What are travel credit cards, and how do they work?
Travel credit cards are financial products that offer various rewards and benefits geared towards frequent travelers. They typically earn you points or miles for every dollar spent on eligible purchases. These rewards can be redeemed for flights, hotel stays, car rentals, and other travel-related expenses. Travel credit cards may also include perks like travel insurance, airport lounge access, and no foreign transaction fees.
How do I choose the best travel credit card for my needs?
Choosing the best travel credit card depends on your travel habits, spending patterns, and preferences. Consider factors like the type of rewards offered (points, miles, or cash back), the card’s annual fee, sign-up bonuses, earning rates, redemption options, and additional travel perks. Analyzing these features will help you find a card that aligns with your lifestyle and offers the most value.
What are the benefits of using a travel credit card over other types of credit cards?
Travel credit cards provide unique advantages for travelers, such as earning rewards specifically tailored to travel expenses. Additionally, many travel credit cards offer travel-related perks like free checked bags, priority boarding, and travel insurance. Some cards also waive foreign transaction fees, making them ideal for international travelers.
What is a sign-up bonus, and how can I qualify for it?
A sign-up bonus is a promotional offer provided by the credit card issuer to entice new cardholders. To qualify for a sign-up bonus, you usually need to meet specific spending requirements within a certain timeframe after opening the account. The bonus can be in the form of points, miles, or cash back, and it’s a great way to jump-start your rewards earning.
Do travel credit cards charge foreign transaction fees?
Not all travel credit cards charge foreign transaction fees. Many of the top-tier travel cards waive these fees, making them ideal for international travel. However, it’s essential to read the card’s terms and conditions to confirm this before using it abroad.
How can I maximize the rewards earned with my travel credit card?
To maximize rewards, use your travel credit card for everyday expenses and large purchases. Take advantage of bonus categories and special promotions to earn more points or miles. Consider combining your travel credit card with loyalty programs to stack rewards and get even more value out of your purchases.
The Rio de Janeiro Carnival is up there with the best parties on the planet. The famous celebration, held on the Friday before Ash Wednesday (February 9 this year), draws thousands of revelers with its spectacular atmosphere, making Brazil’s best-known city the center of the world for a little while.
But with that much attention, you can be sure flight prices for the week of the Rio de Janeiro Carnival won’t be cheap.
Thankfully, points and miles can do the heavy lifting for you, leaving you to spend more money on your outfit. I’d double-double down on the sequins.
Here are some of the best ways to use points and miles to get to Brazil for the Rio de Janeiro Carnival.
How to search for award flights to Brazil for the Rio de Janeiro Carnival
Before starting any points search, it’s important to identify the carriers making the trip. We’d always recommend using Google Flights or Skyscanner to suss out some potential routes, and commence your research from there.
Whether or not you’ll find a direct flight will depend entirely on your location. But don’t worry, even if you can’t find one, there are still some fantastic redemptions to get to the Rio de Janeiro Carnival for pennies on the dollar.
Here are some of the best airlines to use.
1. Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines’ loyalty program is one of the best out there. Thanks to its tremendous partner award charts, using the airline to book other airlines like American and LATAM is easy.
In this case, a quick search from multiple cities in the US to Rio gives us redemptions as low as 25,000 miles plus $19 one way. That’s an outstanding deal that could see you get there and back for 50,000 miles.
The only downside to Alaska Airlines is that earning miles with the airline can be complicated if you don’t fly with them often—and let’s face it, only a tiny portion of the country does.
How to earn enough Alaska Airlines points to get to the Rio de Janeiro Carnival
The simplest way to earn Alaska Airlines miles is to fly with the airline or one of its partners. That includes airlines like American and British Airways. However, if you don’t fly enough for this to make a dent, there are some workarounds.
No credit cards transfer points to Alaska, but it is possible from the Marriott Bonvoy program. Luckily, you can transfer points to Marriott using some of these cards.
Which credit cards can earn you those points?
The American Express Gold Card is an excellent option for getting points to your Alaska Airlines account. While you can’t transfer them directly, you can route them through your Marriott account. It’s not the most efficient way, as the transfer rate isn’t impressive, but that 60,000-point intro bonus can go a long way to helping you out. You’ll need to spend $6,000 within six months of opening the card to earn the bonus. Plus, receive 20 percent back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first six months of card membership, up to $100 back. Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24.
American Express® Gold Card
60,000 Membership Rewards® Points
after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new card within the first 6 months of card membership. Plus, receive 20 percent back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24.
The American Express® Gold Card takes your dining and grocery spending to the next level, offering an impressive 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year, and 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
To put this into perspective, if you spend $8,400 annually on dining and groceries, which aligns with the average American’s spending, you could earn enough points for a roundtrip flight to Hawaii. Meanwhile, the bonus alone is worth over $1,000, adding significant value to your everyday spending.
PROS
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S. each month, totaling up to $120 per year.
- Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Dunkin’ locations, totaling up to $84 per year.
- Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year for dining at U.S. Resy restaurants or making other eligible Resy purchases. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys, totaling up to $120 per year. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. Eligible charges vary by property.
CONS
- $325 annual fee
- No major travel perks like its bigger sibling, the Amex Platinum
Annual Fee: $325 | Terms Apply | Rates & Fees
Similar to American Express, Chase allows its cardholders to transfer points to Marriott and then on to Alaska Airlines. The bonus on the Sapphire reserve is currently 60,000 points, earned after spending $4,000 within three months.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
60,000 Bonus Points
after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a premium travel card that’s accessible to most travelers as it has a number of valuable and easy-to-use benefits. Its annual fee of $550, though still high, is quickly offset thanks to its $300 travel credit, large welcome bonus, strong spending categories, and premium perks like airport lounge access. It’s also great for those who don’t want to deal with transferring their points, as you’ll get big value when redeeming through Chase’s travel portal.
PROS
- Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel—which is more than the annual fee.
- The $300 travel credit covers anything travel related, whether thats an Airbnb, a taxi, a flight, or hotel, making it almost impossible not to lessen the dent the fee made.
- The points are worth 1.5 cents a piece when used directly on Chase’s Ultimate Rewards Portal, offering a simple but high value use for your points.
- Plenty of excellent transfer partners allow points to be maximized
- Some excellent partnerships with Doordash and Lyft add to its value.
- Priority Pass membership allows access to over 1,300+ airport lounges and restaurants.
CONS
- No complimentary elite hotel status, like that offered by the Amex Platinum.
- You won’t earn points on travel purchases until the $300 credit is used.
- It’s subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule. So if you’ve opened five cards in the last two years, you’re most likely not going to be accepted.
Annual Fee: $550 | Terms Apply | Rates & Fees
All Nippon Airways (ANA)
ANA is consistently one of the best airlines for redeeming roundtrips around the world. This is mainly attributed to its outstanding zonal award chart. To calculate the volume of points required for any given redemption, customers just need to check their home and destination zones.
Based on the ANA award chart, the United States is in Zone 6, while Brazil is in Zone 9. An economy roundtrip between these zones only costs 55,000 points! What a deal. You’ll be at the Rio de Janeiro Carnival with cash and points to spare. You can expect to fly with United, Copa, or Avianca on your trip.
How to earn enough points to get to the Rio de Janeiro Carnival
If you’re hoping to attend the Rio de Janeiro Carnival for almost nothing, you’ll need some ANA miles. Currently, only American Express transfers points to the airline, so you’ll need one of the following cards.
Which credit cards can earn you those points?
The American Express Gold Card’s 60,000-point intro bonus is enough to cover your entire trip to Brazil with 5,000 points to spare. That’s a no-brainer in our book. Just make sure you can comfortably hit the $6,000 spending threshold within six months.
American Express® Gold Card
60,000 Membership Rewards® Points
after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new card within the first 6 months of card membership. Plus, receive 20 percent back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24.
The American Express® Gold Card takes your dining and grocery spending to the next level, offering an impressive 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year, and 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
To put this into perspective, if you spend $8,400 annually on dining and groceries, which aligns with the average American’s spending, you could earn enough points for a roundtrip flight to Hawaii. Meanwhile, the bonus alone is worth over $1,000, adding significant value to your everyday spending.
PROS
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S. each month, totaling up to $120 per year.
- Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Dunkin’ locations, totaling up to $84 per year.
- Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year for dining at U.S. Resy restaurants or making other eligible Resy purchases. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys, totaling up to $120 per year. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. Eligible charges vary by property.
CONS
- $325 annual fee
- No major travel perks like its bigger sibling, the Amex Platinum
Annual Fee: $325 | Terms Apply | Rates & Fees
The Platinum Card® from American Express
American Express’s premium offering is an outstanding card with perks like lounge access, hotel experiences, and statement credits. But its huge 80,000-point intro bonus is the real showstopper. Once you hit the $8,000 in six months spending goal, you’ll have at least 88,000 points. That’s the exact amount you’d need to grab a business class roundtrip to the Rio de Janeiro Carnival with ANA.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
80,000 Membership Rewards® Points
after you spend $8,000 on purchases in your first 6 months of card membership
The Amex Platinum was once the sole dominating force in the luxury credit card space. While it now faces some stiff competition, it still offers unbeatable perks like unprecedented airport lounge access, elite status at Hilton and Marriott, and some outstanding statement credits making the mammoth $695 worth it for some.
PROS
- The Amex Platinum’s typical intro bonus of 80,000 points is massive in itself. It’s worth $800 when spent directly through Amex’s travel portal on flights and hotels, which is already stellar. But when transferred to a partner, it’s very possible to squeeze over $1,600 or more in value.
- The Platinum has a slew of top-tier benefits, like Priority Pass, which gives the cardholder access to thousands of airport lounges and restaurants around the world, as well as Amex’s own Centurion lounges which are known for the high-quality (and free) food and cocktails. Other perks include up to $200 in Uber credits (to receive this benefit, you must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App and your eligible American Express card must be a method of payment in your Uber account, and this Amex Benefit may only be used in the United States), up to $200 in airline fee credits (given in statement credits), up to $240 in digital streaming credits, up to $200 towards hotel bookings (given in statement credits) with Amex’s Fine Hotels and Resorts (2 night minimum stay required), and more. Enrollment is required for select benefits.
- A number of statement credits spanning multiple industries can build even more value into the card, including free stays when applied strategically.
- The Amex concierge is an underutilized benefit that can transform a trip by helping book hard-to-find dinner reservations or show tickets.
CONS
- The $695 annual fee is brutally high. Too high for many that can’t, or don’t want to take full advantage of its benefits.
- Points-earning rates are low unless spending directly on flights or with the Amex Portal.
- Some of the benefits, like travel credits, are more limited and are harder to use than competing cards’ offerings.
Annual Fee: $695 | Terms Apply | Rates & Fees
3. Qantas Airways
The Australian carrier Qantas might not be on your radar, but it should be. The airline uses a distance-based awards chart for American Airlines flights, allowing for a slice of predictability on an otherwise volatile route.
Some of the best rates we found included a 37,800-point redemption from New York to Rio plus $63. Not bad at all. Naturally, you can grab an even better deal if you find an airport closer. The only downside to Qantas is the availability of its award seats, which can be scarce.
How to earn enough Qantas points to get to the Rio de Janeiro Carnival
If we work off that rate of 37,800 points, which could get lower the further south you go, we have a ton of options for getting there; Qantas is a transfer partner for multiple credit card companies, including Amex, Citi, and Capital One.
Here are some cards you can use to grab those points and be on your way to the Rio de Janeiro Carnival.
Which credit cards can earn you those points?
The Capital One Venture X is an unbelievable travel card. Despite being a premium product, its perks, intro bonus, and earning potential make it affordable for almost anyone. Its current intro bonus is set at 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 in three months. If you can grab a return flight for the same rate, you’ll have enough for the whole trip.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
75,000 Bonus Miles
after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening
The Capital One Venture X is a direct competitor to the Chase Sapphire Reserve, and for many seeking a simpler earning scheme with premium perks, it could be the better option. But the Venture X truly shines with one benefit in particular: four free authorized users. Not only can they all use the card and earn miles, they all receive a Priority Pass membership which allows themselves and two guests access to airport lounges. In a highly improbable situation, that means you could technically bring 15 people into a lounge with you.
PROS
- Its solid intro bonus of 75,000 miles is worth well over $1,000 when transferred to partner airlines and hotels, or a flat rate $750 when redeemed on the Capital One Travel Portal.
- Cardholders get a bonus of 10,000 miles each year after their first account anniversary, which is nothing to shrug off, especially when a little bit short of that business class flight. It’s worth almost $200 depending on how you use it.
- The $300 annual credit for purchases made on the Capital One Travel Portal, combined with the yearly free miles, more than annul the $395 annual fee.
- Four authorized users can be added for free.
- The cardholder is entitled to a Priority Pass membership and entry to Capital One Lounges, even the authorized users.
- A generous offering of travel insurance, protections and reimbursements round out an excellent array of benefits.
CONS
- The $300 credit is a bit less flexible than the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s comparable benefit.
- Miles earning is the same as the Sapphire Reserve on portal-based purchases, but less on general travel spending.
- Capital one transfer partners are solid, but still don’t include any US-based airlines or hotels.
Annual Fee: $395 | Terms Apply | Rates & Fees
The Citi Premier Card is a criminally overlooked credit card. Despite having some valuable transfer partners (like Qantas), it’s often passed over for the more familiar names. That’s a big mistake, as you’d be missing out on a mega 60,000-point intro bonus after spending $4,000 within three months of opening the card.
Citi Strata Premier℠ Card
70,000 bonus points
after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening—redeemable for $700 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
The Citi Strata Premier Card is an underrated travel credit card that offers both high points-earning potential and simplicity. While the mid-tier card doesn’t come with any premium benefits, its earning on popular spending categories is almost unmatched. Holders earn 3X points on air travel, hotels, gas stations, supermarkets, and restaurants, making it ludicrously easy to accrue points. Throw in the healthy 70,000-point bonus and you’ve got a great haul of rewards on your hands.
PROS
- The 70,000-point intro bonus is worth $700 in gift cards and well over $1,000 when transferred to travel partners, making the $95 dollar annual fee an afterthought. You could ignore the card for a decade, and it would still be worth it.
- Its earning potential is phenomenal: Earning 3X points on categories like gas and supermarkets, which are part of the average American’s biggest expenses, means the Citi Strata Premier will work hard for you on a daily basis.
- Cardholders get a $100 hotel benefit each year on a hotel purchase of $500 or more. Not the greatest perk in the world, but a nice saving on an unexpected hotel stay that wipes out the yearly fee itself.
- As it’s a World Elite Mastercard, cardholders will enjoy varied benefits like Lyft credits, upgrades and breakfast at select hotels, and cell phone protection.
CONS
- Citi’s transfer partners are mainly foreign airlines, so using the points on US-based carriers will require some extra research.
- Other mid-tier cards may offer some more interesting perks.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
The American Express Platinum Card is known as a big hitter, and its current 80,000-point intro bonus is more than enough to get you to the Rio de Janeiro Carnival and back for almost nothing with Qantas. You’ll just need to hit that $8,000 spending threshold within six months of opening the card.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
80,000 Membership Rewards® Points
after you spend $8,000 on purchases in your first 6 months of card membership
The Amex Platinum was once the sole dominating force in the luxury credit card space. While it now faces some stiff competition, it still offers unbeatable perks like unprecedented airport lounge access, elite status at Hilton and Marriott, and some outstanding statement credits making the mammoth $695 worth it for some.
PROS
- The Amex Platinum’s typical intro bonus of 80,000 points is massive in itself. It’s worth $800 when spent directly through Amex’s travel portal on flights and hotels, which is already stellar. But when transferred to a partner, it’s very possible to squeeze over $1,600 or more in value.
- The Platinum has a slew of top-tier benefits, like Priority Pass, which gives the cardholder access to thousands of airport lounges and restaurants around the world, as well as Amex’s own Centurion lounges which are known for the high-quality (and free) food and cocktails. Other perks include up to $200 in Uber credits (to receive this benefit, you must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App and your eligible American Express card must be a method of payment in your Uber account, and this Amex Benefit may only be used in the United States), up to $200 in airline fee credits (given in statement credits), up to $240 in digital streaming credits, up to $200 towards hotel bookings (given in statement credits) with Amex’s Fine Hotels and Resorts (2 night minimum stay required), and more. Enrollment is required for select benefits.
- A number of statement credits spanning multiple industries can build even more value into the card, including free stays when applied strategically.
- The Amex concierge is an underutilized benefit that can transform a trip by helping book hard-to-find dinner reservations or show tickets.
CONS
- The $695 annual fee is brutally high. Too high for many that can’t, or don’t want to take full advantage of its benefits.
- Points-earning rates are low unless spending directly on flights or with the Amex Portal.
- Some of the benefits, like travel credits, are more limited and are harder to use than competing cards’ offerings.
Annual Fee: $695 | Terms Apply | Rates & Fees
The point
Despite being a slightly less frequent route, there are still plenty of ways to get to the Rio de Janeiro Carnival for almost nothing. Just make sure you’re careful about how you hit those spending thresholds—you don’t want to go into debt for a free flight.
by your friends at The Daily Navigator
