement
- Car Rental Insurance
That wraps up our review of the top 10 best personal travel credit card offers for the month of September. If you’re ready to start saving big on travel by using credit card rewards, click the button below to find the right travel credit card for you.