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.
Guatemala is fast becoming a bucket list destination for adventure-seeking travelers. Its otherworldly landscape was once a secret to all but the most trepidatious of backpackers, but with cheap flights to Guatemala being added all the time, it’s becoming more and more accessible.
If epic volcanoes, lush jungles, and ancient ruins are ticking all your boxes, you’ll be thrilled to know that it can be an affordable trip. But despite cheap flights to Guatemala becoming a regular occurrence, we can always make it cheaper.
Using points and miles, we can turn a budget trip to Guatemala into a penny-protecting masterclass.
Here are the best ways to use points and miles for cheap flights to Guatemala.
Finding cheap flights to Guatemala with points and miles
As with many destinations, the best way to find cheap flights to Guatemala is to use programs with award charts and not dynamic pricing models. By this, we mean the airline has set award rates based on geographical zones or distance flown. Using programs like these, we can often achieve outsized value for our points.
A dynamic system will fluctuate heavily, and while a good deal is possible, we can’t always rely on them. We’ll use one dynamic system today that’s a slightly more reliable option.
Using British Airways Avios to find cheap flights to Guatemala
One of the best programs to use points and miles for cheap flights to Guatemala is the British Airways Executive Club program. It utilizes Avios as its travel currency and calculates rates using a partner award chart.
In this case, using British Airways Avios to book an American Airlines flight is the best option. It uses a simple distance-based chart, so it will vary depending on where you are in the US. For example, flying from Dallas will cost you 14,500 Avios while a flight from New York City will be 22,000 Avios. Both deals are pretty high value!
How to earn enough British Airways Avios for cheap flights to Guatemala
One of British Airways’s greatest strengths is the ease with which we can earn Avios. American Express, Capital One, Chase, and Bilt all transfer to Executive Club, giving you plenty of options.
Better yet, any program that uses Avios can transfer points between one another. So if you have a Citi card, you could move your points to Qatar’s program and then on to British Airways. Avios are incredibly adaptable.
With that said, here are some cards you could use to earn enough points for your better-than-cheap flights to Guatemala.
The American Express® Gold Card
The American Express® Gold Card remains one of the best travel cards on the market. Thanks to its generous 60,000-point intro bonus and outstanding earning potential, it’ll have a place in your wallet long after you return from Guatemala. You’ll need to spend $6,000 within six months to earn the bonus.
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
The American Express® Gold Card gives your munch more punch with an outstanding 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1x). For some context, if you spent $8,400 a year on eating out and groceries, which is roughly what the average American spends, you’d have enough points for a roundtrip flight to Hawaii. That’s not even factoring in the huge 60,000-point bonus worth over $1,000.
PROS
- Huge returns on popular spending categories like dining at restaurants, takeout and delivery in the U.S .and U.S. supermarkets
- Solid earnings on travel purchased via Amex or directly with an airline
- Solid intro bonus of 60,000 points worth over $1,000
- Up to $120 in Uber Cash for rides and food delivery, and up to $120 in statement credits for selected dining outlets including the GrubHub food delivery app, Shake Shack, Wine.com, and more
- Nice, but pointless in the grand scheme of things, customizable card designs
CONS
- $250 annual fee
- No major travel perks like its bigger sibling, the Amex Platinum
Annual Fee: $250 | Terms Apply | Rates & Fees
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card’s 75,000-mile intro bonus is enough to get you there and back even if you live in the very north of the US. You’ll just need to hit the $4,000 spending threshold within three months of opening the card to earn it. Maybe you could use the card’s travel credit for a free night or two, as well.
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
Using Air Canada’s Aeroplan for cheap flights to Guatemala
Air Canada’s Aeroplan should feature on almost any award flight search. It’s one of the best programs for finding amazing award redemptions, thanks to its zone-based award chart. To understand how many points you’ll need, just check Aeroplan’s zones, calculate the distance flown, and you’ll have your number.
In this case, a flight from New York could be as little as 12,500 points. That’s pretty incredible!
How to earn enough Aeroplan points
Just like Avios, Aeroplan points are easy to earn. While it doesn’t have the quirks of Avios, you can grab a ton of points from any American Express, Chase, or Capital One credit card. And if you’re only needing around 12,500 points, you’re going to have plenty left to fuel your next trip.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is an excellent option for your cheap flights to Guatemala. Not only does it have a reasonable annual fee, but its 60,000-point intro bonus could get you to Guatemala and back twice with points to spare. You’ll just need to spend $4,000 within three months of opening the card to earn it.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
60,000 Bonus Points
after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is the ultimate all-around travel credit card—it fits perfectly into almost any points-earner’s wallet. Points novices can enjoy a significant intro bonus and easy to grasp spending categories with an approachable annual fee. The more experienced can utilize its high value earning potential as a secondary card and also gain access to Chase’s strong travel booking portal.
PROS
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals, and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. The 60,000 points, for example, are worth $750 toward travel.
- The $50 dollar hotel credit for stays purchased on the Chase Travel Portal already cuts the already approachable $95 annual fee significantly.
- A 10% annual points bonus is tacked on every year, adding a little more value.
- A free year-long Doordash DashPass membership is also thrown in, which gives you free delivery and some extra discounts. It’s a solid perk if you order food delivery at least semi-frequently (Activate by 12/31/2024).
- Along with all of the above, cardholders also have access to a string of travel protections like rental coverage, cancellation insurance, and purchase protection.
CONS
- Maximizing the value of Chase points can still be complicated for complete novices.
Competing cards like the Capital One Venture have a better earning rate for non-bonused spend.
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: $95 | Terms Apply | Rates & Fees
The Preferred’s older and more premium sibling has a similar bonus but comes loaded with added perks like lounge access and travel statement credits. If you’re in the market for a more premium card, this might be the better option for you.
Read also: Grab a free checked bag with this Delta card
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
60,000 Bonus Points
after you spend $4,000 on purchases in 3 months of account opening
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
- Its 60,000-point intro bonus is worth much more than the annual fee of $550.
- 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
Using United MileagePlus for cheap flights to Guatemala
We mentioned before that award charts are generally the best way to maximize your points and miles. As the above examples showed, it’s easy to find great rates in this scenario. But dynamic systems, like United’s Mileage Plus, can also churn out some incredible value if you’re flexible on dates.
While most of the rates for Guatemala flights from somewhere like New York sit at around 20,000 each way, finding a saver reward price on specific dates means you can find rates as low as 10,500. That’s the best deal around based on this research. And the fees are only $5.
That’s why sometimes it’s better to research points before you decide on a date.
How to earn United MileagePlus miles
Outside of flying with United or one of its partners, the only way to earn a good amount of its miles is to open a co-branded card or transfer from a Chase card. While that still gives you some scope, it’s not as varied as some of the other examples given today.
Obviously, you can use the Chase cards mentioned above but try these ones, too.
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
This is an interesting business card. It’s technically a cash card, but if you own another Chase product that earns points, you can turn this card’s $750 intro bonus into 75,000 points. You’ll need to spend $6,000 within three months to earn those, so make sure your business outgoings are high enough.
Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Earn up to $750 bonus cash back intro offer
Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening.
The Ink Business Cash Card pulls attention with its big intro bonus, currently sitting at up to $750 of cash back. The card has no annual fee and rewarding spending categories, like 5% cash back (5x points) on purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services (up $25,000 per year).
You can supercharge the Ink Cash’s rewards if you have a companion Chase card like the Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred, you can pool your points and make them more valuable by transferring them to Chase’s travel partners like Hyatt, United Airlines, British Airways and more.
PROS
- For small business owners and freelancers it’s one of the best cards for turning spending into valuable rewards. The welcome bonus alone is worth up to $750 of cash back and you’ll continue to rack up rewards with great spending categories.
- It has no annual fee.
- If you have another Chase card like the Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred, you can pool your points and make them more valuable. You’ll be able to transfer your points to Chase’s travel partners like Marriott, Air Canada, Southwest, United, and more.
CONS
- It does lack some of the juicier benefits attached to other business credit cards likes the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. But with no annual fee, it’s hard to argue with its value proposition.
- 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: $0 | Terms Apply | Rates & Fees
Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Another outstanding option for those with slightly higher business outgoings is the Ink Business Preferred. It’s currently running an epic 100,000-point intro bonus earned after spending $8,000 within three months. But don’t dally, that offer is disappearing soon.
Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
100,000 bonus points
after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
The Ink Business Preferred Business Card pulls attention with its big intro bonus, currently sitting at 100,000 points.That’s worth in $1,000 cash back, $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠, or even more when transferring to Chase’s travel partners like Hyatt, United Airlines, British Airways and more. But the card shows its real value with its high-earning bonus-spending categories. Freelancers and business owners alike will earn 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year.
PROS
- Simply put, for small business owners and freelancers it’s one of the best cards for turning business spending into valuable travel. The bonus alone is worth $1,000 cash back, $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠, or potentially more when transferring to Chase’s travel partners like Marriott or Air Canada.
- It also offers some stellar protections including a comprehensive reimbursement on damaged or stolen cellphones and primary rental car coverage
- It has a reasonable $95 annual fee.
- If you have another Chase card like the Sapphire Preferred or Reserve, or even a cash-back earning Chase card, you can pool your points and make them more valuable.
CONS
- It does lack some of the juicier benefits attached to other business credit cards likes the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. But with the low fee, it’s hard to argue with its value proposition
- 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: $95 | Terms Apply | Rates & Fees
The point
Cheap flights to Guatemala are already easy. But why pay even a few hundred dollars when you can use one of these excellent credit cards and grab your flights for almost nothing at all? Get adventuring.
Read also: How to fly to Hawaii using points and miles
by travelers, for travelers.
